"A Matter of Course" April 5, 2024

[Miki]

I can imagine that MG got the idea for a falling bridge theme after the Baltimore bridge news. If that is the case, it seems he can build one of these grid in no time. Genius (either way)!

[eagle1279]

Got this one after a long drought. Brief rabbit hole involving references to Moby Dick (AHAB, SPOUTHOLES, GOLD…).

I’m in the “London Bridge” is a sufficient answer camp.

[ship4u]

I sense a Muggle Protest brewing in favor of "London Bridge" as an acceptable answer.

After months of anticipation for the big total eclipse day, we awoke to clouds and rain this morning. It's going to be touch and go for this afternoon.

[Ergcat]

Title MATTER OF COURSE

The dictionary says
“matter of course”
noun
A natural or logical outcome.
An expected or customary outcome.
An inevitable ending.

In terms of the song, London Bridge IS falling down. Kids know it as fact and it is THE EXPECTED OR CUSTOMARY OUTCOME. In the course of the song ( with the associated arm actions), it does indeed, FALL over and over again. A CUSTOMARY ENDING, An inevitable ending.

Count me in for just submitting “London Bridge” too because, as a MATTER OF COURSE, it’s FALLING DOWN is the natural and logical outcome!

[Zobo3737]

I submitted just London Bridge after checking with Google for the correct title. HOWEVER, I wouldn’t blame the judges if they only accepted “London Bridge is Falling Down” because the letters to make the theme answers customary are literally falling down from above.

[Momo]

Apparently the song can go by London bridge, London bridge is falling down and my fair lady. I wasn’t sure which of the first two I should use so I played it straight up and just said London bridge. Maybe if the answer letters were falling down the grid I would have said the latter. Lol. Great puzzle

[Momo]

I take back my last comment as the answer letters ARE falling down the grid. What a mind MG has!!

[Joe Ross]

I'm lucky enough to stay put & not brave the roads, today. This (and clear weather) is what I can expect:

[Ergcat]

Here in the Upstate of SC, I will only have 85% eclipse! It is sunny now so hopeful it holds! Last time, in August 2017, we were directly on the line of totality and we had a spectacular time watching it from our dock! Hope everyone has that opportunity today!

[JaneGummy]

I won the mug!

Submitted London Bridge

[Cruciverbalisticexpi]

Just curious, did you reply with the full title or just London Bridge?

I won the mug!

[ship4u]

We lucked out with the weather for the eclipse! Quite a phenominal experience! Of course, the glass of Proseco to celebrate added to the jubilation....

[ajk]

Can someone please help me figure out how to add a jpg to a post?

There's an explanation in this thread

[ReB]

Very awesome full totality view from Indianapolis, some high cloudiness but not enough to block the main show.

[DBMiller]

Like others, such a tough time filling out the grid due to the metanism. Finally went with the downs, and was thinking this had to be an error in the clues or in the upload. After getting out the downs right which made great alternate answers I did note that the letters above would give the right answers. After putting "LON/WER and DON/SPO" in a NOTEPAD window, I knew what the answer would be.

And to cover my arse, I submitted "London Bridge [Is Falling Down], aka 'My Fair Lady'".

95% totality here. Traffic heading north to get more was an absolute mess. Glad I didn't even attempt it.

[JaneGummy]

Just curious, did you reply with the full title or just London Bridge?

I won the mug!

Just London bridge

[ship4u]

I understood the word "course" in the title, "A Matter of Course," to infer horizontal courses of bricks or building materials. Thus a clue to the course or layer above each themer.

[MikeMillerwsj]

The contest answer is LONDON BRIDGE IS FALLING DOWN. The four theme answers only make sense with their clues when three letters from an above answer are dropped into them: LON drops to make LONE WOLVES, DON drops to make DONUT HOLES, BRI drops to make GOLD BRICKS and DGE drops to make MERIT BADGE. Those four trigrams “fell down” to spell LONDON BRIDGE, suggesting the contest answer.

Solvers did very well with this extremely clever puzzle. (Some of us didn't even notice that the missing trigrams were sitting right above the theme answers.) We had an impressive 2041 entries, with 95% correct! (We counted "LONDON BRIDGE" as correct, along with the longer official title.). Other guesses included OLD MACDONALD (11), I'M A LITTLE TEAPOT (8), ROW ROW ROW YOUR BOAT (6) and TEDDY BEAR'S PICNIC (3).

Congratulations to this week's winner: Jeannine Holway of Punta Gorda, Fla.!

[MMe]

The idea that there is an official title to this song is a little dubious

[ship4u]

The joy of watching a total eclipse of the sun whilst sipping on a glass of Prosecco.