"Epiphany" January 6, 2023

[phykos]

I saw, and submitted, “I SEE IT”, but was afraid I hadn’t dug deeply enough when I noticed six ITs in the completed grid (3 in down entries, and 3 in diagonally adjacent squares) - couldn’t make anything of them, and figured that if they were needed for the answer, I didn’t see it, after all.

[steveb]

I like the new PDF print format just fine. I printed the puzzle on letter-size paper, specifying "Actual Size," The puzzle occupied the left side of the page and was big enough for my aging eyes to read. The right side was open space, perfect for notes.

IMG_3612.jpeg

I forgot to mention: I don't click "Print" on the puzzle page; I download the PDF file and print that. That produces the print format on letter-size paper shown in the picture I posted.

[Joe Ross]

Thanks! This is the link I normally use and this is what I'm getting:

She’s Got It (Monday Crossword, January 9)
Jan. 9, 2023 12:01 am ET

SAVE

DOWNLOAD PDF

SHARE
16
Download PDF.

The Wall Street Journal
You've run out of free articles.
Subscribe for unlimited access.

VIEW MEMBERSHIP OPTIONS

These issues are usually cache-related. Clear your browsers' cache, downloaded files, & history & try again.

[mikeB]

I was stuck for a while because in addition to the AHAs in the grid, there were other answers containing split AHAs (ALOHA) and the letters A, H and A (AARGH) that I thought might be part of the solution. But I finally snapped out of it to solve it.

I briefly took that path and initially thought that the “lo” in aloha meant that the answer would be “lo and behold”. It did not take too long to realize there was no back solve to that answer.

My thought is be careful with back-solving -- it can be a trap.

I wasn’t familiar with the term “epiphany”, and I hate just looking things up, so I consulted the voice in the back of my head for back-solve ideas.

VOICE: Maybe epiphany is a salad? Try THOUSAND ISLAND DRESSING, something you might say when you’re having a salad. That would fit.

ME: Yeah, but . . . I think that was used back in 2021.

VOICE: Okay, maybe it’s some form of agreement? IT’S A DEAL would fit like a glove if you’re having an agreement.

Me: Yeah, but . . . if my memory serves me right, that’s been used as well.

VOICE: Maybe an epiphany is a romantic rendezvous? IT’S A DATE would certainly fit that.

Me: Yeah, but . . . that sounds familiar, as well. Already taken, I think.

VOICE: Okay, I give up.

Lesson learned? Avoid back-solving. One might just end up in a ‘Yeah-but' hole like I did . . .

[Bonnibel]

Before realizing the correct mechanism, I was stuck for a while on all the AHAs in the grid. I realized that A-Ha was the one hit group that did "Take On Me", which has three words but didn't really fit as an answer. Then I saw the entry "ONME" in the grid, and thought that perhaps we need to "take" all of the "ON"s and "ME"s from the grid as a mechanism. There were several, but removing them did not provide any obvious path, so I abandoned that rabbit hole.

OMG I , like TOTALLY love this! "Take on Me" is the 1st track on Totally 80s... epic!

Not to mention the very ground breaking video that A-Ha made for the song:

[DBMiller]

No long drawn out story this week. Only a couple of minor rat holes. Enero led me to look for alternate Spanish clues. And the other minor rat hole was looking for alternate answers to clues where…

Sage Of Omaha led to SOON as an alternate answer for AHEAD. Billy Graham led to an alternate answer of BEG for PLEA. Alas, The Taj Mahal led nowhere, and Hotel Sahara led me directly to HIS.

Then I noticed HIS could also have come from HAHAS, if AHA was replaced.

It took me a bit (And a zoom nudge) to figure out I was supposed to use the whole word and not the surrounding letters of the AHA word, but then I saw it. What would have been my Hail Mary was actually right.

[Bob cruise director]

@ColinM Colin - is this you who won the mug this week? If so CONGRATULATIONS!!!

[RobM]

I was stuck for a while because in addition to the AHAs in the grid, there were other answers containing split AHAs (ALOHA) and the letters A, H and A (AARGH) that I thought might be part of the solution. But I finally snapped out of it to solve it.

I briefly took that path and initially thought that the “lo” in aloha meant that the answer would be “lo and behold”. It did not take too long to realize there was no back solve to that answer.

I was right there with you about 30 minutes before the deadline and even submitted it as a Hail Mary. A few minutes later, I got the actual solution.

[Colin]

@ColinM Colin - is this you who won the mug this week? If so CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Oh Bob… If only! I guess I can dream, right? Despite my correct entry, that cup hook in our kitchen remains vacant for another week

[The XWord Rabbit]

The XWord Rabbit’s has some close relatives who work with magicians, so this week it only seems appropriate to paraphrase one of their favorite expressions: “Now you see it or you don’t.”

Those who had an “epiphany” completing Mr. Shenk’s puzzle did it like so: Six grid answers consisted of a word with the letters "AHA". Step two took a bit more searching, as there were six other grid entries that replaced those "AHA" words with a single letter … those replacement letters spelled out the meta: “I SEE IT!”

There was some thrashing about among Muggles, but nothing that caught your Rabbit’s attention … until clonefitz came to the rescue with this short but stellar excursion into MTV history.

“Before realizing the correct mechanism, I was stuck for a while on all the AHAs in the grid. I realized that A-Ha was the one hit group that did "Take On Me", which has three words but didn't really fit as an answer. Then I saw the entry "ONME" in the grid, and thought that perhaps we need to "take" all of the "ON"s and "ME"s from the grid as a mechanism. There were several, but removing them did not provide any obvious path, so I abandoned that rabbit hole.”

Bonnibel already beat your Rabbit to the punch with a video, but that doesn’t stop him from offering an encore of this lovely trip with one of the many parodies of this 80’s classic –- hey, at least it isn’t Carmen Miranda.

[Bob cruise director]

@ColinM Colin - is this you who won the mug this week? If so CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Oh Bob… If only! I guess I can dream, right? Despite my correct entry, that cup hook in our kitchen remains vacant for another week

@Colin We have you and ColinM as muggles. The winner was Colin McGuigan of Chicago

[Dawnkey]

I saw the six AHAs immediately, but not to remove them and find a grid match. (I probably had a lot more fun with Patrick Berry’s Rows Garden.)

My experience exactly, and I also had more fun with the Rows Garden.

I've been trying these metas for a couple of years now, but I don't seem to be getting any better at them. I can only occasionally solve them, like Matt's recent Happy New Year puzzle. Metas seem to be more about powers of observation than puzzling. Give me a good HEX cryptic any time. And yet there's something about them that won't let me pass them up, I have to keep trying.

[SReh26]

Heavy boxes lifted by the Swain for me
Doors held, comments made while
I’m getting my tea

Warm smiles and yearning
Unsubtly

Sometimes the lesson of age is that
It’s hard to do the right thing
But it makes it all better if you do

And your Swain will have even
Higher regard for you.

[KayW]

One more whine about the new WSJ puzzle format:

I wonder what they were thinking. As a who likes to solve the non-contest puzzles on paper in bed each morning, the new format places the top of the grid right against the paper fold which makes it quite awkward compared to the old format.

(LOL almost included a photo to illustrate. But I’ve already solved, so, spoilers.)

[hoover]

One more whine about the new WSJ puzzle format:

I wonder what they were thinking. As a who likes to solve the non-contest puzzles on paper in bed each morning, the new format places the grid right against the paper fold which makes it quite awkward compared to the old format.

(LOL almost included a photo to illustrate. But I’ve already solved, so, spoilers.)

I had to quote your message to see what the emoji was. My browser must not support sauropod, so I get the top dot of the colon and the top two-thirds of the s.

[KayW]

One more whine about the new WSJ puzzle format:

I wonder what they were thinking. As a who likes to solve the non-contest puzzles on paper in bed each morning, the new format places the grid right against the paper fold which makes it quite awkward compared to the old format.

(LOL almost included a photo to illustrate. But I’ve already solved, so, spoilers.)

I had to quote your message to see what the emoji was. My browser must not support sauropod, so I get the top dot of the colon and the top two-thirds of the s.

Interesting. You must have a more recent browser than this dinosaur does

[sharkicicles]

@ColinM Colin - is this you who won the mug this week? If so CONGRATULATIONS!!!

Oh Bob… If only! I guess I can dream, right? Despite my correct entry, that cup hook in our kitchen remains vacant for another week

@Colin We have you and ColinM as muggles. The winner was Colin McGuigan of Chicago

Well at least the mug is getting geographically closer….

[ColinM]

@ColinM Colin - is this you who won the mug this week? If so CONGRATULATIONS!!!

It wasn't me either. Surprisingly common name and first initial.

[Bob cruise director]

@ColinM Colin - is this you who won the mug this week? If so CONGRATULATIONS!!!

It wasn't me either. Surprisingly common name and first initial.

bummer

[Colin]

@ColinM Colin - is this you who won the mug this week? If so CONGRATULATIONS!!!

It wasn't me either. Surprisingly common name and first initial.

Great shout out for us Colins though!