tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post3014799932356030434..comments2024-03-28T14:27:07.588-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Pioneering 1990s computer game / THU 11-16-17 / Frequent vag gogh setting / 22+ pages of the Oxford English dictionary / German steel city / Some yacht assitants / Brand trusted by cooks who know / celeb chef Batali Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger132125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-27703692646241686142018-03-09T19:25:09.515-05:002018-03-09T19:25:09.515-05:00I save NYTs until I get down time to do them, so I...I save NYTs until I get down time to do them, so I'm often late to these parties. I have to say, though, it seems I'm also an exception to most solvers here when it comes to my knowledge bank. ICON was my first gimme, and RECURSION was my first themer. <br /><br />What held me back longest was my insistence that there will never be more than one occurrence of any word in a grid, so I kept trying to make one of the TAUTOLOGYs into TAUTOLism (or some other variant). Having the same word twice in a grid is my hard and fast mortal sin for a crossword. My only complaint for this challenging puzzle.J Howardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03089922629341405116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47230119759463168652017-12-21T16:27:49.820-05:002017-12-21T16:27:49.820-05:00Clever, tricky, mostly fun and interesting. Got th...Clever, tricky, mostly fun and interesting. Got the theme, which was pretty AMBIGUOUS.<br /><br /> But GROANED on reaching the west-middle, anchored by the too-elusive (for me) ON IT. Tried ME IN, ON ME, US IN. Nothing worked. Gave up.<br /><br />Big DNF. Still groaning.leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10017265352816739712017-12-21T16:07:59.304-05:002017-12-21T16:07:59.304-05:00@central - Today woulda been Frank's b'day...@central - Today woulda been Frank's b'dayrondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82460023980687070252017-12-21T15:44:11.117-05:002017-12-21T15:44:11.117-05:00Tough. Got going with TE AMO in the SE which yield...Tough. Got going with TE AMO in the SE which yielded my first themer, which got me to the NW, then over to the NE, and finally down to the SW, which had the most resistance. ABORT allowed BARBET and ORALS, which allowed MARIO, but still took a looooonnnnggg time to get RIVET and EGESTS. Cool puzzle and great comments from the peanut gallery.centralscrewtinizerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03404913280254786506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78890161402822165202017-12-21T15:42:26.101-05:002017-12-21T15:42:26.101-05:00For those wondering about Christmas HAMS:
Julskin...For those wondering about Christmas HAMS:<br /><br />Julskinka (Christmas ham) is the centrepiece of a Swedish julbord (Christmas buffet). It is always served cold in Sweden. Swedes normally boil their julskinka and then finish it off in the oven with a mustard and breadcrumb crust/glaze.rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83374534037894985022017-12-21T15:38:55.435-05:002017-12-21T15:38:55.435-05:00Honor Blackman was Cathy GALE from the original Av...Honor Blackman was Cathy GALE from the original Avengers series and also played Pussy Galore in Goldfinger. She's still alive and kicking.thefogmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870509029973778266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41071598588470393722017-12-21T15:17:53.978-05:002017-12-21T15:17:53.978-05:00I did this one pretty much from bottom to top. Tro...I did this one pretty much from bottom to top. Trouble on THE way back up with rAmBLE before BABBLE creating a rawDEAL/BadDEAL/BUMDEAL inkfest. That’s no ALIBI, just a FACT. Kinda GROANED at THE repeat of TAUTOLOGY, but what else to do?<br /><br />Used to play THE BUGLE part at military funerals back in my H.S. days. THE services for THE WWI & WWII guys were tough enough, but THE one for my buddy’s brother killed in Nam . . . We had ridden THE same school bus and gone to THE same church; that one gave me FITS.<br /><br />PSST, can’t find a yeah baby today, but ISLE know her when I SEER with my own AYES. Maybe GALE Storm; My Little Margie from AGES ago has been playing on one of those oldie TV stations.<br /><br />Agree with @rainy that it’s much better than a rebus – not an if, nor an and, nor ABUT.<br />rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66912207180694101502017-12-21T13:43:14.340-05:002017-12-21T13:43:14.340-05:00Comment was eaten. I won't redo it, so I'...Comment was eaten. I won't redo it, so I'll just say that I really liked the puzzle and the off-beat themers/non-themers. Superior to a rebus.rainforestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-69529783487483135752017-12-21T12:13:34.326-05:002017-12-21T12:13:34.326-05:00FACT ORALS ABOARD ABUT
GALE GABS of her RECURSION...FACT ORALS ABOARD ABUT<br /><br />GALE GABS of her RECURSION to THE CABINBOY’S SPACE,<br />and BABBLEs with no AMBIGUITY it was not AWILDGOOSECHASE.<br />With CRISCO on her HAMS, there’s no SLIMIER SIN she’d OMIT – <br />having GROANED, “For this BUMDEAL and ACAI have, come NIBLET.”<br /><br />--- MARIO “TOOTS” PROBST<br />Burma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5990569800985815212017-12-21T11:55:54.150-05:002017-12-21T11:55:54.150-05:00PSST...
FACT! Trump EGESTS his own RECURSION here...PSST...<br /><br />FACT! Trump EGESTS his own RECURSION here:<br /><br />http://i.imgur.com/XpdZaSy.gifvthefogmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870509029973778266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-27567609638474334652017-12-21T11:42:12.853-05:002017-12-21T11:42:12.853-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.thefogmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870509029973778266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48181953664127358282017-12-21T11:14:48.550-05:002017-12-21T11:14:48.550-05:00Rex GROANED a bit, but I hugely loved this puzzle ...Rex GROANED a bit, but I hugely loved this puzzle in a massive way. All HAIL Alex Eylar! BRAVO.thefogmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870509029973778266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42543397475595217332017-11-19T17:19:16.530-05:002017-11-19T17:19:16.530-05:00Just did this puzzle today (11/19/17) and really l...Just did this puzzle today (11/19/17) and really liked it; I found it, as @Joe Beaux said at 12:24 PM, "different," in a very pleasing way.<br /><br />But I am commenting now to respond to @QuasiMojo at 7:41 AM, where he (? - sorry, don't know) posted, "Loved seeing GOOSE in the same grid as the Christmas meals since that is what the Cratchit family got from Scrooge in 'A Christmas Carol.'" (I am hoping @QuasiMojo is one who has clicked the box to continue receiving follow-up comments!)<br /><br />This issue has a special resonance with me because I engaged in a bit of online back and forth with Will Shortz even before I discovered Rex's blog many years ago. In one of Scrooge's visions, guided by the Ghost of Christmas Present, I believe, Dickens lavishes many details on the preparation of a Christmas goose by the Cratchit family. But this is just a vision. After Scrooge awakes on Christmas morning, following the visits of the three ghosts, he calls out the window to a boy in the street, and instructs the boy to run to the butcher shop and fetch the fattest TURKEY hanging there and deliver it to the Cratchits. So I contend that in reality, it was turkey on the Cratchit table that year.<br /><br />And because I have checked the "Email follow-up comments to . . . " box, I will have spellcasters on my table for years to come!<br /><br /><br />Email follow-up comments to . . .Bob Kerfufflehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02615811802419025933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30796944453732935172017-11-17T12:13:21.079-05:002017-11-17T12:13:21.079-05:00Ready for action. Ready yourself: Gir"D"...Ready for action. Ready yourself: Gir"D" your loins Girt? past tense. Once knew a girl named Gert. My bad: thought,for awhile, that Karads were some sort of atomic particle involved in "chain" reactions.running dog presshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10406056997885439077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20439327491395175332017-11-17T08:45:32.729-05:002017-11-17T08:45:32.729-05:00maybe a better clue for 46 across would have been ...maybe a better clue for 46 across would have been see 9 down, meaning the 9 down clue rather than the 9 down answer. a sort of double ambiguity. maybe that would be an ambiguous ambiguity? is an ambiguous ambiguity a tautology? warrenjaynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-27391274644372488912017-11-17T04:33:11.545-05:002017-11-17T04:33:11.545-05:00Great video of “Vincent”
Great video of “Vincent”<br />Sunnyvale Solvernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23025268641318879192017-11-16T23:45:58.148-05:002017-11-16T23:45:58.148-05:00As somebody who works in robotics and deals with p...As somebody who works in robotics and deals with programming a fair amount, the clue for RECURSION might be my favorite clue ever.<br /><br />For those still wondering, in computers (or in math, too), recursion is doing something that, as part of completing the task, must first complete the task. More technically, it's a computer code that calls itself.<br /><br />An example in the computer world would be to list everything in a folder, including the folders in that folder, and the folders in those folders, and so on. A less computery example is a Russian nesting doll. Inside each doll is another doll, so it's a recursive doll. <br /><br />More generally, RECURSION can be anytime a thing refers to itself, though I believe this is a more recent loosening of the original meaning, as computer terms get more commonly applied to daily life. So the clue for 25A pointing you to look at 25A creates an infinite cycle of pointing you back to 25A, and is hence (in the loose, crosswordy sense) RECURSION.Billyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04605162965167165411noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8998447477005683352017-11-16T22:31:33.616-05:002017-11-16T22:31:33.616-05:00I still need an explanation of recursion.I still need an explanation of recursion.Salliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01868132807494992969noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31259240132167532722017-11-16T22:19:09.757-05:002017-11-16T22:19:09.757-05:00Can we add Heisenberg's uncertainty principle ...Can we add Heisenberg's uncertainty principle to the mix? For most of the puzzle I wasn't sure where I was going, and I enjoyed feeling my way to the finish. Carolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15971759975067250908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49291699273762982532017-11-16T21:19:57.793-05:002017-11-16T21:19:57.793-05:00.Clever and tough . I liked it!.Clever and tough . I liked it!OISKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16808675378318214461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11113184928784674762017-11-16T21:09:35.181-05:002017-11-16T21:09:35.181-05:00I completed at safari and then space last. RECURSI...I completed at safari and then space last. RECURSION was hard, I tried SELF REFER first.nick strausshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01613006291726011494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18566180584452666582017-11-16T19:51:05.558-05:002017-11-16T19:51:05.558-05:00@Lewis said "...it felt out of the box" ...@Lewis said "...it felt out of the box" and I say it is so far out that the only true solution is to put it back. If it will still fit. <br />I knew as soon as I saw the 'no clues to nowhere' that I was not going to have anything even remotely resembling 'fun' much less success with this stupid thing. And it is only Thursday. <br />I have to agree with @ghkozen who said it might possibly be the WORST puzzle of the year. <br />Bah . . humbug.Joy2uhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07237432840534795855noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6695192796476391832017-11-16T19:06:40.696-05:002017-11-16T19:06:40.696-05:00Infinite RECURSION is a fairly common term (at lea...Infinite RECURSION is a fairly common term (at least in my wheelhouse), so it seemed like fair game to me. I agree on the lack of AMBIGUITY.<br /><br />Me biggest qualm here is TAUTOLOGY. It usually refers to repetition with different wording, so I kept trying to make a different word fit in the second slot.<br /><br />Over all, a very solid Thursday with minimal junk fill.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17363567960546360862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42759782369996013282017-11-16T18:56:57.084-05:002017-11-16T18:56:57.084-05:00@Ando 3:15 -- there are no actual theme names for ...@Ando 3:15 -- there are no actual theme names for the Monday-Saturday puzzles (that was a subject of discussion here yesterday). Rex will use the theme clues/answers/revealers to make up a title for the purpose of the blog.Joe Dipintohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07922691457886440325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8652162143864437372017-11-16T18:45:26.758-05:002017-11-16T18:45:26.758-05:00Whoa, they missed the opportunity to clue 11a as &...Whoa, they missed the opportunity to clue 11a as "____ Opera ('SW' film genre)". Oh happy we!Joe Dipintohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07922691457886440325noreply@blogger.com