tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post3572392922599152991..comments2024-03-28T17:46:15.668-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: 1933 Physics Nobelist Paul / TUE 4-5-11 / Polo alternative / Biblical landfall / Item guitarist prospector / Spaghetti makers implementsRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25022606713782314632011-05-10T17:21:27.300-04:002011-05-10T17:21:27.300-04:00I am a syndicated solver with a well established w...I am a syndicated solver with a well established weakness for redheads (this has caused me some trouble from time to time) so I liked this puzzle. I did think some of the clues were more than Tuesday hard but everything worked out with help from the theme and some easy crosses.<br /><br />I thought the governor of Maine had committed the most offensive political act when he banished a mural celebrating Maine's labor movement from public display because he disagreed with its "pro-labor" (or "anti-business", to him) theme. But I have to say I think banishing the word "uterus" in the Florida House of Representatives as reported above by @santafefran and @Doc John seems even more egregious. I wonder what their GOP used as a rationale?Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52805671394422653492011-05-10T16:19:58.732-04:002011-05-10T16:19:58.732-04:00Well, our local newspaper seems to require a new p...Well, our local newspaper seems to require a new proofreader as not only did we not have the circles, we didn't even get numbered squares.<br /><br />However, once I solved that problem, I found it fairly simple.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28892369764347281792011-04-08T22:09:01.096-04:002011-04-08T22:09:01.096-04:00Finally, in all the years I've been doing puzz...Finally, in all the years I've been doing puzzles, I've been waiting to see my dear Dirac show up. I see this is the second time he has been clued but the first puzzle that I've actually done that he is in. <br /><br />As someone above mentioned, the book, The Strangest Man, is well worth it. I've met people who have met Dirac and they the description is universal. <br /><br />Dirac has been my own personal idol and hero and I own everything he's ever written (except his book on spinors) and they are all very enjoyable to read. This puzzle was awesome.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66968745180291352042011-04-06T21:10:00.680-04:002011-04-06T21:10:00.680-04:00Very funny, Lindsay. You couldn’t drag me out of ...Very funny, Lindsay. You couldn’t drag me out of the kitchen to replace cooking and eating unless that pill you’re suggesting has been proven to eliminate belly fat in six weeks or less. And tastes like fresh organic baby spinach leaves with cherry tomatoes in a warm raspberry vinaigrette, topped with 1” round croutons that have been smeared with chevre, sprinkled with black pepper and broiled until the cheese is almost bubbly.<br /><br />Where was I? <br /><br />Right. Pills are not likely to replace food in my kitchen.<br /><br />However, and with total respect to everyone who voted for paper and pen, times have changed since the first ACPT and solving on paper seems not only anachronistic but a sinful wasteful of resources, especially if you are doing it several times a day. (Boy, did I ever attend Catholic school; that sentence wrote itself.)<br /><br />Think of the poor trees! Think of the toner/ink cartridges! Think of people like me who don’t know how to write!<br /><br />@fikink: Don’t boast. Not seemly. If I took my dinosaur body and the puzzle to a tub, it’s a toss-up which would be waterlogged first.Lortiznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77046247612544507872011-04-06T01:50:09.505-04:002011-04-06T01:50:09.505-04:00This 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 6:03, 6:54, 0.88, 8%, Easy<br />Tue 10:46, 8:57, 1.20, 91%, Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:27, 3:41, 0.94, 27%, Easy-Medium<br />Tue 5:33, 4:36, 1.21, 95%, Challengingsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56534540077537633972011-04-05T21:09:36.937-04:002011-04-05T21:09:36.937-04:00I too am surprised at SanFranMan59's finding t...I too am surprised at SanFranMan59's finding that this was challenging. I was a bit slower than I expected for a Tuesday, but I thought it was me and not the puzzle's difficulty. I'd agree with the easy-medium. Once you get any part of the theme, the rest follows easily. <br /><br />Z-BAR? Really? I don't argue, but it seems structurally pointless. Hand up for liking the two NBA references adjoined. Also hand up for IDES @ 51A. And for disliking ADORNER and RETABLE.<br /><br />But the theme and the rest of the fill were top notch. Thumbs up, Mr. Masicampo.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90194633419474566762011-04-05T21:01:54.423-04:002011-04-05T21:01:54.423-04:00I copy the puzzle from the newspaper at work. I lo...I copy the puzzle from the newspaper at work. I love my paper and pen.<br />I find the scrolling of on-line solving frustrating. I like to scan all of the clues at once.<br />If tournaments were on computers I would always have a bit of doubt because of cheating/hacking possibility.<br />But in many ways I am a dinosaur.Two Ponieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06896743444873087885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55766492410063668682011-04-05T20:27:22.974-04:002011-04-05T20:27:22.974-04:00@mac, @nanpilla, Plus that you can take puzzles on...@mac, @nanpilla, Plus that you can take puzzles on paper into the bathtub - heaven!fikinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06324570637549775751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-62888111761370072372011-04-05T20:24:35.740-04:002011-04-05T20:24:35.740-04:00I do the NYT in the paper, then at least two more ...I do the NYT in the paper, then at least two more puzzles online. I've noticed that I have a better sence of the puzzle and long answers on paper than online. A very easy puzzle is faster online (mostly across, I guess), a hard one faster on paper for me. Paper is MUCH more enjoyable to me.machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57021890273528551502011-04-05T20:13:32.453-04:002011-04-05T20:13:32.453-04:00If I'm not able to print a puzzle out, I won&#...If I'm not able to print a puzzle out, I won't even bother to do it. I simply hate doing it on the computer. The sound of the pencil scratching on the paper is music to my ears. I prefer printing it out over doing it in the newspaper. Newsprint isn't nearly as satisfying, and I find it easier to read on white paper. I guess the ACPT suits me perfectly, because that is how I do the puzzle every day.<br /><br />This puzzle had a nice graphic quality to it, and seemed just right for a Tues to me.<br /><br /><br />calcula - if Isaac had been a girl.nanpillahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05548473809500612699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50670459621890797352011-04-05T20:07:40.995-04:002011-04-05T20:07:40.995-04:00@quilter1, got your post on my Blackberry while in...@quilter1, got your post on my Blackberry while in Mt. Pleasant. I had to bring up your profile on my computer when I got home. The quilt is magnificent!fikinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06324570637549775751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36490645523021692532011-04-05T20:03:40.459-04:002011-04-05T20:03:40.459-04:00@LOrtiz,
Interesting - I typically complete a puz...@LOrtiz,<br /><br />Interesting - I typically complete a puzzle faster on paper than on the computer. Even after solving (mostly) on the computer for about a year, I still find moving around the grid and changing directions somewhat cumbersome.<br /><br />I'm not usually all that concerned about my time, so I prefer using the computer because it's neater (I tend to rewrite a lot) and saves a little paper.GLRnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91553492509156063202011-04-05T19:57:13.332-04:002011-04-05T19:57:13.332-04:00I'm almost afraid to say I thought it was easy...I'm almost afraid to say I thought it was easy. Had a little trouble around the RETABLE NAME ZBAR area, since somehow I believed there was such a thing as a Zrod and had NotE for NAME, but I saw the theme right away, even thinking Masicampo made it too easy by repeating RAIN, rather than using words like "drop," say; because then you could fill in the multiple RAINs and get the other answers by crosses.<br />Of course, I can't believe I got NBA ALL STARS right away. Not that I know what or who they are...<br /><br />@Quilter - just gave away a pile of scraps, realizing I'll never make a quilt.Sfingihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06903616949048940858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37636843661720498032011-04-05T19:27:37.892-04:002011-04-05T19:27:37.892-04:00LOrtiz --- Do you look forward to the Brave New Wo...LOrtiz --- Do you look forward to the Brave New World in which people take nutrition by pill, rather than via outmoded meals?<br /><br />I don't.Lindsaynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30915305988940458532011-04-05T19:25:51.454-04:002011-04-05T19:25:51.454-04:00I can see how this puzzle might have taken people ...I can see how this puzzle might have taken people longer based on the kind of puzzle it is (i.e. it takes some thought to get the theme, and you *need* to get the theme to finish the puzzle, unlike w/ many early-week puzzles), but I don't see anything that looks like true Difficulty. Anywhere. At all. Cake walk, as so many here have stated. Note that there is hardly any talk of sticking points today, and certainly nothing like consensus about hard parts. Theme type creates the longer solving times, but this puzzle isn't *tougher* than an avg. Tuesday by any stretch of the imagination.<br /><br />And dk's "text mining" of this site makes me giddy. I can't wait to read a full report (someday...?).<br /><br />rpRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23144636213611137052011-04-05T19:24:18.424-04:002011-04-05T19:24:18.424-04:00Quilter 1
It's beautiful.Quilter 1<br />It's beautiful.GILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3404345571764728332011-04-05T18:58:33.678-04:002011-04-05T18:58:33.678-04:00I was surprised that so many found difficulty toda...I was surprised that so many found difficulty today. I enjoyed it, even my little tussle at the end.<br /><br />Introducing new avatar, Stars and Stepping Stones, made awhile back for a wonderful boss.quilter1https://www.blogger.com/profile/09569747169212018177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1753877088703363542011-04-05T18:15:26.352-04:002011-04-05T18:15:26.352-04:00@LOrtiz I vote for paper and pen/pencil@LOrtiz I vote for paper and pen/pencilchefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31973769522862430982011-04-05T17:14:53.331-04:002011-04-05T17:14:53.331-04:00@Mac - also thought of pasta machine, since spaghe...@Mac - also thought of pasta machine, since spaghetti makers do more than heat up packaged spaghetti. Not that I ever used one. I use the strainer or collander. My husband's family called it something that sounded like skoolaBAS.Sfingihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06903616949048940858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34717528862464010982011-04-05T17:11:36.822-04:002011-04-05T17:11:36.822-04:00Rex, I am curious about how much solving on paper ...Rex, I am curious about how much solving on paper has slowed you down. (Not much but a bit, obviously). <br /><br />I've been solving on paper recently, and I hate it. Like most people, I am so used to typing that I can barely write by hand anymore. <br /><br />I hate printing out the crosswords every day; it's not exactly eco-friendly.<br /><br />So, would you please share: (a) an approx of how much longer it takes to solve by hand; and (b)your views on whether this is an outmoded way of solving. The latter is my view, and obviously everyone on this blog knows how to type.<br /><br />I don't think having tournaments with handwritten puzzles is necessary. I imagine it also creates many more problems in judging the crosswords than it would if everybody typed. The results would be more accurate and quicker.<br /><br />It's not as though my ancient aunt who only uses ink is going to fail at the ACPT because she has never seen a key board. (Actually, my ancient aunt wouldn't dream of solving on paper.) <br /><br />What do you think? Time the ACPT hauled its ass into the 21st century?LOrtiznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63608921328123492662011-04-05T16:36:30.718-04:002011-04-05T16:36:30.718-04:00Midday 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 />Tue 10:35, 8:57, 1.18, 90%, Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Tue 5:38, 4:36, 1.23, 97%, Challenging<br /><br />Definitely not an Easy-Medium Tuesday by this method. It will probably finish the day close to the top 5 highest median solve times for both groups of solvers among the 94 Tuesdays in my spreadsheet. I was surprised at his rating when I read Rex's write-up today. I was pretty tired when I solved it last evening, but it sure seemed like an unusually challenging Tuesday to me.<br /><br />(@Shamik ... thanks for the love!)sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11436972181041609742011-04-05T16:34:49.599-04:002011-04-05T16:34:49.599-04:00@acme, i will deliver the report in person... date...@acme, i will deliver the report in person... date to follow.dkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17317008233459295376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47624800266201208692011-04-05T16:34:15.728-04:002011-04-05T16:34:15.728-04:00@Anoa Bob: I've seen Z BARS used for hanging ...@Anoa Bob: I've seen Z BARS used for hanging mirrors, I think. I definitely wanted T or I first.<br /><br />@Leslie: your grandmother probably had no idea that the pattern she picked bothered you - amazing how perceived childhood slights? insults? stay with us, isn't it?JenCThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18290169184354765840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10656929465465507852011-04-05T15:22:23.143-04:002011-04-05T15:22:23.143-04:00PITTER PATTER.
"Pitter Patter Petrie" ep...PITTER PATTER.<br />"Pitter Patter Petrie" episode of the old Dick Van Dyke Show, anyone?Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17857747515877769718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54275654935571877482011-04-05T15:08:34.907-04:002011-04-05T15:08:34.907-04:00Oops - How about write-over not write up.Oops - How about write-over not write up.chefwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03999206352243329280noreply@blogger.com