A place to discuss the weekly Wall Street Journal Crossword Puzzle Contest, starting every Thursday around 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Please do not post any answers or hints before the contest deadline which is midnight Sunday Eastern time.
I was dangerously close to submitting solecist instead of solecism. I was so excited upon finding the 7th letter (s) at 51A, I immediately looked at the down crossing, 48D, which was lutist, and pulled the T to spell solecist. Fortunately, I continued the process and 59A (humidor) clinched it for me, solecism, not solecist. Whew, that was close!
Good luck to all for a successful solve. If you see that I'm ashore - rare occasion of late - message me if you'd like a nudge. Be sure to include your progress so I can know better how to assist.
GTIJohnny wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 12:17 am
MAUIISLAND??
An awkward entry is likely to be important to the meta; I don't suppose there are a lot of options when you need to put UII in the grid, so the constructor may need to force it a bit.
Relic wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 12:37 am
I was dangerously close to submitting solecist instead of solecism. I was so excited upon finding the 7th letter (s) at 51A, I immediately looked at the down crossing, 48D, which was lutist, and pulled the T to spell solecist. Fortunately, I continued the process and 59A (humidor) clinched it for me, solecism, not solecist. Whew, that was close!
zacmoretz wrote: Sun Jan 23, 2022 1:14 pm
Hi folks, I have not been on the forum or doing the crossword for a while because it was just taking way too much time out of my weekend. But I’ve been wanting to ask, and I feel pretty sure it is a question that many would like to ask, how is it physically possible to solve the puzzle, even an easy one, in 11 minutes? I don’t understand how one could open/download/print the puzzle and fill in sufficient answers, even if one already knew every single grid answer, to get the contest answer in only 11 minutes of time. I do not see how it is physically possible to fill in the answers in only 11 minutes, or 20 for that matter. I would love to hear some explanations about how you quick solvers are able to accomplish what seems like an impossible feat. Thanks y’all.
I set a "pr" this week of 11 minutes which I attribute to: 1) the grid showed up in my browser at 4:01 pm EST, which normally takes until 4:03 or 4:04, 2) the grid was "easy" since I finished in about 8 minutes (I think my average solve time is 12-15 minutes on Friday), 3) I suspected as a first rabbit hole from the title and 57A and 63A that I needed to look for letters between a U and an I (my parents would be proud of ME ), 4) I actually knew what SOLECISM meant (another stroke of good luck) so I knew that it fit the title, and 5) I was already logged into the xword-muggles blog so I could type "ashore" in right away as soon as I had submitted. I am rarely a first pager, so I suspect the other rapid solvers are just better at all the above than me.
When I entered SEQUOIA I thought "Isn't it Giant Sequoia?" Is that what you don't say. Then I remembered the 61A clue as Giant Mel. That could not be a conincidence. And I was off! No, I mean I was really off.
Then there was LORD God - God with arrows
Former first - first COUSINS (only first was not the first word of the clue)
RYE Brandy - Brandy and Snoop Dogg (It's really rye whisky but I am a Wisconsin guy so we think everything is brandy)
Eventually I saw the error of my ways but this was so difficult to leave alone with the Giant click.
My avatar proves that it is sometimes better to be lucky than good!
The contest answer is SOLECISM. As suggested phonetically by 57-/63-Across (BETWEEN YOU AND I), eight Across answers each contain one letter sandwiched between U and I. Those eight letters spell the contest answer.
This week we had one of the most correct solutions ever! You sent us 2,953 entries, with 94% correct (well above a typical rate around 75%). Incorrect answers included SURPRISE (6), QUESTION (3), OMISSION (3), MARRIAGE, ARGUMENT, ELEPHANT, FIXATION, and a few others.
Congrats to this week's winner: Larry Korman of Beaverton, Ore.!
MikeMillerwsj wrote: Mon Jan 24, 2022 3:47 pm
The contest answer is SOLECISM. As suggested phonetically by 57-/63-Across (BETWEEN YOU AND I), eight Across answers each contain one letter sandwiched between U and I. Those eight letters spell the contest answer.
This week we had one of the most correct solutions ever! You sent us 2,953 entries, with 94% correct (well above a typical rate around 75%). Incorrect answers included SURPRISE (6), QUESTION (3), OMISSION (3), MARRIAGE, ARGUMENT, ELEPHANT, FIXATION, and a few others.
Congrats to this week's winner: Larry Korman of Beaverton, Ore.!
Whoa. I don't normally give out my town of residence, but... that's it. And that's not me.
I quiet litrally made it at shore
Now I’m think that we must to explore,
Between you and I,
How too boldly defy
English grammar as no one before
I found the entomology of the word interesting with its apparent cultural bias.
Quick! How many solecistic mistakes did you find in the above?
For sure I see four I abhor.
And yet there are so many more!
But those aren't solecistic,
And can't be artistic.
So I'll just show you now to the door....
), 4) I actually knew what SOLECISM meant (another stroke of good luck) so I knew that it fit the title, and 5) I was already logged into the xword-muggles blog so I could type "ashore" in right away as soon as I had submitted. I am rarely a first pager, so I suspect the other rapid solvers are just better at all the above than me.
