tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post3190463335804186894..comments2024-03-29T03:22:09.826-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Start of old army recruiting line / WED 2-2-11 / Doffs one's lid / Suffix with magnet / Club for knights / Graybearded sortRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88810852396396895972011-03-09T16:28:14.011-05:002011-03-09T16:28:14.011-05:00As I was doing this puzzle 5 weeks after Rex had c...As I was doing this puzzle 5 weeks after Rex had completed his rant against it, I kept saying to my dogs, "Rex is not going to like this, he is really not going to like it." But I still had fun doing it and I found enough to like about it that I have no (r)EGRETS for having done it.<br /><br />Who knew a beheading could be so much fun? Thanks @A&a:S for that info.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22727443200677534932011-03-09T13:08:05.904-05:002011-03-09T13:08:05.904-05:00In language play, this is known as beheading.
A f...In language play, this is known as beheading.<br /><br />A favorite old one is, "Show this bold Prussian that praises slaughter, slaughter brings rout. Teach this slaughter-lover his fall nears." Beheaded, it becomes, "How his old Russian hat raises laughter -- laughter rings out! Each, his laughter over, is all ears."Old Alhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16094583809189956841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11907876779850013472011-02-03T12:59:40.513-05:002011-02-03T12:59:40.513-05:00Curiously, SOLA has a different meaning in Shakesp...Curiously, SOLA has a different meaning in Shakespeare. From <i>The Merchant of Venice</i> Act V, Scene 1:<br /><br />Launcelot: <b>Sola</b>, <b>sola</b>! wo ha, ho! <b>sola</b>, <b>sola</b>!<br /><br />Lorenzo: Who calls?<br /><br />Launcelot: <b>Sola</b>! did you see Master Lorenzo? Master Lorenzo, <b>sola</b>, <b>sola</b>!<br /><br />Lorenzo: Leave hollaing, man: here.<br /><br />Launcelot: <b>Sola</b>! where? where?<br /><br />Lorenzo: Here.william e embanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31161754642930207512011-02-03T02:33:12.350-05:002011-02-03T02:33:12.350-05:00You are a man after my own heart. I was getting so...You are a man after my own heart. I was getting so mad about the OTTIS BEALL LOBBER corner. Totally ridiculous.Fallonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88216398133933250782011-02-03T01:13:40.952-05:002011-02-03T01:13:40.952-05:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 7/30/2009 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 5:46, 6:54, 0.84, 1%, Easy<br />Tue 8:00, 8:57, 0.89, 21%, Easy-Medium<br />Wed 14:47, 11:46, 1.26, 94%, Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:07, 3:41, 0.85, 1%, Easy<br />Tue 4:14, 4:35, 0.92, 28%, Easy-Medium<br />Wed 7:32, 5:48, 1.30, 95%, Challengingsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52830338995966907132011-02-02T22:53:26.691-05:002011-02-02T22:53:26.691-05:00Thank you Martin for the exerpt from the NYT Manua...Thank you Martin for the exerpt from the NYT Manual of Style. I see now what the problem is. The clue writer was stuck with a style guide that (ahem) IMHO is not popular English. <br /><br />The use of the hyphen in those examples you quote is patently inconsistent. For instance its role in two one-hundredths and 20 one-hundredths is one thing, but its role in twenty-hundredths, 21-hundredths and one-103rd is quite another. Uckk. And the example of twenty-five 103rds is yet a third role! I can live with the first and third models but the second seems quite painfully irregular. This is not a guideline I will ever follow.<br /><br />I am a big fan of the NYT for its fastidious use of our dear language. This data you have dredged up is quite a shocker. Now I'm fated to be sensitive to the issue ever after.Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911901473993027184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21139886930117761682011-02-02T22:10:22.735-05:002011-02-02T22:10:22.735-05:00PS to my 1:18 am post.
Went back an re-read Rex...PS to my 1:18 am post. <br /><br />Went back an re-read Rex. Just hilarious! Best writeup in a long time. Better than the puzzle, which makes the puzzle worth something because without the puzzle we'd have no Rex writeup....<br /><br />captcha is unsest, a cousin to UNHATS no count.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24477752859731068352011-02-02T21:18:36.307-05:002011-02-02T21:18:36.307-05:00Stephen @8:09
From The New York Times Manual of St...Stephen @8:09<br />From The New York Times Manual of Style and Usage:<br /><br />When fractions appear by themselves in ordinary copy, follow these spelling styles: <i>one-half inch (not 1/2 inch); one-half an inch; half an inch (preferred); two-tenths; one-twentieth; one twenty-first; one-thirtieth; one thirty-second; 21 thirty-seconds; one-hundredth; two-hundredths; two one-hundredths; 20 one-hundredths; twenty-hundredths; 21-hundredths, one-103rd; twenty-five 103rds; nine-thousandths; nine one-thousandths; nine-1,009ths; 63 one-thousandths.</i><br /><br />There are two more paragraphs but I think you've got enough here. Clues must conform to the Manual like any other editorial copy.Martinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57091391915658384292011-02-02T21:14:36.810-05:002011-02-02T21:14:36.810-05:00I liked it a lot, Peter Collins.
I actually got A...I liked it a lot, Peter Collins.<br /><br />I actually got ALER and understood it. <br /><br />Of course, I knew MACE, since I'm so old. The cops got their word form this, I assume, and not from the spice. Also BETIDE. Glad the Bard showed up already.<br /><br />Thanx for a Deutsch Wort. <br /><br />Only writeover - ESSE over AMA-<br /><br />UNHAT is lame, though.<br /><br />Maybe Collins likes the S shape?<br /><br />Jon, LOO, Vaysay (water closet), Bachaus (back-haus). A smidgen gross. The word "toilet" doesn't describe what you primarily do in there, either.Sfingihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06903616949048940858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42596587388744046212011-02-02T20:09:30.132-05:002011-02-02T20:09:30.132-05:00Me rag on Rex too. I had a good time.
Perhaps the...Me rag on Rex too. I had a good time. <br />Perhaps the reason is that I leveraged the theme and tried to get the long answers without having many crosses. That lead to lots of imagineering, and getting those answers was very satisfying. Also, I'm a big fan of having a theme provide long-distance indirect clues. I actually got the reveal *last*, and needed the theme to get it!<br /><br />I jammed up in the NE, for the same reasons as others. I had both UNCLE and IWANT before making the third writeover. Remain=>LAST? well, maybe. Got stumped by the blind component too. Shouldn't have; but loved it when I finally got SLAT into place.<br /><br />I have to reiterate how good the LOO clue was. The misdirection there was so slick I forgot all the little weaknesses in other places. There wasn't the slightest edge to that wording that would have suggested to my brain what to do with it. I understand now that other players have seen this idea used before. Too bad. Perchance I will have to abandon Xwording when all the tricks become stale. Woe BETIDE that day!<br /><br />As for BETIDing, I agree that it does not mean "happen". At the very least it should have been "happen to".<br /><br />ALER is Xword crud. It should be expunged everywhere, and not just because I would not know an A Leaguer if I saw one. It was made up by an Xword constructor I'm sure, and should have been illegal from its first use onward.<br /><br />Now for something that no one has mentioned yet: What's with the hyphen in 42A "One-quarter" (of IAMB/ICPE/NTAM/ETER). I struggled with interpreting that hyphen forever, and it turns out it is meaningless. That is a faux pas that makes me almost want to forgive Rex! Tell me I'm wrong.Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911901473993027184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88692777507486070132011-02-02T19:43:55.426-05:002011-02-02T19:43:55.426-05:00hand up for uncle @sparky.
Captcha: cutcha--what ...hand up for uncle @sparky.<br /><br />Captcha: cutcha--what Rex did to the puzzlesantafefrannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42220815276467132192011-02-02T19:32:18.460-05:002011-02-02T19:32:18.460-05:00UNHÅT sucks big time, I think we can agree on that...UNHÅT sucks big time, I think we can agree on that; and BETIDES isn't any better.<br /><br />That said, I had fun with this one despite our leader's distaste for the same.<br /><br />Different strokes and all that.deerfencernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30211349467291201612011-02-02T16:12:25.328-05:002011-02-02T16:12:25.328-05:00Theme looked very familiar - thanks Rex for pointi...Theme looked very familiar - thanks Rex for pointing to the Sunday puzzle. <br /><br />I actually truly enjoyed that Sunday puzzle because the dropped letter had a dramatic impact on the word/phrase/pronunciation etc.<br /><br />Spoiler alert for those who want to do this puzzle, but the theme entries in the Sunday puzzle were precious!<br /><br />*<br />*<br />*<br />*<br />*<br />*<br />*<br />*<br />*<br />*<br />*<br />*<br />*<br />*<br />*<br />*<br />*<br />*<br />*<br />*<br />*<br /><br /><br /><br />"Will the long-winded ___ ___ his sermon?"<br />"The majority of British ___ ___ policy coming to fruition"<br />"I noticed you use the ___ ___ often than the tarnished one"<br />"The driver's crew decided to make the ___ ___ priority"<br />"The parishioners ignored the ___ ___ meat on Friday"<br />"The judges put the names of each ___ ___ for the M.C. to read"<br />"As one member of the crew ___ ___ co-worker leaned on his shovel"<br />"You won't find any ___ ___ Turner album"<br /><br />XWDerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61517841162149852762011-02-02T15:59:33.772-05:002011-02-02T15:59:33.772-05:00I winced a lot while solving. The worst might have...I winced a lot while solving. The worst might have been the SING-a-longs--a partial within a partial that's a completely non-amusing nonsense theme answer.<br /><br />Almost made the smalts/snares error.SethGhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13753036404140901368noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20191651063577578712011-02-02T15:43:17.892-05:002011-02-02T15:43:17.892-05:00Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 7/30/...Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 7/30/2009 post for an explanation of my method):<br /><br />All solvers (median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Wed 14:39, 11:46, 1.25, 93%, Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Wed 7:43, 5:48, 1.33, 98%, Challengingsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6847712160336117952011-02-02T15:34:19.708-05:002011-02-02T15:34:19.708-05:00"Ill rest betide the chamber where thou liest..."Ill rest betide the chamber where thou liest!"<br /><br />Ill rest betide : bad sleep visit<br /><br /><br />Titus Andronicus > Act IV, scene II<br /><br />Nurse: O gentle Aaron, we are all undone!<br /> Now help, or <b>woe betide </b>thee evermore!That woe is me to think upon thy woesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-744234863905125462011-02-02T15:16:22.014-05:002011-02-02T15:16:22.014-05:00@Mel Ott: OTTIS Anderson dropped the OJ years befo...@Mel Ott: OTTIS Anderson dropped the OJ years before OJ Simpson became infamous. <br /><br />Regarding the puzzle:<br /><br />I admit, I'm having a hard time understanding those who enjoyed this one, and the theme in particular. Sure, AEIOU is nice, but that's not enough to hang ones' hat on. <br /><br />I'm not a fan of what I'll call letter tricks just for the sake of doing them. There needs to be a payoff. Puns, really clever cluing, wacky phrases, something. This is just there. The clues are just answer delivery mechanisms instead of offering something amusing or clever (they reminded me of the sample sentences that no one ever says that are used in language-instruction textbooks in order to illustrate whatever concept is being taught). The resulting fill is mechanical, and dropping an initial letter isn't exactly a challenging theme to crack. Certainly not on a Wednesday, where I expect a little bit of thinking to be involved. <br /><br />Everyone has different tastes, of course, and there are lots of times where I don't personally like a puzzle or theme where I can see how someone else might (pun-heavy puzzles, for example, because I know not everyone shares my loathing of most puns). But I admit I really can't see it with this one. <br /><br />Btw, one misstep I didn't see noted: I had MDS in for 9D, which left me with D__S for 16A. Which had me scratching my head for a while, since it would have been the best puzzle error ever had the NYT puzzle managed to change RAND Paul's party affiliation.Steve Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15185067739452052656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24237231130688682962011-02-02T15:13:18.173-05:002011-02-02T15:13:18.173-05:00If I wanted to be cranky about this puzzle, I migh...If I wanted to be cranky about this puzzle, I might take issue with the clue 17A - "Start of an old Army recruiting line" for BEALL. I would be cranky because Be All You Can Be was the Army slogan from 1980 to 2001. I don't think of something from 2001 as old.<br />I'm just trying to make Rex feel better because this is his blog and he's the boss.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11390153176523506614noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31967864374920973232011-02-02T15:06:19.276-05:002011-02-02T15:06:19.276-05:00One more who didn't love this, but did not exp...One more who didn't love this, but did not expect such wrath over it.<br />I would have called it measium. I stalled a bit when I tried OTisS for OTTIS, but mostly this went smoothly.<br /><br />I'm pretty surprised at the frequent comment of "don't drink, missed the zombie clue." I drink, but mainly beer, at home, and I never had a zombie. Nevertheless, I knew zombies were a drink back before I even had my first illegal sip prior to turning 21.<br /><br />I agree UHHATS is . . . just wrong. I am sure a dictionary entry exists, but it should carry the connotation of having someone knock your hat off, rather than removing it yourself to be polite. That's how I'd define it, anyway.<br /><br />I missed the LOO clue (got it from crosses), and I don't remember it from another puzzle, but as soon as I saw it in the writeup I knew it was a tired, old joke. That's okay, I don't expect my puzzle constructors to <i>always</i> be comedians.<br /><br />My biggest complaint is ESTATESSTATES. As the first theme answer, it inserts an unclued, uninferrable plural followed by a verb of indeterminate tense. Fine to leave some ambiguity--it is a puzzle, after all--but, pray tell, when does one discuss the contents of multiple estates as if they are all of a group? I got ASHESSHES first, and for a long time had ESTATE_STATED, still trying to grasp the theme and that last square.<br /><br />@Clark Don't forget, The Bard probably wouldn't know what to do with a keyboard if he saw one. That apostrophe was probably an errant drop of ink from his quill, erroneously transcribed by his secretary.treedwellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12634227778469664442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53404357461622672552011-02-02T14:18:24.078-05:002011-02-02T14:18:24.078-05:00I also LOL'd at the mental picture of a young ...I also LOL'd at the mental picture of a young salmon on the mound in @RP's word-of-the-day and the posted picture of Smoltz. Had SMELTS at first but SNORES fixed it.<br /><br />@JohnV and @Sparky: Thinking of "Uncle Sam wants YOU", I also had UNCLE and refused to give it up so a DNF for the NW corner. G'ed for OTTIS and that enabled me to correct the error and solve the rest of the corner.<br /><br />Add me to the list of those thinking there's not much to love in this puzzle. And to the list of those tired of the Beatle/john/loo joke, although there seems to be several here who are seeing it for the first time. Maybe this has shown up more often in the LA Times puzzle.<br /><br />@mac: glad you made it out OK. Looks like U.S. air traffic may be messed up for quite a while.<br /><br />@Masked and Anon: P. Phil did not look happy and was heard to have said "let's get this over with." He just wanted to get back to his comfy lounge chair next to the fireplace.shrub5https://www.blogger.com/profile/09466867716773759568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32408598069684109002011-02-02T14:18:13.962-05:002011-02-02T14:18:13.962-05:00Gee Rex, why don't you stop beating around the...Gee Rex, why don't you stop beating around the bush and tell us what you really think of this puzzle?<br /><br />BTW OTTIS J. Anderson was a fine football player whom we called "OJ" for awhile, until that other OJ made it a name that shall forever live in infamy.Mel Ottnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81780032631514278842011-02-02T14:18:11.186-05:002011-02-02T14:18:11.186-05:00Every once in a while Rex finds fault in things th...Every once in a while Rex finds fault in things that strike me as good or at worst neutral. There are a couple instances of that today.<br /><br />First, Rex asks <i>Why vowels? Why? Why? That is the operative question.</i> Well, isn't it nice to use a complete set of something or other in a theme, and isn't it more impressive to find a set of five theme entries that use A, E, I, O, U in consecutive order than it would be to use some other set that was either (a) incomplete or (b) lacking a common thread? On a basic level, I don't understand Rex's implication that the constructor needed a better reason than that to opt for the five vowels. It seems coherent and sufficient to me. It is by no means brilliant, but neither are most themes in this well trod medium.<br /><br />Second, although it's always nice when the theme entries look like things even when you just look at the grid standing alone, this is clearly something that affects the overall quality of a puzzle far more for Rex than it does for some people (including me, today's constructor, and perhaps Will Shortz). Today's theme reminds of the kind of puzzle that tends to appear four or five pages into the Pencilwise section of <i>GAMES Magazine</i>, where you have to make two-word punny phrases by making some sort of change to the first word to create the second. It's not the most sophisticated type of word puzzle out there, but it's diverting enough. And if I had to think about a two-word phrase that fit the blanks sensibly and fit the pattern, which I did, I don't see why the constructor should shy away from using them just because it creates a grid that looks nonsensical in the absence of its clues. I guess what I'm saying is that I flat-out don't care if a grid looks silly in the abstract if it makes perfect sense alongside its clues. This doesn't factor at all in my pleasure of solving.<br /><br />I'm not trying to rag on Rex, because I still agree with his reviews 9 days out of 10. But now and then, he grades a puzzle at least in part on considerations that strike me as non-issues. Today is such a day.<br /><br />I liked the puzzle fine. No gold star, but a pleasant solve. Would have finished in far, far better time if I hadn't tried STAY instead of LAST and SERVER instead of LOBBER. The M at the crossing of AMAH and SMOLTS was a guess (I was pretty sure I'd seen AMAH as crosswordese before, but was fuzzy), but I luckily got it right for a clean grid.Matthew G.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07957320012395569238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87093319540135414242011-02-02T14:15:09.538-05:002011-02-02T14:15:09.538-05:00I, along with about half of responders, enjoyed th...I, along with about half of responders, enjoyed this puzzle. Sure, didn't like TILTAT, LOBBER, and UNHATS, but the zombie clue, the LOO clue, EDEMA, and SOLA, (ref. Italian libretti), were all good. Being from Seattle, SMOLTS was a gimme, but I always thought smolt was both singular and plural, like smelt is. Live and learn. Almost forgot, liked the "Caste member" clue for ANT.<br /><br />Like others, got the theme with ORANGES_, already having ASHES_, and used that info to fill in the remaining theme answers.<br /><br />Since <i>Silent Night</i> was originally German, that too was a gimme. Had writeovers at TACO/TApa, STn/STA (natch), and ISM/ISe. Have learned to accept ALER and it's ilk. LOL at the term "grout" for fill - excellent.<br /><br />But the real plus for this puzzle is, <b>no pop culture</b>. I'd say, "lighten up Rex", but that'd be like telling @Tinbeni to go on the wagon. Ain't gonna happen.Rubehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04773241241484881566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65010146728905245842011-02-02T14:06:12.017-05:002011-02-02T14:06:12.017-05:00The Bard's slip is showing. He has quoted him...The Bard's slip is showing. He has quoted himself erroneously, saying "I'll rest betide the chamber where thou liest!" This error, which is common, reads as if 'rest' is a verb and 'betide' is an adverb. It should be "Ill rest betide", with 'ill rest' as a noun phrase and 'betide' as a verb meaning 'befall'. Perhaps the dear Bard just slipped and hit the " ' " key.<br /><br />We are quite nicely snowed in. I took the nine-month old Roxie out last night into the storm. She headed, bounding through deep snow, straight for a bit of high ground in the park just across the street. The wind was about 50 MPH. She seemed to be thinking, WTF? She turned directly into the wind, with that willful spaniel chin held up, stood there for a few seconds, and then turned and headed for home. First time she has ever wanted to go in.Clarknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33874172927258387722011-02-02T14:05:25.074-05:002011-02-02T14:05:25.074-05:00@Sparky: I wanted uncle too.
Knew smolts just bec...@Sparky: I wanted uncle too. <br />Knew smolts just because my bro was a fisheries biologist in Alaska for 25 years so I know a few fish names. <br />Anyone here from AK? They all seem to know each other. Our daughter was on a cruise and heard a man tell about a hunting accident his friend had and realized it was her uncle he was talking about, a daring rescue in the mountains. Small world.<br />Pleased to see Lat(via) in today, pleased it is a former SSR. <br />Anonymous@1:36 I also had stay and yell at for a bit. Made sense to me.quilter1https://www.blogger.com/profile/09569747169212018177noreply@blogger.com