Jun 03 2011
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MGWCC 156: Marginal Effort
Judging from the comments over at Crossword Fiend, this was a bit easier for me than other folks, relative to other MGWCC weeks. That’s both fill and meta. Maybe my crossword efforts are paying off. I can almost multiple roman numerals in my head at this point.
Just 25 minutes or so, soup to nuts for this one. The puzzle as always is at Matt’s blog and my solving log is after the cut.
Log:
- 0:00:00
- Ok, printing… something about margins… do words stick out of the grid? we’ll see.
- 0:00:46
- 8D MENLO PARK, I think (not the one near me)
- 0:01:17
- ICBM, COLE, CONTE? (or COMTE? dunno), ICE-something?
- 0:01:55
- 22A CALE, so 5D is ICICLE
- 0:03:08
- noticed 38D CASTAWAY. this doesn’t feel like a week 4 puzzle so far.
- 0:03:47
- 13D LET (still trying to get the big 20A answer), 16A RINSE?.. guessing 11D is ONEH.
- 0:05:46
- just jumping around now.. TORME. has ME like MENLOPARK and “Marginal Effort” initials. probably not important.
- 0:06:35
- 25D NORTE, 24D OTTER, 42A RENO?
- 0:07:50
- 24A ONBASE, 26D BRIAN. … 36A is TRIPLE WORD SCORE.
- 0:08:49
- 21D is EASELS.
- 0:09:12
- 1A is ALIG (thought it might end in G because 4D could start GOLF…)
- 0:09:40
- 14A SO GO? 2D LOWE? AWOL, yes on GOLF… ASAP, IGOR
- 0:11:23
- not sure about a bunch… 56A WAVE. 62A YURT MARU, EVER, SEAT.
- 0:12:30
- 48D/A PREGO,PANT…51D ATNO
- 0:13:45
- 41A KATIE, 34D TSKING, I guess. 45A MISSED. 31D TWEED 29D PLOTS, 35L LEW, 28A SPAT
- 0:15:13
- is 45D MADDEN? it makes the crossings work. 61A TOON
- 0:15:48
- 33D looks like SWEARTOIT.
- 0:16:15
- 46A may be MOOR. 43D could be OMANIS
- 0:17:26
- I prefer SWEARONIT for 33D. makes BOARD GAMES across. 37D ENROBE, 40A SNEAK, 27D from OA may be STOAT.
- 0:18:45
- 33A START.. stuck on top right. and bottom left. GHOUL for spirit? (I have the O&L… maybe)
- 0:21:25
- is it PERFECT PLACE TO / PLAY BOARD GAMES. that works. makes 47D OYVEY.
- 0:22:03
- heh, 55A is REINVENTED. my favorite clue.
- 0:22:33
- 57A is ARTIE. great show. and 60A is PUSSY, if I recall correctly. just top right left.
- 0:23:24
- with the GR and C, I can finally get EL GRECO.
- 0:23:51
- 10D HIREES? and 23A OBOE, I guess. somthing INTEREST for 18A so TABARD for 19D? I guess… and the puzzle is full.
- 0:24:37
- Now I just read off the TRIPLE WORD SCORE spaces to get the answer. ABL TE POT
- 0:25:45
- threw it in anagrammer because nothing leapt out and I wasn’t sure 100% on the letters, but TABLETOP jumped out, and I’m done.
[Yes, I did notice the correct order of how to read off the answer… but with eight letters and it not jumping out immediately, it always turns out to be easier to anagram. This is especially true when I have the awesome power of a fully functioning internet and all its tools available to me.]
