tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post1061100932836548611..comments2024-03-19T04:18:37.547-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Snowy region of Austria / TUE 2-22-11 / 1922 novel with Dublin backdrop / Neighbor of Irkutsk on Risk board / Perez with nasally voiceRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44963386876073157122011-03-30T00:04:32.373-04:002011-03-30T00:04:32.373-04:00Normand Houle
great puzzle. It could have been im...Normand Houle<br /><br />great puzzle. It could have been improved by italicizing quite a few other clues, in the DOWNS 4,5, 10, 17, 24 41, 44 & 45 (to give 8 down answers) would have provided us with other magazine name starts : 4) GUESS 5) HOOD 10) HOG<br />17) US 24) ELA 41) POP 44) FREE and<br />45) RED all magazine names.<br /><br />HONORABLE mention to 70 across<br />ME, MEG and MEGA are also 3 magazine names. without changing anything, you'd get even greater theme density.<br /><br />NormAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23160245092964984362011-03-30T00:03:39.198-04:002011-03-30T00:03:39.198-04:00Normand Houle
great puzzle. It could have been im...Normand Houle<br /><br />great puzzle. It could have been improved by italicizing quite a few other clues, in the DOWNS 4,5, 10, 17, 24 41, 44 & 45 (to give 8 down answers) would have provided us with other magazine name starts : 4) GUESS 5) HOOD 10) HOG<br />17) US 24) ELA 41) POP 44) FREE and<br />45) RED all magazine names.<br /><br />HONORABLE mention to 70 across<br />ME, MEG and MEGA are also 3 magazine names. without changing anything, you'd get even greater theme density.<br /><br />NormAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43400929111495062492011-03-29T19:40:10.628-04:002011-03-29T19:40:10.628-04:00@Marc, thanks for the epee clarification, it's...@Marc, thanks for the epee clarification, it's greatly appreciated!!! I think it will also help me for future xwords!Kingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71703681746993929372011-03-29T18:00:24.584-04:002011-03-29T18:00:24.584-04:00@Waxy - Fanny Hill = Pussy Galore, HA! That's...@Waxy - Fanny Hill = Pussy Galore, HA! That's a comment worthy of the prime-time crowd. Thanks for the chuckle.<br /><br />You're right - I didn't miss the italics in the solving but it's irksome that the puzzle had another printing mistake. I still like solving on paper, though.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14527797010126930712011-03-29T17:02:42.505-04:002011-03-29T17:02:42.505-04:00@Dirigonzo - though my paper had the clues in ital...@Dirigonzo - though my paper had the clues in italics, don't think their presence helped much with solving the puzzle. <br /><br />Hmm, so if FANNY indeed has the specific anatomical meaning in the UK discussed earlier, I guess Fanny Hill must really have been the 18th century's answer to Pussy Galore...<br /><br />Saw Joan Baez in concert just a few months back. Though her voice has lost some of the range it had during the Woodstock era, she's still puts on an impressive performance.Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22326944754370344412011-03-29T16:53:58.713-04:002011-03-29T16:53:58.713-04:00For those of you who are still confused: fencing i...For those of you who are still confused: fencing is an olympic sport and involves 3 different events: foil, saber/sabre, and epee. The equipment and rules vary slightly for each. <br /><br />In epee, the whole body is valid target area, and the first person to touch the other with the tip of their sword (an epee) wins the point. <br /><br />In foil, only the torso is valid target area, and before one can score a point one must establish "right of way" - often accomplished by beating the opponent's sword out of the way temporarily, or by blocking your opponent's attack. The foil also uses a stabbing-type motion, and only touches with the tip count. <br /><br />Saber also has the "right of way" rules, but the whole length of the blade may be used in a cutting-type motion. Torso, arms, and head are valid target area. <br /><br />So yes, all 3 weapons in fencing are distinct and use their own set of rules, but all are governed by the same international body (the FIE) and all count as fencing. <br /><br />(Another example is diving - athletes compete at different heights and using a springboard or platform - they all count as diving, the the specifics of each event vary)Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14152970052522984915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45259454781318009272011-03-29T14:43:16.914-04:002011-03-29T14:43:16.914-04:00This is the second day in a row that the syndicate...This is the second day in a row that the syndicated puzzle in my paper has had a printing error - yesterday the "arrows" were replaced and today there were no italicized clues. <br /><br />Last letter in was the S at 47 as MOH_ was unfamiliar, and _IBERIA can start with lots of letters and still look like a perfectly respectable geographic name for Risk.<br /><br />Where oh where has @NotalwaysrightBill disappeared to?Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31637642509162672011-03-29T14:39:00.021-04:002011-03-29T14:39:00.021-04:00Hey Syndi pals! Fun puzzle, not too hard, not too ...Hey Syndi pals! Fun puzzle, not too hard, not too soft.<br /><br />In defense of "aguas": I don't know about in Spain, but at least in Northern Mexico "las aguas" can refer to rain, or the rainy season. You'll find mentions of this if you Google aguas summer rains.<br /><br />See for instance http://www.eoearth.org/article/Sonoran_Desert?topic=49460 -- "The winter rains are equipatas (derived from the Yaqui-Mayo word for rain, quepa), the summer rains are las aguas ("the waters" in Spanish)."Palmdaliannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57143682906569590942011-03-29T14:14:08.313-04:002011-03-29T14:14:08.313-04:00Oh, and congrats to Andrea Carla Michaels in real ...Oh, and congrats to Andrea Carla Michaels in real time for her and Joon Pahk's puzzle today (March 29) in the Los Angeles Times. Enjoyed it!Palmdaliannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10137586129700172802011-03-29T13:37:48.515-04:002011-03-29T13:37:48.515-04:00Is "EPEE" really an event? I always con...Is "EPEE" really an event? I always considered epee to be the object used in the "event" of fencing. Oddly enough, I thought of the right event right off the bat, but was thrown by 4 letters instead of my expected 7 (for fencing).Kingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83667848802152717912011-02-23T01:44:48.392-05:002011-02-23T01:44:48.392-05:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 7/30/2009 post for an explanation. In a nutshell, the higher the ratio, the higher this week's median solve time is relative to the average for the corresponding day of the week.<br /><br />All solvers (this week's median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Mon 6:59, 6:54, 1.01, 59%, Medium<br />Tue 9:17, 8:56, 1.04, 64%, Medium-Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:41, 3:41, 1.00, 51%, Medium<br />Tue 4:22, 4:35, 0.95, 42%, Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6264619234727157372011-02-22T21:12:06.712-05:002011-02-22T21:12:06.712-05:00@Anon 8:01
Yes it does.
More specifically, it...@Anon 8:01<br /><br />Yes it does.<br /><br />More specifically, it's not <i>generally</i> seen outside of xwords, but must have existed elsewhere to be valid.<br /><br />Many seem to exist only for the letters they offer.<br /><br />P>G>ipso whatevernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70118587265183179142011-02-22T20:01:35.968-05:002011-02-22T20:01:35.968-05:00I guess I am confused as to what is crosswordese. ...I guess I am confused as to what is crosswordese. I always thought is was some word or abbreviation commonly used as fill but not generally used elsewhere. DDE and ETO do not fit that definition. They were in vogue before Will Shortz was born. The fact that someone has not seen a term other than in a NYT puzzle does not ipso facto make it crosswordese.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22595324981232503342011-02-22T19:45:27.721-05:002011-02-22T19:45:27.721-05:00@Sparky: LOL!@Sparky: LOL!machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6330050154884145602011-02-22T18:41:00.556-05:002011-02-22T18:41:00.556-05:00Major kudos to Mr. Livengood for a new and interes...Major kudos to Mr. Livengood for a new and interesting clue for EPEE. (Get it? Touche?) Seriously, I get so insanely sick of the usual boring clues, and this one was awesome. This epee fencer has a smile on her face.Samanthahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03465968254621691752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68667562120312584682011-02-22T16:57:29.334-05:002011-02-22T16:57:29.334-05:00So, what's the problem with Fanny as a nick-na...So, what's the problem with Fanny as a nick-name?Mulvanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11021863877874111552011-02-22T16:44:48.351-05:002011-02-22T16:44:48.351-05:00Not sure why people don't understand the AGUAS...Not sure why people don't understand the AGUAS complaint.<br /><br />Rain is clearly water, but rains are also water. Rains are not waters. The problem isn't with AGUA, the problem is with AGUAS.claudenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57210727755719637802011-02-22T16:29:26.702-05:002011-02-22T16:29:26.702-05:00@Sparky: I didn't have any trouble with DDE, o...@Sparky: I didn't have any trouble with DDE, of course. Knew I was looking for something Eisenhower-related in the ETO space, but ETO is a particular piece of crosswordese that hasn't come up for me before. I've only been an every-day NYT solver since last July, though.Matthew G.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07957320012395569238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44841734636062056712011-02-22T16:28:01.604-05:002011-02-22T16:28:01.604-05:00Today has been a very hard day, and it isn't o...Today has been a very hard day, and it isn't over yet. But I really enjoyed working this puzzle. It was a welcome moment of respite and relief. <br /><br />Some days, there's no such thing as a bad puzzle!archaeoprofhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17956231727789223463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32028326206573471772011-02-22T15:59:46.496-05:002011-02-22T15:59:46.496-05:00Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 7/30/...Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 7/30/2009 post for an explanation of my method):<br /><br />All solvers (median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Tue 9:01, 8:56, 1.01, 59%, Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Tue 4:23, 4:35, 0.96, 43%, Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59917479000286369742011-02-22T15:09:14.368-05:002011-02-22T15:09:14.368-05:00@joho is off and running, great one today, I'm...@joho is off and running, great one today, I'm still chortling! <br /><br />Used to work with a young man who would get very excited around Thanksgiving because his grandmother would make him a KAAY RO SYRUP PIE, I never did get a sample.chefwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03999206352243329280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67767021943031814382011-02-22T15:08:59.945-05:002011-02-22T15:08:59.945-05:00for 62 down "type of gift" I originally ...for 62 down "type of gift" I originally had "gab" rather than "gag"<br /><br />Tod Browning also directed "Freaks"Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08685999989095206039noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51990754945969255082011-02-22T14:58:18.273-05:002011-02-22T14:58:18.273-05:00Rain and water may not be the same word in Spanish...Rain and water may not be the same word in Spanish, but presumable the rain in Spain is just as much water as it is anywhere else. I have never during my visits to Spain run chemical tests or paid any attention to the composition of the precipitation so I can’t be sure. It did seem to turn from liquid to solid at the freezing temperature of water, though, so that is a clue.<br /><br />We played Risk relentlessly for a few months when I was in eighth grade. Just about every day after school at a friend's house -- a house with 8 cats and radical college student roomers coming and going. It is a great game, but you need to be able to put aside all worries and distractions for a few hours.<br /><br />My Grandpa used to occasionally make a simple dessert of Karo syrup in a bowl (dark or light -- I prefer dark) stir in a bit of butter, crumble in some saltine crackers. This was for those moments when you want something sweet and there is nothing else to be had. (That didn't happen very often with my Grandma around. She kept the breadbox regularly stocked with her homemade coffee cake and cinnamon rolls. Yum!)Clarknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76750112190472174022011-02-22T14:57:49.834-05:002011-02-22T14:57:49.834-05:00My wife took the nickname "Fanny" some y...My wife took the nickname "Fanny" some years ago (innocently, for her Aunt Fay) and uses it all the time. We've had some interesting responses in Britain...mmorganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18375430572178263265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10005502050805442542011-02-22T14:49:35.762-05:002011-02-22T14:49:35.762-05:00@Moonchild, thanks for the heads up. I looked it u...@Moonchild, thanks for the heads up. I looked it up, something I never would have done if you hadn't mentioned it, and there it was: "British vulgar slang."fikinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06324570637549775751noreply@blogger.com