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
the fleetwood mac one is the only MMMM puzzle i haven't gotten yet in this round (and i'm still kicking myself for that one)
― Rothko's Chicken and Waffles (donna rouge), Monday, 9 September 2013 16:48 (ten years ago) link
I also won the Gaffney contest last week yay!You mean you finished the month of August?
― I Am the Cosimo Code (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 9 September 2013 16:52 (ten years ago) link
I did that too, but I mean I won the draw for the week -- I am A___ T_______
― idembanana (abanana), Monday, 9 September 2013 17:03 (ten years ago) link
Cool. Good for you. I didn't do any crosswords the second half of August. The third one about Yahtzee looked easily googleable, didn't even glance at the fourth one.
― I Am the Cosimo Code (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 9 September 2013 17:21 (ten years ago) link
two people got the mega-meta already??
― Rothko's Chicken and Waffles (donna rouge), Tuesday, 10 September 2013 16:23 (ten years ago) link
Really? Man, I am still on my xword vacation. Didn't even try to do the presumably easy Gaffney this weekend. But I guess I should take a crack at the mega-meta before October. But I don't want to spend the hours.
― I Am the Cosimo Code (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 10 September 2013 17:53 (ten years ago) link
At least we can safely eliminate "American Pie" from the running- or can we?
― I Am the Cosimo Code (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 10 September 2013 18:03 (ten years ago) link
feel like i wouldn't even know where to begin with the mega-meta
― Rothko's Chicken and Waffles (donna rouge), Tuesday, 10 September 2013 19:26 (ten years ago) link
I don't think I've ever gotten one. I've subscribed to a few of those packages, Kickstarter and otherwise but by the time I drag myself over the finish line of doing the grids and trying the regular metas I got nothing left. Actually I did finish the one in the NYT that one week.
― I Am the Cosimo Code (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 10 September 2013 19:31 (ten years ago) link
oh yeah that was fun. i think i finished them after the contest had ended though
― Rothko's Chicken and Waffles (donna rouge), Tuesday, 10 September 2013 19:51 (ten years ago) link
i have never heard of 'ol' red' OR 'violet hill' and so i did not get this MMMM
also was led astray by the ten-letter words and at one point went down a weird rabbit hole based on not-super-famous songwriters (e.g. abe OLMAN)
― Rothko's Chicken and Waffles (donna rouge), Tuesday, 8 October 2013 16:22 (ten years ago) link
I had not heard of them either but I still got it. "crush" in the second position gave it away for me.
The month-end Gaffney (#278) on the other hand, I had no clue about.
― idembanana (abanana), Tuesday, 8 October 2013 16:29 (ten years ago) link
Gaffney has new blog: http://gaffneyoncrosswords.com/ You can go there and hear a young Merle Reagle singing in psychedelic rock band if you want.
― Waiting For The Ufas (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 27 October 2013 15:55 (ten years ago) link
crosswords LA was on saturday, but i didn't compete
― Rothko's Chicken and Waffles (donna rouge), Sunday, 27 October 2013 21:25 (ten years ago) link
Saw that. One guy won a trip to the ACPT.
― Waiting For The Ufas (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 27 October 2013 21:46 (ten years ago) link
Muller Monthly Music Meta finally defeated me.
― Pazz & Jop 1280 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 11 November 2013 12:30 (ten years ago) link
I didn't see any unusual fill at all.
― zanana rebozo (abanana), Monday, 11 November 2013 13:13 (ten years ago) link
Does that mean you solved it easily?
― Pazz & Jop 1280 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 11 November 2013 13:28 (ten years ago) link
Or that you couldn't find a way in?
― Pazz & Jop 1280 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 11 November 2013 13:29 (ten years ago) link
Read Gaffney's blog post and he got it right away based on unusual fill , maybe that's what you refer to.
― Pazz & Jop 1280 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 11 November 2013 13:30 (ten years ago) link
Didn't solve it.
― zanana rebozo (abanana), Monday, 11 November 2013 15:45 (ten years ago) link
tbh, I kinda hate when he repeats artists within a given series, feel like I've already dealt with and dispensed with them for the given year.
― Pazz & Jop 1280 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 11 November 2013 16:05 (ten years ago) link
solved the puzzle, didn't immediately get the meta, forgot about it. that's a nice meta
― Rothko's Chicken and Waffles (donna rouge), Monday, 11 November 2013 17:50 (ten years ago) link
in unusual situation of having got an answer - i guessed it was this early on and every clue filled in just confirmed it - but NO idea how to parse it
"one intriguing old spanish gentleman" = caballero
but WHY? whyyyy? i can't even begin to see how to parse it
― lex pretend, Monday, 11 November 2013 19:52 (ten years ago) link
This is the American crossword puzzle thread, lex.
― Pazz & Jop 1280 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 11 November 2013 19:53 (ten years ago) link
But perhaps we can help you anyway.Cabal = intrigue, maybe there is a bad joke that "caballero" is one who is involved in an intrigue.
― Pazz & Jop 1280 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 11 November 2013 19:55 (ten years ago) link
one intriguing = caballerold = o
― zanana rebozo (abanana), Monday, 11 November 2013 20:13 (ten years ago) link
Of course.
― Pazz & Jop 1280 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 11 November 2013 20:13 (ten years ago) link
OHHHHH
i knew "cabal" but never made the connection, "caballer" is a v odd word
― lex pretend, Monday, 11 November 2013 20:14 (ten years ago) link
Thought so too but, as expected, it is in Chambers.
― Pazz & Jop 1280 (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 11 November 2013 20:21 (ten years ago) link
Who up in this borad is doing LearnedLeague, apart from me and jaymc?
― Skatalite of Dub (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 25 November 2013 18:53 (ten years ago) link
good lord, this last MMMM
― Rothko's Chicken and Waffles (donna rouge), Tuesday, 10 December 2013 17:49 (ten years ago) link
he's wrong in the explanation btw - ESTELLA isn't in "ironic", it's in "all i really want", which was like the sixth single from 'jagged little pill' that probably nobody remembers unless they owned the album
― Rothko's Chicken and Waffles (donna rouge), Tuesday, 10 December 2013 17:50 (ten years ago) link
and no disrespect to the indigo girls but c'mon, RASPUTIN belongs to boney m forever and ever
― Rothko's Chicken and Waffles (donna rouge), Tuesday, 10 December 2013 17:56 (ten years ago) link
I gave up on MMMM on the previous one. At least on the metas.
― The Glam Of That All The Way From Memphis Man! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 10 December 2013 18:07 (ten years ago) link
There is a thin line between a cool meta that you can sort of figure out and one that will turn you into the guy in Dark City in his room painting spirals on everything in sight if you let it. Or maybe not so thin.
― The Glam Of That All The Way From Memphis Man! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 10 December 2013 18:10 (ten years ago) link
And it's hard to complain about the thing being too hard, because "Well, these guys got it. It was supposed to be hard"
― The Glam Of That All The Way From Memphis Man! (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 10 December 2013 18:11 (ten years ago) link
Anyone coming to the ACPT in 2014? Not really feeling it this year. I know jaymc's friend and single-time poster Beyond will be attending.
― The Cantor Dust Brothers (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 25 December 2013 20:31 (ten years ago) link
Is anyone working on the MMMM mega-meta, and would you like to trade notes? PM me.
― zanarkand bozo (abanana), Tuesday, 31 December 2013 23:37 (ten years ago) link
Only one person has solved Gaffney's week 5 puzzle so far. The edited clue befuddles me.
― zanarkand bozo (abanana), Sunday, 2 February 2014 23:58 (ten years ago) link
Didn't try it this week. MMMM that just came out is one or yr easier puzzuzzles.
― The Crescent City of Kador (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 4 February 2014 18:57 (ten years ago) link
i HAW'ed at this: http://the-toast.net/2014/02/12/crossword-fanfic-erotica-say/
― Rothko's Chicken and Waffles (donna rouge), Wednesday, 12 February 2014 18:57 (ten years ago) link
Ha. Working on something like that, although not as ribald, more G-Rated really, as a mnemonic to help me prepare for the contest next month.
― The Crescent City of Kador (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 14 February 2014 01:41 (ten years ago) link
ARRRRGGGHHH DAYLIGHT SAVINGS!!!!
― In Walked Sho-Bud (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 9 March 2014 22:03 (ten years ago) link
End of an era
― In Walked Sho-Bud (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 10 March 2014 16:31 (ten years ago) link
Will Shortz playing ping pong with the cartoon editor of the NYer: http://vimeo.com/93017091
― Call the Doctorb, the B is for Brownstein (Leee), Monday, 5 May 2014 19:47 (ten years ago) link
http://www.fastcompany.com/3031792/most-creative-people/the-23-year-old-wordsmith-behind-the-hip-new-voice-of-the-times-crosswo
― mookieproof, Saturday, 14 June 2014 02:09 (nine years ago) link
Did not attend the ACPT this year, results are just in: http://www.crosswordtournament.com/2015/standings/rank.htm. The champ successfully defended.
― Big Iron Shirt Wearer (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 29 March 2015 18:30 (nine years ago) link