"Body Language" - March 25, 2022

[Tom Shea]

I understand people's gripes about the answer, but RENAL means KIDNEY to the majority of people. Yes, the ureters, minor calyx, major calyx, renal collecting ducts, urine, ureters, urethra, etc. could all be answers if the mechanism spelled out RENAL SYSTEM, but it didn't. Still, Matt may relent but he would have to honor about 20-30 different answers.

DrTom seems to be a medical professional -- I think he served with Major Calyx at the VA. Either that or he latched on to a good medical text. Whatever. If he says it means KIDNEY, that's good enough for me. If you submitted URETERS and didn't win the mug, you're just like me and all the hundreds of others (with one exception) who submitted KIDNEY and didn't win the mug.

Often, when Matt senses ambiguity, he'll put letter-length in the prompt. something along the lines of "The answer is a six-letter body part." Asleep at the wheel this time, he never noticed all those people who were going to submit COLLECTING DUCTS.

I looked for a while for KINNEY or SIDNEY as one of the grid answers. Had me a slight bit worried, looking for that confirmation.

[Tom Shea]

I come from an entire clan of life scientists--mother, father, older brother, et al.--any of whom would join @LadyBird in a learned discussion of the honorable and distinguished organs associated with the renal system.

Me, I became an engineer. And sometimes it pays to live in blissful ignorance of anatomy: when I found RENAL, my first reaction was, "Aha! An anagram of LEARN!" "Learn," it turns out, was good advice, because when I looked up RENAL, I discovered it was "Of, pertaining to, or in the region of the kidneys." Thus straight to the answer without worrying about organs downstream.

Yesterday, I couldn't even spell enjanere. Today, I are one.

Class mate engineering Professor, always spelled the thing you use to remove lug nuts as tar arn.

[mikeB]

I remained lost at sea this weekend. Upon reviewing the contest solution, I spit out the sea water and exclaimed, " Oh (man)!

I was so close, but let one fatal error wreck me. I chased that one rabbit (trying to link walk, ate, see, etc) before hitting the correct mechanism. I did get the R N A L, but instead of seeing EEE, I saw TSARS which I changed to TEARS to go with ocular, meaning my removed letters were R S N A L. After reviewing the grid several more times, I concluded this to be a rabbit, and reentered the chase of the first rabbit, giving up after another wasted hour.

So close, but so far!. This is very much a lesson learned. Matt, the ruler across the knuckles didn't feel pleasant, but it will serve as a reminder for when we meet again.

In hindsight I shoulda asked for a nudge to shore. Had I gotten RENAL, the dictionary I was using for the other terms defines it as "relating to the kidneys." Shucks!

See you muggles for the next installment on Thursday!

Maybe you didn't even need a nudge -- just a little renality check . . .

[drbockel2]

This one was too many steps for my wee brain to pursue. Still learning. But I at least spotted the first step before I drowned in a sea of sadness and frustration (not my favorite cocktail).

[Ann]

The moment after I triumphantly typed RENAL, and pressed the send button on renal, I realized my foolish mistake. And frantically tried to figure out if I could withdraw the email. I could have had class, could have been a contender.

[Flying_Burrito]

My neighbor's wifi which regularly pops up "it hurts when IP". we may get older but the potty humor always stays with us

[Kas]

In my heart I know my disappointment is correct:
Reading the meta answer frankly has me feeling wrecked.
I was so sure--SO SURE--that "Renal" was the rabbit hole--
I checked and double checked, and felt the rightness in my soul!
But no! It seems that "kidney" is the answer of the day.
"Plbbtttt"says I, in short, I answer no, Never and NAY!
"Renal" clearly fits, no other answer could be right.
Alas, another week goes by...without a mug in sight.

[ship4u]

I saw TROTH right away sitting on top of DENTAL and thought it was interestingly only one letter off from being TOOTH. But, having been taught to take the lower right entry of the grid seriously, and SAY(s) being curiously placed in that spot and the middle grid entry being ORAL, I spent 3 hours in the same rabbit hole as others: OCULAR - (i)SEE, PEDAL - (a)WALK, DENTAL - (k)ATE. When I couldn't find anything for DERMAL except AKIN being so close to SKIN by changing one letter, as would be the mechanism for TROTH to TOOTH, I came full circle back.
Once I had RENAL, there was no more peeing around. I was happy with KIDNEY and I'm not smart enough to take it any further!

[Scott M]

Submitted kidney but had some hesitation at the finish line. I was not sure whether or not Matt wanted us to stop at Renal or induce the organ answer. Renal is 99% kidney but just like oral could be mouth or tongue, there could have been more than just kidney. That's the thing with Matt's metas: great mechanisms but always 1% ambiguity with the answers.

Wouldn't lingual be a better descriptor for tongue?

[ship4u]

This one was too many steps for my wee brain to pursue. Still learning. But I at least spotted the first step before I drowned in a sea of sadness and frustration (not my favorite cocktail).

A wee wee brain would have been helpful.

[Al Sisti]

The moment after I triumphantly typed RENAL, and pressed the send button on renal, I realized my foolish mistake. And frantically tried to figure out if I could withdraw the email. I could have had class, could have been a contender.

Um, uh... I would imagine that kind of understandable mistake could happen to anybody! But great callback to a great movie in the greatest movie year ever (1954).

[DrTom]

I wish I has a loud mic to rate all of these comments. We are all going to be picking on Nephrologists for not eliminating the confusion. I suppose we can rely on some penal code but we have to be careful we do not descend to yellow journalism. At least Nephrologists are not thin skinned, but proctologists, well that is different. A number of people I know had proctologist friends BUT they wrecked em.

[Abide]

I looked back and forth in that center entry and couldn't find anything medically related. I next started Googling bits and pieces of SALVADORALLENDE, and found this in American Heritage Dictionary

https://www.ahdictionary.com/word/search.html?q=adoral

ad·o·ral (ăd-ôrəl)
adj.
Situated toward or near the mouth.

Works for me!

[Dplass]

I don’t think you’d find a nephrologist in the country who would say renal —> bladder.

Would they think BLADDAL is for bladder?

[Inca]

Have i missed the announcement of the winner or are the wsj lords still trying to decide which one of the renal system's body parts need a mug the most?

[vandono]

I wish I has a loud mic to rate all of these comments. We are all going to be picking on Nephrologists for not eliminating the confusion. I suppose we can rely on some penal code but we have to be careful we do not descend to yellow journalism. At least Nephrologists are not thin skinned, but proctologists, well that is different. A number of people I know had proctologist friends BUT they wrecked em.

Enjoy puns in a renal vein? You're in luck! We have DrTom, stone cold master of that.

[CPJohnson]

Have i missed the announcement of the winner or are the wsj lords still trying to decide which one of the renal system's body parts need a mug the most?

I haven't seen an announcement.....we must be getting a Tuesday reveal this week.

[DannyWalter]

I wish I has a loud mic to rate all of these comments. We are all going to be picking on Nephrologists for not eliminating the confusion. I suppose we can rely on some penal code but we have to be careful we do not descend to yellow journalism. At least Nephrologists are not thin skinned, but proctologists, well that is different. A number of people I know had proctologist friends BUT they wrecked em.

Booooo! Hissssss! . . . Bravo. I can relate to the smile you had on your face as you typed this, trying to keep your own sense of humor from cracking yourself up. I kill me too.

I knew a proctologist once who quit when he realized he just wasn't that good an analyst.

[MaineMarge]

Hey Muggles!!
I love every one of you. And hope you’ll come up to see my pee-o-nies this June- if you’re in the area

[michaelm]

Waiting for the Mug email
Just listening to some R E S PEE C T
by Urethra