"First and Foremost" - August 16, 2019

[OGuyDave]

Done and done. If I'm on the wrong shore, judging from a lot of previous posts, I won't be alone.

[BrianMac]

On shore. I see why some might feel there is ambiguity, but I think there is only one defensible answer.

As an aside, I am on the road and therefore had to do this puzzle on my phone. I am normally paper-only, but will use Puzzazz in a pinch. But I couldn't get the puzzle through Puzzazz, so I had to use the WSJ site. That was not a pleasant experience. Once I saw where the meta was going, I couldn't even bear to finish the grid. I think others have expressed this sentiment about the WSJ website in the past, but this was my first time experiencing it myself. Not fun!

[Meg]

On shore. I see why some might feel there is ambiguity, but I think there is only one defensible answer.

As an aside, I am on the road and therefore had to do this puzzle on my phone. I am normally paper-only, but will use Puzzazz in a pinch. But I couldn't get the puzzle through Puzzazz, so I had to use the WSJ site. That was not a pleasant experience. Once I saw where the meta was going, I couldn't even bear to finish the grid. I think others have expressed this sentiment about the WSJ website in the past, but this was my first time experiencing it myself. Not fun!

Brian, I was going to recommend Across Lite, but apparently it’s iPad only. So, get an iPad! I’m very curious about why some people think there is more than one possible answer.

[sharkicicles]

solved while aboard a 24-down bus.

[ALS]

On shore. I'm convinced that in context one answer clearly stands out as right. But I have been pageanted before.

ALS

[steveb]

Onshore - figuratively and literally, at Lake Atitlan, Guatemala, in the midst of a fierce thunderstorm.

[sharkicicles]

On shore. I'm convinced that in context one answer clearly stands out as right. But I have been pageanted before.

ALS

It honestly didn’t occur to me that there could be an answer other than the one I submitted. I’m quite interested to see the recap on this one next week.

[Guy]

On shore, mug me or pageant me....and no one outside of this group could translate that combination of words, though you know the characters of Bloom County would give it a go...

[Streroto]

Ashore I think. Leery like the others of being pageanted. Just seems too easy.

[Tina]

On shore! Interesting bit of trivia at 32A.

[TMart]

On shore. Easy one this week, but it comes with an interesting bit of trivia that I never knew until I Googled to confirm the spelling. I'll try to remember to post it on Monday.

[Orsys]

All done and done. Glad I can focus on the week 3 MGWCC tomorrow.

[TMart]

As an aside, I am on the road and therefore had to do this puzzle on my phone. I am normally paper-only, but will use Puzzazz in a pinch. But I couldn't get the puzzle through Puzzazz, so I had to use the WSJ site. That was not a pleasant experience. Once I saw where the meta was going, I couldn't even bear to finish the grid. I think others have expressed this sentiment about the WSJ website in the past, but this was my first time experiencing it myself. Not fun!

I've had that same experience lately - the WSJ shut down Puzzazz to force us to their app, and then that doesn't even work right. Very frustrating when you're trying to do these on the road.

[Tom Wilson]

Done and done ... even if falling prey to life's rich pageant.

[Jim and Anita]

Happily ashore enjoying the full moon over the beech.

[FrankH]

On shore!

[Tony S]

Ashore, I hope. I had my answer before finishing the grid --- that never happens when I'm solving a Gaffney puzzle. I can see why others are nervous.

[oldjudge]

As others have said, I had my answer before half the grid finished. The whole grid/meta took under 15 minutes, by far the fastest I have ever finished.

[gamera13]

Ashore! <---first time for me to use this lingo.

[jakeorjacob]

Ashore. I'm going to pretend to be confident about it.