"Be Transformed" - June 3, 2022

[Joe Ross]

Praying for post-earworm-extraction:

[Dplass]

Praying for post-earworm-extraction:

I love this song!

[Onaquest]

Until Buzz Cut a few weeks ago I had never heard of Pig Latin. After staring at Way Mae Say and Bay for what seemed like hours (also Bae at 53A kept drawing me in), I found nothing. I will live and learn. So disappointed that I missed the Zoom. So wonderful to meet some of you last week.

[pjc]

Didn't see the Pig Latin at all. What I was running with were homophones in the long answers. Examples: MABEL in Annie MAE BULLock or BASIE in Old BAY SEAsoning. Got me nowhere!

[Colin]

Pig latin… Ya whaaaat!?? That’s new to me. If it was Cockney rhyming slang I might’ve stood a chance. Then I would’ve had time to pick up the dog, call up a couple of old chinas, go out for a few too many Britneys, eat a late night Ruby, fall down on me bottle, and then stumble home to apologize to me treacle.

[CPJohnson]

So we were supposed to see the four long-A words in the themers and then immediately think of Pig Latin? And the title just confirms the answer, and is in no way a hint?

[Richard]

I was out of the country and missed the last couple of weeks prior to this one. Wish I had missed this one as well. Pig Latin is just not my thing. Would not have gotten this in a million years and I don't feel bad about not getting it.

[JetStream]

I'm glad I gave up early on this one. It was a bridge too far for eMay. Congrats to the solvers.

[MaineMarge]

I ad-hay oo-tay et-gay an udge-nay oo-tay
et-gay is-thay.
(Sorry, Speel checker)

[Barney]

I'm surprised that they didn't mention in the official answer that "BE" in pig Latin is transformed to EBAY.

This explains, and excuses, the title. Maybe Matt will mention it on Fiend.

As for emay, ixnay evernay.

[femullen]

Oh, boy, not even close! Often, even when I'm wrong (which is most of the time), I've at least touched some element of the method. Lost at sea? Heck, this time I was lost in space.

[BrennerTJ]

[anaerobe]

Didn't have a spare second for the puzzle this weekend-I was too busy getting a son-in-law! WOOHOO!

[SusieG]

I also went down the quatrain rabbit hole, but had zero success. @Joe Ross gave me the hint to look at the rhyming words AND the preceding word, and immediately I realized why I kept hearing “IX-NAY” in my head all weekend (in my dad’s voice). “IXNAY [insert whatever my mom was talking about that he didn’t want us kids to hear].” Sometimes those voices in my head really are helpful!

Also I’m finally realizing that asking for a slight nudge is a better learning experience for me than trying to bang my head against the wall until Monday morning.

[minimuggle]

I never liked pig Latin. I was so sure of my answer which was totally wrong. I transformed all the way may say and bay to we me see and be. Then I found words starting with those letters in the grid. Welch meangirl seenow and beau. I took the letters following me see and be and got Lana. Lana turner also had a name change like Tina turner. Oops.

[Barney]

Didn't have a spare second for the puzzle this weekend-I was too busy getting a son-in-law! WOOHOO!

pic.jpg

That’s as beautiful a wedding pic as I’ve ever seen ~~ and both of them, also.

[Bonnibel]

I don't see this as Pig Latin.

Although all 4 themers contain 2-word phrases ending in the AY sound (as does Pig Latin) - that's not the complete mechanism.

For example, OLD BAY becomes OLD-yay AY-bay.

If this meta was meant to be based in Pig Latin I think the title would have been different.


Image 6-5-22 at 9.30 PM.jpeg

I take it all back! Thanks to those who took a moment to gently enlighten me, I can now see the title as 100% appropriate. Thankfully this time my linear thinking did not prevent me from solving the meta. Understanding it fully now thanks to fellow muggles! AHA indeed!

[Dplass]

So we were supposed to see the four long-A words in the themers and then immediately think of Pig Latin? And the title just confirms the answer, and is in no way a hint?

Yeah I concur. If this was a Shenk puzzle there'd be some kind of hint, e.g., a PIG above LATIN in the lower right corner of the grid or something.

[whimsy]

Saw the rhymes but didn't think to go to the pigs with that.
Instead I too tried for the various forms of "be," (was, am, are, etc.) as well as considering different "bees," (drones, workers) since the Q prompted Queen for me.
I also got stuck thinking about "transformer" toys from the '90s and wanted to be able to pull or swivel "arms/legs" from nearby entries away from the themers.
So no way for me!

[Berto]

Pig latin… Ya whaaaat!?? That’s new to me. If it was Cockney rhyming slang I might’ve stood a chance. Then I would’ve had time to pick up the dog, call up a couple of old chinas, go out for a few too many Britneys, eat a late night Ruby, fall down on me bottle, and then stumble home to apologize to me treacle.

Nodding my loaf in agreement. Was pulling out what’s left of my Barnet all weekend, scoured every corner of the grid with me mince pies, lay awake pondering in my scratcher and got nowhere.