"Double Trouble" - December 3, 2021

[burak]

Being a non-native English speaker who hadn't heard of the phrase in question, I had to do a lot of Google queries. I'm curious as to what Google thinks of me after the last 20 minutes or so.

[woozy]

Ashore.
Not a phrase I've heard before, but Google helped.

Hmmm..... don't see *how* you could google this phrase if you didn't know it already.

[ADS]

I’m ashore. Loved this puzzle

[Susan Goldberg]

Hate to say it but still on the ship. This is getting frustrating!!

Update: got first part pf mechanism (Duh!) no clue on rest yet.

Also I thought it particularly cruel that Matt used "Mass in B minor" for 7D given that was another meta I didn't solve!

Further update: What I thought (think) is the first part of the mechanism confuses me even more. Now all I have to figure out is what the hell the title means, the use of the (possible?) theme answers and said first mechanism part. HOW CAN THESE BE CONSIDERED EASY! Must mean overthinking but......

I’m with you. I feel dumb. Still working though.

[Cbaudhuin]

On shore. Help from my muggle sons.
Clever puzzle.

[Schmeel]

Ashore.
Not a phrase I've heard before, but Google helped.

Hmmm..... don't see *how* you could google this phrase if you didn't know it already.

Well, I haven't lived in the US for the past 40 years or so.
At first just solving the grids was difficult. More current US politics, sports and culture go into a grid than you think. Now it takes me a while to fill a grid, but if the constructor is kind with the crosses I can usually fill it without Google.
But then when I added solving metas too, I agree that sometimes it is a little more difficult, like this week. I guess you just learn how to google to help (I'm not, and I guess I can't be a No-Google purist). If I see a consistency or two it's often enough to send me in the right direction using a search engine.
And yes, sometimes I just don't get it at all!

[mntlblok]

Bill Bryson is still on this side of the grass. He also wrote a great book on Australia originally called "Down Under". It was renamed for some reason, likely involving lawyers, to "In A Sunburned Country" or variations on that.

Just listened to his _The Body_. Loved it.

[lbray53]

On the shore looking for a place to put my towel. No space for social distancing so I will keep my mask on.

Like others, a good night’s sleep helped. Unlike others, I needed three of them.

I had nudge requests typed out twice, hoping that reading what I had would turn on the light. I almost sent both requests but just could not bring myself to do it considering the LONG list of Muggles on the beach and the length of this thread.

Glad to have made it alone and to have experienced the AHA!

[Cap'n Rick]

Late to the shore party, but my toes are in the sand!

[TeamDoubleTow]

Ashore.
Not a phrase I've heard before, but Google helped.

I was wondering about people who haven't heard the phrase, because I am sure there are probably a fair number. I think this would be very hard to Google! Impressed that you figured it out!

[TeamDoubleTow]

Bill Bryson is still on this side of the grass. He also wrote a great book on Australia originally called "Down Under". It was renamed for some reason, likely involving lawyers, to "In A Sunburned Country" or variations on that.

Just listened to his _The Body_. Loved it.

Me too! Lots of interesting information that I have now forgotten.

[mntlblok]

Ashore.
Not a phrase I've heard before, but Google helped.

I was wondering about people who haven't heard the phrase, because I am sure there are probably a fair number. I think this would be very hard to Google! Impressed that you figured it out!

Been toying around a bit with that very thing. It just caused me to learn the difference between an idiom and a "phrasal verb".

[HunterX]

There used to be a rating given at the top of the page, right under the title and date. Now it says "Rate the difficulty of the meta". I'm with you - what happened?

Yes. I've asked a few times with no response. You, along with others have asked as well. Yet.... silence.

Clearly, there is a secret cabal of globalist elite power-brokers who have manipulated the site in order to gaslight us into thinking there never was a star-rating system in the first place, having already implanted their evil tracking mechanisms into our computers which are even now as we speak sending our most private data to their resurrected leader, JFK Jr.! Note the evil glint in Isaac's eyes. HE'S ONE OF THEM!!!

[littlegreycells]

Ashore!!! Been a while too

[Hidden in 3D]

@TeamDoubleTow, please introduce that sweet dog pictured in your new avatar!

[Joe Ross]

There used to be a rating given at the top of the page, right under the title and date. Now it says "Rate the difficulty of the meta". I'm with you - what happened?

Yes. I've asked a few times with no response. You, along with others have asked as well. Yet.... silence.

Clearly, there is a secret cabal of globalist elite power-brokers who have manipulated the site in order to gaslight us into thinking there never was a star-rating system in the first place, having already implanted their evil tracking mechanisms into our computers which are even now as we speak sending our most private data to their resurrected leader, JFK Jr.! Note the evil glint in Isaac's eyes. HE'S ONE OF THEM!!!

From what I know (which isn't much) from inside the "cabal," the feature was lost when this site was switched to a more capable hosting service (remember the connection troubles from a couple/few weeks ago?). Our leader (All hail!), @BrianMac, will have it fixed or nixed in due time. It's EOY & holiday season with other personal responsibilities extant, so your forbearance is appreciated.

[roberto]

My daughter and fellow muggle, Regfish7, was only 1 in 1987 ! So muggles come in all ages!!

I turned 3 in ‘87 Not old enough to remember Burma Shave, and I only moved to the US in 2014 in any case, but I remember reading about the Burma Shave roadside advertising in a couple Bill Bryson’s books - “Lost Continent” and “Made in America” IIRC. R.I.P.

Bill Bryson is still on this side of the grass. He also wrote a great book on Australia originally called "Down Under". It was renamed for some reason, likely involving lawyers, to "In A Sunburned Country" or variations on that.

Glad to hear it, appreciate the correction! Someone told me they heard that he had passed just last week. Reports were greatly exaggerated.

[Tom Shea]

I turned 3 in ‘87 Not old enough to remember Burma Shave, and I only moved to the US in 2014 in any case, but I remember reading about the Burma Shave roadside advertising in a couple Bill Bryson’s books - “Lost Continent” and “Made in America” IIRC. R.I.P.

Bill Bryson is still on this side of the grass. He also wrote a great book on Australia originally called "Down Under". It was renamed for some reason, likely involving lawyers, to "In A Sunburned Country" or variations on that.

Glad to hear it, appreciate the correction! Someone told me they heard that he had passed just last week. Reports were greatly exaggerated.

He did say he is retiring:

https://www.theguardian.com/books/books ... ay-his-pen

Not as sad, but disappointing nonetheless.

[boharr]

Bill Bryson is still on this side of the grass. He also wrote a great book on Australia originally called "Down Under". It was renamed for some reason, likely involving lawyers, to "In A Sunburned Country" or variations on that.

Just listened to his _The Body_. Loved it.

A few other good books by Bryson:
At Home
The Mother Tongue
Made in America
Bryson’s Dictionary of Troublesome Words
A Short History of Nearly Everything
Notes From a Small Island
Notes From a Big Country
A Walk in the Woods
The Road to Little Dribbling

[Bird Lives]

I think it abnormal behavior
To get up so early and shave your
Rough stubbly neck.. . .

These are not spoilers in any way. The spoiler shield that requires the reader to click on each in turn is intended as a way of imitating the way this sort of verse was read in ancient times.
The oaf became
A meta maven
Once that his cheeks
Were smoothly shaven.
Burma Shave

Update: I posted this before I had read the posts by Bob Cruise Director, Cindy, DrTom, HunterX. Grover, and perhaps others. Great minds, or at least old ones, driving in the same lane.