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"Garden Plot": WSJ, HEX, 07/17/21

Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2021 5:30 pm
by ChrisKochmanski
Lovely! The usual Cox and Rathvon fun. Lots going on, but not too hard. Just challenging enough. For me, anyway.

Re: "Garden Plot": WSJ, HEX, 07/17/21

Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2021 8:17 pm
by Meg
It was more of a medium difficulty for me, but still very clever. Thanks, HEX.

Re: "Garden Plot": WSJ, HEX, 07/17/21

Posted: Fri Jul 16, 2021 9:05 pm
by RPardoe
Fun diversion.
Usual pattern of slow, slow - then it breaks and a quick wrap up.
(For me it was getting the "baskets" at the bottom early enough to allow for more of the vertical fill.)

Re: "Garden Plot": WSJ, HEX, 07/17/21

Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2021 9:06 pm
by KayW
Yikes. Not too hard? Medium? I really liked this one, but I found it VERY challenging - at least until I could get enough answers to be able to start filling in the grid. I got the dropped baskets and all the unclued "labels" but I still have an issue with either the wordplay or answers to 4 of the "bed" clues. I'm not asking for help - yet. Willing to let it sit and see if something occurs to me in the next day or so.

EDIT: Almost instant post-enlightenment on one of those 4. Three more to go!
EDIT: 30 seconds later, one more down. I should have posted my frustrations earlier in the day ;)
EDIT: Another minute, another answer. Only one left.
EDIT: Wow. That was insane. All done!

...now back to MGWCC week 3.

Re: "Garden Plot": WSJ, HEX, 07/17/21

Posted: Sat Jul 17, 2021 9:25 pm
by ChrisKochmanski
Well, let me qualify. I didn't mean to characterize this one as easy, if that's how it sounded. In fact, I got off to a slow start on this one; as I said, there's lots going on here. But then I seemed to hit a tipping point and I rolled from there. So, yes, it’s probably harder than I made it sound. (But nothing like some of those Kevin Wald mind-benders in Cryptic All-Stars. Yowsers!)

Re: "Garden Plot": WSJ, HEX, 07/17/21

Posted: Sun Jul 18, 2021 4:19 pm
by Annabelle
I'm finding this a challenge, but am still whacking away at it! So many construction gimmicks: dropped letters, no numbers, no clues, no word lengths in any direction, baskets of fun! HEX strikes again!

Re: "Garden Plot": WSJ, HEX, 07/17/21

Posted: Wed Jul 21, 2021 8:05 pm
by Richard B.
Enjoyed! Always challenging and always worth it.