"Poetic Justice" - February 5, 2021

[femullen]

Hello, fellow Muggles! I'm an Audience Interaction Producer at the Journal and I wanted to let you know about a project we're working on. The puzzles team is currently developing a how-to course that will slowly teach new puzzlers how to find the weekly contest's meta answer. All four of the contest puzzles from February will be included in that course, and that may be why this week's contest may seem a bit easier than usual for seasoned puzzle-contest fans. But don't worry, each week our editors will increase the contest's difficulty to ease new solvers into the world of contest puzzles. Good luck to you all and keep an eye out for the crossword contest course coming soon.

I think I need this. What's the tuition? Can I use my GI Bill?

[Hidden in 3D]

And Muggles! How about we give Bob a pass this week on typing every single one of our names?? A simple “All ashore” will do.

Agreed! Enter all the data in your master spreadsheet, if you must, Bob. And let us know when we break the record for number of submissions (because surely we will), but please don't worry about making the lists this weekend. You more than deserve a vacay!! And thank you, thank you for all that you do!

[SeanS]

Ashore.

Bob, I for one give you a pass on listing those ashore this week.

[Plymouthrock]

Caught that nice rolling tide to shore.

[ImOnToo]

After reading TNakagawaWSJ’s post, I went on and submitted my answer. 🏖

[Guy]

ashore!

[BarbaraK]

Thank you! This one had me wishing again for a difficulty rating. If it were labelled a 1, I'd have been confident that what seems to be the answer is it. If it were a 4 or 5, I'd have known that I'd just found the first step and needed to keep looking. Your post answered that - it's a 1; I'm done.

It's great that you're working on a course for newbies! Most of us here just had to figure it out on our own, or more recently with the posted tips or some PM mentoring, and that obviously worked because we're still here. But I wonder how many try and get frustrated and give up when some more intensive help could get them on shore with the rest of us.

Hello, fellow Muggles! I'm an Audience Interaction Producer at the Journal and I wanted to let you know about a project we're working on. The puzzles team is currently developing a how-to course that will slowly teach new puzzlers how to find the weekly contest's meta answer. All four of the contest puzzles from February will be included in that course, and that may be why this week's contest may seem a bit easier than usual for seasoned puzzle-contest fans. But don't worry, each week our editors will increase the contest's difficulty to ease new solvers into the world of contest puzzles. Good luck to you all and keep an eye out for the crossword contest course coming soon.

[mitchel674]

On shore. Could it be this easy?

[Cosmo]

On shore! Looking forward to the increasingly difficult puzzles this month!

[beccacollins]

Quick and painless this week! Too early for tequila so I'll keep enjoying my coffee Have a great weekend everyone!

[JoeS]

Ashore. I feel much better about my answer now that I know it is supposed to be a 1. Missing an obvious mechanism but it can't be anything else.

[PQ63]

Ashore with a free weekend ahead of me. Bloody Mary since it’s still morning here.

[TomAndDenise]

Ashore --first time for a Thursday landing. Now what are we going to do this weekend?

Look at the Board Index for other meta puzzles. There are quite a few!

Just signed up with MGWCC -- thanks!

[eagle1279]

Ashore in short order on Thursday night but waited til this morning to see if Muggledom was anxious. Will submit now but wait to celebrate with a Manhattan after dark.

[TeaJenny]

Ashore.

[Olaf]

On shore unless this is a pageant situation. It seemed to easy to me!

[Henry Paul]

Ashore as of last night, with nary a pause to greet Isaac. Since I'm usually a multi-day regular with him, hope he doesn't feel chuffed.

+1 for @LizD's thinking process; the WSJ staffer sealed it for me as well. (And of course, although I've not done them, y'all seem to comment about Gaffney's progressively harder metas as the months progress --- is this what's in store for us Feb 26???)

Happy weekend all.

[Bob cruise director]

Ashore.

And welcome to the muggle crowd

[Bob cruise director]

Whew - the contest has not been out 24 hours and we have 156 on the shore. Isaac has closed the bar and joined the tender crew ferrying muggles to the shore.

And we welcome several new muggles - TeaJenny, barry milliken, and adodz

[HunterX]

...
Ah, pivot tables....

Well pivotables are nice...

merrygo.jpg

But I've always thought of them as more of an Ohhh than an Ahhh?

I was wondering what spin you might put on that one. But perhaps the political answer is to say I agree with you.

...then change my opinion when someone else asks me.