MGWCC #737 - “Center Yourself” by Yossi Fendel
- Joe Ross
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MGWCC #737 - “Center Yourself” by Yossi Fendel
MGWCC #737 — Friday, July 15th, 2022 — Guest Constructor Month, Puzzle #3 — “Center Yourself” by Yossi Fendel
My two main testers here at MGWCC are those I have called Consigliere and Supertester, each preferring the cloak of anonymity to the blinding, unrelenting spotlight of MGWCC fame.
But no longer! Today we reveal the identity of Supertester — he’s today’s Guest Meta writer, Yossi Fendel.
Back in 2014, MGWCC #296 ended up being significantly more difficult than I anticipated. A few days later, I got an email from mild-mannered guy offering his assistance with “difficulty calibration” on future puzzles, and from that day forward he’s been known to me by his hero name, Supertester. Over the past eight years, Yossi’s been helping make tweaks to titles, instructions, and other aspects of MGWCC puzzles to help me keep the difficulty estimation in line with the release week. He’s so good at this that I coined the term “Fendelian Adjustment” for these clever doses of fine-tuning, and they’ve improved many of the metas you’ve grappled with over the years.
Yossi was born in Berkeley and still lives there today with his wife Tamar. They have three children (Shoshana, Ari, and Amir). The baby in second photo is Amir, whose Bar Mitzvah is next month; the top pic is what Papa looks like 12 years later (i.e. now). And when he’s not testing meta-crosswords, Yossi works in data analytics for Kaiser Permanente Human Resources.
Yossi has constructed cryptic crosswords, but until today he has never published his own “non-cryptic” crossword puzzle. So I’m thrilled to share his debut — let’s get to it!
THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:
This week’s contest answer is the two-word phrase you seek.
Solve well, and be not led astray by words intended to deceive.
WANT TO SUBSCRIBE TO MY CROSSWORD CONTEST?
MGWCC is available only to subscribers at my Patreon page.
A subscription costs $3/month.
My two main testers here at MGWCC are those I have called Consigliere and Supertester, each preferring the cloak of anonymity to the blinding, unrelenting spotlight of MGWCC fame.
But no longer! Today we reveal the identity of Supertester — he’s today’s Guest Meta writer, Yossi Fendel.
Back in 2014, MGWCC #296 ended up being significantly more difficult than I anticipated. A few days later, I got an email from mild-mannered guy offering his assistance with “difficulty calibration” on future puzzles, and from that day forward he’s been known to me by his hero name, Supertester. Over the past eight years, Yossi’s been helping make tweaks to titles, instructions, and other aspects of MGWCC puzzles to help me keep the difficulty estimation in line with the release week. He’s so good at this that I coined the term “Fendelian Adjustment” for these clever doses of fine-tuning, and they’ve improved many of the metas you’ve grappled with over the years.
Yossi was born in Berkeley and still lives there today with his wife Tamar. They have three children (Shoshana, Ari, and Amir). The baby in second photo is Amir, whose Bar Mitzvah is next month; the top pic is what Papa looks like 12 years later (i.e. now). And when he’s not testing meta-crosswords, Yossi works in data analytics for Kaiser Permanente Human Resources.
Yossi has constructed cryptic crosswords, but until today he has never published his own “non-cryptic” crossword puzzle. So I’m thrilled to share his debut — let’s get to it!
THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:
This week’s contest answer is the two-word phrase you seek.
Solve well, and be not led astray by words intended to deceive.
WANT TO SUBSCRIBE TO MY CROSSWORD CONTEST?
MGWCC is available only to subscribers at my Patreon page.
A subscription costs $3/month.
- SJMcK
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- KayW
- Moderator
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- Location: Chicago
Yet another guest constructor success!
Contest Crosswords Combating Cancer (CCCC) is a bundle of 16 metapuzzles created to help raise money for cancer-related charities. It is available at CrosswordsForCancer.com.
- ajk
- Posts: 965
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Very impressive even before considering it's a debut!
lol had a moment of panic there when I didn't show up on the board, but did show up on the overall.
But fortunately after another refresh there I am at #26. Phew.
lol had a moment of panic there when I didn't show up on the board, but did show up on the overall.
But fortunately after another refresh there I am at #26. Phew.
Check out this very cool project by many of your favorite muggles to raise money to fight cancer. You get a fun puzzle bundle and good causes get $. Win-win: Crosswords for Cancer
- MikeyG
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Every puzzle so far this month has gone from, "What in the world's going on?" to "Oh, wow, that's clever." Great conundrums so far this July!
- HeadinHome
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I have an answer that makes sense to me and would be a clever mechanism, but there are a couple issues with it that I can't resolve. One is the arrangement of ... things.... and the other is a spelling thing. If anyone knows exactly what I mean because your solution has the same issues, I'd be glad to dm and compare thoughts for a group solve. (though we may need a third party who has solved to help us communicate without directly giving each other the answer... ?)
The other Wendy.
-
- Posts: 350
- Joined: Thu Apr 18, 2019 7:56 pm
On board at #30. Very solid debut for Yossi.
Now back to the WSJ, which is still eluding me...
Now back to the WSJ, which is still eluding me...
- BarbaraK
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I've requested to be beamed up. Just missed an update, as usual. I'm reasonably confident but it took a bit to understand just what something was saying, so won't really be sure until/if I see my name in pixels.
If you want help with a meta, feel free to PM me. The more specific you are about what you have and what you want, the more likely I can help without spoiling.
(And if I help you win a mug, I’ll be especially delighted.)
(And if I help you win a mug, I’ll be especially delighted.)
- joequavis
- Posts: 500
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- Location: Windsor, Colorado
Beamed up. Ironically, a touch on the easy side for a week 3.
- woozy
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- Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:40 am
Oh, dangit. I have a phrase but it's very very uncommon (unless one is a POGO fan) so it is almost certainly incorrect.... but... it works perfectly and it's practically impossible to think of anything that can describe this in two words. And googling this phrase isn't ... unknown. But it *CAN'T* be it or we'd have a riot on our hands.
Can I run this by anyone who solved?
Can I run this by anyone who solved?
Funny story. I was all set to enter Par for the course for the CrossHare midi contest for April but I mistakenly thought midi meant 7x 7 and not 11 x 11. Oops. Well.... Here's a complex but **small** meta on the subject of golf.
- Toast
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Happy to take a look!woozy wrote: ↑Fri Jul 15, 2022 1:37 pm Oh, dangit. I have a phrase but it's very very uncommon (unless one is a POGO fan) so it is almost certainly incorrect.... but... it works perfectly and it's practically impossible to think of anything that can describe this in two words. And googling this phrase isn't ... unknown. But it *CAN'T* be it or we'd have a riot on our hands.
Can I run this by anyone who solved?
--Toast
- Toast
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I expect this one will turn out to have been easier than last week's. How would it have played without [REDACTED], I wonder?
- MajordomoTom
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- Location: St. Louis, MO
sending a PM so we can compare notesHeadinHome wrote: ↑Fri Jul 15, 2022 1:23 pm I have an answer that makes sense to me and would be a clever mechanism, but there are a couple issues with it that I can't resolve. One is the arrangement of ... things.... and the other is a spelling thing. If anyone knows exactly what I mean because your solution has the same issues, I'd be glad to dm and compare thoughts for a group solve. (though we may need a third party who has solved to help us communicate without directly giving each other the answer... ?)
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
- MajordomoTom
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we're on the same boat
"Lots of planets have a North", the Ninth Doctor.
- Wendy Walker
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Wow, what fun that was! Thanks, Yossi, and mazal tov to your son!
Good luck, fellow Muggles!
-
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Really enjoyed this one, and the fill was fun too. Thanks Yossi!
- woozy
- Posts: 2214
- Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:40 am
Okay, after being told my answer was incorrect I came up with another which I think is probably correct (although I think I had a typo in my submission so I may not get on the leaderboard..... or I could still be wrong... oops, no, there I am at 64).
But in all honesty, I kinda prefer my original wrong answer.
But in all honesty, I kinda prefer my original wrong answer.
Funny story. I was all set to enter Par for the course for the CrossHare midi contest for April but I mistakenly thought midi meant 7x 7 and not 11 x 11. Oops. Well.... Here's a complex but **small** meta on the subject of golf.
- boharr
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- KayW
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FRIENDLY REMINDER: Do not post detailed information about grid entries, things significant to the meta, nor solving strategies prior to the deadline.
Contest Crosswords Combating Cancer (CCCC) is a bundle of 16 metapuzzles created to help raise money for cancer-related charities. It is available at CrosswordsForCancer.com.
- woozy
- Posts: 2214
- Joined: Mon Aug 10, 2020 12:40 am
Well, I guess this is a classic your mileage may vary.
I thought last week was as solid a two as I had ever seen and this one way much, much, much, harder. I wouldn't go so far as to call this a four (well..... maybe.......) but it's certainly nothing less than a three.... to me.
Funny story. I was all set to enter Par for the course for the CrossHare midi contest for April but I mistakenly thought midi meant 7x 7 and not 11 x 11. Oops. Well.... Here's a complex but **small** meta on the subject of golf.