tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post214589825665926802..comments2024-03-28T12:49:16.793-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Capacitance measure / SUN 8-11-13 / Strength of a solution / Berlin Olympics hero / Numero of countries bordering Guatemala / Subsidy / Part of a barrel / Eastern Mediterranean port / Moon goddess / Old ad figure with a big nose / Ancient Hindu scripture / Often-blue garden blooms / Birds' beaksRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41202447973382562212013-08-24T20:40:46.034-04:002013-08-24T20:40:46.034-04:00As the Bedouin do not inhabit the Sahara what is t...As the Bedouin do not inhabit the Sahara what is their connection to the clue? Perhaps it would be more apt to clue it as a Tuareg smile.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16408964867185917042013-08-22T20:53:08.157-04:002013-08-22T20:53:08.157-04:00I'd say PDG 9:16 PM summed it up the best, esp...I'd say PDG 9:16 PM summed it up the best, especially the last sentence.<br /><br />"I don't know nuttin' but I can do the puzzle in 10 minutes." Right!<br /><br />That would be a challenge even if you had the full grid & transcribed it to the on-line one.Zardozhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14833287273505432950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77688505499343686842013-08-18T21:38:35.423-04:002013-08-18T21:38:35.423-04:00@spacecraft: The second definition for TOAD, after...@spacecraft: The second definition for TOAD, after the animal, is "a contemptible person." This might be an out-of-date expression but it's not obscure.<br /><br />@Cary: I didn't recognize the title SARA SMILE either but, when I YouTubed it (new verb?), it was *extremely* familiar (I'm old enough, too). I bet you'd recognize it, too.paulsfohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07721639286466422944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91182965500508018922013-08-18T21:00:57.476-04:002013-08-18T21:00:57.476-04:00As usual, one of the last to post since I'm on...As usual, one of the last to post since I'm on paper and in the future. All I can say is: I finished, got the AH trick of Added Satisfaction from HOOKAH, knew AJA and ALFRE. But ... even though I'm old enough, I never heard of SARA SMILE. In fact, figured it must be a book or movie called Sara's Mile. And I agree with whoever said that Hall and Oates were a pretty lame-ass blue-eyed soul band. Give me the Righteous Brothers any day -- in fact they were the first group I heard that term applied to, on Black radio stations in Baltimore, no less. And if you're under 40 (50?) you can look them up.Cary in Bouldernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35466899182532293982013-08-18T17:55:11.092-04:002013-08-18T17:55:11.092-04:00WPP and I somehow ended up on the Upper Delta and ...WPP and I somehow ended up on the Upper Delta and the crosses never set us right, so total fail (for us, not the puzzle) on what we thought was an otherwise fun puzzle.<br /><br />@spacecraft - 107d is "Beats by DRE" so maybe you finished with OWS?<br /><br />@BB - I'm with you on the JIB/foresail issue.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20595324915862927662013-08-18T16:18:31.293-04:002013-08-18T16:18:31.293-04:00@Spacecraft - subtitles usually appear at the bott...@Spacecraft - subtitles usually appear at the bottom of the screen in foreign language movies, hence, "low notes".<br /><br />Great puzzle with a nice mix of gimmees, as FARAD and TITER were for me, among others, as well as many answers that required some thought. I liked how the cluing varied from straightforward to shifty, as well.<br /><br />Love AJA, Steely Dan, and the album Abandoned Luncheonette where Sara Smile first appeared. rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32580889574494044452013-08-18T15:22:42.873-04:002013-08-18T15:22:42.873-04:00Oh - and I loved the puzzle - great jobOh - and I loved the puzzle - great jobBedfordBobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08348600333498878554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5323283336060368562013-08-18T15:20:24.923-04:002013-08-18T15:20:24.923-04:00Well Anonymous 5:52 PM I raced sloop rigged yachts...Well Anonymous 5:52 PM I raced sloop rigged yachts for 15 years. Everyone called the sails attached to the forestay, foresails and our foresails were either jibs or genoasBedfordBobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08348600333498878554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67588723205016126422013-08-18T13:28:02.279-04:002013-08-18T13:28:02.279-04:00Seems like there's a sudden influx of newbies....Seems like there's a sudden influx of newbies. Welcome all! @coaststarlight, themed puzzles often operate by adding (or subtracting) a group of theme letters to a series of familiar phrases, creating "wacky sayings clued ? style" (per Rex). The entry doesn't have to relate to the original saying. Hope that helps.<br /><br />I kinda slogged through this one. Not that the theme gave me any trouble; as soon as I saw Muslim in the 26a clue I was thinking ALLAH. Put that together with the title--"Added Satisfaction--" and there's your -AH. The big central answer thus fell instantly. No, the trouble came from two sources: iffy cluing and total unknowns.<br /><br />How are SUBTITLES "Low notes?" I just don't get it. Held me up in that area for a long time, because I am also not familiar with TOAD as "Contemptible one." IMHO, the clues to both of these were bad. I can ABIDE FARAD, POLITY and even OGRESS, but putting ATRI* next to UTHER* and DME* only a few lines over, that's a bit much. I mean, I did get them on crosses, but<br /><br />*Ne! Vah! Hoidofem!<br /><br />No problem with the very fine actress ALFRE Woodard (NO second W please, folks!). She did a hell of a great, though largely unnoticed, job in "Star Trek: First Contact."<br /><br />Another iffish clue is "Game for those who don't like to draw" for STUDPOKER (which, amusingly, crosses IMOUT, "Folder's declaration"). I see that the cluer is making the distinction between two basic varieties of the game, STUD as opposed to DRAW, but even in stud poker you're "drawing--" just one card at a time (till the river). The clue should read "Game for those who don't like draw," but then that would be a dead giveaway, so he included "to." It makes for a poor definition. spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44715210099339271572013-08-18T10:04:28.245-04:002013-08-18T10:04:28.245-04:00Before we figured out that it was UPHOLSTER, we ha...Before we figured out that it was UPHOLSTER, we had UnHOLSTER, and we thought that was the <i>cleverest</i> clue. (like in a Western movie -- cover me; get it?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6427585471861786352013-08-17T20:20:36.640-04:002013-08-17T20:20:36.640-04:00As NY Times Sunday puzzles go, this one felt easie...As NY Times Sunday puzzles go, this one felt easier than many others. The one that tripped me up was Upper (I had Volga). I was thinking maybe coag was short for coagulate or something but couldn't imagine a connection between that and slather. I knew or figured out the other clues without much trouble but I've been doing these for about 20 years and you get better and better at it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49999473733370860052013-08-13T00:41:42.289-04:002013-08-13T00:41:42.289-04:00New here.
Aja OK but for the best Steely Dan, lis...New here.<br /><br />Aja OK but for the best Steely Dan, listen to Gaucho. Definitive.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82726734280612222102013-08-12T23:18:42.623-04:002013-08-12T23:18:42.623-04:00I recommend a listen to Aja, which is time far bet...I recommend a listen to Aja, which is time far better spent than scratching for clues like "foe of Frodo".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71211648663852627732013-08-12T17:52:44.359-04:002013-08-12T17:52:44.359-04:00I got kicked off the site a few weeks ago for dema...I got kicked off the site a few weeks ago for demanding correct nautical usage. Here we go again with 42-D. A foresail ain't a jib; never will be.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91290786586393067782013-08-12T13:39:38.798-04:002013-08-12T13:39:38.798-04:00I liked it fine, not too hard and even some of the...I liked it fine, not too hard and even some of the science-y clues were almost automatic.<br /><br />I spent many hours on planes yesterday, finished one book and started another, and in both books I came upon the expression "hook, line and sinker"!machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-7044865633479772962013-08-12T11:58:32.767-04:002013-08-12T11:58:32.767-04:00What indeed, Anon 11:43 am, what indeed.
"Wh...What indeed, Anon 11:43 am, what indeed.<br /><br />"What do I think of Western Civilization? I think it would be a very good idea." - GandhiAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90241173632228895742013-08-12T11:43:36.951-04:002013-08-12T11:43:36.951-04:00What about polity?What about polity?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71716476943750547322013-08-12T11:17:05.340-04:002013-08-12T11:17:05.340-04:00Wasn't going to post but had to ask, why so ha...Wasn't going to post but had to ask, why so hard on Tyler?<br /><br />Agree with earlier comments by @Steve J and @ Melodious Funk.gifcanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12612467417938884430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-62316767911339259962013-08-12T11:07:26.026-04:002013-08-12T11:07:26.026-04:00When Eugene Maleska edited the New York Sunday Tim...When Eugene Maleska edited the New York Sunday Times Crossword Puzzles, his flair and aplomb would seep ever so slightly into a realm of quasi-realism. He never used a smarmy index of marijuana influenced retort or criticism like this fill-in substitute for Rex. No wonder Bezos bought the Washington PostAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16637863123963136525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9726583981653080832013-08-12T02:11:54.590-04:002013-08-12T02:11:54.590-04:00Not the worst Sunday ever, but REUNE makes me want...Not the worst Sunday ever, but REUNE makes me want to stop solving forever. Apparently it's legit, but when perfectly good "reunite" is right there, and you have to back-form (sorry) "reunion" instead, I feel like the English language needs a hug. ZenMonkeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01351161309102608706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51421359583038269232013-08-12T01:11:16.953-04:002013-08-12T01:11:16.953-04:00@Melodious Funk 8:30pm:
Agree about the acrostic:...@Melodious Funk 8:30pm:<br /><br />Agree about the acrostic: many more erasures than usual, but the payoff is a fun quote.<br /><br />The crossword wasn't easy for me, but neither the constructor nor I "failed".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74397810528953408672013-08-12T00:12:32.818-04:002013-08-12T00:12:32.818-04:00I am guessing that Tyler did not take Latin. Other...I am guessing that Tyler did not take Latin. Otherwise, "iter" would have more meaning. We use the word "reiterate" all the time, which literally means "to go over the same road." It is an interesting and sad commentary that liberal arts majors often do not take Latin or Greek. These languages were the basis of education for the scholarly class for hundreds of years. Business majornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57896888214823605952013-08-11T23:43:31.392-04:002013-08-11T23:43:31.392-04:00Do yourself a favor and listen to Aja. It was the ...Do yourself a favor and listen to Aja. It was the among the most important albus to come out in a time when music was still important and not compterized snarky drivel. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40837228078508913052013-08-11T23:35:18.067-04:002013-08-11T23:35:18.067-04:00I always do the acrostic, or diagramless, or whate...I always do the acrostic, or diagramless, or whatever the special Sunday puzzle is first. The acrostic today was about average for me; I always finish them. My gripe with "AJA" is not just that I dislike pop music clues, since I never listen to it, and did not in college either, it is that if one doesn't know the album, then any three letters make equal sense, so the "down" clues should be pretty straighforward. But in this case, one ends up with _JA and _Lfre, and it is a pure guess.OISKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16808675378318214461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71592365701251373122013-08-11T23:26:33.706-04:002013-08-11T23:26:33.706-04:00And to all the newcomers - some new to Rexville, o...And to all the newcomers - some new to Rexville, others new to puzzling - welcome!<br />My skill level went way up from reading the blog and the comments here.<br />Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.com