"Outer Regions" - April 15, 2022

[DannyWalter]

Fill in the blanks:
"The state of Maine, is going quite insane, and in Vermont, it's _______ ____ they want!"

You have to be at least as old as I am to know this.

[MikeMillerwsj]

The contest answer is MAINE. As suggested by the central answer BORDERS, a message can be found reading around the puzzle’s borders, starting at the top left: NAME THE NEW ENGLAND STATE WHOSE NAME IS ONE SYLLABLE ONLY, leading to the contest answer.

A highly clever crowdpleaser this week: We had 2,239 entries, with a rebus 93% correct. It was clearly one of those contests where, once you got the elegant trick, there was no doubt about the answer. Incorrect answers included MONGOLIA (6, because of 'outer'?), NEW ORLEANS (5), LANDS END (3), HEBRIDES ('outer' again) and some others.

Congratulations to this week's winner, Dennis Berg of Rochester Hills, Mich.

[femullen]

Fill in the blanks:
"The state of Maine, is going quite insane, and in Vermont, it's _______ ____ they want!"

You have to be at least as old as I am to know this.

"Lower taxes."

At least the Vermonters from whose house I've just returned.

The members of Equipe Canuck were together in the Green Mountain State this weekend for my dad's/her grandfather's 90th birthday party. Saturday night, after the party, and after some Long Trail IPAs, I pulled out the puzzle. I said to The Smarter Half, "This is one of those puzzles where the puzzleer is giving us the instructions. We just have to understand how."

"You mean you haven't solved it yet? This was my quickest yet, and I just followed the instructions."

"Oh yeah? What, do you see it when you match the edges or something? I've tried that, but I got nothing."

"Nah, you just read it."

"Read what?"

"The border."

"Read the bor... Doh!"

[Commodore]

Our navigator hails from Maine.

[BarbaraK]

Congratulations to this week's winner, Dennis Berg of Rochester Hills, Mich.

Would that be @DennyB ?

[Flying_Burrito]

I've been trying for the coveted WSJ mug for about 5 1/2 years and I'm feeling lucky this morning. We'll see.

Your clairvoyance needs to exploited: please let us know the Powerball numbers as well.

[Bob cruise director]

Last evening a notice popped up on my computer that @BarbaraK was on the zoom link. So I went on to see if anyone would join us. Very quickly @Wendy Walker and @haydendog (Susan) came on. Susan had not solved the meta so Wendy and Barbara were giving a nudge. While Susan was working on the meta, I took off my sweatshirt as it was warm in my study, forgetting which tee shirt I had on underneath. The one I had on had MAINE in big letters. I thought that Barbara and Wendy were going to choke either laughing or from me giving the answer away. Fortunately Susan was working too hard and missed the "spoiler".

To make matters worse about 9:30 pm, I posted this on the forum at #266 and immediately got an email from Barbara reminding me that the contest was still open so I had to delete my mistake.

OOPS.

[DennyB]

Congratulations to this week's winner, Dennis Berg of Rochester Hills, Mich.

Would that be @DennyB ?

Barbara, it is long-time Muggle me! I have been trying for the coveted mug since Dec. 2016. Wow - what a surprise!! I wonder how many Muggles have won throughout the years? Do you know? Does anybody keep track of these things? Just curious. Thanks, Dennis Berg

[DennyB]

I've been trying for the coveted WSJ mug for about 5 1/2 years and I'm feeling lucky this morning. We'll see.

Your clairvoyance needs to exploited: please let us know the Powerball numbers as well.

Power Ball prediction: 6-14-22-32-48- 68 Good luck everyone!

[jrdad]

I saw BORDERS, but the puzzle title OUTER REGIONS really clinched it for me. Had to correct ETHANE to ETHENE first. The bulldog clue made me think Georgia rather than Yale, but that obviously didn't fit. Correcting the A to E made it all correct. Loved this elegant creation!

I was way too busy this weekend to actually do the meta on time, but I did do it today (without peeking) and it is a Mike Shenk classic...my favorite metas. So no hope for the mug...but who cares, it should go to MaineMarge for sure, anyway.

I, too, had ETHANE instead of the correct ETHENE and was really wondering why the "clue" would be "Nameth a New England State etc." Why so biblical? Maybe a reference to Joe Nameth...but aren't we way past football season anyway (see I know "something" about sports...but isn't that spelled with an A..Namath?). It never occurred to me that my grid entry was incorrect

That's really funny, and I'm impressed that you had the presence of mind to adjust to the mispelling.

[Tom Shea]

Congratulations to this week's winner, Dennis Berg of Rochester Hills, Mich.

Would that be @DennyB ?

Barbara, it is long-time Muggle me! I have been trying for the coveted mug since Dec. 2016. Wow - what a surprise!! I wonder how many Muggles have won throughout the years? Do you know? Does anybody keep track of these things? Just curious. Thanks, Dennis Berg

viewtopic.php?t=44

[whimsy]

Knew I'd be looking at the edges and ENGLAND jumped out immediately.
Then momentary panic: "But what about other countries? There should be more country names around the edges!! Where are they....?!! Oh... never mind."
Almost embarrassing, being from the six state region mentioned...

[Bill Bovard]

I was looking at the first letters all around the border, etc. and spotted ENGLAND, then NEW ENGLAND. Looked for something in the other corners, no luck there, but then spotted STATE and WHO, etc. and then found the rest. Fun and fairly quick.

I think a second mug should go to the first name they pull from someone in Maine. But I guess that's not required information in the answer submission? The only submission method specified on the puzzle is email, and it looks like no additional info is requested, but I always include my name and city.

[anaerobe]

Unfortunately, the only time I've spent in Maine is BGR layovers on the way to Halifax. But I'm going to get there again and visit Acadia.

....and maybe even Bah Habah!

[BarbaraK]

Congratulations to this week's winner, Dennis Berg of Rochester Hills, Mich.

Would that be @DennyB ?

Barbara, it is long-time Muggle me! I have been trying for the coveted mug since Dec. 2016. Wow - what a surprise!! I wonder how many Muggles have won throughout the years? Do you know? Does anybody keep track of these things? Just curious. Thanks, Dennis Berg

I have a list with 47 names on it, but I have not been diligent about it, so I'm sure I've missed some.

There's someone who keeps detailed records of all winners, but I forget who that is.

[DennyB]

Thanks Barb, I just researched that Jonathan Saxer keeps these records. I read that he keeps a detailed spreadsheet of all winners.

[MaineMarge]

I think a second mug should go to the first name they pull from someone in Maine. But I guess that's not required information in the answer submission? The only submission method specified on the puzzle is email, and it looks like no additional info is requested, but I always include my name and city.

I second Bill’s motion.
But then think of all the other states and cities that have been meta answers.
Many of you Muggles have been in my shoes.
Well, maybe not my snowshoes…

A previous Maine winter

[Streroto]

I was so excited to be done quickly I did not take the time to consider the magnitude of the construction feat Mr Shenk performed here. It’s like taking a hike and looking only at the path. When I looked at it again and really took it in I was…dumbfounded. Bravo!

[florida_manatee]

I just got to the puzzle this morning (before the market opens). I found the puzzle to be fun and the meta puzzle to be straightforward and easy. OUTER REGIONS was a dead give away. 37A 'borders' verified it. My eye caught WHO/SE/NAME and the jig was up. I was surprised to see 'ethene' used a grid answer.