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"Washington Gridlock" - February 4, 2021
Posted: Wed Feb 03, 2021 6:15 pm
by ricky
Here it is!
http://www.lexicondevil.live/2021/02/pu ... -meta.html
This freestyle-style(?) grid is harder than average. I don't think the meta is, but you never know. I will say that I had fun with the meta.
I've added a link to sign up for the new Lexicon Devil email list. I'm probably going to begin sending the metas out by email before posting them to the blog, and some of the puzzles that go out via email will never be posted to the blog, so if you enjoy these puzzles, please go ahead and sign up.
Re: "Washington Gridlock" - Lexicon Devil - February 4, 2021
Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2021 10:04 pm
by ricky
So guess who copied and pasted a nonfunctional dummy link over the correct link to the email list I told everyone to use to please sign up ASAP?
This guy. -->
Sorry! It is fixed now.
Re: "Washington Gridlock" - Lexicon Devil - February 4, 2021
Posted: Thu Feb 04, 2021 11:16 pm
by RPardoe
Happy to subscribe, and finally did so with the correct link!
Re: "Washington Gridlock" - Lexicon Devil - February 4, 2021
Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2021 9:00 am
by Meg
Ricky, I tried to subscribe Friday morning, and was told I don’t have permission. I tried both my Google email account. Hard meta imo. I submitted with some but not total confidence.
Re: "Washington Gridlock" - Lexicon Devil - February 4, 2021
Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2021 4:02 pm
by C=64
Humblebrag: The grid was just right but I haven't cracked the meta. I have one particular rabbit hole that I keep falling into even when I tell myself to try something different.
Re: "Washington Gridlock" - Lexicon Devil - February 4, 2021
Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2021 4:59 pm
by ricky
Meg wrote: ↑Fri Feb 05, 2021 9:00 am
Ricky, I tried to subscribe Friday morning, and was told I don’t have permission. I tried both my Google email account. Hard meta imo. I submitted with some but not total confidence.
I'll add you manually.
BTW, no correct answers so far! This one is not hard in the conventional sense. It just may require a little thinking outside the box.
Re: "Washington Gridlock" - Lexicon Devil - February 4, 2021
Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2021 8:45 pm
by dudeski
My thinking is still inside the box. Nice grid.
Re: "Washington Gridlock" - Lexicon Devil - February 4, 2021
Posted: Fri Feb 05, 2021 9:12 pm
by Hector
I think the conventional sense is that few solvers will get it. Seems to apply.
Re: "Washington Gridlock" - Lexicon Devil - February 4, 2021
Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2021 2:34 am
by Al Sisti
ricky wrote: ↑Fri Feb 05, 2021 4:59 pm
Meg wrote: ↑Fri Feb 05, 2021 9:00 am
Ricky, I tried to subscribe Friday morning, and was told I don’t have permission. I tried both my Google email account. Hard meta imo. I submitted with some but not total confidence.
I'll add you manually.
BTW, no correct answers so far! This one is not hard in the conventional sense. It just may require a little thinking outside the box.
I think you'd be surprised at how rational my answer was! Must be a weird coincidence...
Re: "Washington Gridlock" - Lexicon Devil - February 4, 2021
Posted: Sun Feb 07, 2021 10:59 pm
by ChrisKochmanski
Got to this one late ... and got nothing! Will there be hints??
Re: "Washington Gridlock" - Lexicon Devil - February 4, 2021
Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2021 12:11 am
by RPardoe
ChrisKochmanski wrote: ↑Sun Feb 07, 2021 10:59 pm
Got to this one late ... and got nothing! Will there be hints??
I don't recall any hints on prior puzzles. So if there continue to be zero solves - perhaps there might be?
Re: "Washington Gridlock" - Lexicon Devil - February 4, 2021
Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2021 12:15 am
by ricky
Al came up with an alternative answer that is good enough that I may accept it as correct. Using his logic, there could be at least one other potential alternative answer out there.
As for my intended answer, here are a few hints:
There is no anagramming involved.
There is nothing numerical going on.
Think broadly about words associated with the theme entries.
Re: "Washington Gridlock" - Lexicon Devil - February 4, 2021
Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2021 12:18 am
by ricky
RPardoe wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 12:11 am
ChrisKochmanski wrote: ↑Sun Feb 07, 2021 10:59 pm
Got to this one late ... and got nothing! Will there be hints??
I don't recall any hints on prior puzzles. So if there continue to be zero solves - perhaps there might be?
I had to provide hints for two previous puzzles, unfortunately
Re: "Washington Gridlock" - Lexicon Devil - February 4, 2021
Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2021 12:26 am
by C=64
Ha, I missed all this because I was sending ricky a PM about hints while this was happening.
Re: "Washington Gridlock" - Lexicon Devil - February 4, 2021
Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2021 9:02 am
by RPardoe
My answer submitted via the online form.
As there is no comment field - also sent Ricky a PM with my thinking to get to the answer.
Re: "Washington Gridlock" - Lexicon Devil - February 4, 2021
Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2021 3:37 pm
by ricky
RPardoe got the same answer as Al, which I've decided is legit and I will accept.
But it's kinda killing me that no one has come up with the intended answer, and that there are a couple of tiny hints that would put everyone at the finish line immediately. I really think that when the mechanism / answer are revealed at least some of you are going to say, "How did I miss that??"
So I'm extending the deadline until noon Tuesday (tomorrow) and trying to give one more hint.
I already said "Think broadly about words associated with the theme entries."
Pretend you're playing Taboo with the three theme entries. For each entry, there should be a word that comes up that bears a relationship to a word that comes up when you do this for the other entries. When you make that connection, the answer should be very clear.
Re: "Washington Gridlock" - Lexicon Devil - February 4, 2021
Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2021 3:50 pm
by Hector
Ah, got it.
Re: "Washington Gridlock" - Lexicon Devil - February 4, 2021
Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2021 4:05 pm
by Al Sisti
ricky wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 3:37 pm
RPardoe got the same answer as Al, which I've decided is legit and I will accept.
But it's kinda killing me that no one has come up with the intended answer, and that there are a couple of tiny hints that would put everyone at the finish line immediately. I really think that when the mechanism / answer are revealed at least some of you are going to say, "How did I miss that??"
So I'm extending the deadline until noon Tuesday (tomorrow) and trying to give one more hint.
I already said "Think broadly about words associated with the theme entries."
Pretend you're playing Taboo with the three theme entries. For each entry, there should be a word that comes up that bears a relationship to a word that comes up when you do this for the other entries. When you make that connection, the answer should be very clear.
Rich and I may be going in the wrong direction, but we're making good time!
Re: "Washington Gridlock" - Lexicon Devil - February 4, 2021
Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2021 5:26 pm
by RPardoe
We know jury nullification is a thing....is meta nullification an extension of that?
Re: "Washington Gridlock" - Lexicon Devil - February 4, 2021
Posted: Mon Feb 08, 2021 6:40 pm
by ricky
Hector wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 3:50 pmAh, got it.
YES! I knew it was possible.