A place to discuss the WSJ Weekly Crossword Contest and other "meta"-style crosswords
https://www.xword-muggles.com/
Be my guest! It’s not copyrighted.Joe Ross wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 7:59 amI am going to steal this much sooner than is appropriate and will act as if I coined it. Well-turned!mheberlingx100 wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 6:28 am I also went at the _______ rabbit hole with pick and shovel.
This is why I almost never submit guesses - even if I were ever right, I wouldn't feel good about it if I didn't actually have the mechanism. And if I actually won with a guess... ugh, no, not worth it.TeaJenny wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 8:11 am I'm rather embarrassed to say that I submitted an educated guess Hail Mary at about 11:40 last night, and it was correct!
I never did figure out the actual mechanism, but instead crossed out duplicate letters in each theme answer and the results kind of looked like BOOK TOUR, if I squinted and ignored the X and Y. The pic is just a small fraction of my scribblings throughout the weekend.
Kudos to everyone who figured it out! This was a doozy.
I’d call this one “an inch is as good as a mile.”BarbaraK wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 9:41 amThis is why I almost never submit guesses - even if I were ever right, I wouldn't feel good about it if I didn't actually have the mechanism. And if I actually won with a guess... ugh, no, not worth it.TeaJenny wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 8:11 am I'm rather embarrassed to say that I submitted an educated guess Hail Mary at about 11:40 last night, and it was correct!
I never did figure out the actual mechanism, but instead crossed out duplicate letters in each theme answer and the results kind of looked like BOOK TOUR, if I squinted and ignored the X and Y. The pic is just a small fraction of my scribblings throughout the weekend.
Kudos to everyone who figured it out! This was a doozy.
(Not suggesting that those who enjoy guessing and would be happy to win that way should change. As with nudges, everyone can do what feels right to them. The only rules that matter are those posted by the people running the contest.)
My mind's blown that flower and flour are pronounced FLARE anywhere (no rhyme intended). In my area, flower (the plant) and flour (the white powder) are distinguishable in that the former usually has a more distinct W than the latter.CPJohnson wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 9:12 am I think ARE = R in most sections of the country. (In my section, the following words: flower, flour, and flare....are all pronounced FLARE by a segment of the population.)
Reminds me that a buddy in Alberta pronounces "garage" as "gradge".CPJohnson wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 9:12 am I think ARE = R in most sections of the country. (In my section, the following words: flower, flour, and flare....are all pronounced FLARE by a segment of the population.)
Yup. KAS 6 for me. Never would have gotten it, and have enough issues with the solution that I'm upset, though not so much at the puzzle-maker as at myself for spending so much time on it.PHOFER wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 9:36 am So let me get this straight. To solve I had to:
1. Figure out that each of the four answers consisting of four three-letter words could be put into a mini crossword puzzle of their own
2. Create those puzzles
3. Supply a missing letter to complete each puzzle
4. Realize that that gets you nowhere
5. Realize that the new words formed with the new missing letters sound like (but in some cases only more or less sound like) *other letters* including only if you know how to pronounce French
6. Arrange those letters per the dreaded numbers in parentheses
Is there a Kas 6?
That sure looked like something but I couldn't get it to mean anything and even now don't see how you could?Kris Zacharias wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 10:17 am 63A "2 for 1 and 3, say" seemed important and did help me figure out the meta, after a couple of rabbit-hole adventures. Did anyone else view this as help?
On the other hand, Mike Miller & crew have so much less to sort through the last couple of weeks.MatthewL wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 10:32 am Yeah, this was a never for me. I barely understand the solution. Congrats to all who solved! Hopefully, with the holiday season approaching, the constructors will take the spirit of the season to heart and toss us an easy one now and again.
2 as a mean between 1 and 3 suggested the middle letter in three-letter words. I guess the clue was more a confirmation of the process after forming the squares.woozy wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 10:54 amThat sure looked like something but I couldn't get it to mean anything and even now don't see how you could?Kris Zacharias wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 10:17 am 63A "2 for 1 and 3, say" seemed important and did help me figure out the meta, after a couple of rabbit-hole adventures. Did anyone else view this as help?
How did it help?
=====
FWIW, I figured immediately the pairs of number went from 1 to 8 with no repeats and no skips. The usually means the answer is eight letters wrong and the numbers indicate we will get letters from the entries and if we place the in the positions indicated they will spell out the eight letter answer.
This bugged me as 8 is about the must un-three-ish number there is (well, 8 = 2^3 but that'd be.... weird ....and my impression is that most cruciverbalists dislike that level of mathematics). I also was bugged the answers had *four* words. In hind site it *should* have made sense because although 3 by 3 is 9 letters and three rows vs. the entries' 12 letters and 4 words.. a 3 by 3 grid if you consider the rows and columns is 18 letters (each counted twice) and 6 words. So now the each entry with 12 letters and 4 words is each missing 2 words and the six letters that form them. And four sets of 2 is 8 which account for the eight items indicated in the answer. So each missing word make a letter.
Now did I use any of that thinking to solve the puzzle? Of course not! What kind of weirdo do you take me for?
Oh....Kris Zacharias wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 11:33 am
2 as a mean between 1 and 3 suggested the middle letter in three-letter words. I guess the clue was more a confirmation of the process after forming the squares.
I took it to mean to use the second three letter word at the top of the mini puzzle. That seemed to make the correct alignment. Maybe Matt will see our comments and clarify.woozy wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 10:54 amThat sure looked like something but I couldn't get it to mean anything and even now don't see how you could?Kris Zacharias wrote: Mon Nov 08, 2021 10:17 am 63A "2 for 1 and 3, say" seemed important and did help me figure out the meta, after a couple of rabbit-hole adventures. Did anyone else view this as help?
How did it help?
=====
FWIW, I figured immediately the pairs of number went from 1 to 8 with no repeats and no skips. The usually means the answer is eight letters wrong and the numbers indicate we will get letters from the entries and if we place the in the positions indicated they will spell out the eight letter answer.
This bugged me as 8 is about the must un-three-ish number there is (well, 8 = 2^3 but that'd be.... weird ....and my impression is that most cruciverbalists dislike that level of mathematics). I also was bugged the answers had *four* words. In hind site it *should* have made sense because although 3 by 3 is 9 letters and three rows vs. the entries' 12 letters and 4 words.. a 3 by 3 grid if you consider the rows and columns is 18 letters (each counted twice) and 6 words. So now the each entry with 12 letters and 4 words is each missing 2 words and the six letters that form them. And four sets of 2 is 8 which account for the eight items indicated in the answer. So each missing word make a letter.
Now did I use any of that thinking to solve the puzzle? Of course not! What kind of weirdo do you take me for?