MGWCC #749 - “Eyes on the Prize”

[MarkWoychick]

Submitted and waiting to be beamed up - expecting a lot of solvers this week! Now back to the WSJ...

Edit: beamed up!

[Wendy Walker]

This would be a great puzzle for anyone trying to recruit new meta solvers. The grid was neither a "gimme" nor a Fireball, and the meta provided a sweet a-ha moment and a sense of accomplishment! Nice one, Matt.

[Jeremy Smith]

Beamed!

[Abide]

I found it more difficult that other Week 1 puzzles, which I have been able to solve with Downs Only, No Instructions. Not this time. I got the idea, but had to Google stuff (I never learned my table manners, especially the newer stuff). To check, I had to look at some Across clues as well. I also discovered, in Googling after I'd submitted my answer, a possible quibble about the title and answer.

I was just coming here to post that Downs Only seems impossible on this one.

[SewYoung]

At least I can still solve a "Week One" . My track record has been terrible lately on all metas. Grids are no problem, just can't seem to see the ultimate solution these days. .

[benchen71]

Beamed up! Nice to have one Gaffney solved, so it's back to wrestling with the WSJ...

[DCBilly]

Started late but I am beamed up. I’m really bad at these, but the keeping on has taught me a few things, some of which helped today….

[Joe]

Happy to be aboard.

[Cinny]

Beamed up.

[HeadinHome]

A quick solve, keeping one useful page of wikipedia open for spelling and other facts. Awaiting my Beamer. Er, beam.

[ChrisKochmanski]

OMG, I just blew a Week 1! I’m tired from driving for 10 hours, no printer here, had to draw the grid on graph paper, thought immediately of a too-simple answer … then entered it!

And almost immediately realized my mistake.

I feel like Bill Buckner in October 1986!

[sharkicicles]

OMG, I just blew a Week 1! I’m tired from driving for 10 hours, no printer here, had to draw the grid on graph paper, thought immediately of a too-simple answer … then entered it!

And almost immediately realized my mistake.

I feel like Bill Buckner in October 1986!

I don’t realize the mistake but I’m pretty sure I did what you did but I had like 15 minutes to look at it today and it seemed way too simple but hey week 1. I guess I’ll find out what the answer was when I get back to Chicago on Sunday.

[Barney]

Is this a “find it” or a “guess Matt’s mind” it?

[Barney]

I managed to whiff it

Week one 🫥

[Barney]

Confirmed the whiff and got the correction.

[edestlin]

Just woke up after a brief Saturday afternoon nap and beamed up quick. Fun!

[MajordomoTom]

This would be a great puzzle for anyone trying to recruit new meta solvers. The grid was neither a "gimme" nor a Fireball, and the meta provided a sweet a-ha moment and a sense of accomplishment! Nice one, Matt.

true, and I'm beamed up for the weekend.

Edit: confirmed at #385. It's a crowded transporter this week.

[rjy]

Tried downs-only-no-instructions, but that was spoiled by the instructions given away in the write-up of last week's puzzle, then had to peek for a bit of the fill. Similar to Jay's comment, I'd have found this a difficult meta to get in this manner. Otherwise a solid Week 1 with all the clues and prompt.

[Joe Ross]

[ajk]

lol of course the week there's a chemistry related meta I'm giving an exam and will miss the Zoom discussion tonight.

Other than not having to look up Dmitri's first name and knowing that LAWRENCIUM was a thing (or at least knowing that Lawrence Berkeley National Lab is a thing, and connecting it that way) I don't think I had any special leg up. I prefer to stick mostly to the single-digit atomic numbers.