tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post2528263176456681524..comments2024-03-28T06:44:48.044-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Trombonist Winding / SAT 4-28-12 / Hall of Fame jockey Earle / Poem comprised of quotations / Old-time actresses Allgood Haden / Common language of Niger / Round dance officialsRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25587951531388278322012-06-02T20:57:38.764-04:002012-06-02T20:57:38.764-04:00I give today's puzzle a big UGH!! It took me ...I give today's puzzle a big UGH!! It took me way too long with two breaks and lots of corrections to not finish -- 2 blank squares at 55A. I did like the 15's, and got most of them in one piece. At least Rex gave it a medium-challenging. I hate when I have this much trouble and Rex deems it easy.Lola505https://www.blogger.com/profile/09249427833942985450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6256183111004868832012-06-02T20:17:48.367-04:002012-06-02T20:17:48.367-04:00@Red Valerian - nice to see you back! I missed th...@Red Valerian - nice to see you back! I missed the link to the osprey video when I visited your blog earlier but checked it out after I saw your comment here - wonderful! Apparently you know how to "embed" with the best of them, no instruction necessary.<br /><br />The lack of "preview" adds an element of excitement, n'est pas?Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3217957363216119262012-06-02T18:41:20.984-04:002012-06-02T18:41:20.984-04:00I thought it was great, though I suppose that'...I thought it was great, though I suppose that's partly because I finished it. I didn't even think of forbIddenplanet, @Spacecraft. Thank heavens!<br /><br />Only write-over was ON E for Out. Nice clue. Had to guess at SID/TIANT/DUCAT, but at least DUCAT sounded probable.<br /><br />For anybody curious about the resident osprey, I've posted a grainy clip at my blog (click my avatar, then look at today's posting--it's the second of a grand total of two). I can't see any young 'uns, but I think they might be there.<br /><br />Also, I have no idea how to embed a video the way Rex does (so that one just clicks on play instead of following a link). But I haven't tried very hard. If it's something you know and can tell me by wasting only about 15 seconds of your time, please do.<br /><br />Captchas are getting weirder, and preview still doesn't work...Red Valerianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04638265039015470938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54148323408026660012012-06-02T15:31:33.421-04:002012-06-02T15:31:33.421-04:00DNF. Mainly because A HARD NUT TO CRACK was a tou...DNF. Mainly because A HARD NUT TO CRACK was a tough nut to crack.<br /><br />Also never heard of Buzzsaw Brown. And I've probably heard of (and tasted) more beers than most of you, including a good many from Deschutes. Mirror Pond, eg. = ALE. Inversion, eg. = ALE Hop Henge, eg. = ALE. Buzzsaw Brown, eg. = aviator or halfback or wrestler or something, for all I know. This is a beer Deschutes doesn't even make any more. (If they did I bet I'd enjoy it though.)<br /><br />Come to think of it, Buzzsaw Brown sounds like a good name for a logger. So they should have saved the name for a lager.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49266642180318128632012-06-02T15:15:46.014-04:002012-06-02T15:15:46.014-04:00After a fun week, found this a real grind. As poin...After a fun week, found this a real grind. As pointed out above, too many obscure words and people. <br />Suffered and suceeded through most of it, but ended up with blanks where CENTO, HAUSA, SANDE and CUERS belonged.<br />I, too, started all this in the Maleska days, and recall being surprised when the "new guy" allowed brand names and pop culture to appear. Still not sure is I like the change. Is it worse not to know the name of a Greek deity or that of some guy who rode a horse 50 years ago? I seem to miss about the same on both categories.DMGrandmanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71522250266785373422012-06-02T15:03:46.735-04:002012-06-02T15:03:46.735-04:00After a fun week, I found this a real grind. Too ...After a fun week, I found this a real grind. Too many obscure words and terms for me, many clearly called out above. Suffered and succeeded through most of it, but ended up DNF. CUERS, SANDE, CENTO, HAUSA and ONE were no-shows on my grid.<br />I, too, started all this in the Maleska days, and recall being surprised when the "new guy" allowed names like Oreo and all the pop stuff. Not sure if I've ever really made the switch. Is it worse not to know the name of a Greek deity or a rap singer?DMGrandmanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44664932662915025012012-06-02T14:13:57.721-04:002012-06-02T14:13:57.721-04:00Came very close. Had a few letters couldn't ju...Came very close. Had a few letters couldn't just wouldn't fall into place. Like Rex said, the bottom stack was the easiest. Couldn't put together CENTO/HAUSA therefore didn't get NURSE.<br /><br />Oh well, enjoyed this one for just being able to figure out 95% of the puzzle with no help. Been a very good week for meeastsacgirlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20302599289933946852012-06-02T12:23:55.313-04:002012-06-02T12:23:55.313-04:00Note to Evil Doug: Wouldn't you like to have ...Note to Evil Doug: Wouldn't you like to have the benefit of a female's nimble fingers for suturing a small cut, instead of the male doctor's fat fingers? Think about it. Nurse Practioners don't do the heavy stuff.<br />Clara BartonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16188349891866308322012-06-02T11:34:47.816-04:002012-06-02T11:34:47.816-04:00DNF. My fatal, unrecoverable-from error: the OTHER...DNF. My fatal, unrecoverable-from error: the OTHER 1955 sci-fi film--the classic FORBIDDENPLANET--and ALSO (why, of course!!) 15 letters long. I put that in without the vestige of a worry that it might be wrong. Tried starting up elsewhere, with AGGIE--yeah, right. IMMIE? IMMIE??? Are you kidding me? What in the hey is that short for? IM-possible to get? Yep, that must be it.<br /><br />Total, EPIC fail. One of the few times in my solving life that I've been utterly unable to fill in at least some small section of a grid (except for NIT, whose I hit the center at forbI/THISI by accident).Spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67673270669538057272012-04-28T23:50:08.870-04:002012-04-28T23:50:08.870-04:00I guess people didn't complain about "com...I guess people didn't complain about "comprised of" here because they were more annoyed with "cento." In my year and a half of looking at the NYT puzzles, though, I've never been more surprised by a clue.Loisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10134761150542271362012-04-28T22:23:23.366-04:002012-04-28T22:23:23.366-04:00The StarLedger of NJ reported today that a crosswo...The StarLedger of NJ reported today that a crossword puzzle<br />bird escaped from a farm in<br />Hamilton,NJ.<br /> Oh, my mistake. They said an emu<br />escaped.ANON Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77205426628673129212012-04-28T19:46:09.147-04:002012-04-28T19:46:09.147-04:00Well I finished in under two hours (but with the R...Well I finished in under two hours (but with the REa/REM problem), although I didn't so much solve the puzzle as do battle with it, gaining territory one word, and sometimes one letter, at a time until the theme answers came into view. Ultimately the 15s were all familiar enough to enable me to conquer all of the teritories and win the war. So a hard fought victory (with the aforementioned casualty) for me with lots of AHA moments as the battle wore on. <br /><br />Did not expect to see the medium-challenging rating, though.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70412965329390794252012-04-28T18:59:21.127-04:002012-04-28T18:59:21.127-04:00This 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 (this week's median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Mon 8:17, 6:50, 1.21, 98%, Challenging (4th highest median solve time of 148 Mondays)<br />Tue 10:12, 8:53, 1.15, 87%, Challenging<br />Wed 13:58, 11:49, 1.18, 88%, Challenging<br />Thu 18:02, 18:56, 0.95, 45%, Medium<br />Fri 16:19, 24:54, 0.66, 3%, Easy (5th lowest median solve time of 149 Fridays)<br />Sat 26:18, 29:26, 0.89, 26%, Easy-Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 4:31, 3:40, 1.23, 99%, Challenging (2nd highest median solve time of 148 Mondays)<br />Tue 5:09, 4:35, 1.12, 85%, Challenging<br />Wed 7:21, 5:53, 1.25, 92%, Challenging<br />Thu 9:50, 9:19, 1.06, 66%, Medium-Challenging<br />Fri 8:14, 12:19, 0.67, 5%, Easy (7th lowest median solve time of 148 Fridays)<br />Sat 15:22, 16:43, 0.92, 38%, Easy-Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49820114991774203722012-04-28T18:48:40.076-04:002012-04-28T18:48:40.076-04:00The first trombonist ever to be mentioned in the N...The first trombonist <b><i>ever</i></b> to be mentioned in the NYTimes puzzle and it's friggin KAI Winding?<br /><br />I give up.Delfeayo Mnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31025060115016267402012-04-28T18:38:04.709-04:002012-04-28T18:38:04.709-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35382084687837841752012-04-28T18:34:45.798-04:002012-04-28T18:34:45.798-04:00I like triple stack themeless much more than Rex s...I like triple stack themeless much more than Rex so I enjoyed this this one quit a lot, but found it easier than normal for a Saturday.<br /><br />Now things *I'm* not fond of in a puzzle:<br /><br />proper names<br />cross referenced clues<br />foreign words [geographic or historical is fine]<br />pop culture<br />short fill<br />extreme crosswordese<br />obscure crosses<br />... and rarely taken by themes... <br /><br />CheersMatt Gnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32929714652029657992012-04-28T16:58:38.879-04:002012-04-28T16:58:38.879-04:00I think @JohnV describes the progress of NYT puzzl...I think @JohnV describes the progress of NYT puzzles well. I started in 1952 or so. Dropped out for a long time and went back in the late '70s. They were difficult, but I hung in there. Thought Mr. Maleska a fine old gent. People became used to the esoteric vocabulary. After Will Shortz took over I could ovbserve my brother-in-law sitting at the kitchen table, knuckles white, grasping his pen (yes, pen) mumbling "Tricky, too tricky." To each his own. I'm pleased with the steady Monday to Saturday climb. At least it gives me a chance to grow. <br /><br />So here I am now, 500 plus at ACPT. Thought of ganache before MOUSSE. 66A fell thinking of Mark Morris's The Hard Nut. Filled all the top, holes in the middle and did 2/3 of the bottom. Ear mUFFs far too long, Liked clue for OASIS. Shout out, hi @Mac. Zydecosis very funny @Rex. Ducat is old timey. You might see it in Runyon or even Chandler. Have a good weekend.Sparkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11149915526159432838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86561149165434917312012-04-28T16:15:12.987-04:002012-04-28T16:15:12.987-04:00@John V: Thanks! Interesting. I'll see if I ca...@John V: Thanks! Interesting. I'll see if I can find some. The NYT archive only goes back to 1996, but Amazon has some books. (Including used for $0.01. USED crossword puzzle books???)R. McGeddonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33658605679548309002012-04-28T15:41:54.258-04:002012-04-28T15:41:54.258-04:00CUER isn't even in the dictionary. I only knew...CUER isn't even in the dictionary. I only knew THIS ISLAND EARTH because of the MST3K movie. I totally guessed that ___TO was CENTO (again, Scrabble player), which got me CHOCOLATE and set me on my way.Scotthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01995478597933992489noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36314728873543218492012-04-28T15:09:36.866-04:002012-04-28T15:09:36.866-04:00I've known one or two Hausa speakers in my lif...I've known one or two Hausa speakers in my life, so I got that one; Kai Winding is pretty familiar to jazz lovers, even modern-day ones, so he's not really any more "old"-obscure than, say, Tris Speaker might be to a baseball buff. But until I saw what's here, I STILL thought that the marble was an "imtie" (?!), because when I'm trying to think about something I usually TAKE, rather than MAKE, a mental note.<br /><br />Didn't know "Mneme," "UAE" [couldn't get "cuers"] or "Sande" -- but missing just three or four letters in a puzzle that King Rex ("Rex King"?) called "medium to challenging" is still a pretty good ego rush.jazzmanchgohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02568707898871466512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84881107537793383742012-04-28T14:28:54.036-04:002012-04-28T14:28:54.036-04:00Last paragraph --"IF" that's the wor...Last paragraph --"IF" that's the word, of course.John Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557037910799243636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24692167388781297742012-04-28T14:27:58.393-04:002012-04-28T14:27:58.393-04:00@R.McGedddon: Great handle, man! Re: Maleska, et...@R.McGedddon: Great handle, man! Re: Maleska, etc. My perspective is having been a daily solver since grad school, 1971. Will Weng was editor then, Maleska followed, then Will Shortz. <br /><br />The puzzle under Will Shortz is more fun and more welcoming to newcomers than before he came aboard. The issue I had with the Maleska era was not the odd words per se, but the really high barrier to entry if you didn't know them. Thus, the puzzle felt elite and off-putting to many. I had the luxury, if that's the word, of an hour-long rail commute where I could sort out all the odd words, [lus I found it challenging and fun. That plainly puts me in the minority. <br /><br />I was one of those affected by the change-over to Will's approach, as a) I was good at the Maleska approach and b) I remain mostly a pop-culture nitwit. That said, I would not want to go back the Maleska style puzzle and don't know any activer solver who would. The modern puzzle is more fun, in just so many ways. Under Maleska, I would never attempt a Saturday, as that was just nuts.<br /><br />So, references to Will's predecessor are meant, I believe, to just set context, to compare, to contrast, nothing more. The Maleska/Shortz debate is long time settled.<br /><br />Stanley Newman has written at length -- fit that's the word -- on this, if you care to explore further.<br /><br />Hope this helps. One man's view/opinion.John Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557037910799243636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90708411196625374182012-04-28T14:18:10.331-04:002012-04-28T14:18:10.331-04:00@Wood...
For special friends of Rick's - uh - ...@Wood...<br />For special friends of Rick's - uh - Rex, we have special deal ... the "fee" is your feedback and suggestions. That goes for anyone here.<br />It is in its "soft-launch" stage, with the option to donate.<br /><br />Right now it is Mac & PC only. It will run on any device in its next iteration.<br />It's rock-solid, but not fully documented yet.<br /><br />More detail at <a href="http://crucimetrics.blogspot.com/" title="Crucimetrics" rel="nofollow">Crucimetrics</a> <br />I'll be adding some additional demos to the site soon - hopefully this weekend.Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60821959532055079372012-04-28T14:15:02.299-04:002012-04-28T14:15:02.299-04:00Medium with one error at REP/PNEME which made a he...Medium with one error at REP/PNEME which made a hell of a lot more sense than the actual answer....not knowing "Ad rem" or "Mneme." Pfft.Shamikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11635283729322415150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5361642248166527932012-04-28T13:07:58.016-04:002012-04-28T13:07:58.016-04:00@Tita: Hey, cool! Is your app available for gene...@Tita: Hey, cool! Is your app available for general consumption, or is it just "in development?"Woodhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01366620471331747531noreply@blogger.com