"Food Group" July 28, 2023

[Steve_S]

Count me in for the SLOE group who had to backsolve that clue. I too tried getting something out of Melon.

[ky-mike]

I was on the WSJ puzzle page at 4:00 (eastern) on Thursday and the puzzle wasn't yet available. While waiting, I clicked on this link - https://www.wsj.com/public/resources/do ... tguide.pdf out of curiosity. When the puzzle became available a couple of minutes later, I had no problem locating the fruits in the theme answers. Funny how that works sometimes.

[Yoda66]

Count me in for the SLOE group who had to backsolve that clue. I too tried getting something out of Melon.

I think the gin drinkers had an advantage in quickly identifying Sloe

[Abide]

Another solid @mikeB analysis.

[MatthewL]

Sounds like a number of us had to backsolve for SLOE. Which surprised me, given how frequently it shows up in grids.

To your point, check out 36D in today's WSJ puzzle.

[Bill Bovard]

Sounds like a number of us had to backsolve for SLOE. Which surprised me, given how frequently it shows up in grids.

Yes but was the last one I found. The most obvious one was ORANGE. Like many metas, once you find one, the rest follow like dominoes.

I'm expecting some people to complain that this was too easy and 58-A was unnecessary.

[HunterX]

Sounds like a number of us had to backsolve for SLOE. Which surprised me, given how frequently it shows up in grids.

Yes but was the last one I found. The most obvious one was ORANGE. Like many metas, once you find one, the rest follow like dominoes.

I'm expecting some people to complain that this was too easy and 58-A was unnecessary.

I wondered whether it was really necessary. But once you see it, you can't unsee it. So it's hard to know how you might have done without it.

Perhaps it was necessary because it was so hard to find fruit names that combine with other words to create the themers.

[Deb F]

Yep. Like others, got the S_W_E_T. Knew it had to be SWEET. SAMMALONE was the back solve for me too.

Congratulations on a good solving-weekend, Muggles. Have a great week.

[Kas]

Y'all are beginning to sound like Texans.

Not until they start decorating their houses with outlines of their state.

There are Indianan transplants here in the city that have Indiana outline t shirts

Show of hands who had to backsolve SLOE. Not in my list of fruits brain databank until this puzzle.

I was sloe on the uptake,
Admitting it here.
"Is that you you spell 'Malon?!
...that looks really queer..."
I thought Gaffney had lost it!
(Heh--that would be great!)
But oh, I knew better
than to fall for that bait...
So I pondered and vexed,
and I struggled some more,
'Til the A-Ha occurred
and I paddled to shore.
So now I can bask
on that fine sunny coast...
...All I need is that mug,
to raise for a toast.

[clonefitz]

Y'all are beginning to sound like Texans.

Not until they start decorating their houses with outlines of their state.

There are Indianan transplants here in the city that have Indiana outline t shirts

Show of hands who had to backsolve SLOE. Not in my list of fruits brain databank until this puzzle.

Hand raise

[Bob cruise director]

Y'all are beginning to sound like Texans.

Not until they start decorating their houses with outlines of their state.

There are Indianan transplants here in the city that have Indiana outline t shirts

Show of hands who had to backsolve SLOE. Not in my list of fruits brain databank until this puzzle.

[ship4u]

Not until they start decorating their houses with outlines of their state.

There are Indianan transplants here in the city that have Indiana outline t shirts

Show of hands who had to backsolve SLOE. Not in my list of fruits brain databank until this puzzle.

jarry-hello.gif

[pjc]

And after last week breaking me, my streak is now at 1!

And, yes, count me in on the SLOE/MELON back solve party.

[mheberlingx100]

Not until they start decorating their houses with outlines of their state.

There are Indianan transplants here in the city that have Indiana outline t shirts

Show of hands who had to backsolve SLOE. Not in my list of fruits brain databank until this puzzle.

jarry-hello.gif

I did too.

[flyingMoose]

There are Indianan transplants here in the city that have Indiana outline t shirts :)

Show of hands who had to backsolve SLOE. Not in my list of fruits brain databank until this puzzle.

jarry-hello.gif

I did too.

Will it be easier to ask which of you didn't? :)

[woozy]

I'm expecting some people to complain that this was too easy and 58-A was unnecessary.

It was absolutely necessary. Not to make it easier but the puzzle just plain wouldn't make any sense without it. Why would you look for fruit? Why would you delete fruit? A puzzle may be harder if you leave it to the solver to just arbitrarily try any possible trick they can think of for no reason but that make a puzzle more pointless in my opinion.

Although if they had just to entry fruitless without an mention of a meta that'd be fair. It'd make the puzzle harder but it would be debatable whether for fun and enjoyment it would be less aesthetic.

[Joe Ross]

Will it be easier to ask which of you didn't? :)

[DBMiller]

Will it be easier to ask which of you didn't?

[CromsFury]

Will it be easier to ask which of you didn't?

https://www.liquor.com/recipes/sloe-gin-fizz/

[The XWord Rabbit]

The race to the shore began almost immediately with Mr. Gaffney’s “Food Group” puzzle and never let up. 58A FRUITLESSLY was the key, directing solvers to remove the names of fruits from the five anchor entries, ORANGES from COAST RANGES, LIMES from MEALTIMES, etc. In each case four letters were left over, spelling out words that began clues. The first letter of the answers to those clues spelled out the meta: SWEET.

ALOE proved to be a bit of a hiccup in the solving process, but not so seriously as to impede the onslaught of Muggles off the boat.

No nominees means that your Rabbit can concentrate on more important matters, namely the announcement of finalists and the winner of the coveted GOLDEN RABBIT HOLE AWARD. Get further details during this Friday’s Zoom call (as well as a bit of help with this week’s puzzle.) See you then!