Well this "week1" proved much harder than the WSJ puzzle for me. I struggled due to a learned behavior and some forgetfulness, but was - with some guidance - able to get home I think. We will see. I cannot believe the answer I finally arrived at could be anything else than correct, but I have proven that wrong before.
Re: MGWCC #801 — “Sounds like Someone I Know”
Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2023 6:33 pm
by Conrad
I finally solved this, and... I have a lot of thoughts.
It's definitely not week one difficulty.
Re: MGWCC #801 — “Sounds like Someone I Know”
Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2023 8:32 pm
by Wendy Walker
Conrad wrote: ↑Sat Oct 07, 2023 6:33 pm
I finally solved this, and... I have a lot of thoughts.
It's definitely not week one difficulty.
I for one am eager to read your review, Conrad!
Re: MGWCC #801 — “Sounds like Someone I Know”
Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2023 8:39 pm
by Conrad
Wendy Walker wrote: ↑Sat Oct 07, 2023 8:32 pm
I for one am eager to read your review, Conrad!
That is thankfully Joon's responsibility
I also have thoughts on the WSJ. "Backsolve" doesn't quite describe my process. More like "inside out".
Re: MGWCC #801 — “Sounds like Someone I Know”
Posted: Sat Oct 07, 2023 10:57 pm
by DrTom
Aboard the Enterprise at #253, got to get down to the 10-Forward lounge before they run out of Aldeberan Whiskey and Synthetol, there are a LOT of people on the ship.
Wendy Walker wrote: ↑Sat Oct 07, 2023 8:32 pm
I for one am eager to read your review, Conrad!
That is thankfully Joon's responsibility
I also have thoughts on the WSJ. "Backsolve" doesn't quite describe my process. More like "inside out".
Re: MGWCC #801 — “Sounds like Someone I Know”
Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2023 10:48 am
by Streroto
Like others I figured the only viable answer and yet hesitated while I tried the mother of all backsolves. Eventually submitted and I'm on the board but still have no idea what the dreaded numbers in parentheses mean!
Week 1 if you ignore them I guess.
Re: MGWCC #801 — “Sounds like Someone I Know”
Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2023 12:35 pm
by HunterX
DrTom wrote: ↑Sat Oct 07, 2023 10:57 pm
Aboard the Enterprise at #253, got to get down to the 10-Forward lounge before they run out of Aldeberan Whiskey and Synthetol, there are a LOT of people on the ship.
Conrad wrote: ↑Sat Oct 07, 2023 8:39 pm
I also have thoughts on the WSJ. "Backsolve" doesn't quite describe my process. More like "inside out".
Joe has spoken: I know what song I'll be using in my Fiend writeup tonight.
Re: MGWCC #801 — “Sounds like Someone I Know”
Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2023 10:42 pm
by rjy
Got waylayed by the same hiccup others saw, but hit the finish line and awaiting beamage. Glad this didn’t have a downs-only, no-instructions option!
Re: MGWCC #801 — “Sounds like Someone I Know”
Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2023 12:17 am
by ZooAnimalsOnWheels
That will teach me. I spent a long weekend away and figured I could just coast in on Monday night running on very little sleep and knock this out because it was a Week One. Nope. I was stumped for a bit and assumed I was just being really dense, but then I stopped thinking of it as a Week One and found my way.
Re: MGWCC #801 — “Sounds like Someone I Know”
Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2023 12:56 pm
by BrennerTJ
NO SÉ how to pronounce words like EWOK.
Re: MGWCC #801 — “Sounds like Someone I Know”
Posted: Tue Oct 10, 2023 1:03 pm
by Joe Ross
First thought at solving, which I knew couldn't be correct, but is almost as usable as intended:
Taking nth letters from entries with matching repeated letter combos from TEs, I get AAKTY. Only answer I could suss was AKA YT, which might mean WHITEY FORD, an old-time baseball player.
I punted & asked for help. Normally I wouldn't submit, but...
EDIT: Oops, I see that ILI does not match ILLY nor is it close. Kest luh vie. Yet another reason to drop that grasped straw.
Re: MGWCC #801 — “Sounds like Someone I Know”
Posted: Wed Oct 11, 2023 11:12 am
by rjy
So I had LEI rhyming with FAYE DUNAWAY before I had any idea what the numbers were for. Is this where other folks caught a snag?
The numbers were inscrutable when sitting on LEI as one of the five, and in hindsight were completely unnecessary - save for the lone case of nudging away from LEI to a 4-letter answer, NO SÉ in this case (which continued to read like "nose" to me in the grid)
If LEI could have been eliminated, the numbers could have been as well.
