Introduce Yourself

[BarbaraK]

Hello! Emma from Pittsburgh. damefox on here and cruciverb.com. Been doing crosswords for a few years, just got into starting to write them. I've been looking for a forum about metas!

Be sure and let us know when any of your puzzles are published. I’d love to solve one by someone I know!

[marupiter]

I'm Fiona from California. I've been into crossword puzzles since I downloaded the NYT crossword app and played all the free puzzle packs I could. I've only recently discovered the WSJ ones, but I think I solved my first meta. These days I solve puzzles with my boyfriend, who willingly plays along and helps me with all the clues I don't get. My friends like to joke that I have the hobbies of someone two or three times my age, but I think crossword puzzles are fun even when I can't solve them. Any clues with groan-worthy and clever puns get a grudging kudos from me.

[FrankieHeck]

Hello! Emma from Pittsburgh. damefox on here and cruciverb.com. Been doing crosswords for a few years, just got into starting to write them. I've been looking for a forum about metas!

We're practically neighbors. I'm just over the border in WV.

[Randy]

I'm Toby, my real first name (I know it is unusual as a girl's name, but my father wanted to call me that, and as he was in the navy in Guam during WW II when I was born his view prevailed, probably for the only time in my parents' marriage). I have always loved any kind of word puzzle, especially cryptics (thanks Nation Magazine for that) and got entirely addicted to metas after I finally solved one after weeks of trying. I got hooked on the WSJ blog when I began to read it, hoping for spoilers, and found it a group of such nice, smart and helpful people that I became a regular until their ridiculous recent decision to limit the comments.
I live in New York City, right across the street from Columbia University where I arrived at age 17 from Brookline MA to go to Barnard College. I'm now 74, so I guess I have a problem with change.
I'm a semi-retired lawyer who by tremendous luck was able to do public-interest law my whole career, and now, other than puzzles, I like to travel, cook, eat, hike, play with grandkids and go to the theater, sometimes all on the same day.

I used to know a male Tobe (toe-bee). Short for Tobias. He lost his hearing in Vietnam.

[ack]

Hi, I'm Andrew. I'm a university administrator in Boston. I've been doing WSJ and MGWCC crosswords for a few years now, and have a small collection of MGWCC pads and pens that I'm unduly fond of (no mug, of course!), but for the past several months I've really been struggling to solve the MGWCC metas. I'm here hoping to join or create a solving group--something I hear about a lot in comments and in Crossword Fiend write-ups, but that I lack because none of my friends quite grasp my obsession with crosswords in general or metas in particular. Maybe with a little gentle guidance I can get my mojo back!

[Emmaa]

Hi, I'm Andrew. I'm a university administrator in Boston. I've been doing WSJ and MGWCC crosswords for a few years now, and have a small collection of MGWCC pads and pens that I'm unduly fond of (no mug, of course!), but for the past several months I've really been struggling to solve the MGWCC metas. I'm here hoping to join or create a solving group--something I hear about a lot in comments and in Crossword Fiend write-ups, but that I lack because none of my friends quite grasp my obsession with crosswords in general or metas in particular. Maybe with a little gentle guidance I can get my mojo back!

Welcome, Andrew. You’ll be up and running in no time! Try to enjoy the rabbit holes. Metas are where this group is at its best. Welcome aboard.

[Bob cruise director]

Hi, I'm Andrew. I'm a university administrator in Boston. I've been doing WSJ and MGWCC crosswords for a few years now, and have a small collection of MGWCC pads and pens that I'm unduly fond of (no mug, of course!), but for the past several months I've really been struggling to solve the MGWCC metas. I'm here hoping to join or create a solving group--something I hear about a lot in comments and in Crossword Fiend write-ups, but that I lack because none of my friends quite grasp my obsession with crosswords in general or metas in particular. Maybe with a little gentle guidance I can get my mojo back!

Welcome to the group. We all struggle at one time or another and the post mortems on Monday are not only cathartic but informative. Also the tips under the Come Aboard/ FAQ- Community are very helpful as they represent the experience of the group.

We all (at least most of us) long for the mug more than nonmeta doers can understand.

If you ever have any questions, this group is more than willing to answer.

Which university are you at?

[jmorgie7]

hi all, Jim, SEmichigan college townie. discovered the wsj metas only in the last year. definitely hooked. much appreciate this forum! now i can rant.

[Anomander]

Greetings guys. I'm Rich, Seattle native and law student in Chicago. Have been intermittently doing crosswords since undergrad but just recently started on the WSJ puzzle contest and have caught the bug. Probably not the best timing as school starts on Tuesday but what're you gonna do. Have had little trouble with the grids the last 4 weeks but have been stumped by each meta! Hoping that skill comes with time but its looking bleak so far! Regardless, happy to find this forum. Cheers!

[Bob cruise director]

Greetings guys. I'm Rich, Seattle native and law student in Chicago. Have been intermittently doing crosswords since undergrad but just recently started on the WSJ puzzle contest and have caught the bug. Probably not the best timing as school starts on Tuesday but what're you gonna do. Have had little trouble with the grids the last 4 weeks but have been stumped by each meta! Hoping that skill comes with time but its looking bleak so far! Regardless, happy to find this forum. Cheers!

Welcome to the group. Hopefully you have seen the tips on the "FAQ-Community" page. There is a knack to these things that comes over time but good luck and glad to have you here.

[BrianMac]

Welcome to the group. Hopefully you have seen the tips on the "FAQ-Community" page. There is a knack to these things that comes over time but good luck and glad to have you here.

+1

Also be sure to check the answer on Monday for the ones you don't get so you can see what the "mechanism" was.

[Kas]

Hi! I'm Laura-Leigh. I grew up in Charlotte, NC, but moved to the Winston-Salem area 13 years ago. I started solving crosswords as a middle schooler in the 80s. My mom subscribed to Games Magazine and we'd do the puzzles together. I really caught the bug when I was a student at UNC and did the crossword in The Daily Tar Heel regularly. My favorite puzzles are acrostics, but since they are few and far between compared to regular crosswords, I settle for the daily NYT crosswords, as well as WSJ and other online puzzles. I've just started doing metas, and I am loving the challenge! I teach second grade, and I enjoy introducing my students to all kinds of puzzles. At their age, they enjoy word searches the most, but a few of them like kid-friendly crosswords, too. None of my friends or family members really get my enthusiasm for puzzles, but they listen patiently as I tell them about something new I learned from a puzzle and congratulate me when I beat my best time. I look forward to being a part of this group!

So, I didn't grow up in Charlotte...but weirdly, I *am* from Winston-Salem (albeit a New Englander now for longer than you've been there)...and I TOO FELL INTO PUZZLE LOVE WITH THE DAILY TAR HEEL...!!! At least back then, I think they subscribed to the Chicago Tribune puzzle...they also had Calvin & Hobbes, lol.

[Eschie]

Why hello there, I'm Evy. I'm completely new to crosswords--other than dabbling in them a bit in college. I'm a techie living in Texas and working as a consultant (most recently in data migration and also AI) by day and a robot-building mom by night. I'm a friend to the em-dash, the oxford comma, Pluto, and the over use of smiley faces

[Joe Ross]

"I love my parents, Lady Gaga and Humpty Dumpty."

Welcome, Evy.

[Eschie]

Thanks, Joe

[ccmac]

Hello, I’m Christi from Tampa, somewhat of a lurker recently. I’m a retired court lawyer and recently rediscovered my love of crossword puzzles (and kittens!).

[jhcogan]

Hi everyone... I'm up in Vermont and I started doing easy crosswords in the old Milwaukee Sentinel 35 years ago. I've been to the ACPT a few times, most recently this year. I went to the Bryant Park Tournament in NYC this summer. I am no where near a contender.

I recently signed up for a NYT crosswords subscription, and am enjoying that very much, even just the minis. For the regular NYT crosswords, I tend to get stumped easily by Wednesdays.

When I was at Bryant Park, I found out about the WSJ crosswords, and now I've found out about the Friday contest.

I spent about an hour on this week's contest grid, and managed to solve it completely with no help.

THEN, after solving the theme answers and getting the theme, I realized I don't know how to go about answering the meta.

So, I found this group, and will look at the FAQs. Here goes... -John

[Bob cruise director]

Hi everyone... I'm up in Vermont and I started doing easy crosswords in the old Milwaukee Sentinel 35 years ago. I've been to the ACPT a few times, most recently this year. I went to the Bryant Park Tournament in NYC this summer. I am no where near a contender.

I recently signed up for a NYT crosswords subscription, and am enjoying that very much, even just the minis. For the regular NYT crosswords, I tend to get stumped easily by Wednesdays.

When I was at Bryant Park, I found out about the WSJ crosswords, and now I've found out about the Friday contest.

I spent about an hour on this week's contest grid, and managed to solve it completely with no help.

THEN, after solving the theme answers and getting the theme, I realized I don't know how to go about answering the meta.

So, I found this group, and will look at the FAQs. Here goes... -John

John
Welcome to the group. Good luck with solving the meta. In addition to the FAQ's, the post mortums starting at midnight on Sunday are also helpful for both the path to the right answer as well as the wrong paths that muggles take.

[FirstMax]

Hi, I’ve been reading the blog for a while now, figured I’d jump in. I live in the Boston suburbs, but am a California native. I’ve been doing crosswords for about five years. I started with the NYT, then also the WSJ, and I don’t seem to be getting any faster, so I limit myself to just the WSJ, one a day, and on Sunday I rest. Otherwise it all just takes too much time. I LOVE the meta and am not ashamed to say that I too was pageanted.

[Bob cruise director]

Hi, I’ve been reading the blog for a while now, figured I’d jump in. I live in the Boston suburbs, but am a California native. I’ve been doing crosswords for about five years. I started with the NYT, then also the WSJ, and I don’t seem to be getting any faster, so I limit myself to just the WSJ, one a day, and on Sunday I rest. Otherwise it all just takes too much time. I LOVE the meta and am not ashamed to say that I too was pageanted.

Welcome to the group and good luck solving the metas. We all get pageanted periodically. Good to have another Boston suburbian in the clan.