i had attempted some kind of cryptic reading of the grid (i.e. "SCREWRINGS...uh...GRINS?") but that fell apart with 40-y/o virgin and "jack" not really having any meaning i could ascribe to it
― steaklife (donna rouge), Wednesday, 30 January 2013 02:17 (eleven years ago) link
One month until Brooklyn
― Stranded In the Jungle Groove (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 16 February 2013 02:57 (eleven years ago) link
Will Shortz is a a cratedigger! Well, sort of: http://www.brendanemmettquigley.com/2013/03/flashback-monday-and-q-a-with-will-shortz.html
― Johnny Too Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 4 March 2013 13:50 (eleven years ago) link
Missed you guys this weekend. John, I finally bought the Penguin Classics book off of Ben T, after trying to finagle a freebie from here or there for the past year.
― Johnny Too Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 12 March 2013 17:38 (eleven years ago) link
Oh, cool.
I'll make it back to ACPT one of these years -- crosswords aren't an especially big part of my life right now. I used to enjoy doing the print version of the AVClub puzzle on the train and haven't yet managed to incorporate its online-only successor into my weekly routine. Cancelled the NYT puzzle subscription, too. So the only one I actually still do regularly is Ink Well.
To be honest, the thing I regret most about skipping the tournament this year is missing the opportunity to kibitz about Learned League with fellow participants.
Any notable run-ins, K? And how'd you do?
― jaymc, Tuesday, 12 March 2013 18:52 (eleven years ago) link
I came in in the mid-70s, and got on the Solving Perfection list, but I think I may have had a mistake that I forget to fix and that they didn't catch. It was impossible to tell from the scan. I felt a little guilty so I emailed them to check but I haven't heard back.
No big run-ins. I don't go to the events on Friday and Saturday nights since I live in town so I don't really know everybody, although since I've been going for four years and to Lollapuzzoola for the past two- where it is a lot more relaxed as you might imagine- so some people sort of recognize me. I actually got off the train at the same time as the champ on Saturday morning but I didn't talk to him then out of some kind of superstition, not to rattle him or be rattled in return, before the contest had started. Later I saw him after the second puzzle and explained this to him and he laughed and said something about how now we could be sure that this wasn't going to be that fateful day when we turned over the page and looked at it and said "Oh, no, I forgot how to solve a puzzle."
I don't know much I like solving the things right now, probably could be doing better things in my spare time, feels almost like a compulsion, but I feel like I started doing it and I've gotta stick with it a while longer.
― Johnny Too Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 12 March 2013 19:46 (eleven years ago) link
One thing I noticed this time was that it was much more interesting to do a post-mortem of solving a puzzle in that context with somebody where you could get into the nitty gritty of how you or they had a mistake or a tough time in one spot but then managed to fix it. Reading the blogs can be pretty useful but sometimes it ends up "I didn't know this- how do they expect me to know it!- but I knew THAT from doing a bundle of xwords." Although I guess that is pretty much the same thing as overhearing somebody else's conversation and not participating in it.
― Johnny Too Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 12 March 2013 19:59 (eleven years ago) link
11 correct answers on the gaffney meta so far
― This is called money bags. (zachlyon), Sunday, 31 March 2013 06:23 (eleven years ago) link
Couldn't even finish the grid this week!
― Johnny Too Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 31 March 2013 11:25 (eleven years ago) link
I had to google to fill it in. (LVOV, really?) I'm not seeing any meta there.
― abanana, Sunday, 31 March 2013 12:41 (eleven years ago) link
Hah, had another city ending in 'V' before switching to that one.
― Johnny Too Borad (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 31 March 2013 12:46 (eleven years ago) link
there's still one square i can't figure out despite googling every possibility
probably not gonna try the meta
― This is called money bags. (zachlyon), Sunday, 31 March 2013 18:16 (eleven years ago) link
i had no problem filling it in, can't figure out the meta for the life of me tho. completely missed last week's, too
― steaklife (donna rouge), Monday, 1 April 2013 06:34 (eleven years ago) link
Good work on the latest Gaffney meta, zachlyon.
― Retreat from the Sunship (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 8 May 2013 14:44 (eleven years ago) link
lol sarcasm?
― infirm neophytic child (zachlyon), Wednesday, 8 May 2013 18:50 (eleven years ago) link
Sort of.
― Retreat from the Sunship (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 8 May 2013 18:53 (eleven years ago) link
I think I need more chart knowledge for this month's muller meta. The only songs I can think of are all by Journey and they don't fit with the grid's clue.
― oxygenating our wombspace (abanana), Wednesday, 8 May 2013 19:29 (eleven years ago) link
haven't done the xword puzzle yet but one song immediately came to mind from the meta description...
― Salt Mama Celeste (donna rouge), Wednesday, 8 May 2013 19:30 (eleven years ago) link
Guys please don't talk about it too much until it's over. Was pretty happy that I was the sixth one to get it, as you might be able to see on the leader board.
― Retreat from the Sunship (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 8 May 2013 19:32 (eleven years ago) link
i've hardly looked at it, i think my meta game's off, but i can't imagine there are too many songs that fit the bill
― infirm neophytic child (zachlyon), Wednesday, 8 May 2013 20:11 (eleven years ago) link
ran across (ha) this debate about crossword-ese in the Crossword Fiend comments, and i would totally read a book about it from BT:Ben Tausig says: May 8, 2013 at 9:55 am
I’m looking forward to writing about this very subject in the book I’m working on now for Race Point. Specifically, I am interested in what passes for common knowledge in the universe of crosswords, and how that has changed over time and why.
I agree with Martin that fill decisions are not a moral imperative. But I also think it’s a mistake to fully relativize the question as a matter of taste. There are reasons for trends in filling that have to do with how we value different kinds of knowledge, as well as with how we police the gates of intelligence. AFAIK, no one has ever written or spoken in great detail about those reasons.
If anyone wants to chime in, either with specific information or conjecture, I would love to hear from you, and will gladly cite your name if you offer something substantial.
― precious bonsai children of new york (Jordan), Friday, 10 May 2013 15:27 (eleven years ago) link
It's an interesting topic, fer sure.
― Retreat from the Sunship (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 10 May 2013 15:31 (eleven years ago) link
Neither Matt Gaffney nor Tyler Hinman solved the MMMM this week.
― Retreat from the Sunship (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 13 May 2013 10:26 (eleven years ago) link
neither did donna rouge
― Salt Mama Celeste (donna rouge), Monday, 13 May 2013 17:04 (eleven years ago) link
oh...i see the answer now. brb, dunking my own head in the toilet
― Salt Mama Celeste (donna rouge), Monday, 13 May 2013 17:08 (eleven years ago) link
Oh yeah, I see you on the leader board now.
― Retreat from the Sunship (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 13 May 2013 18:09 (eleven years ago) link
a nice contrast: this month i got the muller meta before i even finished the puzzle
― Salt Mama Celeste (donna rouge), Tuesday, 4 June 2013 16:50 (ten years ago) link
Did you send it in? I don't see you on the board.
― Roddenberry Beret (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 4 June 2013 16:55 (ten years ago) link
i did but only a few minutes ago
― Salt Mama Celeste (donna rouge), Tuesday, 4 June 2013 17:01 (ten years ago) link
Oh yeah, of course.
I got it pretty quickly but only after finishing the grid. As opposed to the latest Gaffney where I couldn't even do that.
― Roddenberry Beret (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 4 June 2013 17:08 (ten years ago) link
OK, there you are.
Nice to get this one quick because sooner or later most people are going to come up with it.
― Roddenberry Beret (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 4 June 2013 17:38 (ten years ago) link
the MMMM is pretty fun this week
― IKEA-Guinea (donna rouge), Tuesday, 2 July 2013 21:04 (ten years ago) link
Annoyed it took me a little longer than it should have.
― Pastel City Slang (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 2 July 2013 23:55 (ten years ago) link
do you guys ever do the Newsday Saturday Stumpers? They're about as tough as NYT Saturdays (if not more so) with less fun cluing
― IKEA-Guinea (donna rouge), Wednesday, 3 July 2013 01:50 (ten years ago) link
Yeah, I always do the Stumper and I agree, although I'd say it is even harder than the Times because the cluing is so brutally deadpan and nondescript.
― Pastel City Slang (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 3 July 2013 01:55 (ten years ago) link
Guess this month's guest constructor on Gaffney this week.
― Pastel City Slang (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 5 July 2013 18:19 (ten years ago) link
Got almost nowhere on the stumper today. Mindbogglingly difficult.
― Pastel City Slang (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 6 July 2013 17:49 (ten years ago) link
Got the SE corner but otherwise ugh, this one is brutal
― IKEA-Guinea (donna rouge), Saturday, 6 July 2013 22:42 (ten years ago) link
Have you tried the Washington Post Puzzler on Sunday, Joe?
― Pastel City Slang (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 7 July 2013 15:33 (ten years ago) link
haven't done one of those in awhile - i have a crossword app that used to bundle them in but they don't anymore i guess? i liked them tho
― IKEA-Guinea (donna rouge), Sunday, 7 July 2013 19:04 (ten years ago) link
Another snarly stumper today
― Orpheus in Hull (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 13 July 2013 19:52 (ten years ago) link
Never got anywhere with that.
To do the Washington Post Puzzler, you have to go here: http://www.crosswordfiend.com/blog/download/, Do a "Save As" on the appropriate link, changing the extension to ".jpz" and then open using Puzzle Solver. Kind of a pain.
― Orpheus in Hull (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 14 July 2013 15:32 (ten years ago) link
date and venue announced for crosswords LA - i live even further away than i did last year so idk
― Rothko's Chicken and Waffles (donna rouge), Tuesday, 6 August 2013 20:37 (ten years ago) link
Lollapuzzoola's waiting.
― The O RLY of Everything (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 10 August 2013 12:45 (ten years ago) link
And the express division winner is - Al Sanders.
― The O RLY of Everything (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 10 August 2013 20:50 (ten years ago) link
*applause*
― The O RLY of Everything (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 10 August 2013 21:54 (ten years ago) link
Puzzles were great. I urge you to do the home version this week.
― The O RLY of Everything (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 10 August 2013 23:07 (ten years ago) link
How'd you guys do on the MMMM?
― I Am the Cosimo Code (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 9 September 2013 16:31 (ten years ago) link
I thought it was easy -- I got the Dave Brubeck clue right away and the solution flowed naturally. Didn't even look up the Marley and Rice songs.
I also won the Gaffney contest last week yay!
― idembanana (abanana), Monday, 9 September 2013 16:44 (ten years ago) link
i got it
― Rothko's Chicken and Waffles (donna rouge), Monday, 9 September 2013 16:47 (ten years ago) link