"Out Of The Elements" - November 15, 2019

[jakeorjacob]

Man, the feeling of everyone being so quick and confident and not feeling that click...

Nevermind that now
Ashore with the rest of you
But feeling quite slow

[BarbaraK]

Did Anyone Agree To What I Posted Last Week That There Should Be Two Winners Each Week?

OK, I'll play devil's advocate. If they gave more prizes, perhaps they wouldn't be considered so valuable and coveted. Maybe instead of WSJ giving more, MGWCC should give fewer monthly prizes.

[Susan Goldberg]

Puzzle solved, meta solved, backstroked ashore ... and this time I made sure my phone number was correct in my entry. (I made a mistake in it last week and I’m sure that’s why I didn’t get the call telling me I’d won the mug ... well ... that and a few other entries ... .)

This raises a question I have had. Do they call if you win the mug? Or do they reply to your email submission.

They replied to my email submission. I assume if you submit through the website they initiate an email to the address you provided.

That’s what I thought! Thanks!

[Bob cruise director]

Friday night and we
are at one hundred and three
Go for the record

[Louwers]

Another easy swim. Christmas has come early this month.

[Tony S]

Did Anyone Agree To What I Posted Last Week That There Should Be Two Winners Each Week?

I do .... at least two, if not more - and possibly scale the no. of mugs to how many correct responses there were - a percentage.

The Financial Times awards prizes for its Saturday cryptic crossword to the first 3 correct solutions drawn at random --- earlier this year I was one of the happy winners of the book, "The Meaning of Everything --- The Story of the Oxford English Dictionary." If the FT can award 3 books per week, certainly the WSJ can award 3 mugs per week.

[LaceyK]

On shore, savoring a tasty Zinfandel.

[Colin]

Enjoyed a leisurely backstroke to shore, where the lapping waves massaged my scalp as I melded softly with the sand.
Ahhhhhhhhhhhh, nice way to relax for two weeks now, before surely getting slammed with a brain-buster next week.
Bombay Sapphire & Fever Tree please!

[31 Down]

Done

After a series of posers
We got back to back hosers
Instead of racking my brain
Here's this crummy quatrain

Sorry, never liked Hi-Ku

[Cindy]

I’ve been doing these for around three years. At some point, the quest for the mug became completely unimportant to me. I just want to solve the puzzle every single time.

[BrianDavidson]

On shore.

[WDunbar]

On shore. Found this one pretty easy with only the tiniest of red herrings.

I actually sometimes forget there's even a mug involved, it's been so many times I've entered and never won. I'd say just do it for the fun of the puzzle.

[LLinNC]

On shore with a little help...

Cat sits on my chest
While I complete the puzzle
She's my good luck charm

[Eric Porter]

I’ve been doing these for around three years. At some point, the quest for the mug became completely unimportant to me. I just want to solve the puzzle every single time.

I like solving puzzles and would continue to do these even if there wasn't a prize.

The WSJ puts most content behind a paywall. I like that this weekly contest is open to everyone.
Giving away a second mug, but only to a subscriber, sounds like something the WSJ would do. It would more than double my chances of winning.

[FrankieHeck]

I would do the puzzle if there were no prize involved, but I love that there is a mug, that there is only one, and that we all want it so desperately. And that I will likely never get one, so I will always have something to long for.

[Hector]

"it's more the journey itself than the actual grail" - Lancelot

[Joe Ross]

"...[The mug], which, I just remembered, is grail-shaped. It's not the first time we've had this problem." - Dingo

[DrTom]

Cannot like haiku
The beauty far evades me
Like more complete poems

For instance:

I dislike Haiku, cannot lie
I shudder when one goes by
It’s not that they sicken
But my heart they don’t quicken
They seem to start out and just die

Or even:

When I think of poems what comes to mind
Is rhyming, beauty and mankind
Words writ large to impact thought
Things to ponder quite a lot
But Haiku never makes the cut
Perhaps I’m in an iambic rut?

At any rate I am ashore, and there already seems to be no place to put my chair or spread my blanket, so I'll just stand and sip my lovely Willamette Valley Pinot (the second best place for Pinot Noir in the world).

[MajordomoTom]

assume first best for Pinot Noir is in Australia?

[DrTom]

assume first best for Pinot Noir is in Australia?

Well, with Pinot Noir probably more than any other beauty is in the eye of the beholder (or betaster) but for me it is Burgundy, France, quite a jump from Australia even for a kangaroo. That said the Aussies have some darn good Pinot, it just doesn't quite tickle my palate like Oregon or Burgundy.