#716 - “Taking Sides” by Matthew Stock

[Joe Ross]

MGWCC #716 — Friday, February 18th, 2022 — “Taking Sides” by Matthew Stock

GUEST CONSTRUCTOR PUZZLE:



Today’s Week 3 is by guest constructor Matthew Stock. Matthew (he/him) is a math educator and puzzle maker in St. Louis, Mo. His first published crossword ran in late 2019, and his work has since appeared in the New York Times, USA Today, and the AV Club, among other venues. He started solving and constructing metas last year.

Matthew loves helping new folks get started in crossword constructing — if you’re interested in talking to him about puzzles, you can find him on Twitter (@1MatthewStock) or at his website, www.happylittlepuzzles.com.

Thanks, Matthew! Let’s see what he’s got for Week 3…

THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:

This week’s contest answer is an animal.


Join MGWCC.

[MikeyG]

I'm taking a chance here - wish me luck!

EDIT: Beamed up at #4!

[docison]

I have submitted. Not sure. Maybe 80%. But fingers crossed.

EDIT: OK, take the 80% up to 100%. On the board at #6. Interesting puzzle.

[Meg]

I’m in at #14. Went down a couple of empty tunnels, but managed to back out before getting lost in a brain fog. Nice puzzle.

[MMe]

I think I see the answer and I'm sure I see some of the mechanism. But there must be a paw or two still to drop...? Maybe not, given the "taking a chance" and "maybe 80%" comments.

[ricky]

I'd like to take a moment to commemorate what's probably the first and also probably the only time I got on the MGWCC leaderboard before JanglerNPL, who's ordinarily a good 100 spots ahead of me. I'm sure this is because he got his foot stuck in a revolving door for 45 minutes or something, but I'm going to pretend that's not the case for now.

[ChrisKochmanski]

Beam me up!

Thanks, Matt!

And Matthew!

[ky-mike]

Just missed the update, but hopefully on the board soon.

Nope. Bad, but defensible, guess. I guess my streak ends at 89.

[twelvetones]

Ooohhhh fingers crossed, less sure than usual on this one but taking the leap of faith...

EDIT: beamed up! Nice work Matthew, this was a neato mechanism and a fun puzzle to solve.

[SJMcK]

I think I got it!

EDIT: #37

[woozy]

What a weird week. Like the MEOW I have a "well, I definitely see what's going on ..... but I see no way that that leads to where its supposed go".

Edit: Oh, screw.... I got a thoroughly defensible one and not beyond the realm of a possible legitimate answer (I've seen metas stretch at less) but which I'd only give 15-35% confidence at. Do I go for it, or should I obsteporiously insist a meta needs stronger confirmation.....

[Guffman]

Wasn't 100% sure about this one, but there I am: #33 on the board. After last week I feel like a genius.

[HeadinHome]

Well, i see the thing that I’m supposed to see, I’m sure. What to do next, i do not know. Anyone else in this spot?

Actually i think i have a great guess, but not enough “evidence” that it’s the answer. I could make a case for it, but it’s not super strong.

[stmv]

I saw Step 1 pretty quickly, but was stymied on Step 2 for some time, until I took a stroll and inspiration struck. Now I'm happily on the leaderboard at #36 after last week's debacle.

[woozy]

Going to go for it.... Let's see if that kills my streak.... really don't want to lose my streak..... Oh, well.

Edit: Got it at #41. On the one hand, it's only a 35% confidence when I submitted it, but on the other hand it was so defensible and the answer had to be something and it was hard to see the mechanism one had so far yielding anything else, that one can inflate the confidence level by 50% to 85%.

[Bird Lives]

I have an answer that's merely OK, no ding-ding-ding bells going off. But instead of asking anyone on the board to confirm, I'm risking my 50 badge on it anyway.

[HeadinHome]

I have an answer that's merely OK, no ding-ding-ding bells going off. But instead of asking anyone on the board to confirm, I'm risking my 50 badge on it anyway.

You are very brave. I am thinking of doing the same. Good luck. I’m watching for more of you uncertain guessers come back here to celebrate. Haven’t yet seen an “unsure” venturer strike out this week.

UPDATE: Ohhhh... what the heck. As I did last week, I'm risking my streak on a "pretty sure." With the rest of you awaiting a refresh.

'NOTHER UPDATE: YESSS. On the board at #48. Streak at 47.

[Wendy Walker]

Wow, I'm right there with all of you who have an OK answer but are looking for more confirmation ... will wait to submit.
I dared to eat a peach -- and there I am, beamed up!

[bottod]

General question on proper forum etiquette. If I have an answer, but am hesitant to submit (like others today), is it bad form to:
a) ask a correct solver if mine is right; or
b) ask an incorrect solver if my answer is same as theirs?

Not looking for hints or confirmation just yet. Again, sitting for a moment and waiting out my hesitancy.

But in case I reach that level of desperation (when I?), want to know if either approach will have me shunned in the future.

[Guffman]

Seems like there's a lot of us who had trouble whether or not to submit. Ultimately, we're just a bunch of squirrels, trying to decide if and when to make a break for the other side of the road.