XWord Muggles Forum

Bird Lives wrote: Mon Mar 28, 2022 7:44 am

DrTom wrote: Mon Mar 28, 2022 12:50 am I understand people's gripes about the answer, but RENAL means KIDNEY to the majority of people. Yes, the ureters, minor calyx, major calyx, renal collecting ducts, urine, ureters, urethra, etc. could all be answers if the mechanism spelled out RENAL SYSTEM, but it didn't. Still, Matt may relent but he would have to honor about 20-30 different answers.

DrTom seems to be a medical professional -- I think he served with Major Calyx at the VA. Either that or he latched on to a good medical text. Whatever. If he says it means KIDNEY, that's good enough for me. If you submitted URETERS and didn't win the mug, you're just like me and all the hundreds of others (with one exception) who submitted KIDNEY and didn't win the mug.

Often, when Matt senses ambiguity, he'll put letter-length in the prompt. something along the lines of "The answer is a six-letter body part." Asleep at the wheel this time, he never noticed all those people who were going to submit COLLECTING DUCTS.

femullen wrote: Mon Mar 28, 2022 8:25 am I come from an entire clan of life scientists--mother, father, older brother, et al.--any of whom would join @LadyBird in a learned discussion of the honorable and distinguished organs associated with the renal system.

Me, I became an engineer. And sometimes it pays to live in blissful ignorance of anatomy: when I found RENAL, my first reaction was, "Aha! An anagram of LEARN!" "Learn," it turns out, was good advice, because when I looked up RENAL, I discovered it was "Of, pertaining to, or in the region of the kidneys." Thus straight to the answer without worrying about organs downstream.

Relic wrote: Mon Mar 28, 2022 3:01 pm I remained lost at sea this weekend. Upon reviewing the contest solution, I spit out the sea water and exclaimed, " Oh (man)!

I was so close, but let one fatal error wreck me. I chased that one rabbit (trying to link walk, ate, see, etc) before hitting the correct mechanism. I did get the R N A L, but instead of seeing EEE, I saw TSARS which I changed to TEARS to go with ocular, meaning my removed letters were R S N A L. After reviewing the grid several more times, I concluded this to be a rabbit, and reentered the chase of the first rabbit, giving up after another wasted hour.

So close, but so far!. This is very much a lesson learned. Matt, the ruler across the knuckles didn't feel pleasant, but it will serve as a reminder for when we meet again.

In hindsight I shoulda asked for a nudge to shore. Had I gotten RENAL, the dictionary I was using for the other terms defines it as "relating to the kidneys." Shucks!

See you muggles for the next installment on Thursday!

Flying_Burrito wrote: Mon Mar 28, 2022 8:39 am Submitted kidney but had some hesitation at the finish line. I was not sure whether or not Matt wanted us to stop at Renal or induce the organ answer. Renal is 99% kidney but just like oral could be mouth or tongue, there could have been more than just kidney. That's the thing with Matt's metas: great mechanisms but always 1% ambiguity with the answers.

drbockel2 wrote: Mon Mar 28, 2022 4:30 pm This one was too many steps for my wee brain to pursue. Still learning. But I at least spotted the first step before I drowned in a sea of sadness and frustration (not my favorite cocktail).

Ann wrote: Mon Mar 28, 2022 4:52 pm The moment after I triumphantly typed RENAL, and pressed the send button on renal, I realized my foolish mistake. And frantically tried to figure out if I could withdraw the email. I could have had class, could have been a contender.

Barney wrote: Mon Mar 28, 2022 9:42 am I don’t think you’d find a nephrologist in the country who would say renal —> bladder.

DrTom wrote: Mon Mar 28, 2022 5:49 pm I wish I has a loud mic to rate all of these comments. We are all going to be picking on Nephrologists for not eliminating the confusion. I suppose we can rely on some penal code but we have to be careful we do not descend to yellow journalism. At least Nephrologists are not thin skinned, but proctologists, well that is different. A number of people I know had proctologist friends BUT they wrecked em.

Inca wrote: Mon Mar 28, 2022 7:03 pm Have i missed the announcement of the winner or are the wsj lords still trying to decide which one of the renal system's body parts need a mug the most?

DrTom wrote: Mon Mar 28, 2022 5:49 pm I wish I has a loud mic to rate all of these comments. We are all going to be picking on Nephrologists for not eliminating the confusion. I suppose we can rely on some penal code but we have to be careful we do not descend to yellow journalism. At least Nephrologists are not thin skinned, but proctologists, well that is different. A number of people I know had proctologist friends BUT they wrecked em.