tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post1703103624628682611..comments2024-03-29T10:22:19.863-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Kind of acid in soapmaking / MON 1-27-14 / 1963 Elizabeth Taylor role / Mideast bigwig Var Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82561401107192403982014-03-03T18:09:21.301-05:002014-03-03T18:09:21.301-05:00Aloha before ADIEU - I must have had @SiS in mind....Aloha before ADIEU - I must have had @SiS in mind.<br /><br />@Z - It's good to see that you escaped the fray unscathed. I'm just glad that my ignorance of all thing musical (for example) innoculates me against the hypersensitivity that many exhibit to "wrong" clues.<br /><br />My four deuces are looking very good at this point.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84800823663322636862014-03-03T14:16:57.264-05:002014-03-03T14:16:57.264-05:00@Ginger - "Only" 31. I must admit that I...@Ginger - "Only" 31. I must admit that I enjoyed the dust-up in a "car-wreck" sort of way. I should probably go to confession except for that whole "I'm agnostic" thing.<br /><br />I'm getting blurred letters so I don't get to play.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40697267130707012582014-03-03T13:57:00.133-05:002014-03-03T13:57:00.133-05:00102 comments, and 101 of them (pardon the hyperbol...102 comments, and 101 of them (pardon the hyperbole) about the correct clueing of DOLCE. UGH <br /><br />Today's comment thread makes me appreciate Syndiland. I can do without personal attacks and vitriol. <br /><br />Oh, the puzzle. Liked it. A little tough for a Monday, but I found it honest with fair crosses.<br /><br />row boat 2s over 3sGingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07156872089175084024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89733024152941212052014-03-03T13:23:02.541-05:002014-03-03T13:23:02.541-05:00Had OATEY so RAYDD was a wtf. RANDD was a wtf too...Had OATEY so RAYDD was a wtf. RANDD was a wtf too, until I saw the 'and'. Duh. <br />Nice writeup. Sweet, even.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28159800566264173872014-03-03T12:26:33.711-05:002014-03-03T12:26:33.711-05:00IDUNNO, think maybe OATEN should be verboten but o...IDUNNO, think maybe OATEN should be verboten but otherwise not a bad start to the crossword week. LIKED the theme but not enough for a NEATO reaction. Bring on Tuesday...Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77396412081952732462014-03-03T11:25:07.530-05:002014-03-03T11:25:07.530-05:00What an unexpected furor over DOLCE! La DOLCE Vita...What an unexpected furor over DOLCE! La DOLCE Vita was always translated "The Sweet Life," but I guess "The Soft Life" works as well. Anyway, no bother here.<br /><br />Minimal bother here with "Had a crush on" for LIKED. Clue seems a bit hyperbolic, but "like" has gone through many stages over the years, so it gets a pass, as does STITCH for "Hilarious person." Must be a regional thing; it's not in my book. And slthough NEATO has not been uttered by a human since 1955, it isn't terrible.<br /><br />However, the disaster that resulted when 36a T-boned 28d amidships sent debris scattering. Among the jetsam can be found two swatches of yellow cloth--from the pocket of yours truly.<br /><br />Smashups aside, I have to give props to a solid, dense theme with a clever revealer. [Aside: if you're thinking about buying one, DON'T! Pay particular attention to the phrase "belonging to you and your heirs and assigns, in perpetuity." They are referring to the annual maintenance bills!]<br /><br />The long downs, though proper names, are, um, NEATO. But why clue a real thing, MAGNETO, as a proper noun? Don't we have enough of those? You didn't clue SOLO as "Millenium Falcon pilot," did you?<br /><br />I LIKED this, but I certainly didn't have a crush on it.<br /><br />4's full of 2's.spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34689005690015260332014-01-30T01:00:55.385-05:002014-01-30T01:00:55.385-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Garthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12113318346829815128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-4048191672524337562014-01-29T15:57:49.257-05:002014-01-29T15:57:49.257-05:00Darn, catching up after a weekend away, but didn&#...Darn, catching up after a weekend away, but didn't think I would get here after the spellcaster!<br /><br />As I solved for FIBONACCI, I said, "Nooooooo! Not again!" But look, the furor over Mr. F has been minimal. Sweet!<br /><br />Oh, wait a minute. Maybe "sweet" isn't the best exclamation today . . . .Bob Kerfufflehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02615811802419025933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66333621078306724072014-01-28T04:19:17.990-05:002014-01-28T04:19:17.990-05:00I never believed in love spells or magic until I m... I never believed in love spells or magic until I met this spell caster once when i went to see my friend in Indian this year on a business summit. I meant a man who's name is Dr ATILA he is really powerful and could help cast spells to bring back one's gone, lost, misbehaving lover and magic money spell or spell for a good job or luck spell .I'm now happy & a living testimony cos the man i had wanted to marry left me 5 weeks before our wedding and my life was upside down cos our relationship has been on for 3years. I really loved him, but his mother was against us and he had no good paying job. So when i met this spell caster, i told him what happened and explained the situation of things to him. At first i was undecided,skeptical and doubtful, but i just gave it a try. And in 7 days when i returned to Canada, my boyfriend (now husband) called me by himself and came to me apologizing that everything had been settled with his mom and family and he got a new job interview so we should get married. I didn't believe it cos the spell caster only asked for my name and my boyfriends name and all i wanted him to do. Well we are happily married now and we are expecting our little kid, and my husband also got the new job and our lives became much better. His email is atilahealinghome@yahoo.com<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20799821048270125712014-01-28T01:56:29.433-05:002014-01-28T01:56:29.433-05:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 8/1/2009 post for an explanation and my 10/15/2012 post for an explanation of a tweak I've made to my method. 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 6:46, 6:26, 1.05, 76%, Medium-Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 4:24, 4:00, 1.10, 85%, Challenging<br /><br />Today's final sample size = 384 solvers or approximately the average number of Saturday solvers before the policy change in July 2012.sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45877711845352399652014-01-27T23:29:53.680-05:002014-01-27T23:29:53.680-05:00Way to late to the game. Mired in a hotel all wee...Way to late to the game. Mired in a hotel all week, as I was last week.<br /><br />Just have to rant about why I need to dial a ONE to call people in next town, (CT), while my mom in NY can dial the entire state with no need for a ONE.<br /><br />If the phone system knows enough to tell me I need to dial a ONE, then just go ahead and dial it for me!!!!!!!!!!<br /><br />Love the "Silly" birds.<br /><br />A fine puzzle - thank you Mr, Tuttle. Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14650877504521855332014-01-27T23:21:33.874-05:002014-01-27T23:21:33.874-05:00Foxaroni wins the thread!Foxaroni wins the thread!Steve Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15185067739452052656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19183411706537614972014-01-27T20:57:55.311-05:002014-01-27T20:57:55.311-05:00Personally, I think you all are wrong. The correct...Personally, I think you all are wrong. The correct answer is that 3,141 angels can dance on the head of a pin. :-)foxaronihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00085435659928443459noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52363953396392165292014-01-27T19:45:08.549-05:002014-01-27T19:45:08.549-05:00Beethoven almost never used the indication "m...Beethoven almost never used the indication "mezzo piano." (Two times in all of the 32 piano sonatas, or something like that.) Someone proposed a theory (I suppose it was in a doctoral dissertation) that Beethoven's frequent use of the term "dolce" was a stand-in for mezzo-piano. The idea isn't that the word could mean that, but that Beethoven seems to have thought of "sweet" playing as "somewhat soft" playing. (There was no doubt much analysis in the dissertation of musical passages to show that this was how Beethoven used the term.) Brahms, in contrast, clearly thinks of "dolce" being possible at many different dynamic levels.<br /><br />I mean to stay out of the food fight on this one!Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17459992224851404501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86996542438640251202014-01-27T19:13:08.656-05:002014-01-27T19:13:08.656-05:00Unless one is Humpty Dumpty, one must stand with t...Unless one is Humpty Dumpty, one must stand with those who rail re DOLCE. It has only one musical meaning, in my nearly-infinitely-vast experience, and it ain't "softly", although playing softly is often also indicated. As a lyrical trumpeter, it is one of my favorite notations.DigitalDanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11620300502981292088noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49169577005333662752014-01-27T18:24:34.287-05:002014-01-27T18:24:34.287-05:00Midday 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 and my 10/15/2012 post for an explanation of a tweak to my method):<br /><br />All solvers (median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Mon 6:48, 6:26, 1.06, 77%, Medium-Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 4:29, 4:00, 1.12, 88%, Challenging<br /><br />And the sample size for the stats I post continues its downward trend. So far today, there have been only 361 correct solutions posted via the online applet. The previous low was 415 and the average number of Monday solvers before the Times revamped its Premium Crosswords billing policy was close to 800. It's been relatively consistently in the 450-500 range over the past year and I'm hoping that today's count is an aberration. Time will tell.sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82991572095478655732014-01-27T17:43:42.467-05:002014-01-27T17:43:42.467-05:00I'm recondidering everything I think.I'm recondidering everything I think.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3093005212773761982014-01-27T17:05:42.239-05:002014-01-27T17:05:42.239-05:00@Garth
It is unlikely to happen in class because ...@Garth<br /><br />It is unlikely to happen in class because it is hard for students to be anonymous.<br /><br />You may get a kick out of this <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_CqgnZhb--Q" rel="nofollow">video</a>r.alphbunkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00657275501845781384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12724723084300953472014-01-27T16:46:59.890-05:002014-01-27T16:46:59.890-05:00@AliasZ's last explanation of "dolce"...@AliasZ's last explanation of "dolce" is pretty much on the mark. But if a discussion with this level of emotion about the possible meanings of one word unfolded in one of my classes, I would tell my students to chill.<br /><br />Garth <br />Director, School of Music & Performing Arts<br />University of Louisiana, Lafayette<br /><br />Garthhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12113318346829815128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19762492005813791192014-01-27T16:32:15.028-05:002014-01-27T16:32:15.028-05:00@C'mon Man,
I trust you noticed my facetious ...@C'mon Man,<br /><br />I trust you noticed my facetious tone. It was meant as a hyperbole with tongue in cheek, to counteract the somewhat harsh tone of your post as I perceived it when I read it.<br /><br />My final word on DOLCE was stated at 11:09 AM.<br /><br />Since I started studying music some 55 years ago and even until now, <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_musical_terminology#D" rel="nofollow">DOLCE</a> always meant "sweetly." It was more a phrasing and playing style rather than a dynamic indication, as others already stated. There is plenty of music indicating <i>mezzo forte</i> and <i>DOLCE</i> at the same time. Elson's dictionary most likely refers to "softly" as an antonym to "harshly." That would be absolutely accurate.<br /><br />Now I am off to seek therapy to address my passive-agressive behavior, which was so correctly diagnosed by Anonymous at 2:35PM, at no charge no less.AliasZhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03477396362209386037noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74400749744145687442014-01-27T15:54:01.997-05:002014-01-27T15:54:01.997-05:00The horse seems dead but I can't resist beatin...The horse seems dead but I can't resist beating it a bit more. If you google "dolce music term" you will be referred to ten pages which hold twelve definitions and a thesaurus definition. Only one definition, the third on thefreedictionary.com includes the word softly. Two others there include the word gently with the thesaurus defining that as "an artistic form of auditory communication incorporating instrumental or vocal tones in a structured and continuous manner" which would mean not marcato, staccato or accento. Eleven of the definitions simply state " sweetly."Numinoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01263999193499725814noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38914668254602615172014-01-27T15:43:00.944-05:002014-01-27T15:43:00.944-05:00Z,
I'm neither wounded nor obtuse. Your blith...Z,<br /><br />I'm neither wounded nor obtuse. Your blithering answer not only unmasks your limited command of the language, it reinforces my long-held suspicion that you're not a real great guy. <br /><br />Some mathematician.<br /><br /><br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43766992252837587962014-01-27T15:39:02.801-05:002014-01-27T15:39:02.801-05:00Yes, they must recondider their objections. I wil...Yes, they must recondider their objections. I will brook no modifications to objections other than recondideration.C'mon Mannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83410235160765152162014-01-27T15:33:34.132-05:002014-01-27T15:33:34.132-05:00@Alias Z - No one was telling you what you should ...@Alias Z - No one was telling you what you should or shouldn't know. What I was saying was that, after having been presented with multiple citations where one has been proved wrong, it makes no sense to continue to insist that one is right. That when it's explained that softly doesn't necessarily mean of low volume but can refer to the phrasing of music, that one might recondider their objections.C'mon Mannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49201093314736171422014-01-27T15:33:11.279-05:002014-01-27T15:33:11.279-05:00Open-minded behavior would be looking at various r...Open-minded behavior would be looking at various resources and considering how my own prior understanding might have been in error. Calling others "wrong" and refusing to accept independent verification is a perfect exemplar of narrow-mindedness. So, to answer your question, by definition. Perhaps this is rubbing salt in the wound, but continuing obtuseness is hardly indicative that I was correct in only holding that opinion for a nanosecond.<br /><br />Since you asked me a direct question I have responded, but there is a posting limit of three a day for good reason. This is four, so I'm done.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.com