tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post1120272920659744816..comments2024-03-28T08:55:37.290-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Princess loved by Hercules / THU 10-21-10 / Certain 1920s faddist / Cabinetmaker's hardware / Reddish-brown gem / Fraternity benefactors for shortRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25561245576125999502010-12-03T22:27:45.810-05:002010-12-03T22:27:45.810-05:00Loved, loved, loved this puzzle. I just wish I had...Loved, loved, loved this puzzle. I just wish I hadn't started it at 2am! Couldn't put it down till it was complete. I wish all crosswords were this fun.squidneynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33296677135722848992010-11-25T17:37:52.792-05:002010-11-25T17:37:52.792-05:00@Dirigonzo - don't forget to keep your ELBOWS ...@Dirigonzo - don't forget to keep your ELBOWS off the table too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3552879312538962342010-11-25T10:06:26.699-05:002010-11-25T10:06:26.699-05:00This was the Thanksgiving Day puzzle in syndicatio...This was the Thanksgiving Day puzzle in syndication land and strangely (or maybe not) it had enough yummy references to evoke some pretty strong memories of family traditions when I was a young boy (very long ago). Our feast always included two meats, turkey of course and venison if my dad had bagged a deer, or beef - maybe BOTOMROUND - if he had not. Side dishes always included SLAWS and I'm pretty sure my grandmother used PECTIN in the cranberry sauce. Of course there were PIECRUSTS galore with lots of different fillings, and I'm pretty sure there was alcohol involved although I don't think it was OUZO.<br /><br />Very good puzzle, very good memories.<br /><br />Thanks for letting me reminisce, and Happy Thanksgiving to everyone!Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8854859222136999172010-10-21T22:02:06.166-04:002010-10-21T22:02:06.166-04:00@Two Ponies
Just to give credit where credit is du...@Two Ponies<br />Just to give credit where credit is due...that magnificent Dollar Bill puzzle you mentioned was by Patrick Blindauer who practically breaks convention every time out!<br /><br />@anonymous 7:54<br />as folks have noted, you can read all about Dan Naddor by clicking on the sidebar WORDPLAY link.acmenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78620379223479883472010-10-21T22:00:41.596-04:002010-10-21T22:00:41.596-04:00This 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 5:46, 6:57, 0.83, 1%, Easy<br />Tue 8:41, 8:55, 0.97, 50%, Medium<br />Wed 18:03, 11:43, 1.54, 100%, Challenging<br />Thu 15:50, 19:01, 0.83, 24%, Easy-Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:16, 3:43, 0.88, 3%, Easy<br />Tue 4:37, 4:36, 1.00, 57%, Medium<br />Wed 7:35, 5:46, 1.32, 96%, Challenging<br />Thu 7:59, 9:08, 0.87, 32%, Easy-Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-7760767489406853782010-10-21T20:27:09.055-04:002010-10-21T20:27:09.055-04:00@ David from CA,
A puzzle from last year was the s...@ David from CA,<br />A puzzle from last year was the shape of a dollar bill and was a big hit. Personally I think stretching the conventional notion is a good thing.<br /><br />Do I have to be the one to break it to Anon. 7:54 that our esteemed Mr. Naddor is deceased?<br />We're all sorry.Two Ponieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06896743444873087885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33390771919875681062010-10-21T19:54:48.138-04:002010-10-21T19:54:48.138-04:00Mr. Nadder, someone should kiss you and tell you t...Mr. Nadder, someone should kiss you and tell you that you are one of (if not THE) most creative, innovative constructors contributing to the NYT today. Your themes and fill quality are beyond reproach, and I hope you have many many more puzzles in you, because I can't get enough of having the chance to put my pen to your pieces of art. You are the best!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47897339613299666022010-10-21T19:39:13.091-04:002010-10-21T19:39:13.091-04:00Asymetrical grid - bleah! Just seems wrong to open...Asymetrical grid - bleah! Just seems wrong to open this door, and for no particular reason in this case. (Unlike a fantastic puzzle years back where the theme was broken crossword rules.) Would have much preferred either a 16x16 grid with the 2x2 "block" (and one 6 letter and one 7 letter answer coming in from each direction), or a 14x16, or a 3x3 "block" (oo..with a 1 square rebus in the middle ="BLOCK").<br />Oh well, too late now :(. Did have fun with it, except the COREA/SARD random-vowel crossing.David from CAnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90351139181331059762010-10-21T19:04:45.782-04:002010-10-21T19:04:45.782-04:00I really enjoyed the visual aspect of this puzzle,...I really enjoyed the visual aspect of this puzzle, what with eight theme-entries pinwheeling around an (almost) central 2X2 block of black squares. I also like the way the black squares were integrated into the nature of the solve. And any puzzle that conjures up the image of Gene Tierney is all right in my book.edith bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12048817959846956992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90683542247240570232010-10-21T16:39:02.676-04:002010-10-21T16:39:02.676-04:00I found the puzzle mostly easy, getting the theme ...I found the puzzle mostly easy, getting the theme very quickly, although I did fall for some of the above mentioned mistakes (TNT, FIERCER, KOOL, etc).<br /><br />But my biggest stumbling block was I just couldn't remember one of the blocks. M----- BLOCK? I couldn't think of anything other than MEMORY BLOCK. Sheesh, talk about being laughed at by the puzzle.william e embanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18101933527268100462010-10-21T16:23:45.638-04:002010-10-21T16:23:45.638-04:00ppps Has someone already explained why comic-strip...ppps Has someone already explained why comic-strip dialogue is all in caps?<br />AND SOME EVEN END EVERY SENTENCE WITH AN EXCLAMATION POINT!acmenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9704877370080081872010-10-21T16:11:43.423-04:002010-10-21T16:11:43.423-04:00"He (Metheny) and COREA may as well be the sa..."He (Metheny) and COREA may as well be the same person, as far as I'm concerned."<br /><br />You're an assholeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56073474063369965672010-10-21T15:54:10.985-04:002010-10-21T15:54:10.985-04:00@KooKooKaChoo
I am copying your post and sending i...@KooKooKaChoo<br />I am copying your post and sending it to EVERY writer I know!!!!!! WOW, you said it! Who are you? What do you write?<br /><br />@Lindsay<br />The perfect Grandma Scrabble story!<br /><br />@Seth<br />Thanks for the picture, you are absolut-ely right! I was trying to think of a Greek word with two O's to illustrate my point and OUZO jumped out from the grid...but now that I see @Mel Ott's and @Mac's<br />posts, I think I may have it all wrong anyway...I mean, I know you always use the O-mega at the end of a word (like thank you - evcharisto) but maybe it's just about long and short sound, not placement in a word, tho I'm fairly certain I haven't see O-Mega earlier on...so I don't know what's up with OUZO.<br />That'll teach me to try and be pedantic about anything besides the ways of young Italian boys!<br />(See you tonight!)Androuzo carla michaelsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41838775189253092842010-10-21T15:53:55.958-04:002010-10-21T15:53:55.958-04:00Midday 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 />Thu 15:45, 19:01, 0.83, 24%, Easy-Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Thu 8:30, 9:09, 0.93, 46%, Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83150297811903807342010-10-21T15:49:44.521-04:002010-10-21T15:49:44.521-04:00Oops, Dan Naddor that is.Oops, Dan Naddor that is.deerfencernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-39621709911737337572010-10-21T15:47:48.636-04:002010-10-21T15:47:48.636-04:00Great solve! RPIP (Rest Peacefully in Puzzleland) ...Great solve! RPIP (Rest Peacefully in Puzzleland) Dan Nadoor.deerfencernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25648560515149213862010-10-21T15:07:10.975-04:002010-10-21T15:07:10.975-04:00Had most trouble in NW where I kept TNT for too lo...Had most trouble in NW where I kept TNT for too long. Actually had thUgS for fraternity benefactors for a while.<br /><br />Kind of remembered SARTORI and MOUE from xwords past. Unfortunately, spelled them SARTOmI and rOUE at first. Quickly fixed both, but wierd that I had the R and M backwards in two such unrelated words.<br /><br />MENO Mosso is my WOTD. Never heard this term before.<br /><br />Thought this was a marvelous Thursday puzzle. just the right amount of difficulty to do without Googles.Rubehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04773241241484881566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41149086050226339772010-10-21T14:14:42.188-04:002010-10-21T14:14:42.188-04:00I loved the square black hole in the almost-center...I loved the square black hole in the almost-center with its hidden BLOCK connections, plus all the fill with touches of the supernatural like OUIJA, OMEN, ORACLE, in the LAP OF the gods, Hercules' IOLE, Bone-dry SERE, and a doomful Pax ROMANA. Also, in the Land under Down Under, TASM has a kind of devil too! Spooky... RIP, Dan Naddor.<br /><br />∑;)ArtLvrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03869528391374878601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89563869838183208172010-10-21T14:04:51.597-04:002010-10-21T14:04:51.597-04:00Just a note to Rex that the LIRR is running VERY l...Just a note to Rex that the LIRR is running VERY limited service this weekend due to signal repairs. See the following link:<br />http://publictransist.blogspot.com/2010/09/signal-work-to-shut-down-lirr-service.htmlAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56807537627278422372010-10-21T12:48:34.017-04:002010-10-21T12:48:34.017-04:00I am reading 43D as a shout-out to our Rookie of t...I am reading 43D as a shout-out to our Rookie of the Year catcher who was 4 for 5 last night with a brilliant run-saving tag. Loved the puzzle, but I am also on a post-LCS win high. I needed every other cross to piece together MIGRAINE, which makes much more sense than McGRAINE (whatever that is, I am sure that screaming also exacerbates it).PamJonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58353480303591569442010-10-21T12:41:40.656-04:002010-10-21T12:41:40.656-04:00I liked this one a lot. Hard but deeply satisfyin...I liked this one a lot. Hard but deeply satisfying. Don't really care about rotational symmetry -- that's just a rule for the sake of a rule and this puzzle is proof that near-symmetry is just as good as symmetry when it comes to making a solid puzzle.<br /><br />I was (very) dubious about FIERIER when I got it (that center-north part of the grid was the last to fall for me, between FIERIER itself as well as LAURA, BOTTOM ROUND, OP CIT, and SATORI, all of which are pefectly legitimate but very hard). But the more I think about it, the more I respect it. It's a real word according to several dictionaries, and you have to love the double "IER" in the answer.<br /><br />Great, great puzzle.Matthew G.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07957320012395569238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66593727734140338672010-10-21T12:34:24.715-04:002010-10-21T12:34:24.715-04:00@mac: yes, omicron is a short O, omega is a long O...@mac: yes, omicron is a short O, omega is a long O.<br /><br />I don't care how many dictionaries it may be in. FIERIER just doen't look right. I can't even get my tongue around it to pronounce it.<br /><br />A lot of really good stuff in this puzzle, however.Mel Ottnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81660343598776602162010-10-21T11:52:47.056-04:002010-10-21T11:52:47.056-04:00Sorry to bring a practical question to this erudit...Sorry to bring a practical question to this erudite blog but do any of you use the blackberry app thru bplay? I can't get the daily puzzle anymore. Are there other options?kjfanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45193238470908481082010-10-21T11:40:16.812-04:002010-10-21T11:40:16.812-04:00Metheny and Corea are similar in stature when it c...Metheny and Corea are similar in stature when it comes to talent, but so amazingly diverse musically. I could listen to the two of them exclusively, 24 hours a day for the rest of my life, without wishing for other artists (except maybe Gary Burton and an occasional palate cleansing of Rush or Yes or Kansas. [OK - I lied about the "exclusively" part.]). Sadly, they've only played together on one album that I am aware of - one of my favorites (Like Minds). Too bad you are going to miss Metheny's Orchestrion show - it is so unique and amazing.<br /><br />Wife and I were given complementary after-dinner Ouzo's when dining at the local Greek restaurant on our anniversary this year. OPA! Tastes a lot like Nyquil, only less pleasant and with more of a kick.Arbynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33099998676004296012010-10-21T11:37:06.549-04:002010-10-21T11:37:06.549-04:00A nice and interesting tribute to Mr. Naddor over ...A nice and interesting tribute to Mr. Naddor over at Wordplay from Rich Norris.mitchsnoreply@blogger.com