MEOW #99 Split the Bills

[DrTom]

Well the nudges appear to have helped, considerably more solvers today:

T whimsy
T Dplass
T Cap'n Rick
T Benchen71
1 ImOnToo
2 Hector
3 DIS
4 rjy
5 boharr
6 JM
7 Meg
8 Cinny
9 Schmeel
10 Small Wave Dave
11 kitchendiva
12 lbray53
13 woozy
14 ChrisKochmanski
15 kieranjboyd
16 BarbaraK
17 KayW
18 ajk
19 Darth

Still, I doubt this one will go down in the annals of "Great Puzzles by Amateurs", though it will probably make some lists.....

[madhatter5]

The Tomcat has split!

[lbray53]

The cat escaped from the shredded bag. There was not much left of it.

I had the answer written down very early in the process but could not find it in the puzzle.

I pursued some very interesting mechanisms which, of course, did not pan out.

I have an alternate answer that fits the prompt in that I thought I might find it in the grid but did not. I could not find a way to justify it however.

[rjy]

I am sooo sorry this has been a clunker.

With the trademark DrTom cluing, clever signposts and an unusual but plenty fair metanism, a slow stream of solvers does not a clunker make. The best AHA’s often come after a bit of wrestling - not just when lightning strikes - so no worries on this one. I enjoyed the puzzle and the wrestling. I even thought the original prompt was perfectly fair.

If I were the doctor, I’d prescribe a radical apologectomy

[boharr]

^^Agree with that.

[ReB]

The cat is out of the bag, while I'm recovering from a mauling...

[DrTom]

The count continues to slowly rise:

T whimsy
T Dplass
T Cap'n Rick
T Benchen71
1 ImOnToo
2 Hector
3 DIS
4 rjy
5 boharr
6 JM
7 Meg
8 Cinny
9 Schmeel
10 Small Wave Dave
11 kitchendiva
12 lbray53
13 woozy
14 ChrisKochmanski
15 kieranjboyd
16 BarbaraK
17 KayW
18 ajk
19 Darth
20 SJMcK
21 Benchen71
22 markhr
23 Beth Tyrpin
24 madhatter5
25 Al Sisti
26 BrennerTJ
27 ReB

This was no doubt aided by a fairly simple MGWCC and, for some (current company excluded) a fairly straightforward WSJ. I am also currently working on another MEOW and trying DESPERATELY to make it less complex.

[edestlin]

Apparently it takes me writing up a lengthy request for a nudge, explaining all the things I have already done, checking ONE LAST TIME before I hit send... and THEN I'll see what I needed.

DrTom, I have to agree with rjy and others that this wasn't nearly as rough as the initial response indicated. I loved the click of each step along the way. Thank you for the puzzle!

[Al Sisti]

Apparently it takes me writing up a lengthy request for a nudge, explaining all the things I have already done, checking ONE LAST TIME before I hit send... and THEN I'll see what I needed.

It's surprising how often that happens. There's a term for that phenomenon in the Muggle lexicon, but I'll be darned if I can remember it. My money is on @Wendy Walker or @Joe Ross.

[Joe Ross]

Apparently it takes me writing up a lengthy request for a nudge, explaining all the things I have already done, checking ONE LAST TIME before I hit send... and THEN I'll see what I needed.

It's surprising how often that happens. There's a term for that phenomenon in the Muggle lexicon, but I'll be darned if I can remember it. My money is on @Wendy Walker or @Joe Ross.

Ooh... David Plass @Dplass came up with the definitive term for this, borrowed from coding/IT. Lemme look it up...

I received a PMed request for help from an accomplished Muggle trying to solve a Week 2 MGWCC. It's rare that this solver needs help. There was stated frustration that help was needed on a Week 2 puzzle.

Perfectly laid out, in logical detail, were all things noted by this solver about the Title, Meta Clue, possible Theme Entries, and cluing.

While I was replying, I received another PM explaining that immediately after writing the first PM & sending, the answer presented itself. The solver's solo status was preserved.

This is a powerful tool for solving. No matter your stance on requesting help, writing to a "casual observer" (in my case) or the most expert solver and reorganizing your thoughts & progress can allow you to winnow the chaff and let the answer present itself.

You don't have to send the request for help. Putting ideas into logical steps for another to understand is what can turn the trick.

In the software industry we call this "Rubber Duck Debugging". Sometimes you just need to explain the problem you're having to the rubber duck on your desk, and you will suddenly know the solution.

[Al Sisti]

Apparently it takes me writing up a lengthy request for a nudge, explaining all the things I have already done, checking ONE LAST TIME before I hit send... and THEN I'll see what I needed.

It's surprising how often that happens. There's a term for that phenomenon in the Muggle lexicon, but I'll be darned if I can remember it. My money is on @Wendy Walker or @Joe Ross.

Ooh... David Plass came up with the definitive term for this, borrowed from coding/IT. Lemme look it up...

Something "enlightenment?"

[Joe Ross]

It's surprising how often that happens. There's a term for that phenomenon in the Muggle lexicon, but I'll be darned if I can remember it. My money is on @Wendy Walker or @Joe Ross.

Ooh... David Plass came up with the definitive term for this, borrowed from coding/IT. Lemme look it up...

Something "enlightenment?"

If you're thinking Wendy, you might be thinking 'Something "encroachment." '

[Dplass]

Apparently it takes me writing up a lengthy request for a nudge, explaining all the things I have already done, checking ONE LAST TIME before I hit send... and THEN I'll see what I needed.

It's surprising how often that happens. There's a term for that phenomenon in the Muggle lexicon, but I'll be darned if I can remember it. My money is on @Wendy Walker or @Joe Ross.

Ooh... David Plass @Dplass came up with the definitive term for this, borrowed from coding/IT. Lemme look it up...

I received a PMed request for help from an accomplished Muggle trying to solve a Week 2 MGWCC. It's rare that this solver needs help. There was stated frustration that help was needed on a Week 2 puzzle.

Perfectly laid out, in logical detail, were all things noted by this solver about the Title, Meta Clue, possible Theme Entries, and cluing.

While I was replying, I received another PM explaining that immediately after writing the first PM & sending, the answer presented itself. The solver's solo status was preserved.

This is a powerful tool for solving. No matter your stance on requesting help, writing to a "casual observer" (in my case) or the most expert solver and reorganizing your thoughts & progress can allow you to winnow the chaff and let the answer present itself.

You don't have to send the request for help. Putting ideas into logical steps for another to understand is what can turn the trick.

In the software industry we call this "Rubber Duck Debugging". Sometimes you just need to explain the problem you're having to the rubber duck on your desk, and you will suddenly know the solution.

Indeed some software companies have rubber ducks as mascots around the office for just such an occasion.

[BarbaraK]

It's surprising how often that happens. There's a term for that phenomenon in the Muggle lexicon, but I'll be darned if I can remember it. My money is on @Wendy Walker or @Joe Ross.

Ooh... David Plass came up with the definitive term for this, borrowed from coding/IT. Lemme look it up...

Something "enlightenment?"

Post-enlightenment is a different but similar phenomenon, when you post that you're totally stuck and have no idea and shortly thereafter figure it out.

[MarkWoychick]

Cat's out of the bag - thank you, Dr. Tom - excellent clueing and smooth fill. I don't know how or why I missed the solution for so long, but I got there with your patient nudges.

[DrTom]

Cat's out of the bag - thank you, Dr. Tom - excellent clueing and smooth fill. I don't know how or why I missed the solution for so long, but I got there with your patient nudges.

Actually I was specifically warned against patient nudges, they leave bruises apparently.

[DrTom]

Saturday solvers.

Some more have joined the solvers group:
T whimsy
T Dplass
T Cap'n Rick
T Benchen71
1 ImOnToo
2 Hector
3 DIS
4 rjy
5 boharr
6 JM
7 Meg
8 Cinny
9 Schmeel
10 Small Wave Dave
11 kitchendiva
12 lbray53
13 woozy
14 ChrisKochmanski
15 kieranjboyd
16 BarbaraK
17 KayW
18 ajk
19 Darth
20 SJMcK
21 Benchen71
22 markhr
23 Beth Tyrpin
24 madhatter5
25 Al Sisti
26 BrennerTJ
27 ReB
28 edestlin
29 Pair O Ducks
30 BirdLIves
31 Mwoychick

Still time to try your luck!!!!

T

[DrTom]

Well only one more to add to the list, Carolyn at number 32.

The answer will go up about noon tomorrow, so all of you that are waiting for the last minute, go ahead and submit now to beat the rush!!!

[DrTom]

OK, a few more at the very end for a total of 34 solvers. Not going to break any records but still quite respectable.

T whimsy
T Dplass
T Cap'n Rick
T Benchen71
1 ImOnToo
2 Hector
3 DIS
4 rjy
5 boharr
6 JM
7 Meg
8 Cinny
9 Schmeel
10 Small Wave Dave
11 kitchendiva
12 lbray53
13 woozy
14 ChrisKochmanski
15 kieranjboyd
16 BarbaraK
17 KayW
18 ajk
19 Darth
20 SJMcK
21 Benchen71
22 markhr
23 Beth Tyrpin
24 madhatter5
25 Al Sisti
26 BrennerTJ
27 ReB
28 edestlin
29 Pair O Ducks
30 BirdLIves
31 Mwoychick
32 Carolyn
33 LauraM
34 CPJohnson


Thanks to everyone who gave it a try, those who solved and those who didn't. The reveal follows!

[DrTom]

Well, this one did NOT work as I intended. When Josh and I did the earlier SPLIT THE BILL puzzle, three people PMed me that they thought for sure they had to look for people named BILL split in the entries, so I figured you would all have this solved before I even got it posted. I think everyone pretty much got the first step easily when the saw my goofy clues that gave a nudge towards the answer. Clue 1A mentions Buffalo and there is old Buffalo Bill CODY split between the two answers. Likewise Stripes for MURRAY, Windows for GATES and "dispelled hero image" for COSBY (oh, and as much as I would like to take credit for those cloaked nudges, that was Cap'n Rick's suggestion - clever lad). The question is, now what????

Obviously the letters of the names don't help, CMGC is not a word. Similarly the first and last (or first or last) letters of the answers don't help either (DDLRZEMB, OERNTESE, DELNZEME - GOBBLEDYGOOK!). So, if the ANSWERS don't help, what then. How about the clues? I know this has been done before simply because I am not inventive enough to have derived this on my own. Heck it was the mechanism for the WSJ puzzle this week, i.e. answer from the first letter of the clues. If I take the first letters of the clues that give me the meta answers I get BCLINTON! AHA, the Bill so many of you thought for sure I would include, and you were right.

Therefore, once again I am in the position of having to apologize for a much harder than anticipated puzzle. I am a little leery because my next puzzle several people have told me is a real challenge so I have to decide if I am going ot post that or do a new one and save the one I have for a different time when I am not on so many hit lists!

Thanks to those who solved, and to those who have not appeared at my door with tar and feathers.

PS - Ben noticed something even I did not. The collection of first letters of the two clues that gave the words containing the split "Bills" spell BCLINTON, but the collection of the first two letters of the SECOND clue spell CLINTONA. Odd, and it just goes to show you how chaos theory might add to the red herring legacies.