Pack Up Your Troubles
■ · By Wendy Walker · Published almost 2 years ago
Meta Prompt
The meta answer is something you'd find at an airport or a golf course.
"Where do constructors get their ideas for metas?" Well, I got the idea for this puzzle when I drove past the Kennett Square Golf & Country Club on my way home from running errands (in the photo: "a testy opener, Number 1 begins the descent into the golf course. A severely sloping fairway steers a well-placed tee shot away from the left-hand fairway bunker, 245 yards from the tee, and onto a level spot on the short grass"). I THINK I put my groceries in the fridge before firing up Crosshare, but I'm not entirely sure. Here's hoping you find this a pleasant SSSolve. Nudges at noon! And a relevant prize will go to a randomly selected solver!
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This is a contest/meta puzzle. To submit your answer, first finish solving the grid (or reveal it if you get stuck or solved offline).
Leaderboard (updated hourly)
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Comments
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- benchen71 3s · almost 2 years agoTook me a while to realise RAG was more than just part of the sound-alike hint!
- Hector 2s · almost 2 years agoEnjoyed the cluing very much, and thank you for omitting the many BAGs that would less suit a pleasant late spring Sunday morning.
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoCrosshare gave me some very rude suggestions indeed. Nope, not in my puzzle!
- boharr 3s · almost 2 years agoI had to try somethings that came to mind, but then was reminded of your vacation! Nice one.
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoI am embarrassed that somebody else recognized that similarity!
- boharr 3s · almost 2 years agoNo need. Both puzzles were quite clever.
- Qmark 3s · almost 2 years agoEnjoyed this one very much...thanks Wendy!
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoYou are very welcome!
- whimsy 11:06 · almost 2 years agoEventually able to roll down the _____way, once I stopped trying to stuff that shirt and suit into some kind of carry-on. :) Very nice, Wendy! Thank you!
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoThanks for the kind words!
- kymike 3s · almost 2 years agoI have a lot of ICET bags at home. Apparently, that was a ruse. My dry cleaning comes home in a shirt bag. That must have been a ruse as well. Fun Sunday meta. Thanks Wendy!
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoTea and Money are two themers that I really wanted to get in there but I just couldn't figure it out how!
- KayW 🤓6:26 · almost 2 years agoVery clever, Wendy! This OLD BAG enjoyed it very much. I'm impressed at how quickly you've taken to constructing these. Even down to finding inspirations in your daily routine.
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoThank you, Kay! I am really enjoying being a rookie constructor!
- Laura M 🤓5:51 · almost 2 years agoVery enjoyable Sunday solve, thanks!
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoThanks for solving, Laura!
- ReB 4s · almost 2 years agoI had the metanism in mind, but I just didn't have the patience to figure out the common word. Didn't help that I was working first with the long entries.The nudge gave me that common word (BAG), and then it was just finding the remaining grid entries that would spell out the answer. Very clever that the answer keys the metanism in reverse: "bag" DROP (to get back to the grid entries). Pleasant diversion, but alas - it's back to my to-do list.
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoThanks for solving, Bob!
- ReB 4s · almost 2 years agoOr if I'd just taken the trouble to complete the title song: "Pack up your troubles...in your old kit BAG"
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoExactly!
- michaelm 🤓12:40 · almost 2 years agoAfter stepping onto The Old Course at Saint Andrew on Friday with and then two airports Saturday, was fairly certain the answer was going to be TOURISTS! Great job again Wendy. Keep it up!
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoThank you so much, Michael!
- MatthewL 🤓8:02 · almost 2 years agoFinally got it, with a very subtle nudge from KayW (thanks Kay!). Very clever once you see it. Until you do, though -- whooo.
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoI'm glad you solved, Matthew, and Kay's nudges are always terrific!
- Mwoychick 🤓11:06 · almost 2 years agoGreat puzzle and satisfying meta solution - thanks, Wendy!
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoMark, that means a lot coming from such an elegant constructor like you!
- ship4u 🤓2:39 · almost 2 years agoNice job Wendy!!!
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoThanks so much, Don! Glad you solved!
- Bird Lives 4s · almost 2 years agoFun puzzle, but a tough one if you bring only carry-on to the airport and aren't a golfer. I'd have done better with sports clues and entries or more Doggie-in-the-Window-era references.
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoOK, I'll see what I can do for my next puzzle, Jay! Glad you solved.
- Carolyn 2s · almost 2 years agoVery nice!
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoThank you!
- Tyrpmom 3s · almost 2 years agoNice. Thanks.
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoGlad you enjoyed it!
- Cindy Heisler 2s · almost 2 years agoI found all the "bags" in the grid right away - although I tried to include IceT. But I have never heard the term bag drop, so I thought I was way off. I needed some clarification from Cynthia. Very nice puzzle, Wendy. Thanks.
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoI was concerned there might be a "shirt bag" but I never thought of the ICET possibility. Glad you solved!
- Capn Rick 🤓5:51 · almost 2 years agoNice job, Wendy! Upon finishing the grid, I quickly submitted "APRON" when I saw ONPAR, thinking there was some kind of anagramming going on. But you had a lot more going on in this one. You're definitely getting the hang of it. Keep it up!
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoRick, thanks for your generous support -- as always!
- Dow Jones 3s · almost 2 years agoI got hung up on "onion" bag and "ale" bag, as well as "shirt" bag. But, easy to spot what letters were needed (since I was a golfer in my former life). Great construction, Wendy !!
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoThanks so much! Glad you solved!
- DrTom 4s · almost 2 years agoThere is an old joke about leaving your significant other off at the mall before you go golfing that I think had better go unstated....Fun puzzle Wendy, you are turning into quite the metamaker!!! Enjoyed the fill and the clues.
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoThank you so much, Dr. Tom!
- HeadinHome 🤓9:24 · almost 2 years agoFun one! I tried to guess the answer (just for fun) before doing the grid, but could NOT come up with bag drop. (did think of CARTS, though!) Thanks for the fun!
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoSo glad you solved, Other Wendy!
- ajk 10:12 · almost 2 years agoTook me too long, but finally got there. I blame the all-day science barrage at this meeting for hogging all my brain capacity. :) Spent some time thinking the first nudge was for "Good ___" and then BOOK at 1A and maybe STEER at 57A seemed to support it. Plus the back half of 52A (overNIGHT) and 19D (layEGGS). But pretty quickly knew that wasn't solid enough and finally looked again at nudge 2 which put me on track. Never heard of a RAG bag, and thought an ONION bag might be a thing (besides slang for a soccer net), so had to backsolve a little. But fun stuff in the end. Thanks!
- Wendy Walker constructor · almost 2 years agoLeave it to me to NOT know soccer slang! So glad you enjoyed it, Alan!
- ajk 10:12 · almost 2 years agoTo be fair, it’s mostly used by cliché prone TV commentators that talk too much
