tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post1119043215035183470..comments2024-03-29T07:17:55.045-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Friend of Gandalf / TUE 9-30-14 / Marbles British Museum display / Canadian comedy show of 1970s-'80s / Mineralogist for whom scale is namedRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9774545364630057742014-11-04T18:19:21.704-05:002014-11-04T18:19:21.704-05:00I wanted to stretch hickies to fill the available ...I wanted to stretch hickies to fill the available space because that's what we called them back in the day - I still remember my first one.<br /><br />@rainy wins the comments with "Does one TERCE before he sexts?"<br /><br />621 - I'D SAY that's a winner!Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24557169081306844042014-11-04T15:31:34.914-05:002014-11-04T15:31:34.914-05:00Did @Whirred Whacks not mean to say
"geology ...Did @Whirred Whacks not mean to say<br />"geology rocks", or am I missing something?<br /><br />IDLEWILD Golf Course and Airport sounds fine to me. <br /><br /> A couple of odd partials here, but even though I didn't know either host of the show, I managed to finish. <br /><br />Does one TERCE before he sexts?<br /><br />Voting day for Americans to demonstrate how much they hate the current President so they can add him to the list of all the others they continue to hate. Sad.<br /><br />Puzzle was OK.<br /><br />6098 Not OK<br /><br />rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59370062416859109572014-11-04T13:27:05.785-05:002014-11-04T13:27:05.785-05:00WILT w/o Chamberlain? ELGIN w/o Baylor??TORI w/o S...WILT w/o Chamberlain? ELGIN w/o Baylor??TORI w/o Spelling??? OK so she didn't play hoops, just a bunch of clues to purposely stay away from pop/sports culture? In +/- 4 hours I'll be holding a BEERCAN full of something Miller BREWEDUP. And IDSAY I won't be thinking about this puzzle ONEBIT. Not much to write home about, but I can't think of anything but Car 54 when IDLEWILD comes up.<br /><br />885 - I'm OER and outrondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82441101382754924292014-11-04T12:42:58.168-05:002014-11-04T12:42:58.168-05:00A sorry Tuesday DNF. Just couldn't get the cen...A sorry Tuesday DNF. Just couldn't get the center South!<br />Managed to correctly guess TERCE, but no idea of the baseball term ( ?AC) which crossed the strange OK?O left me with a Natick. My, obviously wrong, choice for 48D would have been "what". Tried putting the circle phrase together, but even that didn't work. I'm only vaguely familiar with the show, so had no idea what I was looking for. The phrase seemd to start DOWP... As I said DNF.<br /><br />However, did get dealt a 1320 = 6, so maybe I'm in that game?DMGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48312564461437269562014-11-04T11:37:37.658-05:002014-11-04T11:37:37.658-05:00The best thing about today's offering was @Whi...The best thing about today's offering was @Whirred Whacks' kickoff! WTG, WW!<br /><br />That's not good news for Mr. Dolan, gradewise. We have a virtual consonant SALAD here, watching SCTV ONDVD and then saving it to CDROM. ADDON a TBSP of ATA and MEI, and this grid just OOZES GAS. OK, SO what's the PGRATING? Not BRAVO, my friend. More like a second straight D-.<br /><br />To the very classy BOBBARKER I must apologize on behalf of the constructor, for allowing your name to appear in this dreadful company.<br /><br />7355, still another D-.spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25571798649508519802014-09-30T21:35:56.117-04:002014-09-30T21:35:56.117-04:00I've seen the Elgin Marbles in the British Mus...I've seen the Elgin Marbles in the British Museum, but on top of that they came up in conversation when I was at the Metropolitan Museum visiting the Assyria to Iberia at the Dawn of the Classical Age exhibition. I'm glad GB has taken good care of these artifacts, but<br />eventually they belong where they belong.<br /><br />Easy-medium puzzle; I'm nota TPIR watcher, but I know what it is about and how it works. Fine Tuesday.<br />machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75176843269191068122014-09-30T20:59:17.084-04:002014-09-30T20:59:17.084-04:00@jberg
If you email me your address, I will print ...@jberg<br />If you email me your address, I will print them out and snail-mail them to you.<br /><br />r.alphbunkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00657275501845781384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13204921286820422862014-09-30T20:34:43.540-04:002014-09-30T20:34:43.540-04:00@jberg I can e-mail you the PDFS also let me know...@jberg I can e-mail you the PDFS also let me knowchefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43860903525835966032014-09-30T19:23:37.393-04:002014-09-30T19:23:37.393-04:00@jberg - If the newspapers are gone and you know w...@jberg - If the newspapers are gone and you know which puzzles you'd like, I could email you PDFs from the online archive.Carolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15971759975067250908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17648212583762344282014-09-30T19:22:30.696-04:002014-09-30T19:22:30.696-04:00@jberg,
Which puzzles are you missing? Since you&...@jberg,<br /><br />Which puzzles are you missing? Since you're email-accessible, some friendly soul can send you the links.Leapfingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14243620614139990887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70804000775939882592014-09-30T16:30:39.862-04:002014-09-30T16:30:39.862-04:00Whew, it's good to be back. I got up early Fri...Whew, it's good to be back. I got up early Friday solved the puzzel, only to find that @Rex had not posted by the time I had to leave for the airport. Since then I've been in DC, with the NYT and hence the puzzle strangely unavailable. Finally picked today's up at Reagan on the way home, solved it on the plane, taught my class and here I am. So in those circumstances I had to like it, regardless.<br /><br />And this blog! Where else could on find a protracted debate about whether zero is an even number on a roulette wheel. Did anyone miss that answer because you were thinking, "nah, it can't be EVENS, there are 19 of them?"<br /><br />WaPo puzzle had some cute themes, though the puzzles were pretty easy.<br /><br />As for the marbles -- it's hard to justify a Brit buying a Greek national treasure from the Turks, whatever the respective custodial ability of the parties involved. In any case, the right thing to do now is to return them and help preserve them in situ. The argument that they are easier to see when brought down is akin to the one John Muir parodied by saying you might as well flood the cistine chapel so people can use boats to view the frescos close up. The Brits are spending huge sums to enable people to see Stonehenge in something closer to its original condition, it would be great to do the same with the Parthenon.<br /><br />Really sad to hear about the great puzzles i missed. Maybe my wife saved the papers, but I doubt it, since I didn't ask.jberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02169065390875378077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-7559321831737649952014-09-30T16:13:03.791-04:002014-09-30T16:13:03.791-04:00I did the LAT in half the time it took me to do th...I did the LAT in half the time it took me to do this one and I still think it was a pretty normal Tuesday. I did it around 10:30 last night and nobody had posted about it yet so . . . <br /><br />I like the clue for 21D in the Times online app, π π π. On te iPad the clue was "Rho preceders" the answer to which should have been something like x(ks)i omicron pi. <br /><br />So now I come to the party late. I don't believe I've ever seen TPIR with anyone other than Bill Cullen hosting. Likke all the other latch key kids, I'd watch that on our 13" B/W tv when I was home sick. <br /><br />I don't ever remember Idlewild ever being called New York Internatinal. I was even kind of bummed when it was renamed JFK. When I flew to Glasgow in 1965, it was still being called by its old name part of the time even by the travel agent who booked the flight. <br /><br />According to Kyle Dolan's notes, this puzzle was accepted in July of 2013, six months after he started on the construction. 14 months is a long time to wait to get paid. It seems crossword construction is no way to get rich. I believe I owe thanks to every person who constructs, the rewards are often slow in coming and are sometimes accompanied by disparagement from blogs like this. The truth of it is, they made the puzzles and got published, we did them and for that we owe the constructors some gratitude. <br /><br />Thank you, Kyle!Numinoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01263999193499725814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85296859971909726022014-09-30T15:58:38.846-04:002014-09-30T15:58:38.846-04:00DOWN is up.
Is KTD(id) trying to tell us somethin...DOWN is up.<br /><br />Is KTD(id) trying to tell us something??<br /><br />Have, from time to time, watched TPIR, but honestly, sometimes 'one' is just embarrassed for the contestant. The only game show I know that's more into 'Greed is good" is Let's Make a Deal. I like shows that require skill or INTELligence, and DREW CAREY's "Whose Line Is It?" was really remarkably inventive. So, do I sound like a stick?<br /><br />Like others, had some thoughts about the ELGIN Marbles, and appreciate @Alias' backstory. More recently, Yale has been playing Elgin to Peru's Inca relics, perhaps without quite the same degree of altruism.<br /><br />POISEonally, I liked the bit about MIDAS's ABUT, and thought the [Principle]=TENET a bit ironic, by George. <br /><br />'O, I am SLAIN!' has got to be a premature statement.<br /><br />Another thing I learned today: It probably isn't a good idea to sing "When the moon hits your eye..." if anywhere near URANUS. That could get a person splat 14 times in the right eye, and still leave 13 over for the left. <br /><br />No special thoughts on American IDOLwild, though it seems to have raised quite a response in some quarters.<br /><br />A little nonsense now and then<br />Is relished by the best of men.<br /><br />I'D SAY I relished this word SALAD, KTD. On to Wednesday.<br /><br />Leapfingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14243620614139990887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54774369059067909392014-09-30T15:57:09.271-04:002014-09-30T15:57:09.271-04:00@RooMonster: Facetiousism!! You've just given ...@RooMonster: Facetiousism!! You've just given me my word for the day! I can't wait for that one to make an apperarance in a xword. Instead of a PoC, it would be an ISMoC. ^_^LHS 888https://www.blogger.com/profile/15004450465176210237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73284066373047342342014-09-30T15:54:01.155-04:002014-09-30T15:54:01.155-04:00Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 8/1/2...Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 8/1/2009 post for an explanation of my method and my 10/15/2012 post for an explanation of a tweak to my method):<br /><br />All solvers (median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Tue 8:04, 7:50, 1.03, 60%, Medium-Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Tue 5:31, 5:21, 1.03, 60%, Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10899282002904409112014-09-30T15:50:14.207-04:002014-09-30T15:50:14.207-04:00@JTHurst: As far as I can tell, zero is considered...@JTHurst: As far as I can tell, zero is considered an even number in most modern mathematics systems. <br /><br />But whether it is even or not is a red herring for the clue. The clue is "18 of 38 roulette numbers". in roulette, zero and double-zero considered neither even nor odd. If you bet evens and the ball lands on one of the zeroes, you're going to be quite disappointed when the payouts pass you by. <br /><br />Had the clue said "18 of 38 numbers on a roulette wheel" it would be a different story (since the reference is to the wheel in that case, not the game as in the original clue). <br />Steve Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15185067739452052656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48613250991273027672014-09-30T15:31:39.361-04:002014-09-30T15:31:39.361-04:00@UncleJohnC, as Officer Toody would often say to h...@UncleJohnC, as Officer Toody would often say to his partner, Muldoon, "ooh, ooh"! (This was years before Arnold Horshack did the same to get Mr. Kotter's attention). Car 54 was another iconic black and white Sunday eve. family ritual from my early childhood. When I saw your post, I immediately began singing the lyrics and am bemused to admit that like the theme song from Gilligan's Island, I recall every word of it! Sorry, @Anonymous.<br /><br />I guess you have settled the IDLEWILD debate. Congrats.Ludyjynnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9168654741384880582014-09-30T15:13:30.429-04:002014-09-30T15:13:30.429-04:00They put an airport on a golf course? That must w...They put an airport on a golf course? That must wreak havoc on the tee shots!<br /><br />Facetiousism, it's not just for breakfast anymore!<br /><br />RooMonsterRooMonsternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16425409966292935262014-09-30T14:29:45.142-04:002014-09-30T14:29:45.142-04:00@Whirred Wacks - I remember Truth or Consequences....@Whirred Wacks - I remember Truth or Consequences...but I remember Ralph Edwards hosting it...from Truth or Consequences New Mexicochefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13023538734787942212014-09-30T14:24:30.813-04:002014-09-30T14:24:30.813-04:00Regarding Zero's evenness, here is an easyish ...Regarding Zero's evenness, <a href="http://mathforum.org/library/drmath/view/57188.html" rel="nofollow">here is an easyish explanation</a>. Nevertheless, the clue refers to roulette, not mathematics.<br /><br />Regarding Idlewild - the clue is "Original name..." not "Official name," or even "Original airport name," so the quibble is moot, <b>originally</b> it was IDLEWILD Golf Course (if someone now posts the native American name that preceded the the golf course existence you get a tip of my hat).<br /><br />Carry over from yesterday - Famous Chief Justices are usually limited to John Marshall (Marbury v. Madison alone makes him the most important Chief Justice in our history) and the Warrens (Earl and Burger). Infamous Chief Justices is a list usually limited to Taney (although Roberts is well on his way to adding to the list). However, like presidents, Chief Justices often get too much of the credit and blame for the Court's decisions. It takes (at the moment) at least four other justices to rule that corporations are people, too.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55932542986148680732014-09-30T13:51:26.577-04:002014-09-30T13:51:26.577-04:00In honor of my chosen avatar...
There's a hol...In honor of my chosen avatar...<br /><br />There's a holdup in the Bronx,<br />Brooklyn's broken out in fights;<br />There's a traffic jam in Harlem<br />That's backed up to Jackson Heights;<br />There's a scout troop short a child,<br />Khrushchev's due at IDLEWILD!<br />Car 54, Where Are You??<br /><br />Just like Manhattan's "Avenue of<br />the Americas" is called "6th Avenue" <br />by all New Yorkers - New York's International Airport was<br />referred to as IDLEWILD.Uncle John Chttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07007160080733776611noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47949961635156009902014-09-30T13:38:10.890-04:002014-09-30T13:38:10.890-04:00SteveJ Help me out here. Zero is not an even or ...SteveJ Help me out here. Zero is not an even or odd number. It is the hardest concept to understand in mathematics. The Pythagoreans did not even consider it as part of a numbering system and while most modern numbering systems are Arabic in concept the number zero was supposed to have originated in Kerala, southern India. I believe the Mayans were the only ones who used zero in their calendar. And since we get our calendar from Greco-Roman sources we have to adjust it every four years.<br /><br />Most counting systems do not call it a number since it signifies the 'void' or nil or non-number. It does not follow most of your primary laws of mathematics. JTHurstnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82444078352577469092014-09-30T13:34:09.967-04:002014-09-30T13:34:09.967-04:00To: @Chefwen @John Child @Mohair Sam @Joho
Thanks...To: @Chefwen @John Child @Mohair Sam @Joho<br /><br />Thanks. I'm glad you enjoyed the humor.<br /><br />I'm old enough that I associate BOB BARKER not with TPIR, but rather with an earlier 1950s-60s whacky game show he did called "Truth or Conseqeuences." I usually saw it when I was home sick from grade school.Whirred Whacksnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21159048308641923092014-09-30T13:30:48.037-04:002014-09-30T13:30:48.037-04:00@Mark R
The clue reads that 18 of 38 are "th...@Mark R<br /><br />The clue reads that 18 of 38 are "this." Only 18 numbers are considered evens in ROULETTE. It is not asking how many numbers are even in the "outside world." The clue is correct,but tricky (as puzzles are meant to be).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33658200620685579692014-09-30T13:25:18.336-04:002014-09-30T13:25:18.336-04:00You're simply wrong on IDELWILD. Not to troll ...You're simply wrong on IDELWILD. Not to troll here, but the airport's name (not the IATA code, the name) was never Idlewild. So bureaucratic or not, the officialy name was NY International. That's not to say it was not commonly known as Idlewild. of course it was, just like Richard Nixon was commonly referred to as Dick. But that doesn't make Richard a Dick, does it? (*wink) I defy anyone to show me where the airport's name was ever officially listed as Idlewild. (Hint: Can't be done.) Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com