tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post1906780354119665301..comments2024-03-29T07:47:07.663-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: 1948 John Wayne western / MON 3-5-12 / Nickname for Louis Armstrong / Dwarves' representative in Fellowship of Ring / Hirsute carnival attraction / Hit HBO series set in BaltimoreRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50790470513614533262012-04-09T21:20:17.777-04:002012-04-09T21:20:17.777-04:00Dear @DMGrandma: there is the option of halting em...Dear @DMGrandma: there is the option of halting email notification of follow-up comments. Don't you think that better than, in effect, telling recent and potential commenters that you'd like them to shut up? <br /><br />I say this with a modicum of trepidation...Red Valerianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04638265039015470938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47103577360759515342012-04-09T18:30:09.385-04:002012-04-09T18:30:09.385-04:00Enough already!Enough already!DMGrandmanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81410742210952381372012-04-09T18:29:19.237-04:002012-04-09T18:29:19.237-04:00Not sure what all the medium and challenging ratin...Not sure what all the medium and challenging ratings are about. The only thing that threw me off was trying HERETICS--it seems to me that the big I came down on people more so than ideas. OH, OK, the AGR- prefix ending had me there for a bit (I started with an I), but those two situations resolved themselves quickly enough on crosses.<br /><br />As soon as I filled in the gimme BEARDEDLADY and saw "ready" in the circles, the whole bit filled itself in, including the game per se at 62a. I still have not the foggiest what "MOSHER" actually means, but I've heard of the pit.<br /><br />At least as awkward as AGRO/OHOK was the meeting of YESNO and ASKTO in the SE. Also, WAKEN is bad. "Wake," or "awaken," but not that. Mike, you ARESO much better than this.Spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8924055545950868412012-04-09T18:16:49.822-04:002012-04-09T18:16:49.822-04:00@Solving in Seattle: use/mention...tsk, tsk.
But ...@Solving in Seattle: use/mention...tsk, tsk.<br /><br />But I do agree that "alright" is alright. But "a word guy LIKE you" is just wrong. The claim being made is not that a word guy similar to (but not identical with) @Rex should use different terminology, but that somebody who is a word guy, for example @Rex, should use different terminology.<br /><br />You write good. goodly. good-enuf-erly. argh. (And don't get @Rex started on Strunk and White.)Grammar Nazinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65580550623892950712012-04-09T18:09:29.170-04:002012-04-09T18:09:29.170-04:00@'s grammar nazi & anonymous 5:41, since I...@'s grammar nazi & anonymous 5:41, since I've become a google ninja I thought I'd contribute this tidbit from dictionary.com:<br /><br />The form alright as a one-word spelling of the phrase all right in all of its senses probably arose by analogy with such words as already and altogether. Although alright is a common spelling in written dialogue and in other types of informal writing, all right is used in more formal, edited writing. <br /><br />I'm no Strunk or White, <br />but I've written a fair amount <br />and I think I write alright.Solving in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04249420848844874936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47001796102978027632012-04-09T17:47:41.548-04:002012-04-09T17:47:41.548-04:00@Anonymous 5:41pm. I believe that'd be "...@Anonymous 5:41pm. I believe that'd be "a word guy such as yourself..."Grammar Nazinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15181378554519296792012-04-09T17:41:52.165-04:002012-04-09T17:41:52.165-04:00Had a little trouble with this one. A bit more dif...Had a little trouble with this one. A bit more difficult for a Monday. However, on to other things. Rex, I am surprised that a word guy like you would use ALRIGHT when the correct form is ALL RIGHT. I was taught that when you are not sure you think of ALL WRONG and you will be sure to get it ALL RIGHT.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20219753224609333172012-04-09T17:36:48.525-04:002012-04-09T17:36:48.525-04:00@Dirigonzo--you did not misinterpret. I thought y...@Dirigonzo--you did not misinterpret. I thought you might have known (you seem an old hand, so to speak), and didn't see your post until after I'd posted. <br /><br />Not all of Canada has a four-day weekend. Well, not everybody in my neck of the woods does, given all the folks that work Saturday and Sunday. But in Ontario, it's not even a stat, or so I understand.<br /><br />In Quebec, @Waxy?Red Valerianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04638265039015470938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58234872275557311632012-04-09T17:30:04.099-04:002012-04-09T17:30:04.099-04:00@(still don't know why)Red Valerian - "@&...@(still don't know why)Red Valerian - "@" "#" "///" "tags" and the like are all meaningless to me, except as handy substitutes for real letters when I want to write bull@#%& and don't want to offend anyone. I think in the realm of social media they all have some significance to the users of fb, twitter and so on. So I just use @ before names because it seems to be the custom. Or did I misinterpret your "@Dirigonzo?"<br /><br />And by the way, happy Easter Monday - you Canadians sure know how to make a long weekend.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61729891920949504002012-04-09T17:12:44.351-04:002012-04-09T17:12:44.351-04:00Re the 'pit' discussions, What do you cal...Re the 'pit' discussions, What do you call the flight deck with an all female crew? The box office.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28219666818821600942012-04-09T16:18:28.097-04:002012-04-09T16:18:28.097-04:00@SurvivorMaam: I think the "@" is to ind...@SurvivorMaam: I think the "@" is to indicate that you are using someone's blogging alias, which may or may not be their actual name. At least, that's what I've been assuming.<br /><br />@Dirigonzo?Red Valerianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04638265039015470938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43403377414503563552012-04-09T16:16:33.435-04:002012-04-09T16:16:33.435-04:00@(I have no idea why)SurvivorMaam - Someone asked ...@(I have no idea why)SurvivorMaam - Someone asked the same question a while back and I don't recall any answer being given - maybe nobody knows?<br /><br />The mention of two provinces, Que. and ONT reminds me, we haven't heard from and syndi-solvers from eastern Canada (@Waxy in Montreal, I'm looking at you) lately.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34496186377112997262012-04-09T15:36:12.023-04:002012-04-09T15:36:12.023-04:00I can't believe Rex rated this medium challeng...I can't believe Rex rated this medium challenging. I raced through it thinking I was having a similar experience to Rex when he finishes with those fantastic times. I had heretics for a bit too and must admit I had to come here to discovery my natick at gimli and mosher.<br /><br />Had to laugh out loud at the exchange between evil doug and anonymous 4:30pm.<br /><br />Satch was a gimme as I grew up listing to Louis, Ella and the other dixieland greats. Didn't need the circles at all and only bothered to read them when I was done.<br /><br />Why do people use the @ sign before people's names? Is there a search function in blogger or something?<br /><br />On to the bridge write up which appears next to the NYT in my newspaper.SurvivorMaamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08386250107240718709noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44964634364214495812012-04-09T13:52:47.235-04:002012-04-09T13:52:47.235-04:00Thanks, @Tobias Duncan, for that link! Last class...Thanks, @Tobias Duncan, for that link! Last class of Intro Philosophy of Science on Wednesday... I'm mulling over whether to show it. It's not completely relevant (we just covered realism and anti-realism, which is a dispute within science, not about science), but we have talked about scientism and what Medawar called "scientific meliorism." But we didn't use any cuss words...<br /><br />@Solving in Seattle: great weather up here in the Vancouver area, too, this weekend, except for the frost in the morning. Got carrots, beets, chard, and spinach in. (not a golfer) Happy Easter Monday, all! (Gotta love these four-day weekends.)<br /><br />Liked the puzzle, though probably any puzzle would be fine on a sunny holiday Monday. (That is not intended as a shot, @MN!)Red Valerianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04638265039015470938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26796496777051876162012-04-09T12:05:53.779-04:002012-04-09T12:05:53.779-04:00What Rex said. Nothing to add.
@dirigonzo, we had...What Rex said. Nothing to add.<br /><br />@dirigonzo, we had great weather this weekend, so 2 days of golf. Didn't solve the Sunday puzzle until late and thought the golf theme was fun. Thank you Patrick!<br /><br />Happy belated Easter to all you Syndies.Solving in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04249420848844874936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84661598164341806212012-03-06T01:38:09.696-05:002012-03-06T01:38:09.696-05:00@treedweller...
In fact, with the movies, it is wh...@treedweller...<br />In fact, with the movies, it is what was added that I abhor...<br />As you said, the books are long. Of course the movies can't include everything...I get that.<br /><br />But why ADD stuff? <br />(I also can't abide "variations" on Mozart or the Muzak version of the Stones or Maroon 5.)<br /><br />I confess - the most egregious sin was what they did to "But no mortal man am I" - my favorite scene!! ;)Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47466157398218903162012-03-06T00:29:14.845-05:002012-03-06T00:29:14.845-05:00I found this puzzle very easy.
Anonymous@4:55: I...I found this puzzle very easy. <br /><br />Anonymous@4:55: I have often wondered the exact same thing regarding completion times using the MAGMIC app???Miettenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23868766250693887792012-03-05T23:38:27.854-05:002012-03-05T23:38:27.854-05:00This 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 7:58, 6:50, 1.17, 95%, Challenging (8th highest median solve time of 141 Mondays)<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 4:13, 3:40, 1.16, 94%, Challenging (10th highest median solve time of 141 Mondays)sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18613417630506373152012-03-05T21:57:51.449-05:002012-03-05T21:57:51.449-05:00ended up with an error because I never checked the...ended up with an error because I never checked the crosses on HEREtIcS. Liked it for the most part otherwise.<br /><br />@Tita I can see how any movie might fail to live up to any book in a given reader's eyes, but I'm a fan of both in the case of LOTR. Did you ever see the director's cuts on DVD? It makes for three very long movies, but I think the extra footage does a good job of capturing the whole story (and you can just pause the DVDs, so no big deal).<br /><br />But, since I'd put Gulliver in the "18th century British satire" category, I think we should go with "Early 20th Century British Fiction" or something like that.treedwellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16342530371183121220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14808100353076952812012-03-05T21:55:56.078-05:002012-03-05T21:55:56.078-05:00It's late, but thanks Mike for stopping by. Ot...It's late, but thanks Mike for stopping by. Other than the SATCH issue already discussed, I enjoyed it, and in an earlier age I've been in a mosh pit or two. Actually I enjoyed your diagramless yesterday even more! Thanks...skua76https://www.blogger.com/profile/15450051465313263422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14038990009735712782012-03-05T19:00:47.533-05:002012-03-05T19:00:47.533-05:00While I don't accept everything in Wikipedia a...While I don't accept everything in Wikipedia as gospel check out the "Satch" entry: nickname for Joe Satriani, Anand Satyanand, Satchel Paige and Louis Armstrong.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91047511355949385102012-03-05T19:00:45.547-05:002012-03-05T19:00:45.547-05:00@acme:
Hate to break it to your new friend, but T...@acme:<br /><br />Hate to break it to your new friend, but Tolkien's dwarves did not have long ears! That would be the elves and (to a lesser extent) the hobbits.Matthew G.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07957320012395569238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15992514493218428932012-03-05T18:48:26.384-05:002012-03-05T18:48:26.384-05:00@evil doug
Nice impressive list of PITS.
Let's...@evil doug<br />Nice impressive list of PITS.<br />Let's freak everyone out and collaborate on a puzzle together! Write to me!<br /><br />And the gal i just met sitting across me in Starbucks, 51, accountant, four kids, from a long line of German farmers in Northern Calif and can only do Mon/Tuesday puzzles knew GIMLI without blinking and even quoted some line about Long ears...<br />So, thanks MN for popping in and clarifying...i thought I was the only one who had to change all my "Tuesdays" into Monday!Acmenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2631316030019781182012-03-05T18:21:13.763-05:002012-03-05T18:21:13.763-05:00Medium
Doable
Sloppy
UnexcitingMedium<br />Doable<br />Sloppy<br />UnexcitingYawnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52796853365125091422012-03-05T18:17:31.384-05:002012-03-05T18:17:31.384-05:00@Tita: I do that, too. But this does not help when...@Tita: I do that, too. But this does not help when you absolutely do not know either of two words that cross each other--you have no way of deciding which of the letters that appear, intuitively, equally plausible in the common square would be the correct one. With Mr. Pencil at your service, you can just put them in and submit, one at a time, until he smiles. But my paper is totally silent--it accepts everything, including the symbols over the numbers on my keyboard--that's what I wanted to say.<br /><br />BTW the new screensaver word to learn today on my mac is an absolute beauty: <b>triskaidekaphobia</b> (three-and-ten phobia, if I remember my Greek correctly)--an extreme fear of the number 13. See, I did not have to go out to learn this:)Ulrichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02086202853174403008noreply@blogger.com