tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post1334715112539354048..comments2024-03-28T20:02:27.431-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: SUNDAY, Aug. 10, 2008 - Will Nediger (YOSSARIAN'S TENTMATE, in "Catch-22" / CHARON'S WORKPLACE / VESPASIAN'S SUCCESSOR /ATHOS'S ARM)Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger66125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3247535536132519142008-08-21T10:51:00.000-04:002008-08-21T10:51:00.000-04:00I'm married to a hardcore CHOPSTICKER, but I prefe...I'm married to a hardcore CHOPSTICKER, but I prefer an old-fashioned FORK.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11334753079594592542008-08-18T12:06:00.000-04:002008-08-18T12:06:00.000-04:00I laughed out loud at my one mistake in this puzzl...I laughed out loud at my one mistake in this puzzle: Assuming [Georgia neighbor] would be KURD or CURD, I wrote in _URD...(didn't know Ringo's son, thought it would be TAD.) Anyway, I then filled in GATEMAN, which placed a "T" at 25A, revealing, you guessed it, TURD.cody.riggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05883012611419987246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84986190945653959342008-08-18T11:57:00.000-04:002008-08-18T11:57:00.000-04:00It puzzles me that Rex would call KERF an "absurdi...It puzzles me that Rex would call KERF an "absurdity." I use the word all the time, as would anyone involved in woodworking.cody.riggshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05883012611419987246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40792943466523217372008-08-17T16:44:00.000-04:002008-08-17T16:44:00.000-04:00Spooning leads to forking. Sorry, I couldn't resis...Spooning leads to forking. <BR/>Sorry, I couldn't resist. I love middle school humor.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83894293846358420742008-08-17T15:40:00.000-04:002008-08-17T15:40:00.000-04:00I didn't see anybody else call attention to 62D "s...I didn't see anybody else call attention to 62D "single malt, for instance." I am pretty sure single malt is WHISKY, not WHISKEY.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-79267873134404789322008-08-17T13:11:00.000-04:002008-08-17T13:11:00.000-04:00Occam's Razor IMO cuts both ways. While it does fo...Occam's Razor IMO cuts both ways. While it does force a proponent of an overcomplicated position to justify the complexity, the Razor deals with disputation and begs the question of truth. In the spectacularly entertaining nonclassical carbonium ion debate of the sixties in organic chemistry, it did serve to require a higher level of evidence that would nave been the case had H. C. Brown not used the Razor.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-936708058579700232008-08-12T18:39:00.000-04:002008-08-12T18:39:00.000-04:00LOL @ Meet the Forkers. That's what I thought of w...LOL @ Meet the Forkers. That's what I thought of when I filled that word in. I enjoyed this puzzle, only because I finished it quickly. I guess that's not a great reason to love it but these types make me feel smart. Two weeks in a row I astounded my co-workers by filling in ink and making few mistakes. When I have trouble I bring the puzzle into the back room...williamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05510774038072105023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33786935695309014102008-08-11T18:48:00.000-04:002008-08-11T18:48:00.000-04:00miriam , do you know you are posting on Sunday and...miriam , do you know you are posting on Sunday and not Monday?Jeffreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01699404861773455504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25735951264652898832008-08-11T18:46:00.000-04:002008-08-11T18:46:00.000-04:00I'm not getting followups. I don't need this kind...I'm not getting followups. I don't need this kind of TSURIS.miriam bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03506593846362044050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66291026606722020392008-08-11T15:59:00.000-04:002008-08-11T15:59:00.000-04:00I don't know what's going on here, but I've writte...I don't know what's going on here, but I've written down everything I've fiddled with and have apparently hit pay dirt. I have a new email and a new password, apparently; both results of my son's ministrations. Das war vielleicht ein Schlimmverbesserung.miriam bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03506593846362044050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-62837107757128076622008-08-11T00:14:00.000-04:002008-08-11T00:14:00.000-04:00You're not alone in your lack of love for Sudoku. ...You're not alone in your lack of love for Sudoku. I've done it out of desperation on a couple of 10+ hour car rides, but really... there's no art to it. It's just a matter of math. I know I could write a program to solve sudoku for me in an hour or two-- not something I can say about crossword puzzles.<BR/><BR/>Still... there's no accounting for taste, as they say.<BR/><BR/>I liked this puzzle, though! Some utterly bizarre fill (I forgot KERF entirely in my writeup, haw) but overall a pleasant experience.coldandsleepyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11599681293819243534noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26435295611841284722008-08-10T23:45:00.000-04:002008-08-10T23:45:00.000-04:00@will-I thought the grid had something to do with ...@will-<BR/><BR/>I thought the grid had something to do with it but I still like your cluing better. And you are right about BICEP.<BR/><BR/>It is ironic that that particular area of the puzzle gave me fits.Bill from NJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10103923612595508277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22213586827421079252008-08-10T23:30:00.000-04:002008-08-10T23:30:00.000-04:00@bill from nj: I definitely didn't like having to ...@bill from nj: I definitely didn't like having to use FORKERS, but I worked on that section for a while, and every other fill I came up with had at least one questionable entry. I opted for this one because FORKERS is at least gettable, though it's contrived, and BICEP isn't too bad.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-69504368577360126712008-08-10T23:03:00.000-04:002008-08-10T23:03:00.000-04:00Meet The Forkers.(knights are known to be great fo...Meet The Forkers.<BR/><BR/>(knights are known to be great forkers in chess)<BR/><BR/>I thought Vic Fleming's 2008<BR/>ACPT t-shirt was pretty cool!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60960020065805187652008-08-10T22:19:00.000-04:002008-08-10T22:19:00.000-04:00Will Nediger wrote over at Orange's place that his...Will Nediger wrote over at Orange's place that his clue for FORKERS was originally <B>Chess players, often</B> but he didn't address why he used that word in the first place. Maybe he was forced into it by the grid.<BR/><BR/>Joho, he said that the clue for PURITANS was based on his weakness for cringe-worthy puns.<BR/><BR/>I do wonder , however, why Will Shortz thought the chopsticks clue was better than Mr Nediger's chess clueBill from NJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10103923612595508277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63607834084594772442008-08-10T22:00:00.000-04:002008-08-10T22:00:00.000-04:00Thank you @Steve I said. That is the perfect reaso...Thank you @Steve I said. That is the perfect reason for objecting to FORKERS. This is not merely obscure, it's made up. Making up words as you go along is a slippery slope for crosswords. So, even though this was gettable, and even funny, it feels important to object to it on principle. I'm really surprised that it got through Will's eagle eye.foodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13052189131129098616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41298131363115300182008-08-10T21:39:00.000-04:002008-08-10T21:39:00.000-04:00The problem with FORKER is that it's not really a ...The problem with FORKER is that it's not really a word. That is to say, theoretically, it's a word, as the online dictionary lists it as a formation from FORK, but there is no context in which such a word is used. If you Google it, you'll basically get proper names. The ER ending is understood to mean "one who...," but real ER words are professions (writer, dancer, etc.) or commonly identifiable things (tanker, freighter, etc.) You can't just slap an ER on FORK and say that a FORKER is someone or thing that forks. It's just not a word. We don't say, that road forks up ahead; it's a real FORKER. Or, Peter handles a fork so well; he's a real FORKER. Every time I type in FORKER, the spell-check underlines it. That's because IT'S NOT A WORD!! Finally. the 4th-grade snicker factor, given the word's similarity to one that would never be in the crossword, may be in play here as well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44505706757038162462008-08-10T20:56:00.000-04:002008-08-10T20:56:00.000-04:00Why do people keep complaining about FORKER? It's ...Why do people keep complaining about FORKER? It's a valid clue. I mean, it's impossible to guess without a few intersections, but it goes with the clue...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46476965379880209222008-08-10T20:50:00.000-04:002008-08-10T20:50:00.000-04:00I really enjoyed this puzzle-- great for a newbie...I really enjoyed this puzzle-- great for a newbie solver. It had plenty of mostly easyish answers interspersed with some tougher fill (ERGOT, MOG, GETZ). No googles on this one for me! <BR/><BR/>The ESTREET answer was a gimmie for me as I am a Springsteen fanatic, but wondering if others not so obsessed with him may have found it tough. Or is Little Steven's relationship with the band now common knowledge because he was on the Sopranos? I would have loved it to be clued as "The Wild, the Innocent and the _______ Shuffle." Just haven't ever heard the band referred to as it was clued. But I was thrilled to see the mention in the puzzle regardless of the clueing. <BR/><BR/>Hate to beat a dead cat with the Minnesota connections, but in addition to Ramsey's mention of native Minnesotan Loni Anderson (who supposedly briefly dated my godfather), Peter Tork (Monkee) went to Carleton. I think he dropped out or flunked out. <BR/><BR/>BTW, not a Sudoku person either, but I never was a Seinfeld fan, and am a FORKER, so I may just be a bit outside of the norm in some areas. . . . <BR/><BR/>CinedinaAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-27600260878607679072008-08-10T18:19:00.000-04:002008-08-10T18:19:00.000-04:00A fine sundy for me. the right mix of things I kne...A fine sundy for me. the right mix of things I knew and things that made me think. It looked like FORKERS was right early on, but I resisted putting that in because ... well ... it just couldn't be right, right? Oh well.<BR/><BR/>The very first album I ever bought (you know, those 12-inch discs made of vinyl?) was by the Monkees. I was maybe 12 and a huge fan. Even joined the fan club. My grandmother knitted me a cap like the kind Mike Nesmith wore, though my favorite Monkee was the goofy Mickey Dolenz. I'll stop the embarrassing facts here.<BR/><BR/>It took me a bit to get past facial grooming to come up with OCCAM, but the answer made me smile. I'm quite the rationalist and wish more people would apply the razor to some of their wacky beliefs.<BR/><BR/>WKRP...an all-time classic. The line: "With God as my witness I swore they could fly" end one of the funniest bits ever aired. <BR/><BR/>I want Mo G, the rapper, to play a MOOG. Psychedelic rap, perhaps?jeff in chicagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10492964479021891094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58584106304951349302008-08-10T17:39:00.000-04:002008-08-10T17:39:00.000-04:00Bill Gates' wife won't be pleased that I had the M...Bill Gates' wife won't be pleased that I had the MELINDA virus sitting in 29D for a while. <BR/><BR/>I kinda like words like FORKERS, especially with equally absurd Clues.fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9637211808512715982008-08-10T16:49:00.000-04:002008-08-10T16:49:00.000-04:00I never had a peach Nehi in Minnesota, but I did g...I never had a peach Nehi in Minnesota, but I did go to high school there with WKP's Loni Anderson (a striking brunette at the time).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41493989166629782082008-08-10T16:07:00.000-04:002008-08-10T16:07:00.000-04:00Maybe WWI GIs called their entrenching tools "fork...Maybe WWI GIs called their entrenching tools "forkers"?fikinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06324570637549775751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89232278213064537052008-08-10T16:01:00.000-04:002008-08-10T16:01:00.000-04:00The only comment I planned to make today was about...The only comment I planned to make today was about 7D ... I thought the clue was ridiculous ... but Rex beat me to it. But upon arriving here I want to join @bill from nj @cea and @barry: FORKERS!!?????????????? That is so totally made up for this puzzle it's, well, more ridiculous than 7D.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-79459929885956298402008-08-10T15:44:00.000-04:002008-08-10T15:44:00.000-04:00The Fokker V.4 was flown by The Red Baron (both th...The Fokker V.4 was flown by The Red Baron (both the real German pilot, Manfred von Richthofen, and the Peanuts character) during WWI. Snoopy (and the British) flew Sopwith Camels. These factoids are known by me from listening to a "Snoopy and the Red Baron" 45RPM when I was a kid.Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00171716627914528357noreply@blogger.com