"Trick or Treat" - October 29, 2021

[michaelm]

I was slightly confused over the wording of the prompt: doesn't a "choice" comprise two options, like, oh, say, one from the -ICK words and one from the -EAT words? With help I found CLOWN but spent much time trying to make a similar anagram from the -ICK words. Here are my worksheets:

By the time I got CLOWN I figured it was the Treat and that Mike had intentionally played a Trick on us by using the nonsense letters for the first half of the costume choice.

[Abide]

This could have been friendlier. Put Gillette in the grid and make the answer “sheet”!

[ZooAnimalsOnWheels]

Good morning. I'm transmitting in the blind, as it were, not reading any of the Monday comments to avoid spoilers. I'd like to keep working this one because the weekend comments from solvers made it sound evil but fun. If anyone wants to help me out with a nudge, PM me, and I'll send my thoughts on it so far, which aren't much. Thanks!

[mntlblok]

I was slightly confused over the wording of the prompt: doesn't a "choice" comprise two options, like, oh, say, one from the -ICK words and one from the -EAT words? With help I found CLOWN but spent much time trying to make a similar anagram from the -ICK words. Here are my worksheets:

Been wantin me some increased spine density. . .

[31 Down]

First time I ever rated a puzzle I didn't solve. But after spending 10 minutes on the explanation and still unsure of the mechanism, I rated it a 4.5 even though I meant to give it a 5 - fat finger.

To those who solved, please let everyone know what drugs you're on.

[Wendy Walker]

I was slightly confused over the wording of the prompt: doesn't a "choice" comprise two options, like, oh, say, one from the -ICK words and one from the -EAT words? With help I found CLOWN but spent much time trying to make a similar anagram from the -ICK words. Here are my worksheets:

Been wantin me some increased spine density. . .

Ha! I am a stickler for reusing paper. I even print out the financial statements for my fellow board members on half-used paper ... and I've noticed that they tend to read the more interesting side while I'm presenting my treasurer's report.

[Joe Ross]

First time I ever rated a puzzle I didn't solve. But after spending 10 minutes on the explanation and still unsure of the mechanism, I rated it a 4.5 even though I meant to give it a 5 - fat finger.

To those who solved, please let everyone know what drugs you're on.

Ketamine.

@Wendy Walker @mntlblok

[mntlblok]

I was slightly confused over the wording of the prompt: doesn't a "choice" comprise two options, like, oh, say, one from the -ICK words and one from the -EAT words? With help I found CLOWN but spent much time trying to make a similar anagram from the -ICK words. Here are my worksheets:

Been wantin me some increased spine density. . .

Ha! I am a stickler for reusing paper. I even print out the financial statements for my fellow board members on half-used paper ... and I've noticed that they tend to read the more interesting side while I'm presenting my treasurer's report.

I reuse paper towels.

[C=64]

For me, the way in was 29D. No Ice? Nah. Who says that? It's gotta be Neat, which rhymes with Treat. So all these years sitting at bars did finally amount to something.

The strange SMALL CUT was my way in, and then I remembered that the folks on the NYT Xword blog have a running joke about NEAT vs. NOICE, pronouncing it like Amy Schumer at the 17-second mark of this Old Navy commercial.

[Darth]

Well, my stumbling upon the answer started with Small Cut like Cap'n Rick described (#301): Nick --> Neat (No Ice), Mick --> Meat (AHA, Kielbasas not being a part of the meta gave a nice confirmation to look for another meat, and Lamb it is!), Sick --> Seat (Chair)... Where next?

The two plural answers were a bit clunky for me, but then in back solving I needed a vowel and Keats gave me the "O" I needed, so I guess plurals are included in the tricks and treats. CLOWN ...

But wait, [Darth thinks to himself] there seems to be more: What about Cheat (F)raudster, Crete (I)sle, ....Sleet (H)ail! Is there an S anywhere to make CLOWN FISH???... Are we finding Nemo here? Or, maybe another type of fish is at play here, not an orange one but a red one! (I can almost hear Mike's wicked laugh)

Nope, I won't be tricked... I'm gonna ignore those extra REMNANTS and just focus on the 5 carefully placed symmetric answers in order: CLOWN it is!

And after a late start, did I really make it to page 1?

[HunterX]

First time I ever rated a puzzle I didn't solve. But after spending 10 minutes on the explanation and still unsure of the mechanism, I rated it a 4.5 even though I meant to give it a 5 - fat finger.

To those who solved, please let everyone know what drugs you're on.

Ketamine.

@Wendy Walker @mntlblok

I was going to say ethanol. :::HIC!:::

[Joe Ross]

First time I ever rated a puzzle I didn't solve. But after spending 10 minutes on the explanation and still unsure of the mechanism, I rated it a 4.5 even though I meant to give it a 5 - fat finger.

To those who solved, please let everyone know what drugs you're on.

Ketamine.

@Wendy Walker @mntlblok

I was going to say ethanol. :::HIC!:::

Like, Wendy turned me on to it, man...

[Colin]

Been wantin me some increased spine density. . .

Ha! I am a stickler for reusing paper. I even print out the financial statements for my fellow board members on half-used paper ... and I've noticed that they tend to read the more interesting side while I'm presenting my treasurer's report.

I reuse paper towels.

I commend the reuse of paper, but I hope this isn’t going where I think it is going…

[HeadinHome]

Isaac opened the bar early that morning and was surprised to find my crumpled form curled up under the barstools. “Lady,” he said softly, as he squatted down to gently nudged my shoulder, “lady, it’s over… can I help you back to your cabin?”
“ELVIRA?” I mumbled, struggling to sit up. “Is it ELVIRA?” Where had everyone gone off to? This bar had been packed to the gills just hours earlier.
“Ah, Mrs. Shank,” he said, recognizing me easily as a regular long-stayer at his bar on Sunday nights. “No ma’am, it’s not ELVIRA. It’s CLOWN. But it’s too late. You can try again next weekend.”
Isaac held out his hand like Prince Charming, ready to assist me to my feet. Ever the gentleman, he was able to help a guest believe that her most embarrassing moments were invisible to anyone else and not at all worth worrying about. I collected my purse and my dignity and let him escort me on his arm back to Lido 3044. Isaac messaged instructions to housekeeping in low tones and then offered comforting small talk as we made our way along the quiet passageways to my cabin, where I fumbled my key card into the slot. I pushed open the door to find fresh coffee service and the morning’s WSJ laid out on the table, open to the puzzle solution on A14.
“Isaac, we’re hundreds of miles out to sea! How did you…?”
Isaac flashed me that million-dollar grin and gave me the signature two-index-fingers, lookin-at-you gesture. The man was pure magic.
“Thanks, Isaac,” I sniffed, collapsing into the armchair. “You’re the best. You’re the very best.”
“Not at all, ma’am. Happy to be of service.”

[HunterX]

Ha! I am a stickler for reusing paper. I even print out the financial statements for my fellow board members on half-used paper ... and I've noticed that they tend to read the more interesting side while I'm presenting my treasurer's report.

I reuse paper towels.

My mother would reuse paper, printing on the back of sheets so that when she sent me something, I'd have to check both sides to figure out what she was sending me. But the best was her reuse of Christmas/Birthday cards. She'd refuse to write on them, using yellow sticky notes to sign them. Then we could remove the stickies and send them back the next year. She also ripped the front page off of cards others sent her and then use them, writing on the back of the front picture.

I inherited this Scottish propensity to a large extent. But not completely. I've learned to splurge. And I now own a reMarkable 2 tablet that has replaced the need for 90% of the things I handwrite. Expensive (mom wouldn't approve) but saves a ton of paper and makes it super easy to keep all your notes organized and in one place.

[HeadinHome]

That second greeting card trick has actually been a sweet way for me to remind my 103-year-old grandmother of all the people who sent her cards over the years. When we moved her into assisted living just a few years ago, I found boxes of cards people had sent her and she had saved. I tear the fronts off, and use the back like a postcard. I’ll tell her whose card it had been (who had originally sent it to her, on what occasion), and then write her a note. ( :

[Bob cruise director]

I was slightly confused over the wording of the prompt: doesn't a "choice" comprise two options, like, oh, say, one from the -ICK words and one from the -EAT words? With help I found CLOWN but spent much time trying to make a similar anagram from the -ICK words. Here are my worksheets:

Been wantin me some increased spine density. . .

Ha! I am a stickler for reusing paper. I even print out the financial statements for my fellow board members on half-used paper ... and I've noticed that they tend to read the more interesting side while I'm presenting my treasurer's report.

Does the back side have unsolved metas?

[Barney]

I was slightly confused over the wording of the prompt: doesn't a "choice" comprise two options, like, oh, say, one from the -ICK words and one from the -EAT words? With help I found CLOWN but spent much time trying to make a similar anagram from the -ICK words. Here are my worksheets:

Unholy goats.

I’m stopping at “ick.”

[HeadinHome]

I found “TWICK” at the end of Witches of Eastwick, and figured WARBLER could be my “TWEET.” That was so cute I really wanted that to be the first step in the most adorable meta mechanism ever. But of course that bird didn’t fly.

I echo the kudos to the solo solvers!!

[MarkWoychick]

I eventually figured out the Sick/Seat, Mick/Meat combinations thanks to remembering the Thorough Enough puzzle that one of the comments mentioned earlier. I got stuck trying to make anything out of the initial letters (S, M, K, H, N) - also had CH in there with Chick/Cheat. Was not bothered by the ones ending in S given that they fit the pattern and answered the clue. With no vowels, I was thinking I had to find more ick/eat combinations. A helpful nudge from Dr. Tom got me on track and led me to CLOWN. I found it kind of odd to go from grid answer to alternative answers and then back again to grid answers for the meta, but I guess I’ll file that away for future solve possibilities. It would have been nice to know we were looking for a five-letter answer, but that may have led to too many correct guesses. I was also thinking the answer should be a choice (e.g., JEKYLL or HYDE) based on the title and the way the hint was stated. In any case, I’m glad that every week is not this level of difficulty, and I hope I can solo solve the next one that is.