LAST WEEK’S RESULTS:
Title: “Get Out Your Wite-Out”
Prompt: This week’s contest answer is a six-letter word.
Answer: REPAIR
Correct entries: 249 overall, of which 185 were solo
Tough one last week, despite its being not terribly complex. Each of the six theme entries concealed a TYPO:
[16-A: Loaves that Native Americans only eat at celebrations? (4)] = PARTY PONES
[27-A: Where a kangaroo keeps her five dozen babies? (5)] = SIXTY POUCH
[42-A: Warsaw residents upset at a soccer loss? (7)] = SALTY POLES
[62-A: Feel bad for someone after their surgery? (7)] = PITY POST-OP
[73-A: Like some large leads in NBA games? (5)] = FORTY POINT
[89-A: What the CEO of Hormel wields? (7)] = MEATY POWER
Now what? Well, when you use Wite-Out on a typo, you write the correct letter(s) back over it once it dries. TYPO is four letters, so maybe we’re looking for that — and lo, each of these theme entries shares its row with a four-letter entry. Let’s pop those in and see what happens:
PARTYPONES replace TYPO with ISLA = PARIS LANES
SIXTYPOUCH replace TYPO with ANDS = SIX AND SUCH
SALTYPOLES replace TYPO with OONA = SALOON ALES
PITYPOSTOP replace TYPO with LOTS = PILOT’S STOP
FORTYPOINT replace TYPO with MALA = FORMAL AIN’T
MEATYPOWER replace TYPO with NANS = MEAN ANSWER
Last step: take those new formulations and use them as crossword clues for a different answer in the fill, whose length is the number in its clue’s parentheses:
Paris Lanes (4) = RUES
Six and such (5) = EVENS
Saloon ales (7) = PORTERS
Pilot’s stop (7) = AIRPORT
Formal “aint” (5) = IS NOT
Mean answer (7) = RIPOSTE
The first letters of those spell contest answer REPAIR, relevant both since you “repair” a word while using Wite-Out on it, and you “re-pair” the original clue-answer pair with a second one via the meta mechanism. One of my favorite MGWCCs of the year thus far and I hope you dug it as well.
A STREAK ENDS:
Solver AK37, real name Andy Keller, had his 285-week streak snapped on this puzzle, so I asked him and solving partner Evan Birnholz for some thoughts on this particular achievement and on solving streaks in general. Andy’s was the sixth-longest live streak at MGWCC as of last week.
Andy writes:
After a 285 week streak, this one got me. I’m not entirely sure why, but it did. Sometimes the solve comes easy, sometimes hard, and sometimes not at all. Matt asked me to provide some pointers to fellow meta solvers. Just have to say – I’m flattered Matt!
I always look for asymmetry. Seldom does it show up, but if it does, there is a reason. High word count (80+ or so) is usually a tip-off that there is more going on in the grid than some obvious theme answers. And subpar fill in places that could easily be fixed is a red flag. And frankly, read joon’s write-up every week. I’ve learned more there than probably anywhere else!
The two biggest things when I’m stuck are these. First, if the path you are going down to get to an answer is so convoluted, it probably isn’t right. Well-constructed and thoughtful metas (which describes MGWCC) are usually very tight, and you will know when you are on the right path. Occasionally the final click may not be as complete or as satisfying as you might like it to be, but the general path to the end is pretty well-defined and inferrable. Second, set the puzzle down for a while. Clear the head and look at it in a different light. It usually comes after a good reset.
And lastly, remember these little 15×15 grids that we obsess and fret over for 4 days are a form of entertainment for the solver. Have a good solving partner(s) to help you, solo solve or not. MGWCC specifically has helped me establish friendships with many in this little community we have. Evan and I have been co-solving in some capacity for the better part of 7 years. And to be able to get to know and share thoughts with one of the best in the business is about the most satisfying thing I’ve gotten out of MGWCC.
My streak was in the 70s before ANTEPENULTIMATE got me some 5+ years ago. Now REPAIR.
The leaderboard makes it fun. Streaks, all-time numbers, how many for a particular week, etc. Very cool feature. Did it weigh on me from time to time? Absolutely! But never to the point of making it not fun. Were there some relatively sleepless Monday nights? I can recall a few. Was I a little bit crushed when 12 pm Wednesday rolled around and I sent in the Hail Mary ANSWER as my answer (Evan got me almost there and I had found the mechanism and an R and an A, but simply not enough time to get REPAIR)? Yeah. Is it a relief it’s over? In a weird way, yes. But a new one starts today…
Evan adds:
Andy and I have never met in person. In fact, we’ve only ever communicated with each other over email. The first time we chatted was when he sent in the right answer to a meta that I wrote in early 2015 for my old website. That first email correspondence turned into much more than just a simple “here’s the meta answer / you got it, good job” exchange. He had several neat ideas for crosswords of his own (including metas), and we spent several days just talking shop. Not long after, he and I began emailing each other about the MGWCC. Whenever there was a really tough Week 4 or Week 5 that we couldn’t get on our own, we’d reach out to the other to put our heads together and co-solve it.
Our system has been similar to what other co-solving groups do. If one of us got the meta, we’d never just give the answer to the other outright; we’d feed each other vague hints to nudge each other in the right direction, and we’d each work at it until we both arrived at the same a-ha moment. But in my opinion, it was pretty clear to me throughout the entirety of our MGWCC streaks that Andy is a better meta solver than I am. There have been some super-hard metas that he’d figure out within an hour or two that would take me several days and several small nudges just to make any progress. I recall one from January 2018 that took me almost all the way to the deadline, but Andy had it figured out early on day 1. The last time we both missed on the MGWCC was the brain-crushing ANTEPENULTIMATE meta from January 2016. That broke a 42-puzzle MGWCC streak for me, which at the time had been by far my longest streak. Andy’s streak at that point had been 78 metas. Like I said, he’s really good at them.
Since then, he and I have become regular co-solving partners for any tough MGWCC. We just had a common understanding that we’d both get past the finish line with a correct answer somehow, with hints if necessary, just to keep our streaks going. Andy’s not the only solver with whom I’ve co-solved metas, but if there’s one person in the puzzle universe (outside of Matt himself) that I owe most for having any MGWCC streak, or having any real skill at tackling metas, it’s him. Just being able to share in the joy and struggle of cracking a tough meta with someone else who’s just as passionate about puzzles has made the whole experience much more enriching and fun, streak or no streak. Here’s to Andy’s 285-puzzle MGWCC streak, and the next one.
Thanks, Andy and Evan. Streak of 1 starting today, I hope!
GUEST CONSTRUCTOR: WILL PFADENHAUER
Today’s meta is by Will Pfadenhauer, who writes:
Hi folks! I’m thrilled and honored to be a part of Matt’s weekly contest! I started constructing crosswords a little over two years ago, but became particularly enamored with metas, and now these are almost exclusively the style of puzzles I create. So much so, in fact, that I started my own weekly meta blog, which I call “Pandora’s Blocks Weekly Meta Crossword”. So if you enjoy this puzzle and you’re in need of even more metas to fill your weekends, check out my other ones over there.
When I’m not constructing or solving metas, I’m a full-time PhD student at UMass Amherst where I study global patterns in invasive plant species.
Thanks, Will! Let’s see what he’s got for us today:
THIS WEEK’S INSTRUCTIONS:
Today’s puzzle is Week 4 of 5 in July. Instructions:
This week’s contest answer is a U.S. state.
Solve well, and be not led astray by words intended to deceive.