tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post2264253599154657916..comments2024-03-19T07:32:25.792-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Talk to Me singer 1985 — SATURDAY, Nov. 28 2009 — Borscht flavorer / Singer/songwriter Sands / Pathology pioneer Sir JamesRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73802164109779955322009-11-29T01:59:47.169-05:002009-11-29T01:59:47.169-05:00@Doug
I guess we should post the answers to the bd...@Doug<br />I guess we should post the answers to the bday puzzle somewhere? But NOT the answer to the circles!!!!<br />They'll have to work for that ;)andrie lennox michaelsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78746169504657624452009-11-29T00:31:19.999-05:002009-11-29T00:31:19.999-05:00@B_4, @Schmidtenor, @Tetu, @SueRohr, @Hudson Viewe...@B_4, @Schmidtenor, @Tetu, @SueRohr, @Hudson Viewer, @Joe:<br /><br />Great to see some new (to me) names on the blog!<br /><br />Interesting comments, all.Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02681342234536407419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43741215010730265042009-11-28T23:16:53.258-05:002009-11-28T23:16:53.258-05:00Got the left side and middle, failed on the right....Got the left side and middle, failed on the right. Had the THEbell for round opening... punch drunk I guess.<br /><br />And, thats all i have to say.<br /><br />*** (3 Stars).dkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17317008233459295376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21903603252255831632009-11-28T22:00:49.506-05:002009-11-28T22:00:49.506-05:00Evie Sands is such an inspired entry! She 's a...Evie Sands is such an inspired entry! She 's a legend in her own time. Check out her 1999 album WOMEN IN PRISON! and check out her work with the Adam Marsland Chaos Band....THEY ROCK!!!! The lady, Evie Sands, is amazing!B_4https://www.blogger.com/profile/06064893834238018097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53768693895264675692009-11-28T21:59:28.921-05:002009-11-28T21:59:28.921-05:00@SueRohr: welcome! You need to know that we all st...@SueRohr: welcome! You need to know that we all started this way.machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5193492839664132992009-11-28T21:07:15.394-05:002009-11-28T21:07:15.394-05:00Only stumble for me was confusing ETAPE (stage in ...Only stumble for me was confusing ETAPE (stage in the Tour de France) with ETAGE. Had no clue about NEGEV, so NEPEV looked just as likely. Oh well, coming within one on Saturday is pretty good for me.Schmidtenornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63676797609718291362009-11-28T21:04:51.863-05:002009-11-28T21:04:51.863-05:00@tetu unscramble the circles@tetu unscramble the circleschefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78611567612904682442009-11-28T21:00:17.842-05:002009-11-28T21:00:17.842-05:00So, I did the birthday puzzle and don't unders...So, I did the birthday puzzle and don't understand the ?random? circles--and I can't find a place where the answers are. But, then, maybe today is just a slow-brain day!Tetuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15711400315262918915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2722075665887884182009-11-28T20:19:15.662-05:002009-11-28T20:19:15.662-05:00Liked the Rex B-Day puzzle, too. Especially the o...Liked the Rex B-Day puzzle, too. Especially the ostentatious random circles (though I did eventually understand).fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17703734931692460052009-11-28T20:07:31.326-05:002009-11-28T20:07:31.326-05:00Easy-challenging for me. I had many of the same m...Easy-challenging for me. I had many of the same missteps as REX (e.g. EINE) but got killed in the SW. Didn't know the bird, the ball player, the French, or the doctor, so I finally took PTARM to my dictionary and found the bird and slowly finished. Good Sat. workout and a fun puzzle!jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-92064279638435059412009-11-28T19:56:25.191-05:002009-11-28T19:56:25.191-05:00I've been lurking for a while and now have the...I've been lurking for a while and now have the confidence to write as I see that I am doing as well as at least some of the people here. My problem is I'm slow! I often get the puzzle done, but it's put it down, pick it up repeated several times over. Anyway to Tetu: OTB stands for off track betting which takes place in what are referred to as parlors.SueRohrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13511695558054356816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51917198056997613742009-11-28T19:29:11.172-05:002009-11-28T19:29:11.172-05:00OK, I had many of the same mistakes as others but ...OK, I had many of the same mistakes as others but almost finished. Ptarmigan was the gimme for me as was rikki tikki tavi after I figured out how to spell it. But, what is OTBS? and how is it "some parlors"?Tetuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15711400315262918915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37670361521639617562009-11-28T19:00:23.208-05:002009-11-28T19:00:23.208-05:00This 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 7:13, 6:55, 1.04, 64%, Medium-Challenging<br />Tue 9:49, 8:40, 1.13, 81%, Challenging<br />Wed 9:44, 11:41, 0.83, 12%, Easy<br />Thu 12:59, 18:19, 0.71, 2%, Easy<br />Fri 22:41, 25:58, 0.87, 18%, Easy<br />Sat 29:03, 29:35, 0.98, 49%, Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:49, 3:41, 1.04, 68%, Medium-Challenging<br />Tue 5:07, 4:27, 1.15, 85%, Challenging<br />Wed 5:03, 5:45, 0.88, 16%, Easy<br />Thu 6:38, 8:51, 0.75, 7%, Easy<br />Fri 11:15, 12:24, 0.91, 21%, Easy-Medium<br />Sat 15:58, 17:09, 0.93, 36%, Easy-Medium<br /><br />I was surprised at Rex's Easy rating and I feel somewhat vindicated that the masses found this puzzle to be more in the Medium range.<br /><br />Like others, I just couldn't get the Eurythmics "Here Comes the Rain Again" lyric out of my head. That period's not quite in my wheelhouse, but it's certainly in the strike zone. Being unilingual, I don't care for my English language crossword puzzles having more than one non-English answer that's not part of the common vernacular (no problem with EINS, not so much with ETAGE and AVOIR). I also had a minor nit to pick with the clue for CPU (<b>40A: Hi-tech heart</b>). A CPU is more akin to a brain than a heart.sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38356209189975209682009-11-28T18:07:30.364-05:002009-11-28T18:07:30.364-05:00@ r_c, As a dog fancier myself I did not blink at ...@ r_c, As a dog fancier myself I did not blink at the "hard coat" clue and I'm sure you did not either. Thanks for looking it up for us.Two Ponieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06896743444873087885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-7095142034684544142009-11-28T17:50:21.598-05:002009-11-28T17:50:21.598-05:00@ SCOTTIE fanciers:
From the AKC Scottish Terrier...@ SCOTTIE fanciers:<br /><br />From the AKC Scottish Terrier Breed Standard:<br /><br />"General Appearance<br /><br />The Scottish Terrier is a small, compact, short-legged, sturdily-built dog of good bone and substance. His head is long in proportion to his size. He has a hard, wiry, weather-resistant coat.....:retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59567990533001605912009-11-28T17:47:25.962-05:002009-11-28T17:47:25.962-05:00Dear Hudson Viewer,
Welcome. To answer your quest...Dear Hudson Viewer,<br /><br />Welcome. To answer your question, no, "THE" is not forbidden. Not terribly common, but not forbidden, esp. where titles are concerned. Phrase has to need it to be complete, though. THE MOB is a thing. THE CAT isn't.<br /><br />Coincidentally, just had an exchange with a constructor about his puzzle, in which he has chosen to play a little fast and loose with articles (sometimes there, sometimes not) — to Great effect, but I have this thing about consistency ... :)Rex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89078856088379303802009-11-28T17:40:58.307-05:002009-11-28T17:40:58.307-05:00This is the first time I used Rex's page and f...This is the first time I used Rex's page and found it wonderful. I'm not in these bloggers' league but I try. <br /><br />I was a little confused by the use of the word "the" with Mikado. I know that it's the name of the operetta but I thought the word was generally not used in puzzles. For example, should we expect to see "The" Caine Mutiny? Just a technical observation. <br /><br />As for the song "Talk to me," I confess I immediately went back to the Frank Sinatra rendition which was much different than the Stevie Nicks version. I struggled with <br />Stevie and thought Stevie Wonder might be my solution. That certainly didn't work. <br /><br />Also, neon "lamp" is pretty unusual usage. I opted for "lite."which was not helpful. <br /><br />I don't think I ever really had a chance on this one but the blog gives me hope for the future.Hudson Viewernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57642923145647689312009-11-28T17:40:39.346-05:002009-11-28T17:40:39.346-05:00Enjoyed it a lot. It was a little easy, but the S...Enjoyed it a lot. It was a little easy, but the South challenged me quite a bit.<br /><br />My real reason for commenting, though: Ditto Doc John! I'm still scratching my head about the SCOTTIE with the hard coat..... Can someone enlighten me?Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00921548257441219158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77247163496707083292009-11-28T17:32:30.246-05:002009-11-28T17:32:30.246-05:00I feel SO much better knowing that Andrea (Termaga...I feel SO much better knowing that Andrea (Termagant + Ptarmigan?--I think that's a new word!) Michaels had to Google. If I had had time, no doubt I would have googled 12 times! Now I am home and salving my wounded spirit by reading about others who were crushed by the puzzle! <br /><br />I have a small redbud that I need to transplant OUT of my herb garden, in case anyone would like to drive to Conway, Arkansas. A REDBUD is a lovely tree that flowers in spring before the heart-shaped leaves erupt; and the buds are not red, but rather a bright fuchsia shade of pink. If you try to cut the new tree instead of digging it out, by the way, it will REBUD.Elainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13195458656221202202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48381703659645314432009-11-28T17:23:25.983-05:002009-11-28T17:23:25.983-05:00@ Ruth - I suppose vegetarians buy their tryptopha...@ Ruth - I suppose vegetarians buy their tryptophan as such at health food stores. Forgot I was going to say that earlier.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73273901246571318192009-11-28T17:16:51.166-05:002009-11-28T17:16:51.166-05:00I did 3/4 of the puzzle handily enough but had to ...I did 3/4 of the puzzle handily enough but had to put it down and come back later to do the SW. (It wasn't even PTARMIGAN that caused the problem- I knew that from a ski run at (I think) Aspen.) Finally got EVADE and the puzzle fell.<br />Made all the mistakes listed above including how to fit The Flintstones into too few squares.<br />And Ruth beat me to the medical explanations but I don't think I knew that Dr. Paget was a pathologist.<br />Finally, what's this about a SCOTTIE having a hard coat? They seem soft enough to me!Doc Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12540112168511893896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37888912769947507102009-11-28T17:04:33.621-05:002009-11-28T17:04:33.621-05:00@Treedweller: It's now two days in a row that ...@Treedweller: It's now two days in a row that you made me ROAR!<br /><br />@Seth G, I thought of your love of French as I did this : ) <br /><br />@Ruth, lots of tryptophan in spirulina... I guess it doesn't taste great with cranberry sauce. <br /><br />Finally did Andrea and Doug's puzzle for Rex!! Fun-tastic!foodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13052189131129098616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31180538888171990822009-11-28T16:20:52.657-05:002009-11-28T16:20:52.657-05:00I wanted to comment earlier in the day, but was he...I wanted to comment earlier in the day, but was hesitant. It's a rare Saturday that I ace the puzzle (sub-15 in this case). Suffice it to say, for me, this was the day a 160 bowler rolled a 280.<br /><br />I believe this falls under the blind squirrel theory.imsdavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12966770844825169981noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66000137298418864212009-11-28T15:56:57.630-05:002009-11-28T15:56:57.630-05:00Glad to see I wasn't the only one who kept rea...Glad to see I wasn't the only one who kept reading "rebud" and wondering what the hell a rebud could possibly be. <br /><br />I also went down the Annie Lenox trail for a while (which is nothing like "hiking the Appalachian Trail"), even though it didn't feel quite right (which proved to be right when I later remembered the line is from "Here Comes the Rain Again"). (And I cannot for the life of me remember the Stevie Nicks song, even after the You Tube clip. Which makes no sense, as I was in high school in '85. Maybe I'd already started my no-top-40 snobbery by then.)Steve Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15185067739452052656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37897317725517500952009-11-28T15:54:43.023-05:002009-11-28T15:54:43.023-05:00One has to imagine what must be going on in the pu...One has to imagine what must be going on in the puzzle-maker's mind. "I'm stuck with a random Roman numeral to complete the grid. How should I clue it? I could use a little arithmetic problem, but that's annoying. So I will make it a year and look up what happened in -- in this case -- 1060. Aha! That's the year Philip I became king of France. Perfect!"<br /><br />Yuck!<br /><br />Also, I thought the consensus is that ALER and NLER are bogus answers.Van55https://www.blogger.com/profile/15904942044695917615noreply@blogger.com