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Re: #659 - "Blank Stares"

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2021 12:53 pm
by KayW
BarbaraK wrote: Mon Jan 18, 2021 10:27 am
tonyrobots wrote: Sun Jan 17, 2021 9:34 pm Phew, got it! (FWIW, don't really get the title, either.)
I can't decide if those of us who solved without understanding the title should get bonus points for doing it the hard way or demerits for missing a part of the gestalt.
I am lucky that Matt is not a high school teacher. He has never required us to "show our work" to receive full credit ;)

FWIW I saw the mechanism and answer pretty quickly but am among those who don't see a connection to the title... hoping someone will fill in the BLANK( STARE)S tomorrow...

Re: #659 - "Blank Stares"

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2021 2:37 pm
by Big Mac
Beamed up a few nights ago. I enjoyed this one a lot. Reminds me of one of the first MGWCC I ever solved.

Re: #659 - "Blank Stares"

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2021 3:20 pm
by MaineMarge
Yea! Matt gave me the OK to hitch a ride with Dr. Tom too. Hope he has room for me.
763406C6-EA8C-44BE-BE5C-19567F549903.jpeg

Re: #659 - "Blank Stares"

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2021 4:18 pm
by chnest
I feel like I'm 70-80% finished, but nothing I seem to do can get me to a confirmation of what it is. Any nudges available?

Thanks,

Chris

Re: #659 - "Blank Stares"

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2021 6:06 pm
by ReB
Finally beamed up onto the ship after first materializing/dematerializing on too many wrong planets (and patiently resisting the urge to request a nudge). It was brutal finding the correct links to generate the answer, which I had intuited but wanted proof.

I also think I have some explanation for the title - it will be interesting to compare notes.

Re: #659 - "Blank Stares"

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2021 6:11 pm
by raceyamatt
New here! Solved my first two puzzles the last two weeks, but this one has me stumped! I think I'm 80-90% of the way there but could use a nudge OR a hint of some sort. What am I missing?

Re: #659 - "Blank Stares"

Posted: Mon Jan 18, 2021 8:46 pm
by Frausty
Feel like I'm >90 percent of the way there, requesting a nudge if anyone's feeling benevolent

Re: #659 - "Blank Stares"

Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 12:21 pm
by ajk
BarbaraK wrote: Mon Jan 18, 2021 10:27 am I can't decide if those of us who solved without understanding the title should get bonus points for doing it the hard way or demerits for missing a part of the gestalt.
As one who didn't use the title I vote for the former. :lol: :lol:

Re: #659 - "Blank Stares"

Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 12:31 pm
by MikeM000
A commenter on the Fiend just posted a D'OH headslap comment for the title...for the 8 squares with differing letter entries for A/D, one of the 2 clues has a blank in it ("Free _____" for WILLY, etc.). The "blank" clue is the one that is the key for the meta...

Re: #659 - "Blank Stares"

Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 12:59 pm
by Al Sisti
MikeM000 wrote: Tue Jan 19, 2021 12:31 pm A commenter on the Fiend just posted a D'OH headslap comment for the title...for the 8 squares with differing letter entries for A/D, one of the 2 clues has a blank in it ("Free _____" for WILLY, etc.). The "blank" clue is the one that is the key for the meta...
Ohhhh, good one... I took it as if it was a blank tile in Scrabble, where you can make it be whatever letter you need.

Re: #659 - "Blank Stares"

Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 2:06 pm
by ReB
Yes the "Blank" refers to the eight clues that contain blanks, which key to the eight word pairs.

The "Blank Stares" I think refers to one's state of mind looking at the grid before that AHA moment when you've solved the meta.

Re: #659 - "Blank Stares"

Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 8:35 pm
by Bird Lives
Count me among those who didn't appreciate the "blank" but solved it anyway
.
MGWCC 1-15.jpg

Re: #659 - "Blank Stares"

Posted: Tue Jan 19, 2021 8:39 pm
by Joe Ross
Image

Re: #659 - "Blank Stares"

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2021 1:32 am
by DrTom
MaineMarge wrote: Mon Jan 18, 2021 3:20 pm Yea! Matt gave me the OK to hitch a ride with Dr. Tom too. Hope he has room for me.

763406C6-EA8C-44BE-BE5C-19567F549903.jpeg
Heck yes, it will seat 5 if we cuddle!

Re: #659 - "Blank Stares"

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2021 1:33 am
by DrTom
cbarbee002 wrote: Mon Jan 18, 2021 10:21 am I'm riding in Tom's Beemer, in more ways than one! Energize!
OK then! I'll drive, you pour - but only up to the legal limit of course.

Re: #659 - "Blank Stares"

Posted: Wed Jan 20, 2021 1:35 am
by DrTom
I thought HOLY MOLY had to do with the stare you are giving when you say something like Holy Moly! I never even noticed it correlated with the blanks. He's good our Matt....

Re: #659 - "Blank Stares"

Posted: Fri Jan 22, 2021 10:26 am
by Joe Ross
MGWCC #660 -- POSTPONED Until Noon on Saturday

"Dear Solver,

" MGWCC #660 will run tomorrow, Saturday the 23rd, at noon Eastern Time. Spent all week working on a rather nice idea...that in the end simply refused to work (I finally threw in the towel at 1 AM last night).

"I hate postponing, but the crossword gods were in a particularly cruel mood this week. Hopefully they will take pity this evening.

" Sorry and thanks and until tomorrow,

"--Matt"