tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post1444936559930280753..comments2024-03-28T07:35:12.569-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Husband of Frigg / WED 3-3-10 / Starbuck's quarry / Shaggy Tibetans / Hammy Now I seeRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38162820794743981032010-04-08T00:55:10.969-04:002010-04-08T00:55:10.969-04:00To elaborate even further on "eight the hard ...To elaborate even further on "eight the hard way"...<br /><br />In rolling dice, there are different "ways" to make various totals. <br /><br />For example, there's only one way to roll a TWO: both dice have to come up ONEs. Same for TWELVE -- both dice have to come up SIXes. Since these combos are rare (1 in 36 rolls), they have special names: "Snake-eyes" for double ones, and "Boxcars" for double sixes. <br /><br />Totals of 4, 6, 8 or 10 thrown as pairs (2+2, 3+3, etc.) are known as "the hard way," since there is only one way to do it -- again a 1-in-36 chance. For example, there are 5 ways to roll an 8: 2+6, 3+5, 4+4, 5+3, and 6+2. By specifying "eight the hard way" you decrease the odds of rolling it from 5/36 to 1/36.<br /><br />For a game that used to played with the anklebones of oxen, dice has evolved an amazing array of rules, strategies, and colorful terms.BassManPDXhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15675654080672254349noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37335690044425928352010-03-05T07:41:04.171-05:002010-03-05T07:41:04.171-05:00@Stephen -
"Eight the hard way" would b...@Stephen - <br />"Eight the hard way" would be a particular ROLL of the dice, just like snake eyes or boxcars.Nathan Detroitnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59318175130974873382010-03-04T22:44:15.910-05:002010-03-04T22:44:15.910-05:00Oh dear. Some of it fun. Some of it clever. And so...Oh dear. Some of it fun. Some of it clever. And some of it a litany of obscurities (former pitcher of a baseball team? a role in a rare movie? a wine never sold here? a somebody called Papa Bear? a batting champ from 1974?? and too many etceterae to suffer). Spare me. I don't mind learning about something that has durability, like an old word for music halls or the flag of Quebec, but discovering the name of "actress Joanne" is just too silly. It's forgivable if you have to stoop to these things to make a fill word somewhere, but this puzzle constructor believes we should enjoy them. Eesh.<br /><br /><br />One stumble I had where I thought I was learning something was the cross point where "digs" crossed "challenges". I had BURBS and DURES, and started to believe that DURES was an old noun form from which the word endures was derived. Alas not. The "digs" clue was good though. Too good.<br /><br />I waited 36 hours for the answer to "eight the hard way" to sink in. I still haven't figured out why ROLL fits. No one else commented, so it must be too easy. Please rescue my brain.Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911901473993027184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61458146334093064162010-03-03T22:18:40.390-05:002010-03-03T22:18:40.390-05:00@ArtLvr: Excellent post! The depth of knowledge ab...@ArtLvr: Excellent post! The depth of knowledge about words around here is really pretty impressive.Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02681342234536407419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33766483467812132932010-03-03T22:18:17.590-05:002010-03-03T22:18:17.590-05:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my <a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=35115061&postID=3588389571383499624&isPopup=true" rel="nofollow">7/30/2009 post</a> 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 7:39, 6:55, 1.11, 77%, Medium-Challenging<br />Tue 10:22, 8:48, 1.18, 88%, Challenging<br />Wed 9:37, 11:50, 0.81, 10%, Easy<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 4:18, 3:41, 1.17, 85%, Challenging<br />Tue 5:23, 4:30, 1.20, 89%, Challenging<br />Wed 4:27, 5:48, 0.77, 9%, Easy<br /><br />Will seems to have his days mixed up this week. Today's and Monday's puzzles were more like a Tuesday and Tuesday's puzzle was more like a Wednesday.sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2101226192740729422010-03-03T21:10:33.237-05:002010-03-03T21:10:33.237-05:00@ chefbea and JenCT -- My only granddaughter is a ...@ chefbea and JenCT -- My only granddaughter is a VIVIENNE with that spelling. I think her parents later wished they'd kept it simpler, but there it is. <br /><br />@ Steve J -- BLANCH does indeed have the "white" meaning in English, most commonly as a verb form indicating withdrawal of color, causing whitening or turning pale (from the French verb "blanchir")... Common usages include blanching of almonds or other foods by removing the skin, often by boiling, plus blanching of linens or other fabrics as in exposure to direct sunlight, blanched bones found dried by desert heat, and blanched cheeks unusually pale as in illness or shock, due to reduced circualtion of the blood... Related English words are blank, blanket and bleach...<br /><br />∑;)ArtLvrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03869528391374878601noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77620714557057375292010-03-03T19:41:00.171-05:002010-03-03T19:41:00.171-05:00Rex, Thanks for the Matt Kish (Moby Dick) art work...Rex, Thanks for the Matt Kish (Moby Dick) art work and link. I am a Moby Dick fan and found his site fascinating.<br /><br />I liked today's puzzle, it seemed odd at times, but never boring.Teresahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13396770897787677711noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42032927986832995762010-03-03T18:47:50.424-05:002010-03-03T18:47:50.424-05:00@anon 5:09
...and if you click on the names (cute...@anon 5:09<br /><br />...and if you click on the names (cute or otherwise), you will often find a way to contact them, and maybe a little about them.<br /><br />The more you're willing to reveal, the more your comments are considered, be it in your *name* or in your posts. At least sign them with a cute name.<br /><br />But an unsigned Anon is waaay down on my credible source list.<br /><br />.../GlitchGlitchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14940000404613329056noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86088538662249475482010-03-03T18:17:07.533-05:002010-03-03T18:17:07.533-05:00@Blanche Dubois: For someone who's supposedly ...@Blanche Dubois: For someone who's supposedly bonkers, you sound pretty sane to me.<br /><br />And BTW some of us have names that are more real than cute, but I understand that's not an option if you're here on company time...Ulrichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02086202853174403008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18795974161360449082010-03-03T17:54:54.991-05:002010-03-03T17:54:54.991-05:00@doug: many thanks. Guess I violated the cardinal ...@doug: many thanks. Guess I violated the cardinal rule of look over the whole grid before turning in! No wonder I felt a little lostCharles Boglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15667976595355657752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57897878046480600902010-03-03T17:42:01.546-05:002010-03-03T17:42:01.546-05:0013 names by my count, of which I'd say I knew ...13 names by my count, of which I'd say I knew maybe 3 (although, with the exception of the Natick of Dru and Garr, they were easy to piece together). As a young solver, I expect to have a couple names I don't know, but ugh. Today was a slog. I was hoping to find out Vivien Leigh was Canadian, it would have justified the theme a bit more.Joelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45280000521461836212010-03-03T17:37:59.531-05:002010-03-03T17:37:59.531-05:00@retired_chemist and @Clark, it's a matter mos...@retired_chemist and @Clark, it's a matter mostly of accent. "éste" = "this one", "esté" = "it is", and plain old "este" means "this" or "east", depending on context. The direction is usually preceded by an article ("el este") or a prepositional ("del este").lit.dochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06729199575329286046noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55865985365767767032010-03-03T17:25:22.364-05:002010-03-03T17:25:22.364-05:00A puzzle, so your name isn't really rex parker...A puzzle, so your name isn't really rex parker and I'm guessing you're probably not a steeplejack either.Londonmomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01034319558348761033noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19470802851222950422010-03-03T17:23:44.647-05:002010-03-03T17:23:44.647-05:00@Hudson Hawk - laughed at your countdown, too.
@a...@Hudson Hawk - laughed at your countdown, too.<br /><br />@andrea yaks michaels - glad you enjoy the negative (er, constructive) comments also - laughed at "your mom and friends" comment - do you do standup by any chance??? <br /><br />@chefwen - agree w/your Anonymous commentJenCThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18290169184354765840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48126072799180618832010-03-03T17:21:56.339-05:002010-03-03T17:21:56.339-05:00@ Anon 5:09 - go to the Google main page and get t...@ Anon 5:09 - go to the Google main page and get to Blogger. Open an account and you can be cranky with a cute name that distinguishes you from other anonymice. Or, just select Name/URL, type in whatever name you like (URL optional I think), and there you are.<br /><br />R_CBlanche Duboishttp://www.glengowan.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17989490542951965542010-03-03T17:16:09.681-05:002010-03-03T17:16:09.681-05:00@ Clark - I thought ESTO masc, ESTA fem., ESTE = ...@ Clark - I thought ESTO masc, ESTA fem., ESTE = EAST. MY online dictionary does translate ESTE as THIS. My bad I guess, but I do not recall it from HS Spanish.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12105967609927597502010-03-03T17:09:26.020-05:002010-03-03T17:09:26.020-05:00Exactly what is the difference between anonymous a...Exactly what is the difference between anonymous and a name like "Steven J" or "The Corgi of Mystery" or "chefwen?" You're still anonymous, right? Just asking... I would adopt one of those names, too, but I'm not quite sure how to do it. I think I'd be just as cranky, even with a cute name.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18611593896919021952010-03-03T16:53:37.185-05:002010-03-03T16:53:37.185-05:00I think the best thing about this puzzle for me wa...I think the best thing about this puzzle for me was how fast I solved it -- first sub-4 time on Wednesday ever. <br /><br />@chefwen: the really crotchety people are always anonymous because it's Universal Internet Law #5The Corgi of Mysteryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12094737503793280830noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13466327756720490992010-03-03T16:45:20.545-05:002010-03-03T16:45:20.545-05:00@HudsonHawk: Ha, nicely done.
I admit, that took...@HudsonHawk: Ha, nicely done. <br /><br />I admit, that took me way longer to get than it should have when I looked at that first thing this morning (even factoring in the "first thing in the morning" bit). Even after figuring it out, I still found it more fun than the puzzle ...<br /><br />And, incidentally, I loved "Lost in Translation."Steve Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15185067739452052656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45424481692042386412010-03-03T16:33:00.458-05:002010-03-03T16:33:00.458-05:00@retired_chemist: What, then, is the masculine si...@retired_chemist: What, then, is the masculine singular form of the demonstrative adjective meaning 'this'?Clarknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68529945125525270492010-03-03T16:18:20.328-05:002010-03-03T16:18:20.328-05:00@Two Ponies- OK, I'll complain :). I actually ...@Two Ponies- OK, I'll complain :). I actually liked the puzzle and thought the theme was clever. It reminded me to send in my money for a benefit, aptly titled a Night for the Red and White, in two weeks. <br /><br />@CoolPapaD- wine doesn't travel well when the bottles in your luggage breakAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14080614207928751552010-03-03T16:02:53.460-05:002010-03-03T16:02:53.460-05:00@ CoolPapaD, I never made it thru Lost in Translat...@ CoolPapaD, I never made it thru Lost in Translation. I was Lost in Tedium.<br />Also, I guess we are done slamming "tutee" as an answer because not one person complained about it as a clue today.Two Ponieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06896743444873087885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43391666488782399642010-03-03T16:00:09.319-05:002010-03-03T16:00:09.319-05:00How come the really crotchety people are anonymous...How come the really crotchety people are anonymous?<br /><br />I am with the "easy, but liked it crowd". Didn't know HALAS, husband did, didn't knot GARR, husband did. It's very handy having a sports nut in house.chefwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03999206352243329280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21429908087734858802010-03-03T15:57:52.318-05:002010-03-03T15:57:52.318-05:00@HudsonHawk - Your countdown was indeed funny!
@B...@HudsonHawk - Your countdown was indeed funny!<br /><br />@Bill from NJ - Thanks for the wine info. I don't drink, and don't know much about wine, but your answer had a hint of oak to it, and I liked it! Ulrich's was pretty good as well....<br /><br />Am I the only one that was bored out of my skull watching Lost in Translation? Give me Caddyshack any day!CoolPapaDhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11542059534657415505noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46529744841175200572010-03-03T15:37:56.762-05:002010-03-03T15:37:56.762-05:00It is sometimes as much fun figuring out what the ...It is sometimes as much fun figuring out what the connection is between the pictures Rex posts as it is doing the puzzle.<br /><br />Blanche Devereaux - Blanche Dubois. I love it. It's free association time, folks.edith bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12048817959846956992noreply@blogger.com