tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post133106612911256227..comments2024-03-19T07:57:29.941-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: L'chaim / THU 5-5-16 / Nonstick pan brand / World's second most translated author / 7 on the Beaufort scale / Sports org. with the Calder CupRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38126962383396019302016-06-10T20:01:19.215-04:002016-06-10T20:01:19.215-04:00 I hope puzzle girl is feeling better now. It is s... I hope puzzle girl is feeling better now. It is six weeks since this puzzle first appeared. I just want to note that apparently the clue for 62 down was changed to Boulder to Little Rock direction. Syndicate bobnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45795474647901931572016-06-10T14:26:09.109-04:002016-06-10T14:26:09.109-04:00I'm baffled by the criticism of INDC and espec...I'm baffled by the criticism of INDC and especially IIN,a three letter sequence I don't recall ever encountering before. Surely IIN is preferable to another appearance of sou or ecu or roi or obi or oda or the whatever the dir. is from Oshkosh to Osceola.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40182859492695354422016-06-10T03:43:49.068-04:002016-06-10T03:43:49.068-04:00So 65A was "A Mighty Fortress ___ God", ...So 65A was "A Mighty Fortress ___ God", eh? In my version in the local newspaper (Vancouver Sun), 65A is "This land ____ land". I got the answer, even though I don't think "is our" is in that song ("is your" and "is my"). I assume the Mighty Fortress, with a correct clue, is the revised one, but our puzzles appear a month after everyone else sees them, so I'm surprised that we would get the uncorrected version.<br /><br />Tarot, Demornay, brood and Ripleys did me in. I never heard of Derr and didn't remember Leger, but they weren't a problem. The theme was fun.wcutlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08615799228069705972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65280195493824029312016-06-09T22:52:55.057-04:002016-06-09T22:52:55.057-04:00I also had 65A "This land ___ land," lea...I also had 65A "This land ___ land," leading to the incorrect ISOUR, since that is not one of the lines of Woody Guthrie song. I assume the clue was changed to the correct hymn lyric in the NYT pages, but it wasn't caught for syndication.Hal Davisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31654432188079875862016-06-09T19:26:00.244-04:002016-06-09T19:26:00.244-04:00@Rainy: Hard to 'splain but I'll try. Exam...@Rainy: Hard to 'splain but I'll try. Examples may be the best way. Let's take INIT and ITIN. "Still with a chance to win" would be INIT, a phrase in the language; i.e., real people actually SAY that. They say ITIN too, but only buried in the middle of some other thought. INIT as a thought can stand alone; ITIN cannot. With IIN, this is nonsense without the specific reference to a certain poem line. This most definitely cannot stand alone. NO partials are ideal, but some at least make a little phraseological sense, and don't require a special situation to be used. Anyway this is how I feel; hope I've explained it satisfactorily. Cheers!spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11257748523768265682016-06-09T17:57:11.715-04:002016-06-09T17:57:11.715-04:00P.S. Oh, yes, DERR also added to my DNF in that pa...P.S. Oh, yes, DERR also added to my DNF in that part of the puzzle.leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33934879386205642252016-06-09T17:46:32.106-04:002016-06-09T17:46:32.106-04:00Had to do this in two sittings, first AM, then PM....Had to do this in two sittings, first AM, then PM. Several games of pool in between<br /><br />Got the ACE trick early enough with AMAZINGGRACE/CRETACEOUS. Promising start. Later found the other ACES. Very nice theme and execution.<br /><br />Finishing it off was not pleasant. Couldn't figure out the TFAL/LEGER cross, not knowing TFAL and not remembering LEGER.<br /><br />Aaargh! [like a SEP pirate]. <br /><br />leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52202310426573400292016-06-09T17:42:21.359-04:002016-06-09T17:42:21.359-04:00In Summary, nice gimmick, terrible puzzle.In Summary, nice gimmick, terrible puzzle.Longbeachleehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10945278798020339134noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83486263046822281812016-06-09T16:23:23.397-04:002016-06-09T16:23:23.397-04:00Struggled with this – started it while still half ...Struggled with this – started it while still half asleep this AM - but loved it, even tho it was a DNF for me today, because I forgot to go back and fix BLOOs once I had BLAU. Arrgh! (and it's not even SEP).<br /><br />Re: PPP analysis - The Beaufort scale is named for the man who devised it, Admiral Francis Beaufort of the Royal Navy; hence, definitely a proper noun IMO. So, definitely a high PPP today, and yet interesting enough that I didn’t mind. Very little overly-obscure trivia, I thought.<br /><br />In that vein, I have to agree with @Generic Solver that Earl DERR Biggers shows up often enough to be considered crosswordese, so I didn’t consider that either “obscure trivia” or a Natick. I’ve never read the books, but remembered the author from other puzzles. As Will Shortz has <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2001/04/08/magazine/08PUZZLE.html?version=meter+at+2&module=meter-Links&pgtype=Blogs&contentId=&mediaId=&referrer=&priority=true&action=click&contentCollection=meter-links-click" rel="nofollow">pointed out</a>, there are only so many 3 and 4-letter words in the English language. I thought IIN and INDC were both pretty clever.<br /><br />Iceland is considered “part of” Europe culturally and geographically, but it still seems a stretch to say it’s “in” Europe. That’s my nit to pick for today.<br /><br />Yet another terrific puzzle – that’s the third one this week, by my count. @Diana, If this keeps up I may have to revise my opinion about the gradual decline of this venerable institution.Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05185068601066087185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41582173034191352532016-06-09T15:33:37.516-04:002016-06-09T15:33:37.516-04:00I can't say anything negative about this truly...I can't say anything negative about this truly enjoyable puzzle. I really liked it. It was tough, but not too tough, and tricky, but not too tricky.<br />My only write-over was sEMI to DEMI (probably should have waited for that one, but I assumed 34D would have 's' at the end. <br /><br />No Naticks here (humblebrag). I knew LEGER, knew ACRE was a port in Israel, own a TFAL, and by symmetry, "knew" the upper left corner was ACE. By the way,the ACEs were delightfully employed. <br /><br />The toughest part of the puzzle was definitely the NE where INDC was slow to come, and NEAR GALE just sounded unscientific to me. Is there a NEAR hurricane? <br /><br />So, @Spacecraft, something I really want to know, what is wrong with partials? Why are some partials better than others? Today, I thought I IN was a good clue and answer, and I just don't understand why some feel it is awful. Please 'splain it to me Spacey.rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75911768470965482622016-06-09T15:00:47.065-04:002016-06-09T15:00:47.065-04:00Kept having fun even after I threw in the towel, c...Kept having fun even after I threw in the towel, came here, and found out that more funny punny stuff was going on. JAM indeed - I had it, but didn't know why. And yes, the DERR/LEGER area goofed me up, and didn't see GAS STOVE. Ha ha. <br /><br />Now, to pack for that trip to Minneapolis and the Minne Tourney.<br /><br />Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for CrosswordsDiana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70923179805142818982016-06-09T12:17:59.418-04:002016-06-09T12:17:59.418-04:00Judt did the syndicated version out here in the we...Judt did the syndicated version out here in the western hinterlands, note 65A now clued as "this land ___ land" instead of "a mighty fortress ___ god" (per @puzzlegirl's writeup). Wonder why the change? (Apologies if this has already been mentioned; life is short, comments are long)<br />Debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08854147399716210100noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31207009933474963752016-06-09T11:35:40.676-04:002016-06-09T11:35:40.676-04:00Whew! I came oh so close to a single-letter DNF to...Whew! I came oh so close to a single-letter DNF today.The last entries I made were RIPLEYS and BLAU, leaving me with BLOOS. It all looked OK...except that BLOOS thing. Relations? Where was I wrong? All the crosses checked out solidly. And then perhaps the aha! moment of the YEAR hit me: it's BLOOD! And so done, and I would've seen Mr. Happy Pencil if I'd been doing it online.<br /><br />It took a while to get started, searching for purchase. I found it with NEWEL, which fit with [something]WARE. Thus I was in the neighborhood of the reveal line right away, and so the jig was up early on. It still wasn't BREEZIER than usual after that; the translated author began with JUL, and the first name I thought of was JULia Child. Hey, not at all unreasonable: we all like to eat. Europeans too. OK, now tell me: how in the WORLD is ICELAND in Europe??? I cry foul on that one. I did fill that space correctly, as the clue fit that country much better than it did Ireland. All that directory would have as a national clue would be a huge section of O's.<br /><br />The other problem square wasn't too much of a bother for me, not that I knew either of them, but running the alphabet for DER_ just pointed to R. I said the name out loud: "Earl DERR Biggers." Yeah, somebody could be named that. No "biggie."<br /><br />Despite the delights of sussing it all out, my enjoyment was marred by the no-excuse horrid entry IIN--though INDC isn't far behind. Everybody's DOD is DEMORNAY--but let's not overlook JLO! I realize theme constraints come into play, but IIN is so-o-o bad, couldn't SOMETHING be done? This should've been a birdie, but let's say, the short putt lipped out. Par. spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63730008412589365982016-06-09T11:13:34.470-04:002016-06-09T11:13:34.470-04:00This one had me confused until I found the first A...This one had me confused until I found the first ACE which was actually the second ACE in the puz. I was wandering all over looking for the gimmick. Maybe shoulda started SE instead of NW. A few odd answers in INDC, ISOUR, ASET, IIN were troublesome. As was bELIEves for RELIESON – inkfest there.<br /><br />Did like the photo of Jake Arrieta as compared to ARIETTA. More in my area.<br /><br />JLO, Rebecca DEMORNAY and even a DEMI for yeah babies scattered all around. ROSIE not so much.<br /><br />As much as I don’t really care for a puz that RELIESON a gimmick, this was pretty tolerable.<br />rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53585052517694256352016-06-09T09:12:18.373-04:002016-06-09T09:12:18.373-04:00BLACKSHEEP RELIESON YESES
ADJACENTTO the ALEHOUSE...BLACKSHEEP RELIESON YESES<br /><br />ADJACENTTO the ALEHOUSE ISOUR favorite place,<br />to lie down NEARGALE and PET with AMAZINGGRACE.<br />We drink every DEER DROPLET TOLIFE, to never get OLD,<br />it’s never AMINUS to take TERNS as an ACEINTHEHOLE.<br /><br />--- T.FAL NEWEL, CEO<br />Burma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64238197807352562672016-06-08T19:43:40.761-04:002016-06-08T19:43:40.761-04:00OK Synders and other interested parties. I just h...OK Synders and other interested parties. I just had a thought. Yes indeedie, I did. <br /><br />Uh oh...you ok? Where are my smelling salts? There, breath that in. Not feeling so faint now? <br /><br />OK, so here's my thought(s). Yes multiple.<br /><br />I've been mulling (or musing) on the many comments I've read here, by OFL and other solvers, that the NYTP is not as glorious today as it once was. Drabber. Duller. Not as lively. Not quite as dead as the proverbial doornail, but certainly feeling its "age" in its joints. (Not that I would know anything about that!) (No, not that kind of joint!)<br /><br />These comments of disillusionment are usually prefaced by something like, "I've been solving the NYTP for 25 years," "I've been solving the NYTP since before God told Noah to build an ARK." "My mother started me solving the NYTP while I was in my crib." "This is my third century solving the NYTP."<br /><br />So, as a Crossword 4th grader, solving consistently for 2+ years, I have thought - "I wonder what all these folks are on to?" I mean, they must be brilliant, long-term solvers.<br /><br />Then I realized, due to a post I made the other day, that I may have a, not unique, but somewhat different point of view. Another perspective You see, I have purchased many, many anthologies of the NYTP - some from 2 or 5 or 10 or 20 years ago - to practice my solving skills. I solve (or attempt) several puzzles a day. I'm running as fast as I can to catch up with y'all. And I haven't seen a big (or even little) difference in quality for the past two decades that I've been solving for the past two years.<br /><br />So here's a possibility. Maybe the Times isn't getting worse. Maybe you're getting better. Much, much better. So much better that you've lost perspective as to what constitutes an easy, or good, or tough, or "elegant," or NYT-worthy puzzle. This could be especially true for solvers who care about time because they participate in tournaments on the competitive level. It's like y'all have gone from HS athletes to the Olympics to the NFL to the Super Bowl. <br /><br />In the meantime, I'm just enjoying the puzzles. I actually feel kinda bad when y'all don't. They are puzzles. Little pieces of fun. Sit back. Breathe. Enjoy!<br /><br />Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for Crosswords<br /><br />Hmm, I might just get into the deLorean and fly this by Futureland...Diana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45758817427500151002016-05-12T09:40:52.842-04:002016-05-12T09:40:52.842-04:00QUESTION ON THE BOX NUMBERing
HOW is it that box ...QUESTION ON THE BOX NUMBERing<br /><br />HOW is it that box 1 is not the BLACK box in the upper right hand corner - 1 across fill "T A T E" is not the solution to one across clue<br /><br />WHY can't a BLACK BOX have a number ?<br /><br />frankD@kapilaco.comAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-69859418272067473512016-05-07T14:11:49.192-04:002016-05-07T14:11:49.192-04:00A belated you're welcome. Funny thing is your ...A belated you're welcome. Funny thing is your "fix" would have made the puzzle harder for me. I had no problem with TFAL or LEGER but don't know DEGEN. Which was just auto corrected to DEGENERATE. djogbahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02923056386674083612noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51936325034379180222016-05-06T10:33:20.257-04:002016-05-06T10:33:20.257-04:00@David...
Much of crossword solving is inference -...@David...<br />Much of crossword solving is inference - where you "bootstrap" yourself into answers you don't know by drawing from whatever you DO know.<br /><br />I know (or could guess) that ICELAND has way fewer people than IrELAND - and inferred that would make it more feasible that they could sort their phonebook that way.<br />And yeah, I have heard of ACRE, even if I know little about it, so that helped push me towards my choice.<br />Actually, I dropped in hungary before having any crosses, and felt hugely smug, because I know that Hungarians do odd things with their last name/first name...<br /><br />Then you have countless examples of the wonderful misdirects, where constructors delight in leading us astray. <br />One of those in a "Direction" clue that got me bad - was something like "Washington Square Park to Empire State Building direction" - which every New Yorker knows is due north...<br /><br />Ha ha - Manhattan actually runs NE/SW, so the true direction would be NNE. <br />When I went to the map to catch Will Shortz in a grievous mistake, I learned that Manhattan is NOT lined up straight north/south!!<br /><br />Using my powers of inference is good brain exercise for me, and is why you can do crosswords without having read the complete works of Shakespeare or binge-watched the Simpsons. (I've done neither.)Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53804325190862344712016-05-06T09:25:22.297-04:002016-05-06T09:25:22.297-04:00Questionable including for Amazing Grace. It's...Questionable including for Amazing Grace. It's not a spiritual (although it's certainly become part of the Black gospel tradition in the last century). Its origins are in late 18th century English hymnody during the time in which the Methodist movement emerged in the Church of England. John Newton, who wrote the text, was a reformed slave trader.Glenn Pattonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02430782185637049225noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-27122627599613182082016-05-06T08:52:39.660-04:002016-05-06T08:52:39.660-04:00@Leapfinger, you may indeed. I am a bit croisé! &q...@Leapfinger, you may indeed. I am a bit croisé! "let's call the whole thing off"? haha.<br /><br />QuasiMojonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5378017506835400392016-05-06T07:39:58.760-04:002016-05-06T07:39:58.760-04:00@Quasi Mojo,
Ver-sah-chee, Ver-sah-chay
Toe-may-t...@Quasi Mojo,<br /><br />Ver-sah-chee, Ver-sah-chay<br />Toe-may-toe, Toe-mah-toe!<br /><br />May I say that's Qwah-zee Qway-zee?Leapfingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14243620614139990887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18431496898935880542016-05-06T06:56:47.770-04:002016-05-06T06:56:47.770-04:00This should be the last of my trouble-shooting pos...This should be the last of my trouble-shooting posts on Friday morning. <br /><br />By now, everyone reading knows the ACE_IN_THE_HOLE concept of today's (May 4, 2016) puzzle by @David Poole. I write to direct you to <a href="http://chronicle.com/items/biz/pdf/20160429.pdf" rel="nofollow">this puzzle</a> entitled "Aces" that appeared a week ago (April 29, 2016) in the <i>Chronicle for Higher Education</i>. I have hyperlinked to a pdf, but if you want a puz file instead, click <a href="http://chronicle.com/section/Crosswords/43/" rel="nofollow">here</a> and download as per the instructions.<br /><br />Congratulations to the CHE authors @Don Gagliardo and @Zhouqin Burnikel, and the editor @Brad Wilber, for their ingenious puzzle.George Baranyhttp://www.chem.umn.edu/groups/baranygp/puzzles/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44156273283263333292016-05-06T06:49:46.131-04:002016-05-06T06:49:46.131-04:00Writing on Friday morning, and continuing my troub...Writing on Friday morning, and continuing my trouble shooting from yesterday when one of my posts had difficulty making it through the blogging filters.<br /><br />@Puzzle Girl plugged her very fine AVCX puzzle (see above). After you have solved it, please try <a href="http://www.chem.umn.edu/groups/baranygp/puzzles/purple%20reign/" rel="nofollow">this tribute puzzle</a>, which includes in its title part of a special feature of the AVCX puzzle. Our puzzle also contains an Easter egg shout-out to the author of yet another tribute puzzle, one that I've heard good things about but not actually seen, that is accessible to subscribers at <a href="http://www.ariesxword.com/about.htm" rel="nofollow">this website</a>. Finally, I refer all who are interested to <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2016/05/05/arts/music/friends-sought-help-for-princes-addiction-lawyer-says.html?_r=0" rel="nofollow">this article</a> which summarizes the latest twists and turns in a story that has been in the national conversation for two weeks now.George Baranyhttp://www.chem.umn.edu/groups/baranygp/puzzles/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32483703084835324912016-05-06T05:57:57.575-04:002016-05-06T05:57:57.575-04:00Many wonderful comments, too many to shout out ind...Many wonderful comments, too many to shout out individually. Alas, there seems to be some glitch over the past week or two with some of my posts, so bear with me as we troubleshoot. <br /><br />In the spirit of @PuzzleGirl's plug for the Indie tournament on Saturday June 4, allow me to plug one more that will be held 8 days later.<br /><br />The <a href="http://thefriends.org/events/minnesota-crossword-tournament/" rel="nofollow">Minnesota Crossword Tournament</a> will be held on Sunday, June 12. I have hyperlinked to general information, but you can also click <a href="http://thefriends.org/blog/ai1ec_event/mn-xword-tournament-16/?instance_id=1692" rel="nofollow">here</a> for direct registration. We hope that many of you can join us!George Baranyhttp://www.chem.umn.edu/groups/baranygp/puzzles/noreply@blogger.com