#721 - “I As in Interrobang”

[patpatchica]

Well, just started looking at this today. The title itself seems scary! Right now I have 70 Across. Hoping for enlightenment tomorrow.

[rjy]

F As in Floundering… nothing whatsoever yet, but reluctant to seek nudges yet given the positive comments out there… will noodle it a bit longer

[woozy]

Got as minimal a nudge as I could from Bird lives.... but it was enough. Thanks.

I'd call this a week seven. It's doable. You just have to be perverse.

[MikeyG]

Matt's puzzles give you more interrobang for your buck (had to).

Eventually, the weirdness all clicked for me somehow. I am a strong supporter of putting something aside for awhile and coming back to it later! That helped me so often, though it did not help me whatsoever for DRIFT a couple of months back (just got me humming Paula Abdul lyrics).

[DrTom]

OK, so I submitted my answer. I am only about 90% sure of it (that goes up and down with subsequent reviews) but it seems like I have the mechanism after a correction or two. Even if I don't, and the streak ends, I still have to marvel at Mr. Gaffney's prowess. I mean this may have actually been easier to construct (though with the delay I doubt it) but to conceptualize - WOW! If I fail I at least failed on a Week 4 and a TRUE week 4. It's no disgrace to go out with an Interrobang! I am going ot come up with a new punctuation, Interrohuh (?!?) that stands for "What the heck were you thinking"

EDIT: Well son of a gun, apparently my last "correction" to my thinking turned the tide. I can see people making EXACTLY the same mistake as I did if they get that far. I'm delighted to jump in at 133 and delighted to have this week 4 done.

[ricky]

Got it with a nudge from boharr. I was on the right track but was missing a needed connection or two. Very clever puzzle.

[Guffman]

Truly lost at sea on this one - and the Jayhawks game will be starting shortly. My attention will be divided, but any nudge would be appreciated.

[JordanianTomlinson]

Truly lost at sea on this one - and the Jayhawks game will be starting shortly. My attention will be divided, but any nudge would be appreciated.

Rock Chalk! I’d offer a hand but I’m LAS myself.

[lbray53]

Great puzzle! I needed help to get there.

I thought that it all fit together very neatly in the end. So even though I missed the last update by one minute I am going to say BEAM ME UP!?

[HunterX]

Okay. The path I have been trying to go down has gotten a little clearer. I feel much more confident that it's the correct way to go, though not 100% certain. So far it has lead to 5/8ths of an answer, enough to say "This CAN'T be coincidence!"

But now I'm stuck at this point with no visible way forward to the other 3/8ths. Those, unlike the 5/8ths, seem somewhat hopeless.

Others (such as @DrTom and @ricky) have talked about making "corrections." So I'm wondering now whether I need to make some myself.

[Edit: Correction, now 6/8ths. MUST be the right path...]

[HunterX]

Beamed up at #156! Phew! Was going back and forth between two slightly different answers, though one was clearly better in the end. Just depended on whether you could justify the construction, which depended on how you... um.... well... it can wait until after the deadline.

Amazing construction!

[Barney]

I know better than to even attempt this puzzle, but the interrobang symbol is now incorporated into my iOS keyboards.

‽‽‽

Thanking Matt for that.

[Carolyn]

Phew! I think I have the answer, just submitted and now await the board refresh. Agree with those that got the 5/8, then 6/8, then saw what I assume was my problem and hopefully found my way home. Fingers crossed... and a new word in my vocabulary.

[DrTom]

Beamed up at #156! Phew! Was going back and forth between two slightly different answers, though one was clearly better in the end. Just depended on whether you could justify the construction, which depended on how you... um.... well... it can wait until after the deadline.

Amazing construction!

Everyone who has solved is saying "Amen Brother, I feel your pain", while everyone else is saying, "What in the heck is he doing‽"

[KayW]

B as in Beaming. At last. I hope

Just like the beams of sunlight that finally made it through my "Chicago Henge" slot this morning. A week after the vernal equinox and too long a string of cloudy dawns...

[TeamDoubleTow]

Anyone interested in exchanging ideas? We have lots of dead ends to share

[SJMcK]

Whew! Got there with a nudge from DrTom that diverted me from a slew of rabbit holes. On the board at #175

[TMart]

Beam me up! Glanced at it Friday and saw nothing, then looked again after a weekend with the grandson and there it was.

[Joe Ross]

Thanks to someone bumping off the tractor beam I'd locked on to an intriguing, worthless piece of space junk.

[ColinM]

Reminded me of some puzzles of the past. Took me longer than usual once I figured out the mechanism, but it was overall very straight forward. I really enjoyed it.