"Urban Shift" - October 1, 2021

[Bill_Swerski_13]

Oh my, those drinks did the trick, Isaac... Just like that, I'm on shore!

[DrTom]

Ah, the curse of the easy meta…..

I’m thinking of switching to SUDOKU cause metas do not seem to be my thing anymore. Need to put aside.

[MatthewL]

Yeah, I just don't see this one. It's weird -- I saw the mechanism for last week's puzzle right away and had a quick swim to the beach, but this one, which folks seem to be indicating is much easier, I just don't see it. No rhyme or reason. Oh well, at least Isaac is good company.

[michaelm]

On Shore.

Hear ya, DrTom.
Seems like every week either brings neurogenesis or neurotrauma.
Getting too old for this!

[Larrry]

I started MGWCC mid-September which was a bad time - had a streak of 3 non-solves in a row between MGWCC and last weeks Wall Street Journal. Then all of a sudden I solved both the MGWCC (helps that it was a Week 1) and WSJ in a matter of a few minutes.

I'm drinking to starting a new streak - with a new Larry.

[Joepickett]

No can do. Like normal lately.

[GTIJohnny]

Hanging with Isaac for the time being. I'm seeing lots of interesting things, but I've no idea what to do with them.

I'm exactly at that same stage with you. Time for me to put it away and look at periodically over the weekend!

[GTIJohnny]

I'm with you. For me it's time to post the puzzle on the fridge and see if anything will strike me (other than the door!).

[FatJack]

on shore! Is it possible I am getting better at this? Or just a lucky streak...

[femullen]

So late last night during a Twilight Zone episode, I’m pretty sure I stumbled upon the meta answer. (After last week, I’m not sure of anything anymore.)

To celebrate, I’m going to move my pink flamingo. The HOA says I can’t have one in the front yard. Well, I do. A foot tall one. You need to look hard to find it. I call it “Meta”!

Paint it black. That's what my lovely bride did, called it a Halloween vulture.

[HunterX]

On shore after making it way harder than I had to. Off to start my colonoscopy prep now. Hope everyone's evening is more fun than mine promises to be!

I think I must be making this way harder than it is….. maybe I need to put it aside for a while!

No, no... I think the lesson here is that you have to be working on the meta thinking, "Maybe I should stop working on this and start my colonoscopy prep... Or.... Yeah, I'll finish the meta first."

Though if you do have to do that kind of prep, leave a copy of the grid in the ship's "head." The one closest to Isaac's bar would be best. You'll have plenty of opportunity to work on it. And you'll want it to be a short trip there.

[tiagomeunome]

was excited for this meta because love geography but even though solved grid, im lost at sea for this

[HunterX]

Ah, the curse of the easy meta…..

I’m thinking of switching to SUDOKU cause metas do not seem to be my thing anymore. Need to put aside.

Say it isn't so! These meta-puzzles are a far richer source of puns. Trust me! My friend Sue switched as you are thinking. And she got totally frustrated with them too. She ended up only filling up the bottom 3 squares, leaving the first 2/3rds blank. I thought it was odd and asked her husband Boris about it. He's from Russia and never learned proper English grammar. Keeps leaving out the articles. His answer was...

Sue do 'ku'.


(Too much of a reach? I don't know. I asked my German friend Hans, who happened to be finishing up one of those puzzles at the time, whether it was too much. He said, emphatically, "Nein!")

[Bob cruise director]

Good Friday afternoon everyone

An interesting challenge from Mr. Shenk. It seems to be easy or hard.

And we have 13 on the ship and 75 on the shore.

Good luck to all

[Kris Zacharias]

On shore. Completed the grid at breakfast and found a couple of very shallow rabbit holes. Put the puzzle aside until lunch, when with a little effort I found the meta. My husband is used to Friday meal-time conversations focused on my efforts to find the answer. A loyal, long-term WSJ reader, he wants me to win the mug. At least today at dinner we will be able to talk about something else.

[livpolfan]

Ashore with all of the allergy meds. Tis the season.

[sharkicicles]

3 Orange Whips, Isaac! Time to step up my game - I don't want to miss 2 weeks in a row for the first time in my burgeoning meta career...

GOOOO WHHIIIIIITTTEEEE SOOOOXXXXXXX

[Cruciverbalisticexpi]

Are you implying that my Olympic efforts have been wasted?

Bravo! Super nifty puzzle and I'm 100% clickity-riffic on shore.

(I haven't read the thread yet to see if others are saying this, but I can't help but think they set themselves up for a lot of entries of an alternate answer that is far more simplistic and boring.)

[Barney]

As per usual, reading the first couple or pages is depressing. But as the pages roll along I generally find a few more of “my people.”

The “misery loves company” crowd.

🛥 🛳

[sfed]

Ashore!