tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post2941202284966294225..comments2024-03-28T20:49:13.267-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Currie who wrote Parliamentary Affair — WEDNESDAY, Dec. 9 2009 — Famed Chicago livestock owner / Ancient Greek portico / Buchanan's predecessorRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-7951576194716231502010-01-13T22:35:52.751-05:002010-01-13T22:35:52.751-05:00@Waxy - good point about Gretzky.@Waxy - good point about Gretzky.Jeffreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01699404861773455504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55146702628979509552010-01-13T17:56:04.300-05:002010-01-13T17:56:04.300-05:00@CROSSCAN - exactly what I was about to say. In ad...@CROSSCAN - exactly what I was about to say. In addition, Wayne Gretzky wore his famous 99 in homage to the famous nines preceding him in the NHL.<br /><br />Also, my mother who was raised in the Midlands of England often used the verb "to hark" in everyday speech. For example, when my brothers and I misbehaved she'd yell "HARKEN UNTO ME, YOU LOT" which invariably grabbed our attention.Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61495484374699239842010-01-13T15:12:09.400-05:002010-01-13T15:12:09.400-05:00Ooh, more than usual hackles raised in comments to...Ooh, more than usual hackles raised in comments today. Had fun with this one. Fun, like difficulty, proportionate to my ability to complete the darn thing. Lob and Blowdryers was my smile moment. And, of course, no way I could recall predecessor of Buchanan. My brother does fieldwork when he's not in the office, but I got the idea quickly. Hooray for Starr being here.Paul in SWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49383185883828197632010-01-13T14:49:06.312-05:002010-01-13T14:49:06.312-05:00rp, I agree - see my comment - that the clue was a...rp, I agree - see my comment - that the clue was accurate. The issue was with others going on about the definition of The Century, as opposed to a century. The clue could have selected any random century, such is 1911 - 2010, e.g. The choice of 1900 - 1999 opened the possibility of comment, which was taken by Jim H. I still wouldn't have said anything if it hadn't been for the comments by Mr. Emba, which it seems to me indicated a stubborn pride in being wrong, even given his obvious understanding of the issue. It irks me when main stream media and people who should know better perpetuate a common misunderstanding just because it is easier than actually explaining how we count years, and Mr. Emba was an example of that kind of lazy thinking. Nevertheless, I willingly and happily acknowledge that the clue was accurate, and did so in my previous comment. <br /><br />There is no sense in beating this to death - I suspect that was already done in the January 2000, and maybe January 2001, but I didn't know about this blog at that time. Anyway, participating in syndication time makes the discussion somewhat moot since I am already an anachronism. :-)Singernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74504641254677257412010-01-13T12:53:27.117-05:002010-01-13T12:53:27.117-05:00no SUD on its own, but compound word SOAP SUD BUBB...no SUD on its own, but compound word SOAP SUD BUBBLE is common enough outside of dictionaries. In Finnish, both SUDS and ALMS would fall into the partitive case which includes things you may want less of but you can never have fewer.citizenarchitectnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25412453868421511052010-01-13T12:30:01.447-05:002010-01-13T12:30:01.447-05:00A CENtury is a period of 100 years. Thus, the clue...A CENtury is a period of 100 years. Thus, the clue is accurate, as someone (more learned than I) already said, above. Peeves should not enter into it. No one said the unit in question was any particular CENtury.<br /><br />rpRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50146446204005326602010-01-13T11:54:35.564-05:002010-01-13T11:54:35.564-05:00Had hairDRYER for 23A, sELl for RELO and InLET for...Had hairDRYER for 23A, sELl for RELO and InLET for ISLET as writeovers. Other than that, went smoothly. Even got EDWINA off of __W_NA.<br /><br />Have to weigh in on 12D - it is a pet peeve, which has only been exacerbated by the "end" of The Decade as 2009. 2009 is the end of a decade, The Decade ends in 2010. 1900-1999 is a century, but The Twentieth Century ended in 2000, The Twenty-First Century started in 2001. Arguments like not caring that the first century being 1-99 is okay, even though it only had 99 years or statements that it is a matter of religion or it doesn't matter, so who cares just irritate me. It is a matter of math and counting, and 99 years does not a century make. It just irritates me that so many people would rather proudly wrong than just take two minutes to understand how we count years. Foo!Singernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50108646708916436832009-12-15T15:08:55.207-05:002009-12-15T15:08:55.207-05:00Catch up, puzzle 2: Number NINE is of course bette...Catch up, puzzle 2: Number NINE is of course better clued as a hockey number: Gordie Howe, Bobby Hull, Rocket Richard. A truly educated blogger would have mentioned that, unlike the Monday lover we have here.Jeffreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01699404861773455504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10628598898709260172009-12-10T14:13:03.148-05:002009-12-10T14:13:03.148-05:00Elaine: I was funning with somebody from yesterday...Elaine: I was funning with somebody from yesterday, who thought there was a pattern with all the first names. The pattern was standard crossword symmetry.william e embanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28300965276704385712009-12-10T03:28:28.273-05:002009-12-10T03:28:28.273-05:00That I find very easy and Rex and others call medi...That I find very easy and Rex and others call medium-challenging. Today is a case in point. Interestingly, I am also 64 years old, so it may be an age thing. As to another point that was raised, of course everyone has their own standards, but if I have to google at all.Christmas Gameshttp://www.gamerevolt.com/dress_up/christmas-party-dress-upnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-269199733690062082009-12-09T22:37:02.574-05:002009-12-09T22:37:02.574-05:00"Best smiles came from 3D and 46D." yes...."Best smiles came from 3D and 46D." yes.<br /><br />The 12D debate is mere religion. There never was an "official definition" of a century and there is still no need to make one. Everyone can have it their own way.Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911901473993027184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6872006541165719842009-12-09T22:35:07.220-05:002009-12-09T22:35:07.220-05:00Can't believe that Jeopardy today wanted Frank...Can't believe that Jeopardy today wanted Frank GEHRY, clued by the Bilbao museum. and <i>I didn't get it!</i>retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83380328890722857702009-12-09T22:25:31.679-05:002009-12-09T22:25:31.679-05:00This 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 7:00, 6:57, 1.01, 55%, Medium<br />Tue 8:13, 8:37, 0.95, 40%, Easy-Medium<br />Wed 12:21, 11:50, 1.04, 66%, Medium-Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:42, 3:41, 1.00, 55%, Medium<br />Tue 4:07, 4:25, 0.93, 36%, Easy-Medium<br />Wed 6:08, 5:50, 1.05, 72%, Medium-Challengingsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13224130962409302642009-12-09T21:08:17.861-05:002009-12-09T21:08:17.861-05:00@Clark\
If only you had an e-mail I wouldnt' v...@Clark\<br />If only you had an e-mail I wouldnt' violate 3 and out!!<br />Thanks for the encouragement. I adore Brit series (oh dear...serieses?) and kind of got away from them with the (cough) encroachment of old age and early bedtimes....)<br />SLEEPERS was our fave a couple of yrs back--Masterpiece Theatre-- and the IRISH PM awaits. I have noticed that it takes about 2 years for me to read one year's-worth of SMITHSONIAN, and almost as long to see episodes of a series. This is pitiful. BE prepared!!!!Elainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13195458656221202202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87904752524317356712009-12-09T20:57:30.874-05:002009-12-09T20:57:30.874-05:00SueRohr (and presumably one of the anonymi), keep ...SueRohr (and presumably one of the anonymi), keep in mind that Rex and others are rating the puzzles relative to others that appear on the same day of the week. A Challenging Monday puzzle, for example, is still far, far easier than an Easy Friday puzzle. So he's not saying that he found it challenging to complete this, just that he found it relatively more challenging than the average Wednesday puzzle.<br /><br />So far, sanfranman59's data bear this out--the average median solving time among, for example, the top 100 solvers on the NYT site is 5:50. The median among the top 100 as of 4pm today was 6:18, a time that puts today in the 76th percentile among all the Wednesday's he's tracked. It's likely that Rex, a Very Good solver, finished it at least that quickly. I did not.SethGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13753036404140901368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-92042852395086894382009-12-09T20:24:35.662-05:002009-12-09T20:24:35.662-05:00I agree with anonymous. I am sure that Rex and man...I agree with anonymous. I am sure that Rex and many people on this website are much better solvers than me, and yet there are quite a few puzzles, especially in the early part of the week, that I find very easy and Rex and others call medium-challenging. Today is a case in point. Interestingly, I am also 64 years old, so it may be an age thing. As to another point that was raised, of course everyone has their own standards, but if I have to google at all I consider it a bit of a failure - sort of like cheating. I won't even ask my husband or daughter for help. But that's me.SueRohrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13511695558054356816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45167061035767944082009-12-09T19:24:32.738-05:002009-12-09T19:24:32.738-05:00Hey everybody, Rex just posted a new puzzle he bui...Hey everybody, Rex just posted a new puzzle he built. Check it out.Squeeknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48253112590586787062009-12-09T19:02:06.129-05:002009-12-09T19:02:06.129-05:00@Elaine -- If you ever get a chance to watch Ab Fa...@Elaine -- If you ever get a chance to watch Ab Fab (reruns or DVD) it may take you a few episodes to find your way into it. It is the kind of over the top humor that the Brits are (counterintuitively to me at least) so good at. I saw some outtakes once in which I saw Patsy and Saffy (Eddy's daughter) laughing it up together. That helped me find the humor in the many scenes in which Patsy is incredibly mean to Saffy.Clarknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73353437867009629182009-12-09T18:57:59.309-05:002009-12-09T18:57:59.309-05:00I'm always surprised on the few occasions when...I'm always surprised on the few occasions when I find a puzzle easier to do than Rex; this was one of those times. I did it in ink on the plane to Chicago with minimal difficulties - maybe because I got the FIELDWORK quickly which helped to reveal the theme.desnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6204985756284934212009-12-09T18:27:22.825-05:002009-12-09T18:27:22.825-05:00Had a hard time straightening up this mixed up WOR...Had a hard time straightening up this mixed up WORLD. Finally Googled 2 words EDWINA and the year of the Vandals.<br /><br />Started with "hairdryer" rather than BLOWDRYER. Always hated "blowdry" as one word, as it can be misread as a strange non-word, rhyming with OW-dry.<br /><br />Started with "dance" rather than LANCE. Estrogen vs. testosterone.<br /><br />Had "insets" instead of ISLETS for a different kind of key (map, not geographical). This meant I had "suckier" instead of LUCKIER. Being as ignorant of gambling (except mathematically) as sports, I thought it was a technical term meaning the gambler was getting sucked in, ala The Hustler. In my opinion, gambler=fool, anyway. Even if you win, and even if it's not a game of pure chance, the House gets 15% and Uncle Sam and cousins get even more!<br /><br />Is EWW a word? <br /><br />Did not know 3 of the 4 sports words, though they fell in. I decided to find a reference Bookmark with all the Scoreboard Team Name Abbreviations, and could not! Someone direct me to such a site, please.<br /><br />The Bells of St. MARY put me in mind of the song:<br />" 'You owe me 3 farthings,'<br />Said the bells of St. Martin's.<br />'When will you pay me,'<br />Said the bells of Old Baily.<br />'When I grow rich,' <br />Said the bells of Shoreditch."<br /><br />Actually much longer, as long as you want. <br /><br />@Foodie - is that a dimple in your chin?<br /><br />@Ulrich - I call it the box-car system of word formation.<br /><br />@Jim - The Italians were in a quandary over what to call this century. For art and lit, they had been calling the 19th, novacento. the 18th ottocento, and on back, ignoring the "teens" part of it. Unlike us, they didn't go Y2K crazy over it, but apparently ignored it - and it went away.<br /><br />Here's a good new cw word. In today's Utica OD, front page, Upstaters have been arrested for deer JACKING - taking deer at night with the use of a spotlight.<br /><br />@Anonymous 11:27 - You sound interesting - grab a name and have a seat. Some of your territory has been covered, z.b.(as long as we're going all deutscher today), your special hates. But we all have 'em. Everyone knows I hate sports and questionable abbrevs (didn't like DIF).<br /><br />@McColl - Marissa TOMEI is a beautiful Sicilian-American actress who won an Oscar for My Cousin Vinny. I've notice how many Oscar winners are forgotten almost immediately.<br /><br />@Emba - if you draw a diagonal from NE to SW, you will see that the first WORDL is one letter off of the last LDWOR in terms of being symmetric. Is that what you meant?Sfinginoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20156836252477238972009-12-09T17:55:40.695-05:002009-12-09T17:55:40.695-05:00@Anon 11:27
I hate clues that lead to words like I...@Anon 11:27<br />I hate clues that lead to words like IRED, VISED, HASPED...words that no one would actually say (except to be annoying.) One has to watch out; constructors hang out at this site and deliberately insert the latest kerfuffle word in their upcoming puzzles.<br /><br />@Clark<br />I have heard of but never seen AbFab. Will add it to my list of Must Sees (in case I am ever awake after 8 p.m.) Thanks.<br /><br />@Sundance<br />I can agree about SOME of those words, but I think HARKED is an interesting and even useful word (creative nonfiction needs evocative vocab, after all!) and ARAL and STOA are General Knowledge words (those that a person might reasonably be expected to know.) The latter could be related to educational level, I suppose, but not necessarily. (Having said that, from time to time the Young Tyros get stumped by clues that might not challenge them had they more life experience/years of study/etc.<br />Why do you think STOA is so bad? (she asked, fiddling with her earbob, her free arm akimbo.)Elainehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13195458656221202202noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20646130062535040752009-12-09T17:48:08.971-05:002009-12-09T17:48:08.971-05:00@Foodie and R_C: FIELDWORK was my favorite answ...@Foodie and R_C: FIELDWORK was my favorite answer today! The sight of it made my archaeo-heart go pitter-pat. <br /><br />Recently my sister gave me a hat that says, "Plays in the dirt."archaeoprofhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17956231727789223463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21021009090147143162009-12-09T17:46:00.333-05:002009-12-09T17:46:00.333-05:00@ulrich, BobK
Would that be like Sudalm Hussein?@ulrich, BobK<br />Would that be like Sudalm Hussein?andrea suds michaelsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85911018129589718002009-12-09T17:25:31.803-05:002009-12-09T17:25:31.803-05:00@ w.e.e., I'm relieved that no one was hacking...@ w.e.e., I'm relieved that no one was hacking your name.<br />@ Whoever was talking about Edina/Edwina from AbFab. Thanks for that tidbit. Edina came to my mind up in that corner. I love Eddy and Patsy!Two Ponieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06896743444873087885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77210192149260494672009-12-09T17:10:28.669-05:002009-12-09T17:10:28.669-05:00I found this fairly easy, had more trouble with my...I found this fairly easy, had more trouble with my mechanical pencil than with the clues and answers. It helped to have found the theme quickly, especially for the last answer. Hope the theme is just about putting the letters in "world" in a different order....<br /><br />I too had strep before staph, and puzzled over the output of a jet engine, foam? Nice titbit about stoa and stoics.<br /><br />For Edy's I had alway's envisioned a round little old lady, and here I find out it is a man made Joseph....<br /><br />Didn't like viced, ire and hasped too much, but then again I loved harked and helms!machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.com