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The Optimist
◆ · By DrTom · Published 2023-05-31T22:46:47.698Z
Meta Prompt
The meta answer is a classic summer treat
A person we all admire, the optimist manages to take everything life gives them and derive maximum enjoyment. Here is hoping you can find the good and enjoyable in this puzzle even if it is a bit late.
Fair warning that this is not a puzzle that will spell out an answer, you will have to use some deduction to solve the meta. As such it may be a 2 or 2.5, but once you see it you will know if you have the correct answer.
Tom
Hmmm..of COURSE this is playing a lot more difficult than I thought, it wouldn't be one of mine if it wasn't. Having seen a lot of the Crosshare submissions I am detecting that people are seeing "some" of what I wanted them to but not making the connection. So, time for early nudges:
Nudge 1] The title is always important of course, but the intro to this one is also important because it was meant to put a phrase in your mind that would help you solve
Nudge 2] A lot of you have noted the 8 similar items in the GRID but are thinking about them in a different manner. What do all of those have in common, or rather are infamous for
Nudge 3] Intuitive metas...there outta be a law!
DOWNRIGHT SHOVE] When life, or DrTom, gives you something and you are the eternal optimist, what are you going to do?
Checking for previous play data...
Leaderboard (updated hourly)
- Kent solved 2023-06-01T00:38:27.130Z
- markhr solved 2023-06-01T02:04:10.997Z
- whimsy solved 2023-06-01T02:43:48.562Z
- Laura M solved 2023-06-01T02:56:21.376Z
- Bbaack solved 2023-06-01T04:20:23.700Z
- Hector solved 2023-06-01T05:05:27.763Z
- Meg solved 2023-06-01T12:11:25.180Z
- Cindy Heisler solved 2023-06-01T12:36:08.702Z
- Cindy Weatherman solved 2023-06-01T12:38:49.288Z
- boharr solved 2023-06-01T13:11:11.091Z
- lbray53 solved 2023-06-01T13:19:52.623Z
- rjy solved 2023-06-01T16:12:24.246Z
- CPJohnson solved 2023-06-01T18:59:22.857Z
- woozy solved 2023-06-01T19:00:19.188Z
- KayW solved 2023-06-01T19:02:28.208Z
- Sharkicicles solved 2023-06-01T19:16:14.894Z
- Gutman solved 2023-06-01T19:36:52.966Z
- hhg solved 2023-06-01T19:39:35.323Z
- DIS solved 2023-06-01T20:32:24.362Z
- Jaclyn solved 2023-06-01T21:07:26.528Z
- MatthewL solved 2023-06-01T21:19:25.298Z
- ReB solved 2023-06-01T21:21:22.838Z
- hoover solved 2023-06-01T21:32:50.797Z
- Carolyn solved 2023-06-01T21:40:58.081Z
- heidi solved 2023-06-01T22:11:58.441Z
- Mr Tex solved 2023-06-01T23:19:50.221Z
- kurtalert solved 2023-06-01T23:30:02.826Z
- HeadinHome solved 2023-06-01T23:38:25.959Z
- Pair O Ducks solved 2023-06-01T23:45:16.990Z
- Tom Wilson solved 2023-06-02T02:16:19.476Z
- Berto solved 2023-06-02T03:02:30.333Z
- caprine solved 2023-06-02T07:45:18.131Z
- imontoo solved 2023-06-02T12:52:03.389Z
- Tyrpmom solved 2023-06-02T12:57:05.676Z
- ajk solved 2023-06-02T21:41:03.444Z
- Bird Lives solved 2023-06-03T01:54:17.300Z
- Coru solved 2023-06-03T10:48:20.339Z
- edestlin solved 2023-06-03T12:42:18.357Z
- JM solved 2023-06-03T15:37:18.978Z
- jbird solved 2023-06-03T20:03:57.895Z
- Dow Jones solved 2023-06-04T04:11:09.849Z
- Schmeel solved 2023-06-04T07:47:10.057Z
- SeamusOL solved 2023-06-05T03:37:28.776Z
- Mikey G solved 2023-06-05T20:31:17.781Z
- frostyjhammer solved 2023-06-09T18:51:16.226Z
- Darth solved 2023-06-15T13:27:55.778Z
Comments
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- Laura M 🤓21:11 · 2023-06-01T02:57:24.476ZWorth the wait, thanks!
- Bbaack 🤓20:00 · 2023-06-01T04:22:40.002ZFun one! It reminded me that I once owned a 1973 Ford Pinto, a classic lemon!
- I had a 71 Vega that I bought brand new. Lovely British racing green that suffered every problem the Vega ever suffered. Between us we had the two superstars of citrus!
- markhr 🤓14:27 · 2023-06-01T08:00:02.817ZMy first car was a used 1973 Vega, also racing green. Let’s just say I learned a fair amount about car repair, out of necessity. Memories…
- whimsy 23:36 · 2023-06-01T12:45:50.047ZI'm afraid I did a backwards solve; was pretty sure of the answer, but only from the title. I researched varieties of lemons possibly lurking in the grid. Read the comments here and as DrTom sorta said "Once you know it you'll see it."
- Cindy Heisler 2s · 2023-06-01T12:37:50.977ZTook me a few wrong submissions, but finally the correct answer. My downfall was when I think of summer treats, I think of ice cream! Thanks, Dr Tom. And thanks for the nudge.
- boharr 3s · 2023-06-01T13:12:19.667ZI found horses and fish before I found awful cars and made lemonade. Thanks, DrTom.
- My hope was that everyone would see OPTIMIST, read the intro about taking what life gave them, run across what are widely accepted as the 8 of the top ten lemons and go "when life (or Tom) gives you lemons...."
- Sharkicicles 2s · 2023-06-01T19:20:23.743ZRenault, Cadillac, Ford, Yugo, Dodge, Edsel,and 2 Chevies, if I have this right.Thanks, DrTom. If any of you are interested in the history of some of these lemons, I can’t recommend curbsideclassic.com enough. Even though they’ve actually accepted a couple of articles from me. ;)
- Okay.... The shove is a shove but.... what the heck does anything have to do with the grid?
- Fun one! I admit I backsolved with the help of nudges. 23D should have been a tip-off. I remember my dad using that expression quite often. I didn't recognize all the car models but knew the reputations of EDSEL PINTO VEGA and YUGO. Now for a nice refreshing glass of ...something. Thanks Dr Tom!
- Gutman 19s · 2023-06-01T19:38:24.124ZOk. I had a Vega. The clutch went out 5 times and towards the end of its life I could only drive it in reverse.
- Bbaack 🤓20:00 · 2023-06-01T23:20:18.820ZLOL! At one point while driving my Pinto the gear shift lever pulled right out of the gearbox! I literally fixed it with baling wire. At least the gas tank never exploded!
- I went over a bad bump with my Vega and the shock absorbers ripped out of the chassis!
- In its waning years (1974 for this 1971 model) and after: the radiator continued to leak fluid into the passenger side, it had the engine replaced once, the front window leaked like a sieve, the shock absorbers had ripped out of the frame - I stopped using the clutch completely (except for reverse) since it was tenuous at best and simply would get it up to speed and try to "speed shift" it. Worked pretty well, though it certainly had a lot of grinding noises...
- ReB 4s · 2023-06-01T21:28:51.373ZSecond nudge in conjunction with the first nudge triggered my AHA moment after a short pause. An ingenious way to theme for lemonade.As an aside, my wife's first car (years before we got married) was a Falcon, which she's always referred to as having been a F.O.R.D (as in 23D).
- MatthewL 🤓8:30 · 2023-06-01T21:28:25.372ZFun one, Tom! Yugo right next to Pinto was what clued me in to what you were doing. Also, love the clue for 10D. Thanks for the puzzle!
- Carolyn 3s · 2023-06-01T21:42:57.517ZVery clever, even if I wasn't familiar with all the cars. Yum!
- Berto 🤓3:06 · 2023-06-02T03:17:26.962ZWas a tough one for me having grown up in the UK, I don’t know half the models! I’ve heard of a Fiat pUnto, a VW Jetta, vauxhall Astra… and experienced lemons across all those models! So needed the shove - and guessed from that!!
- After I had posted it and got one other comment I realized how US specific it was. Sorry about that, my ideas are not always international (or even rational!)
- Berto 🤓3:06 · 2023-06-02T23:06:25.281ZHa - no problem at all. I’ve lived in the US for 20 years so most things are recognizable, or I can figure out the metanism! Always appreciate the challenge
- Besides, who would know the Allegro, Marina and Robin but you? Plus Vectra and Jensen would be hard to clue
- imontoo 3s · 2023-06-02T12:53:00.981ZFun! Thanks, Tom.
- nudges got me to see all the cars, only about half of which I knew as cars I think, and only EDSEL really jumped out on first pass. So then I was like 'ok, these are all cars that have bad reps, but now what?' Wasn't until I came back today that describing them as lemons hit me. Of course now I can't unsee it. :)
- Bird Lives 4s · 2023-06-03T01:56:19.931ZAt first, I started looking for things that were half full. Now that I've finally gotten it, I'm disappointed that my Corvair didn't make the cut. And what about Beyonce?
- Well not a universal opinion on the Corvair which, like the Edsel, might just have been one of the best but ran up against the wrong publicity: https://www.tunnelram.net/news-blog/2016/9/2/the-chevy-corvair#:~:text=Yes%20%2D%20the%20Corvair%20started%20out,in%20America%20during%20those%20years.As for Beyonce - the album may be good but it is not a classic summer treat.
- Dow Jones 4s · 2023-06-04T04:29:39.715ZGood one, Dr Tom. In college I had a 1974 YELLOW Pinto. One day, after it broke down for the umpteenth time, I sold it to the tow truck that rescued me. He gave me $75 and a ride home !!
1A
High point of a trip to Switzerland
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Across
- 1AHigh point of a trip to Switzerland
- 4ALyra's brightest star
- 8ATerra del ___
- 13A___ Speedwagon
- 14ABring home
- 15AGM driver's assistance amenity,especially helpful if your car breaks down a lot
- 16AMember of a Panama tribe of escaped, enslaved, Africans
- 18AHeart healthy, but boring, diet
- 19ANothing left
- 21AGPS recs.
- 22AMunicipal laws: Abbr.
- 25ALondon lout
- 26AWhat most everybody looks down on
- 27ATamp down the hostilities
- 34A"Conning Tower" columnist's initials
- 35ASpilled the pintos
- 36ABeleagured heir to Henry's company
- 37ABurst of sonic ecstasy
- 39AMiami baserunners
- 41AUnstable dragster fuel
- 42AQuick, and now outdated, office correspondence
- 43A"Gossip Girl" creator Anna
- 44AGives a nudge
- 47ATraining money
- 48AMake tracks
- 49AQuiet demands
- 50A30's boxing champ Max
- 54AHow time reportedly passes while having fun
- 58AArmed marine predators
- 60ATriple Crown winner: 1948
- 64ALawrence of Arabis star Peter
- 65ASpotty type of horse
- 66ASob
- 67ALike 65A but bigger spots (and probably less trustworthy)
- 68AClumsy neckwear for a pair of Spanish oxes
- 69A"That said"
Down
- 1DParenthesis, essentially
- 2DRing of Hawaiian Islands
- 3DLittle dog, for short
- 4DYoung beef
- 5DCount, now
- 6DHot drink
- 7DTicked off
- 8DHereafter (in texting)
- 9D"Back in the ___"
- 10DSomething ripe for a Coup
- 11DBattering wind
- 12DCrumbs
- 15DTurning point in ancient history
- 17DIt holds a yard
- 20DDiscouraging words
- 22DCause affront to
- 23DFix or ___ daily (acronym for a car)
- 24DBeloved by
- 27DFancy hairstyles
- 28DStately shade tree
- 29DSleek, for short
- 30D"Bad" cholesterol
- 31D"Do ___" (parent's order)
- 32DTeaching goal
- 33DFamous cow and her namesakes
- 35DNew Mexico art community
- 38DAssoc.
- 39DBlokes
- 40DInvoice abbr.
- 42DApery
- 45D1966 Michael Caine role
- 46DAcronymic computer of "2001"
- 47DNASCAR legend A.J.
- 50DCartoon vamp,Betty ___
- 51DBroadway opening
- 52DBerkshire school
- 53DCarrot, e.g.
- 55DHeadless vowel volley
- 56DAlone
- 57DBarcelona bathroom
- 59DArafat's grp.
- 61DAloof
- 62DBauxite, e.g.
- 63DPublisher of WORDLE; Abbr.
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