tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post2368828800954692724..comments2024-03-28T11:56:29.848-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Richard Nixon's birthplace / FRI 7-20-12 / Black Bears' home / Marlon Brando's "I Remember Mama" role / Rikishi's specialty / Bailout buttonRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70348237514082613082012-08-25T08:57:45.994-04:002012-08-25T08:57:45.994-04:00I was so proud of myself for 1. Tackling a Friday ...I was so proud of myself for 1. Tackling a Friday at all and 2. Completing it within the same 24 hour period. So I don't want to say that I DNF even if I have Mirro Castle crossing Biwe, which looked vaguely plausible after seeing all the varied names during the Olympics. I'll grant that Morro looks better and Bowe does too but somehow I thought that if it was Bowe, I would have recognized it. Not sure where that leaves me with respect to Evan's Heuristic which I like. Of course I can usually write more clearly than this as well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10351235737483303512012-08-24T21:45:07.513-04:002012-08-24T21:45:07.513-04:00I struggled mightedly to produce a completed grid ...I struggled mightedly to produce a completed grid (but had lots of fun in the struggle) and then came here to discover that I had some errors, including TotS for TADS at 41a and BIz for BIT at 18d, but my favorite was taX for XOX at 20a - and I had come up with such a clever rationale for my answer to be right.<br /><br />Always good to see ORONO, the home of my alma mater, in the grid. Favorite clue was 22a, since it took me too long to see that it was snow boarders, which both of my sons are!Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6537630469718783932012-08-24T18:02:10.915-04:002012-08-24T18:02:10.915-04:00A final note: The write-up and constructor were re...A final note: The write-up and constructor were refreshingly nice today....as were all the commentators. I do believe the main commentor sets the timbre for the day. Thank you Johanna and Mr. Smith. Ron Diego (a puzzle solver for over 60 yrs.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26580479844144137772012-08-24T16:53:00.544-04:002012-08-24T16:53:00.544-04:00Getting my California LINDA'S - YORBA & LO...Getting my California LINDA'S - YORBA & LOMA - mixed up yielded LORMALINDA which made a nimrod of me in the NE for far too long. Also, the N in PROTESTANT confidently but erroneously led me to a Judi Dench film I really enjoyed, THE SHIPPING NEWS. Despite these setbacks, really enjoyed the puzzle. Kudos to MA-S from another 50% Brit, 50% Canuck.Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57933242528719320142012-08-24T16:04:44.095-04:002012-08-24T16:04:44.095-04:00RE Nimrod. Here's what I think happened. Nim...RE Nimrod. Here's what I think happened. Nimrod was a famous hunter in the bible. Bugs Bunny referred to Elmer Fudd (who was hunting wabbits)in a derogatory way by saying, "what a nimrod." For those of us introduced to the word by Bugs (rather than old testament scholarship) Nimrod was a word meaning inept klutz (like the ineffective hunter Elmer Fudd, who could never manage to bag Bugs).Mollyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12620510049808301698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50102794860577740362012-08-24T14:53:27.825-04:002012-08-24T14:53:27.825-04:00I had AGEd instead of AGER so for the longest time...I had AGEd instead of AGER so for the longest time couldn't reconcile my wrong answer with heavy drinking.<br /><br />@Loren Muse Smith. You said you taught foreign language wrong along with other foreign language teachers. I can really relate to that. I have a degree in German. I got straight A's but never learned to speak the language. How would you teach now if you could do it all over?Idahoconnienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37537966603071571682012-08-24T14:50:35.819-04:002012-08-24T14:50:35.819-04:00This was a strange puzzle for me. So many things ...This was a strange puzzle for me. So many things I didn't know: BOWE, LOGROLLING, movies at 7D and 38A, and probably more. BUT, I finished without any errors! I suspect the puzzle gods are just setting me up for Saturday!<br />Now, can I solve the Captcha?DMGrandmanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52873919962105091682012-08-24T14:37:00.694-04:002012-08-24T14:37:00.694-04:00Tough, like Fridays are supposed to be. Couldn'...Tough, like Fridays are supposed to be. Couldn't get started. Said to wife, an expert in all things food, "What's a gravelberry?"<br />She laughed and said, "Sounds like something WILMAFLINTSTONE would have." OMG, I thought: it FIT!<br /><br />So thank you, honey, for getting me kick-started with this one. Even so, the convoluted clues made it rough (my first guess for 32d) going. For the longest time I was hung up on viscosity vis-a-vis 37a, instead of the colloquial sense of "thick." So I guess I was 37a.<br /><br />Nonetheless, multi-15s do tend to help with the fill, so despite not knowing any of the specific info I was able to work it out without error.<br /><br />How to explain the sudden popularity of OTARU? It's a fine city, I'm sure, but really!Spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53038683461255251622012-08-24T14:25:24.882-04:002012-08-24T14:25:24.882-04:00I had everything correct except for a U instead of...I had everything correct except for a U instead of an O in Morro/Doh. That for me is a DNF. I do believe that "DUH" is the better answer. If the puzzler wanted "Doh," there should have been some prompt indicating the Simpsons, or at least cartoons.BobLnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89702044479910321742012-07-20T22:11:08.292-04:002012-07-20T22:11:08.292-04:00This 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 (median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Mon 6:10, 6:49, 0.90, 13%, Easy<br />Tue 7:35, 8:57, 0.85, 10%, Easy<br />Wed 11:01, 11:46, 0.94, 38%, Easy-Medium<br />Thu 18:21, 18:53, 0.97, 50%, Medium<br />Fri 24:12, 24:41, 0.98, 48%, Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:37, 3:41, 0.98, 45%, Medium<br />Tue 4:29, 4:38, 0.97, 47%, Medium<br />Wed 5:36, 5:53, 0.95, 41%, Medium<br />Thu 9:27, 9:21, 1.01, 58%, Medium<br />Fri 12:19, 12:14, 1.01, 56%, Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38155785943781274102012-07-20T21:53:08.452-04:002012-07-20T21:53:08.452-04:00Hey, MA-S!
Half a Canadian is better than none! A...Hey, MA-S!<br /><br />Half a Canadian is better than none! After decades in the US, still feel it for the True North S&F.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42134189775968919292012-07-20T21:43:08.845-04:002012-07-20T21:43:08.845-04:00@Danny ... loved your comment because I can unders...@Danny ... loved your comment because I can understand that you are coming from a mathematical background of which I have none. So Evan's thinking sort of makes more sense as does yours ...NOT!<br />Just kidding. I really appreciate your point of view. But I still have to say, if the squares aren't filled in with the correct letters, the puzzle isn't finished it's just filled in! <br /><br />3 and out.johohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12708487230515532492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72803108852942856702012-07-20T21:36:54.312-04:002012-07-20T21:36:54.312-04:00From what I've heard, the crosscheck strategy ...From what I've heard, the crosscheck strategy is a little tighter for the NYT crossword development route. Nuke regulatory side might be pretty close to crossword subscription complexity and security, however.Industry Spokesmannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76977555064398645682012-07-20T21:23:43.293-04:002012-07-20T21:23:43.293-04:00DNF = Damn Natick Foolery. Works for me.
And if w...DNF = Damn Natick Foolery. Works for me.<br /><br />And if we are building nuclear power plants without a 5% error safeguard in place we aren't real bright. Have to agree on the nuclear power/crossword puzzle equivalency, though.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2065349393384089862012-07-20T20:53:26.723-04:002012-07-20T20:53:26.723-04:00Oops - sorry for that absurdly long post, and for ...Oops - sorry for that absurdly long post, and for the typos at the end! But y'all were so pithy and eloquent today...Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86692701047098214782012-07-20T20:51:56.300-04:002012-07-20T20:51:56.300-04:00I raced through this, thinking 'what an easy F...I raced through this, thinking 'what an easy Friday'. Until I stopped racing and sat staring.<br /><br />Needed puzzle-spouse's help with explaining LOGROLLING, YORBALINDA, GENERALELECTION. Then finished with no further help, but was a wild-a$$ guess at the BOWE/MORRO Natick. Used Evan's rule to guess that the O was most plausible.<br /><br />@Carola - I had major trouble too, waiting for a noun at the end of STUPIDAS[a thing].<br />@Wreck Sparker - did you see the picture of grampa? Had one NOT read Mme. Haban's earlier post, one would not know...<br />(Nice comeback, too...)<br /><br />Thought Nixon was born in San Clemente, but that wouldn't fit.<br /><br />@LMS - I resmble your first paragraph 100%...only sometimes I would 'putz' around all <i>week</i> with a tough Fri or Sat. (btw - did you coin that usage of putz as verb?)<br /><br />@Mr. Benson - your 2nd example is hilarious!<br /><br />@evan - DNF means you did not complete the puzzle. Having it all filled in, but with even 1 wrong letter, is NOT <i>finished</i>, any more than baking a cake using salt instead of sugar would be considered "finished"! Wow - I could finish any puzzle without even looking if the only criteria was to have non-blank squares! DNF = DNFC<br /><br />@Jes Wondrin' - don't be so SNOOTY...seeing the "algorithm" written out and explained in puzzle context IS in fact helpful for those new to puzzles.<br />As for your observation on MORR[O], see @pajamapartypants above.<br /><br />@ksquare - thx for RT!<br /><br />Thank you for another stellar write-up, Double Agent...<br />ANd thanks for aa great Firday puzzle, MAS!Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34513676428665898422012-07-20T20:47:58.910-04:002012-07-20T20:47:58.910-04:00@ Jeffery -- Evan is right, that is exactly what I...@ Jeffery -- Evan is right, that is exactly what I meant. When I reread my post I saw how it might be misconstrued. I should have said "zero bonus points." I've done the "mail it to me version" of the ACPT for several years so I know how the scoring works.<br /><br />@Evan -- For me (and apparently for Will) this is a pass-fail situation. I'm not sure I want the guy working on my nuclear power plant to get 95% of it right. And yes, crosswords are right up there with nuclear power in the scheme of things.jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90668285628230148512012-07-20T20:39:31.464-04:002012-07-20T20:39:31.464-04:00O
R
O
N
OTARU
Better luck next time, I guess.O<br />R<br />O<br />N<br />OTARU<br /><br />Better luck next time, I guess.Stevlb1https://www.blogger.com/profile/03814855846710624128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50466051564165516732012-07-20T20:31:02.421-04:002012-07-20T20:31:02.421-04:00@joho
I think that it's a matter of semantics....@joho<br />I think that it's a matter of semantics. "Finished" just means "completed," I think, in @Evan's (and my) opinion. For example: I could finish an algebra problem, but I could've come up with the wrong answer (and it's likely, in my case).Dannyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15365511836505782075noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26823384490184831722012-07-20T20:22:52.245-04:002012-07-20T20:22:52.245-04:00@Evan, I couldn't disagree with you more! If y...@Evan, I couldn't disagree with you more! If you have a puzzle that's all filled in with 20 wrong squares, it is not finished. It's just filled in. I agree with @jae. <br />Seriously, you believe that just because the squares are filled in the puzzle is "finished?" A co-worker of mine once took my puzzle from and did just that. He completed the puzzle and EVERY square was wrong. Could have been all E's ... which is a lot funnier BTW.johohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12708487230515532492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19172839557482956252012-07-20T18:38:41.330-04:002012-07-20T18:38:41.330-04:00@evil doug
Always the bad...
Welcome back.@evil doug<br /><br />Always the bad...<br /><br />Welcome back.JFenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59153185409787081712012-07-20T18:11:04.670-04:002012-07-20T18:11:04.670-04:00@jae:
I draw the line at blank spaces. I don'...@jae:<br /><br />I draw the line at blank spaces. I don't draw the line at 2 or 5 or 20 wrong letters. You fill in the grid completely, it's finished, regardless of how many letters are wrong. If you filled it in with nothing but Es, you'd have probably the Worst Finish Of All Time, and I'd respect someone who did that infinitely less than someone who got everything right except the one square he accidentally left blank, but it's still a finished puzzle.<br /><br />I know it's probably easier to think of DNF as any mistakes whatsoever, but I prefer to think of it as, some finished puzzles are better than others. And besides, one can finish a test without passing it (at least, that's what they told me in school!).<br /><br />As for solving online: I actually lock the solution before looking at any clues. That means that Mr. Happy Pencil won't show up when I'm done, not until after I've unlocked the puzzle. Unlocking the solution is my way of signaling that I'm done with the puzzle -- handing it in, so to speak.<br /><br />@Jeffrey:<br /><br />I think @jae meant you don't get the bonus points for finishing ACPT puzzles with errors.Evanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15440942981870183719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47908562981609018442012-07-20T17:52:09.418-04:002012-07-20T17:52:09.418-04:00A little history on Havana's Morro Castle.
The...A little history on Havana's Morro Castle.<br />The full name is "Castillo de los tres Reyes del Morro." Roughly translated it means the castle of the three kings of the rock. Morro being "rock."<br />It was built in the late 1500's by the Spaniards who occupied Cuba at that time. An Italian architect built this beautiful fortress in order to keep out the English, the French and the Dutch buccaneers. The Spaniards needed to protect the properties of their crown.<br />The Brits blew up all the watchtowers in the late 1700's and then in the 1800's the U.S. battleship Maine was blown up across the bay from Morro in Havana harbor. That was the beginning as well as the cause of the Spanish-American war.<br />To someone sailing into Havana bay for the first time, the view of this fortress is breathtaking. I'll never forget, ever, how exciting it was to see it the first time. Unfortunately, during the 60's, it was turned into one of the most vile prisons imaginable. Everyone from traffic offenders to mass murderes were stuffed together in cells that were beyond hell. A very dirty secret that came out way to late.<br />It's now all set up for the tourists (sans cells)to visit and gawk at. If you ever do sail into Havana, I promise you, you won't foget Morro Castle with an O at the end...GILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77121648778290082132012-07-20T17:48:24.504-04:002012-07-20T17:48:24.504-04:00@Al: I find in the Free Online Dictinary
Age v. t...@Al: I find in the Free Online Dictinary<br /><br /><b>Age</b> v. tr.<br />1. to cause to become old...<br /><br />Aren't you able to form from every transitive verb the actor who does the thing by adding (e)r [e.g. call - caller]? So, an ager is an agent that causes aging.<br /><br />Full disclosure: English is not my first language, and I may have gotten this wrong...Ulrichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02086202853174403008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82224164086616132962012-07-20T17:38:30.723-04:002012-07-20T17:38:30.723-04:00Ager as an answer to "heavy drinking IE"...Ager as an answer to "heavy drinking IE" (51 D) brings up interesting biological- entomological questions. The problem is there is no such word, according to a quick internet search, so we have to deduce that it means something that causes the aging process. Yet, aging is neutral, as we refer to an individual as "aging badly" or "aging well." There is no semantic space for "aging," as age is a biological fact of duration of of the organism. Its common usage does not allow an agent to act upon it, to be an "ager." <br /><br /><br /><br />Back to the clue of the puzzle. "Drinking to excess",or "heavy drinking " actually retards aging to the degree that you will age less by dying sooner. Yet, it will accelerate cellular damage, which mimics the aging process, so the drinking will make one appear more aged. Love the intellectual stimulation of these puzzles and they really are an "anti-ager"Al Rodbellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05993709026872288071noreply@blogger.com