#582 - "Punc(tuation) Rock" - July 26, 2019

[BrianMac]

The answer to MGWCC Week 4 is a famous song of 1977.

See you on the leaderboard (being optimistic )!

[Toby]

I don't think this will be a solo solve for me!

[Hector]

Not . . . seeing anything either.

[sharkicicles]

Wow, no one on the leaderboard yet. Maybe Matt just hasn’t updated it?

[Hector]

No doubt irrelevant, but while the website says "famous" song, the email and puzzle files say "well-known."

[TMart]

No doubt irrelevant, but while the website says "famous" song, the email and puzzle files say "well-known."

I just noticed that myself. Not that it helps any.

[David R]

Two people solved it so far, we'll see if Matt yields to pressure and gives a hint or lets us bang our heads.

[Meg]

All I can say is I had help. A lot of help.

[BrianMac]

All I can say is I had help. A lot of help.

Even so, well done!!

[Laura M]

99% of my brain: 6+ hours in, and 6 people have solved this. I have no chance. I should give up before it eats my entire weekend.
1% of my brain: (But wouldn't it be cool if I somehow got it??)

[Toby]

I'm on the board. It is a weird combination of being both too hard and too easy. "Well-known" is more accurate than "famous," and even that may be kind of a stretch depending on where you were in 1977.

[hcbirker]

Tried a few things. Nothing yet. (Heidi)

[Cindy]

Solved. Don’t know the song. It’s 4:23 am in Prague so I cannot play it on my phone to see if I have ever heard it.

[markhr]

In the absence of any further hints, I think it's time to 64A on this one.
I don't think staring at it for another day is going to help.

[Cindy]

Ok I’ve heard it now. Still don’t know it.

[Jacksull]

After almost 24 hours, only 15 solves. I should give up and relax for the next three days. But I won’t.

[Hector]

Ok I’ve heard it now. Still don’t know it.

Interesting . . .

Congrats, Meg, Toby, and Cindy! I think we can confidently label this one, "challenging."

[Cindy]

Ok I’ve heard it now. Still don’t know it.

Interesting . . .

Congrats, Meg, Toby, and Cindy! I think we can confidently label this one, "challenging."

But it is very solvable without knowing the song or artist.

[BarbaraK]

This weekend I added UPS stores to my list of ways to get a puzzle printed. Hotel business centers and public libraries are my usual tricks, but this week neither of those would work out. I noticed that the UPS booth at the big air show I was attending listed “printing” as one of their services, and sure enough I just emailed them the pdf and they printed it right there.

The UPS rep acted interested when she saw I was printing a crossword, so I told her all about the contest and suggested she print another copy for herself. (Also explained the difficulty progression and told her how to get a month free trial from Matt’s website.) And for good measure, told her about WSJ too. So with any luck, she’ll become another meta fan.

As for this puzzle, I won’t have a lot of time this weekend, but looking at the leaderboard, that may be just as well. 18 solvers in 2 days?!

I did do the grid and didn’t find any obvious meta paths right off, but I’ll let it bounce around in the back of my brain for a few days. Sometimes that works better anyway.

Googling 1977 songs was interesting. Amazing how I remember so many I haven’t heard since then.

[FrankieHeck]

Googling 1977 songs was interesting. Amazing how I remember so many I haven’t heard since then.

I'm trying to decide which one to submit, because I sure as heck won't solve this one.