"Double Trouble" - December 3, 2021

[woozy]

There was a curvy stretch on the two lane blacktop near the farm that was perfect for those spaced signs with the clever reveal.

You've triggered an ancient memory from 1972 driving through rural Utah and seeing a series of Burma Shave-esque signs with the punchline "Jesus Saves". My older sister may have been paying attention to the signs all along while I only noticed the last two because she pointed them out. My older sister, a sassy 12-year old from Berkeley California [realize this is the Berkeley of the 60s] was perplexed by the idea of an overtly religious advertisement. My mother tried to explain it was a play on Burma Shave signs but in my mother's unable to tell a joke way couldn't give an example of one or describe them in a way that made any sense.

[woozy]

But how were we supposed to know to add the quarters together, and add the 8-hour segments together?

You weren't supposed to know it. You were expected to play around and guess it. That's why it's a puzzle and not a homework assignment.

[Dplass]

But how were we supposed to know to add the quarters together, and add the 8-hour segments together?

You weren't supposed to know it. You were expected to play around and guess it. That's why it's a puzzle and not a homework assignment.

I think the OP meant, "what was the hint in the puzzle that indicated we should do that"?

[Abide]

I could defend it in a court of meta law, if such a thing existed.

Please don't give Peter @Abide any ideas.

I have been court-martialing DrTom all weekend with his up-and-coming MMM.

[woozy]

But how were we supposed to know to add the quarters together, and add the 8-hour segments together?

You weren't supposed to know it. You were expected to play around and guess it. That's why it's a puzzle and not a homework assignment.

I think the OP meant, "what was the hint in the puzzle that indicated we should do that"?

I just meant there was no such hint. We had 3 eight hour shifts and had four clues with omitted quarters. We had to puzzle what to do with them. There was no need or expectation for any further hint. Four quarters *is* a dollar, and three groups of eight hours *is* 24 hours, and 24 hours *is* a day. There is no obligation for and so far as I can tell there was no further hint.

[flyingMoose]

For me, I could not quite figure out what was going on with the "time" answers. Then the idiom came to me (that brain thing mentioned above?), and I was able to back-solve the grid and understand what was happening with the "mechanism."

[MikeMillerwsj]

The contest answer is A DAY LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT. The three long theme answers are each eight hours “late” (from “midnight blue,” “High Noon” and “five o’clock shadow”) and four corner answers are missing a quarter (quarterBACKS, quarterFINALS, STATE quarter, FRENCH quarter). Those deficiencies add up to the contest answer.

Another lively turnout this week after a spell of tough ones: We had 1589 entries, with 85% guessing the clever solution (above our typical mark of 75%). A wide range of alternative seven-word answers, including I'M LATE FOR A VERY IMPORTANT DATE (7), EIGHT HOURS LATE AND A QUARTER SHORT (5), THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME (4) and many many others.

Congrats to this week's winner: Monte Nussbaum of Oceanside, NY!

[michaelm]

But how were we supposed to know to add the quarters together, and add the 8-hour segments together?

You weren't supposed to know it. You were expected to play around and guess it. That's why it's a puzzle and not a homework assignment.

I think the OP meant, "what was the hint in the puzzle that indicated we should do that"?

In that regard, I felt the "Double Trouble" puzzle title was a hint by indicating that two problems needed to be addressed in order to fully solve.

[Dplass]

The contest answer is A DAY LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT. The three long theme answers are each eight hours “late” (from “midnight blue,” “High Noon” and “five o’clock shadow”) and four corner answers are missing a quarter (quarterBACKS, quarterFINALS, STATE quarter, FRENCH quarter). Those deficiencies add up to the contest answer.

Another lively turnout this week after a spell of tough ones: We had 1589 entries, with 85% guessing the clever solution (above our typical mark of 75%). A wide range of alternative seven-word answers, including I'M LATE FOR A VERY IMPORTANT DATE (7), EIGHT HOURS LATE AND A QUARTER SHORT (5), THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME (4) and many many others.

Congrats to this week's winner: Monte Nussbaum of Oceanside, NY!

I can almost see Oceanside from my backyard! The mug, it's getting closer. I can feel it.

[JAQT]

You weren't supposed to know it. You were expected to play around and guess it. That's why it's a puzzle and not a homework assignment.

I think the OP meant, "what was the hint in the puzzle that indicated we should do that"?

In that regard, I felt the "Double Trouble" puzzle title was a hint by indicating that two problems needed to be addressed in order to fully solve.

To me, "Double Trouble" was confirmation that ADLAADS was the correct answer. To me it indicated that you were in trouble in both of two ways, by being a day late and also by being a dollar short.

[mheberlingx100]

The contest answer is A DAY LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT. The three long theme answers are each eight hours “late” (from “midnight blue,” “High Noon” and “five o’clock shadow”) and four corner answers are missing a quarter (quarterBACKS, quarterFINALS, STATE quarter, FRENCH quarter). Those deficiencies add up to the contest answer.

Another lively turnout this week after a spell of tough ones: We had 1589 entries, with 85% guessing the clever solution (above our typical mark of 75%). A wide range of alternative seven-word answers, including I'M LATE FOR A VERY IMPORTANT DATE (7), EIGHT HOURS LATE AND A QUARTER SHORT (5), THE RIGHT PLACE AT THE WRONG TIME (4) and many many others.

Congrats to this week's winner: Monte Nussbaum of Oceanside, NY!

I can almost see Oceanside from my backyard! The mug, it's getting closer. I can feel it.

I actually had the honor of drinking coffee from my sister-in-law’s WSJ contest champion mug last month. She insisted that I pass through an X-ray machine as we left to make sure the mug didn’t leave with me.

[Joepickett]

I found it interesting that the Olsen Twins were once in a movie called, "Double, Double Toil and Trouble."

[mntlblok]

I'll never get this image stuff figgered out.

https://www.google.com/search?q=time+an ... nt=gws-wiz

Dang. https://www.opploans.com/oppu/articles/money-idioms/

[Susan Goldberg]

I believe my notes illustrate the ridiculous overthinking in which I engaged on this one. Oh well.

[BrennerTJ]

Fun with solution spreadsheets.

[mattythewsjpuzzler]

Never got it. Literally worked till midnight. I think I have done so many of these that I always assume it is more complex. And to the best of my knowledge WSJ doesn't have a progressive system (i.e., harder as the month goes) so we never know is it easy or hard. Now we DO have muggles comments and rate of solve, but people think in different ways. Generally I find if someone gets it quickly they say it is easy. Opposite also true. Those are THE most frustrating part of seeing peoples comments. But of course I have done that many times as well so no complaint just frustration when you are on the other side.

To me my "complaints" (though not; really more sour grapes):
a. Still don't get the title unless the two clauses (?) in the answer. But that really doesn't help. Usually more directive. I was trying to think do we double something? If so what? Quarter? If you double all the quarter answers BTW that is a huge rabbit hole. Half back, half series (semis), French half (demi) etc.
b. I was obsessed with the "theme" answers and honestly did see four quarters is a dollar but the 3 were all time based. So I mentally thought that the "money" angle didn't align. I was thinking more clocks, and hands etc.
c. Eventually based on comments and people solving in every conceivable location realized it was more (my term) "language based" kept looking but just didn't see it.

I am approaching burn-out on meta's but sadly......MMMM tomorrow!

[Streroto]

OK so back to an oft-posed question of late-why is the star rating system not working? "Rate the difficulty of the meta" still shows, but no stars. Is this a Safari issue?

[flyingMoose]

Still don't get the title unless the two clauses (?) in the answer. But that really doesn't help. Usually more directive.

This may just be my selective memory, but I most often find the title to be confirmation more than anything else. My selective memory or lack of skills to understand how to use the title.

[HunterX]

OK so back to an oft-posed question of late-why is the star rating system not working? "Rate the difficulty of the meta" still shows, but no stars. Is this a Safari issue?

Joe answered the question back in post 276.


If you believe him, that is...

[HunterX]

In that regard, I felt the "Double Trouble" puzzle title was a hint by indicating that two problems needed to be addressed in order to fully solve.

To me, "Double Trouble" was confirmation that ADLAADS was the correct answer. To me it indicated that you were in trouble in both of two ways, by being a day late and also by being a dollar short.

I believe it is both. It's a DOUBLE-hint!