A place to discuss the weekly Wall Street Journal Crossword Puzzle Contest, starting every Thursday around 4:00 p.m. Eastern time. Please do not post any answers or hints before the contest deadline which is midnight Sunday Eastern time.
Cbaudhuin wrote: ↑Sat Jan 22, 2022 4:38 pm
Ashore.
A nice lager will do!
Curious— how many people actually submit each week?
What are the chances of actually winning the mug?
Ah, you have come to the right place! There are several of us who keep records on number of submissions, etc. I believe @KayW has data all the way back to the beginning of the WSJ meta...September, 2015? Also maybe @Bob cruise director. Anyway, I'm sure someone can answer your question.
In general, your individual odds are not that great, but so what!
But I wonder about the situation of a winner from someone here in the Muggle community? Given that around 200 (or so) of us submit correctly each week, what are the odds that at least someone from here is a winner? I've seen a few posts of Muggle winners in the past, so it definitely happens from time to time.
LadyBird wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:11 pm
I am on shore, although I would prefer to still be CHILling in Antarctica (instead of sitting in the steamy Buenos Aries airport). I quickly glEANed the 8 letters I needed, although my SKills in completing the grid were pretty rocky. I don't have a usUAl drink--this time I'll have a whiskey sour.
IMG_3435.JPG
@LadyBird, I hope you know how much we look forward to your clever bird posts every week. You are a delightful member of our community and we appreciate each of your FINe CHosen words.
FINCH is the type of word I'll use as my first guess in Wordle.
LadyBird wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 3:11 pm
I am on shore, although I would prefer to still be CHILling in Antarctica (instead of sitting in the steamy Buenos Aries airport). I quickly glEANed the 8 letters I needed, although my SKills in completing the grid were pretty rocky. I don't have a usUAl drink--this time I'll have a whiskey sour.
IMG_3435.JPG
@LadyBird, I hope you know how much we look forward to your clever bird posts every week. You are a delightful member of our community and we appreciate each of your FINe CHosen words.
MaineMarge wrote: ↑Sat Jan 22, 2022 7:22 pm
@LadyBird, I hope you know how much we look forward to your clever bird posts every week. You are a delightful member of our community and we appreciate each of your FINe CHosen words.
And your photos: unparalleled. Seriously.
Thank you @Barney et Al. And Carrie Underwood thanks you too for the love
MaineMarge wrote: ↑Sat Jan 22, 2022 7:22 pm
@LadyBird, I hope you know how much we look forward to your clever bird posts every week. You are a delightful member of our community and we appreciate each of your FINe CHosen words.
And your photos: unparalleled. Seriously.
Thank you @Barney et Al. And Carrie Underwood thanks you too for the love
mrmd wrote: ↑Fri Jan 21, 2022 8:29 pm
Ashore! That was fun!
On another note - any Wordlers here? Have been really enjoying something that runs counter to other online games that try to keep you on for as long as possible. One 5-letter word per day and then you have to wait for another 24 hours before the next. Different skill set to crosswords and metas but fun nonetheless!
@mrmd , I Love Wordle…got my whole family doing it. And here’s another variation for you “Absurdle”. Read this to see how it differs from Wordle and a link to play!
On shore!
I haven’t been here much for the past few months, many distractions going on.
But I’m trying to keep up with the metas and the forum.
The answer this week came to me almost immediately after finishing the grid.
I literally smile in appreciation of the construction when everything from title to grid to answer fits together as cleverly as this! Thank you, Mike!
Late start. Just finished the grid. Saw the mechanism early in the process of filling the grid, and once finished it was obvious that my initial suspicions were correct. Learned a new word today.
Ashore! 2 in a row. Barkeep, a B&T with Harp here!
davis178 wrote: ↑Sun Jan 23, 2022 9:11 am
To whom do you submit correct answers? I know you are not supposed to post the answer but it is not clear how you do submit an answer.
Alternatively, there’s a form on the WSJ page for each contest puzzle, but email is easier.
If you want help with a meta, feel free to PM me. The more specific you are about what you have and what you want, the more likely I can help without spoiling.
(And if I help you win a mug, I’ll be especially delighted.)
First welcome to our newest muggle - magine. We now have 1130 muggles in our clan.
@Cbaudhuin and others have asked about how many people submit each week. I keep meticulous records, charts and stuff (my wife would say ODC) on the number on ship/shore as well as those who submit and the right answer percentage. A lot of others including @BarbaraK keep similar statistics and many other muggles keep their individual statistics.
The WSJ started the contest in September 2015. My records from the WSJ go back to April 2016 and the muggle statistics go back to April 2017.
Over that time, the average number of WSJ submissions has been 1253 with the percentage correct about 75%. Which is roughly 1000 correct answers. As you might expect there is a lot of variation in all the numbers.
The trend for WSJ submissions has been increasing over the years and now runs about 1800 submissions per week which brings the number of correct submissions over the last few months at about 1300-1400. Surprisingly the percentage correct has not changed that much over time but does jump around from week to week. For muggles the percentage on shore vs WSJ correct answers his increased to about 15%.
So if you are doing this expecting to win the mug, the odds are very slim. If you are doing it for enjoyment and the comradery of the group, you came to the right place.
If you have any questions, feel free to PM me.
This week we have 2 keeping Isaac company and 256 on the shore. We are close to our record of 265 on the shore so I will be including anyone who says that they are on shore up to midnight tonight.
making it to shore since yesterday are - and fear not - Isaac is setting up additional bars on the shore and sending in all sorts of libations.
czeemuggle
joequavis
Flying_Burrito
patpatchica
katnahat
regfish
Dennis
eagle1279
ZooAnimalsOnWheels
mindle
BreeZynCO
JAQT
Cbaudhein
TheDeej
davis178
Joseph B
JRS51
TheCatt
Janet P
mkmf
Natalie
flyingMoose
mangine
Littlegreycells
Now to find out who on the ship I am.
Last edited by Bob cruise director on Sun Jan 23, 2022 1:45 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Well I, for one, would never dignify this type of quiz by actually doing it! It's shear nonsense! Too silly for words! WAY beneath my level of stature in the community!
Oh, and I'm Captain Stubing.
I should've given the finger guns to get Isaac. Maybe next time...
Limerick Savant wrote: ↑Sat Jan 22, 2022 6:15 pm
I don’t know but when arrived and saw the throng of Muggles already here, I gave out a beached wail. 🏝
Calling @DrTom! Calling Dr. Tom! You're needed immediately! A challenge has been made. We need 10cc of puns, stat!
