tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post1493561916158957061..comments2024-03-29T09:58:30.660-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Soap actress Sofer / THU 10-11-12 / Verdi opera set in Aragon / Baal worshiper / Name shared by Broadway quintet / Toon with singing map / Massenet opera based on work of Goethe / Winston's biggest fear in 1984Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48184812133136782632012-11-22T11:16:55.123-05:002012-11-22T11:16:55.123-05:00whaddya mean no one says "ONE TO" (12D: ...whaddya mean no one says "ONE TO" (12D: Just before the top of the hour)? ONE TO is my favorite minute of every hour. and every hour, at "two to", my alarm goes off on my phone so i can count down the last minute before the last minute before the top of the hour. and when it's finally ONE TO i jump up from my desk at the office and shout above all the cubicles "IT'S ONE TO". and which ever hour it is that it's ONE TO, i shout "IT'S ONE TO" the corresponding number of times, so everyone knows the hour that it's ONE TO. no one at the office likes me very much...which is why i do xwords...they don't judge me...i get to judge them. and judge i shall:<br /><br />overall, fun to solve...liked the theme, 3 syllables alike then 2 syllables alike...nice!...and BLOW POP = awesome!<br /><br />things i didn't like: <br /><br />operas -- ugh!<br /><br />how many times is it ok to repeat the word "to"? 5 apparently (A TO, GO TO, ONE TO, RAM INTO, SUCCUMBS TO). that's at least ONE "TO" (actually more like two or three) too many in my books. but at least there is ONE "TO" for each corner...i guess<br /><br />and lastly... i don't see how "ON A STAR" (61A: As you wish?) is a valid answer other than its cutesyness. it's not a stand-alone phrase like "on a roll"... AND... one wishes "UPon a star" (which would make for an equally ugly answer imo). i dunno, maybe i'm being harsh but that answer just feels like...cheating.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18901944363040628302012-11-16T06:34:40.632-05:002012-11-16T06:34:40.632-05:00I guess I was the only one looking for "baby&...I guess I was the only one looking for "baby" at 30D (Dingo prey)?Anonyratnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-905597644563965072012-11-15T16:10:35.091-05:002012-11-15T16:10:35.091-05:00Humph. I didn't find this one easy. 1A had t...Humph. I didn't find this one easy. 1A had to start with A; Africa, I thought, originally, but clearly not going to work, so I went to the NE and quickly got CANCANCANTATA off the TATA, and the jig was up. However, because of my solving approach, I very, very slowly went through the E, the SE, the SW, and the W (which was actually pretty easy), but WERTHER and the NW took forever. Finally, realizing that there is a MOSCOW in the US, APEDOM appeared. Now, I think I like this puzzle, even though the only Bernini I have ever heard of is a sewing machine. The whole week has been fun.rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1448442406589293592012-11-15T15:36:52.084-05:002012-11-15T15:36:52.084-05:00We in syndiland seem not to have fallen into the j...We in syndiland seem not to have fallen into the jungle trap, and I resisted Africa which became impossible with A_E_O_ in place - it took a long time to make the connection to Tarzan's APEman moniker and the answer became apparent. One write-over (OWO) again today, with my first attempt at 32d was Stab which was a good answer, just wrong. If I had realized that the last syllables of the theme answers repeated themselves I would not have wound up with BERBERBERtINI - I need to brush up on my Italian cultural art figures. Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47496067531497331232012-11-15T14:31:19.714-05:002012-11-15T14:31:19.714-05:00Done in by a monkey! Even with A-E-O- , I didn'...Done in by a monkey! Even with A-E-O- , I didn't parse APEDOM. Is that really a word? The one I feel dumb about not getting was PUB. I thought of bar and wanted poster, and there my choices ran out. So, after filling in the rest,including some opera stuff I really don't know,I ended up DNF inthe NW. Loved EXECUTRIX when I finally parsed it. Originally thought of the wrong Winston, and had "fear" which eventually became RATS. <br /><br /><br />Now for the Captcha, which seems to be "loathan" which seems to be how I feel about trying it.DMGrandmanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47698764869189323672012-11-15T13:42:03.469-05:002012-11-15T13:42:03.469-05:00Thanks @Danny! I hadn't appreciated the xxxyy...Thanks @Danny! I hadn't appreciated the xxxyy symmetry.<br /><br /> Here's how I got <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n04mgx8KUsY" rel="nofollow">Five Guys Named Moe</a>. I loved that song. I even have the cd. I think they're Canadian/Scottish, though one track appears to be in Finnish. Oh, here's <a href="http://saltyka.blogspot.ca/2008/08/five-guys-named-moe-five-guys-named-moe.html" rel="nofollow">Moe stuff than you could possibly want to know</a>. (Hope the links work--can't tell for sure on preview)<br /><br />Like @Spacecraft, I've never heard of BLOWPOP. Makes me think of Blow flies. yew. And, I, too, loved TUXEDOS and OBELISK. Oh, and thanks, @Spacecraft, for the tune going through my head. I didn't know the title of that S&G song.<br /><br />I think it can be either Mariana or Marianas. There's a band from around here called 'Marianas Trench' (I'll spare you a link). I seem to recall we had this conversation on this blog at some point... <br /><br />Fun puzzle and, as always, fun blog.Red Valerianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04638265039015470938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26153985575056730422012-11-15T10:57:14.851-05:002012-11-15T10:57:14.851-05:00I was amazed that no one was going for AFRICA till...I was amazed that no one was going for AFRICA till I saw @Lewis' post. That wasn't working, so I abandoned the NW and came back only at the very end. Puzzle was ramped up in difficulty because of all the stuff I didn't know:<br /><br />BLOWPOP: never heard of it.<br />DELA: and never WILL know.<br />WERTHER: but must admit: "original"<br />DACHA: ???<br />MOE--and I'm a Joe Jackson fan!<br /><br />This one is littered with partials: ONETO, GOTO, ONASTAR, RAMINTO, SUCCUMBSTO (that last one OFL actually likes? It's a PARTIAL, dude!). Not to mention an entire self-contained sentence, ITISSO. Sounds like something Charly would dream up. "Is that it? It is." So.<br /><br />These problems aside, I admire anybody who can lay down two wonderful words like TUXEDOS and OBELISK next to each other and make it work. Love the S&G tune ("I'd rather be a hammer than a nail"). But isn't the trench MARIANAS? <br /><br /> Spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37976026478243437352012-10-25T05:25:29.667-04:002012-10-25T05:25:29.667-04:00There are also several hundred non-standard sizes ...There are also several hundred non-standard sizes available along with connector fitting standard sizes.Parker O ringshttp://www.darcoid.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65651401825184706172012-10-11T23:37:11.124-04:002012-10-11T23:37:11.124-04:00Can Can Cantata would be an excellent PDQ Bach com...Can Can Cantata would be an excellent PDQ Bach composition. I can hear it now.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64920794757855680212012-10-11T22:07:06.153-04:002012-10-11T22:07:06.153-04:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 8/1/2009 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 6:08, 6:47, 0.90, 14%, Easy<br />Tue 8:57, 8:57, 1.00, 58%, Medium<br />Wed 8:15, 11:49, 0.70, 1%, Easy (lowest median solve time of 169 Wednesdays)<br />Thu 15:08, 18:50, 0.80, 18%, Easy<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:39, 3:41, 0.99, 49%, Medium<br />Tue 5:13, 4:40, 1.12, 84%, Challenging<br />Wed 4:41, 5:56, 0.79, 7%, Easy<br />Thu 7:53, 9:22, 0.84, 24%, Easy-Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16409827508730554862012-10-11T20:34:28.739-04:002012-10-11T20:34:28.739-04:00@M and A - AUUsome!@M and A - AUUsome!Carolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15971759975067250908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52064428469325266982012-10-11T18:46:58.037-04:002012-10-11T18:46:58.037-04:00P.S. "One hell of a next day" = MAMA MAN...P.S. "One hell of a next day" = MAMA MANANA.M and A (and also N)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32284506698470758642012-10-11T17:11:44.528-04:002012-10-11T17:11:44.528-04:00As a nit to pick, TAXCODES don't have schedule...As a nit to pick, TAXCODES don't have schedules. Tax forms on the other hand . . .<br />-a tax lawyerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5950689065281561932012-10-11T16:23:43.631-04:002012-10-11T16:23:43.631-04:00I was probably thinking JUNGLE, but I glanced at 1...I was probably thinking JUNGLE, but I glanced at 1D which was so obvious; then I thought AFRICA, but that quickly didn't work. Got APEDOM eventually.<br /><br />@Z -- VERY funny<br /><br />This was medium for me, the cluing was tough for me. But I loved it. Here was the gang trying to equal Byron's theme answers and the only one that did was FEDFEDFEDERER. Plaudits to Byron for an entertaining puzzle.Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09709142959535977331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16867372247684039202012-10-11T15:26:00.011-04:002012-10-11T15:26:00.011-04:00Midday 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):<br /><br />All solvers (median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Thu 15:07, 18:50, 0.80, 18%, Easy<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Thu 8:32, 9:22, 0.91, 38%, Easy-Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41640782931178214702012-10-11T15:08:55.306-04:002012-10-11T15:08:55.306-04:00I've been working on puzzles from earlier this...I've been working on puzzles from earlier this year and was surprised to find that Feb. 15 also included Bernini as an answer and clued a Massanet opera. Odd to see two names that don't appear that often show up in the same puzzle.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56527522438185594012012-10-11T15:03:26.044-04:002012-10-11T15:03:26.044-04:00@Bob Kerfuffle: I remember that puzzle and specif...@Bob Kerfuffle: I remember that puzzle and specifically recall getting #ed to death by it.<br /><br />Three and out.John Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557037910799243636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74914239074989790372012-10-11T15:01:27.516-04:002012-10-11T15:01:27.516-04:00@Bob Kerfuffle: Oh, yeah... I had repressed all me...@Bob Kerfuffle: Oh, yeah... I had repressed all memory of that one. Thanx. Seems like there was a UU vs. W one lately, too, now that you mention it. I was actually envisioning something even more brain-draining than either of those, but I don't reckon I'll let my idea out of pandora's box. Scares the M&A.<br /><br />Occurs to me that "Senora soon to have a nene" is not a great clue, if yer goin' for an adjective-noun xx xyy answer. So, better would be something like...<br />"One hell of a next day?" (10 letters)M and A thennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6366374043779358822012-10-11T14:49:27.856-04:002012-10-11T14:49:27.856-04:00Oops, I mean "canaanite"Oops, I mean "canaanite"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75880403918835070572012-10-11T14:46:37.570-04:002012-10-11T14:46:37.570-04:00Similarly to Milford, I thought of the neighborho...Similarly to Milford, I thought of the neighborhood names , "Lakeview" and "Boystown," the broader term, "Northside" didn't occur to me. Some accursed goat must be ransacking my "wheelhouse. ". <br />What kind of animal is Baal? When there is a Ball in its honor is it called Can-can Canonite night?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44201147188522325692012-10-11T14:35:19.486-04:002012-10-11T14:35:19.486-04:00@Masked and Anonymo6Us -
I don't known if it ...@Masked and Anonymo6Us -<br /><br />I don't known if it actually meets your criteria, but when I read your question about a rebus within a rebus, I thought of <a href="http://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/2012/07/constructor-ian-livengood-relative.html" rel="nofollow">this puzzle.</a>Bob Kerfufflehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02615811802419025933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66506807164035584592012-10-11T14:23:50.565-04:002012-10-11T14:23:50.565-04:00APEDOM? APEDOM?! What a way to start. Didn’t like ...APEDOM? APEDOM?! What a way to start. Didn’t like that answer at all. Feels made up. After putting in JUNGLE, then realizing that was wrong with A TO at 1D, I could not think of a reasonable alternative answer. Briefly thought AFRICA might be it, but none of the downs revealed themselves. APEDOM? Really?<br /><br />Love the theme. All those chromosomes look pretty. XXX XXX XXXYYYY<br /><br />The rest of the puzzle was meh. Tough, but meh. I don’t follow opera or classical music so the puzzle was difficult until I caught the theme. And @Rex is right about ONE TO. I don’t even say TWO TO or THREE TO. I simply round off to the top of the hour.<br /><br />At least I got the satisfaction of completing this difficult puzzle.<br /><br />@jae – Say hi to Dave for me.<br /><br />BAH BAH BAHRAIN (yeah, I know)<br /><br />Happy 10-11-12 indeed!Birdnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37157785164299943772012-10-11T14:10:05.504-04:002012-10-11T14:10:05.504-04:00I knew BERNINI which helped a lot. Roos before EM...I knew BERNINI which helped a lot. Roos before EMUS. I am Siskel today; I miss the rebus or greater nuttiness.<br /><br />Good puzzle for all of that.<br /><br />My computer problem was due to a mistake downloading JAVA. Thanks @Chefbea for offering to help.Sparkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11149915526159432838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-4348836476954982832012-10-11T14:05:10.693-04:002012-10-11T14:05:10.693-04:00@Michael Hanko and @Sir Hillary -
On Bernancke and...@Michael Hanko and @Sir Hillary -<br />On Bernancke and Federer - I've been having second thoughts and apologize for speaking too soon. I definitely appreciated the xxxyy pattern, but I read it as a three-word sentence: "FED (Bernancke) FED (picked up the tab for) FEDERER," rather than a two-word phrase. It didn't come to me until later that a tennis star treated to dinner by Bernancke could be FED-FED FEDERER. Thank you, @Sir Hillary - so funny and truly inspired.<br />Carolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15971759975067250908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11634783199111717452012-10-11T14:02:25.031-04:002012-10-11T14:02:25.031-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Sparkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11149915526159432838noreply@blogger.com