tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post3575107596048364698..comments2024-03-19T00:21:49.519-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Bandleader Jones of 1920s-30s / SUN 2-6-11 / Island near Quemoy / TV Guide's Pennsylvania headquarters / Nine-time world champion rodeo cowboyRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15986003463289822172011-02-14T09:50:21.698-05:002011-02-14T09:50:21.698-05:00Here in Texas, we get the Sunday crosswords a week...Here in Texas, we get the Sunday crosswords a week late, so I didn't do this until yesterday. Although most of it was easy, I had trouble with "just average looking" for a little while. I'm a 70 year old woman, and the joke is funny because you never think you look old yourself until you see someone your age who does - you'll get there! And she just got the name from the diploma - it didn't say it was a high school diploma. Thanks - I love your site!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15079106740882022842011-02-14T02:03:46.197-05:002011-02-14T02:03:46.197-05:00Woohoo, this pen-on-newspaper doer finally cracked...Woohoo, this pen-on-newspaper doer finally cracked forty minutes on the Sunday puzzle. Pretty soon I'll make the farm league, then I'll only have Class A, Double A, and Triple A to battle through to make the bigs. (Fat chance.)rawcernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80513591550927816492011-02-13T22:31:29.089-05:002011-02-13T22:31:29.089-05:00I'm not a big fan of quote-themed puzzles, but...I'm not a big fan of quote-themed puzzles, but this one was actually a challenge for me. Of course I could tell where the joke was going but I had a hard time filling in the beginning, so I danced around it filling in crosses and the first line of the joke came last.<br /><br />I generally object to golfers or tennis players being included, but rodeo stars ... well, that's going too far. :) Combine a rodeo star with not one but two golfers ...<br />let's just hope that david j. kahn someday has to solve a puzzle based on a detailed knowledge of the personnel changes of Fleetwood Mac, or the family relationships of the Julio-Claudian Emperors. That's the kind of thing I know about.Marcnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66572159820688370822011-02-13T13:17:35.351-05:002011-02-13T13:17:35.351-05:00@Nurturing pretty much summed up my solving experi...@Nurturing pretty much summed up my solving experience, so I'll add only that it was nice to see LLBEAN appear at 74a since the company headquarters and flagship store are in my home town. (You might think this would dramatically reduce my property tax bill, but sadly it doesn't.)<br /><br />Fully expected to see much more crowing or crying here at the outcome of last week's Superbowl, but I guess by the time the game was over everybody had moved on to Monday's puzzle which I won't see for 4 more weeks (such is the time warp in syndication.)Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8782529300252880122011-02-10T08:58:12.350-05:002011-02-10T08:58:12.350-05:00Were it not for the ease of figuring out the verba...Were it not for the ease of figuring out the verbal exchange, the solution of the puzzle, overall, would have been a lot more time-consuming. I leaned on the dialogue for support rather heavily. In the end, I missed only once, on the “muon”/”nas” handshake. <br />Overall, a fun exercise, thanks to an engaging dialogue with an entertaining ending.BobbyFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16353623121906879241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47266009320214756182011-02-09T03:39:18.688-05:002011-02-09T03:39:18.688-05:00Er, Rex, the joke is that they are BOTH old and un...Er, Rex, the joke is that they are BOTH old and unattractive.<br /><br />Puzzle generally easy, other than that TWAY/TY section, which had me flummoxed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11102703357874568232011-02-08T22:20:31.542-05:002011-02-08T22:20:31.542-05:00Dear Rex,
Thanks for being tolerant of those who ...Dear Rex,<br /><br />Thanks for being tolerant of those who like the joke: I am one! To me this is the "essence of joke", i.e., the complete surprise answer comes out at the end.<br /><br />It's the "Gift of the Magi" in a new setting--each person is expecting the other to be so different.<br /><br />On another topic, as I have said, I'm not a good or true Puzzler, but I am losing some interest, because it seems that the Monday-Tuesday puzzles are just too easy, while the Thursday-Saturday puzzles have become just infernal. Thoughts?<br /><br />Thanks, Rex.David Pearcehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17580599628294869568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47012143367347242912011-02-08T17:51:02.002-05:002011-02-08T17:51:02.002-05:00It was not his high school diploma on the wall. It...It was not his high school diploma on the wall. It was his medical diploma, whose display is standard for doctors. It bore the same name as her high school classmate.sblumerthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11380277276894584650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61135454229086958832011-02-07T19:01:14.671-05:002011-02-07T19:01:14.671-05:0063 years old here and LOVED this puzzle. Took me a...63 years old here and LOVED this puzzle. Took me a lot less time than 2 hours, too! No googling, some giggling! (Laugh all you want, you 20-minutes-or-die solvers - I'll bet you don't enjoy doing these puzzles as much as I do!)<br /><br />Thanks for a lovely Monday (which is when our Sunday Times is delivered). It's what got me out of bed in the morning - the thought of the NYT Magazine waiting for me. Then hubby taunted me by bringing it into the bedroom and holding it hostage as he read the last page!nurturinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02035395856164817422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12659302447252705832011-02-07T16:47:11.285-05:002011-02-07T16:47:11.285-05:00I will disagree with Rex characterizing RADNOR as ...I will disagree with Rex characterizing RADNOR as some random Pennsylvania town. It's part of the Main Line, and as such has automatic cachet.<br /><br />I admit to being completely biased, since for me it was a superduper personal gimme. I grew up in the area, went to school in the area, and still visit the area rather frequently. As a bonus, I even once job interviewed at TV Guide in RADNOR, apropos this clue.<br /><br />On the other hand, other Main Line towns have made it into crosswords over the years. Bryn Mawr, being the home of a famous women's college, seems to provide half its name regularly without comment. Devon was in the puzzle very recently. I've seen Paoli in non-NYT puzzles--but it seems to be clued after the man the town was named for, apparently the second most famous Corsican ever. I don't recall seeing Villanova, but they are of course nationally famous.william e embanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56614962921060836172011-02-07T12:34:26.897-05:002011-02-07T12:34:26.897-05:00When you are in your sixties, you really start to ...When you are in your sixties, you really start to look older, but you don't feel old. This joke really captures the phenomenon. I think most sixty-somethings have experienced this little shocker in one form or another. Here both parties are guilty of the same mistake, even though only one gets zinged. Very funny for a select audience!!Miss Riggyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04794630782672281311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56854527469564786912011-02-07T01:05:10.847-05:002011-02-07T01:05:10.847-05:00Very weird week for me --
Breezed through the Fri...Very weird week for me --<br /><br />Breezed through the Friday and Saturday puzzles ... but DNF'd on Thursday and Sunday, which are usually a walk in the park.<br /><br />Just was not on this puzzle's wavelength and did not even enjoy one square of it. Found not one iota of clue or fill likeable. <br /><br />Two big thumbs and one fat emu down.Octaviannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61742453346426190152011-02-06T22:55:54.189-05:002011-02-06T22:55:54.189-05:00All the chili is gone!!! Nary a drop left. What a ...All the chili is gone!!! Nary a drop left. What a game!!chefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63635626868396196132011-02-06T22:42:54.320-05:002011-02-06T22:42:54.320-05:00Wow. Had to do this in three parts today. First ...Wow. Had to do this in three parts today. First two got me lower two thirds, and I was gonna give up. Came back one more time to finish it and, to my amazement, no wrong letters. That PEONAGE/PASSION/ALTERED (had AmendED) area was a disaster, along with ARAL/GAGA/AGES/OSAGES. Once I got the first two theme answers in their entirety, nothing else made sense (not that these did either, but at least it was the right combination of vowels and consonants to make word-like structures. <br /><br />Ugh. Exhausting. And hardly worth the payoff. But I'm still in brussels sprouts mode when it comes to late week puzzles, so I suppose I'm hoping the investment begins to pay off in a reduction in time. But when???<br /><br />Prefer INDICES over the alternative (and just wrong) indexes...ultimately a safe bet since this was not a "seven-letter word starting with X" kind of a day.<br /><br />Ridiculous note of the day that demonstrates my struggle with this puzzle: I had birdMEAT for 19A for WAY too long..."Who are three people who have never been in my kitchen?"Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18391847471384798773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38813865448737666152011-02-06T22:42:37.448-05:002011-02-06T22:42:37.448-05:00Wow. Had to do this in three parts today. First ...Wow. Had to do this in three parts today. First two got me lower two thirds, and I was gonna give up. Came back one more time to finish it and, to my amazement, no wrong letters. That PEONAGE/PASSION/ALTERED (had AmendED) area was a disaster, along with ARAL/GAGA/AGES/OSAGES. Once I got the first two theme answers in their entirety, nothing else made sense (not that these did either, but at least it was the right combination of vowels and consonants to make word-like structures. <br /><br />Ugh. Exhausting. And hardly worth the payoff. But I'm still in brussels sprouts mode when it comes to late week puzzles, so I suppose I'm hoping the investment begins to pay off in a reduction in time. But when???<br /><br />Prefer INDICES over the alternative (and just wrong) indexes...ultimately a safe bet since this was not a "seven-letter word starting with X" kind of a day.<br /><br />Ridiculous note of the day that demonstrates my struggle with this puzzle: I had birdMEAT for 19A for WAY too long..."Who are three people who have never been in my kitchen?"Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18391847471384798773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87192995289292707882011-02-06T20:26:10.601-05:002011-02-06T20:26:10.601-05:00The joke is old. First line for me stuck at TO th...The joke is old. First line for me stuck at TO the ....DOCTOR so that corner a hole. EMU meat? Yuk. Small holes here and there. First que at 47A then EcO. Missed TW.Y and the rodeo guy. Sort of a slog. Thurs., Fri., and Sat. managed only about helf of each. Sigh.<br /><br />Well, that's some show The Black Eyed Peas put on. I liked Prince and I suppose it's too much to hope for Lyle Lovett and His Large Band?Sparkynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80501778836156245242011-02-06T17:52:19.538-05:002011-02-06T17:52:19.538-05:00I don't know if I should be embarressed or pro...I don't know if I should be embarressed or proud that I knew RADNOR, PA.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01145217364511761670noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60533254201564169682011-02-06T17:11:36.263-05:002011-02-06T17:11:36.263-05:00For me this was a rather easy Sunday puzzle. Solve...For me this was a rather easy Sunday puzzle. Solved most of it before going to Google to get ISHAM, MATSU, TWAY, TY MURRAY, ENSOR and a couple of others. With these entries I was able to finish the puzzle to the last letter.<br />Things that slowed me down were putting BONDAGE instead of PEONAGE in 2D, EAT AT instead of NAG AT 46D and putting TRAIL or TRACE instead of TRACK in 33D.<br />The theme joke is quite offensive to my taste and not funny at all.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52765743179872760762011-02-06T16:57:11.699-05:002011-02-06T16:57:11.699-05:00Once again, I had a gimmie because of a They Might...Once again, I had a gimmie because of a They Might Be Giants song:<br /><br />http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WFiNAGP1KlY&feature=relatedAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26460218296418655842011-02-06T16:41:57.180-05:002011-02-06T16:41:57.180-05:00Gestern Iwo Jima, heute Matsu, morgen die welt!Gestern Iwo Jima, heute Matsu, morgen die welt!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38308947117738596092011-02-06T16:05:46.858-05:002011-02-06T16:05:46.858-05:00Perhaps Rex's youth is showing, but for me it&...Perhaps Rex's youth <b>is</b> showing, but for me it's because of "Matsu." A real gimme to anyone who lived through the 60's. One of the great cold-war crises of the decade was the long-term communist shelling of the Nationalist Chinese islands Quemoy and Matsu.<br /><br />As for that diploma, the text of the joke does <b>not</b> state that it's a high school diploma. Just a diploma. I assume it's a medical school diploma. It bears the <b>same name</b> as her old high school crush, which is why she asks if he attended her high school. In fact, if it <b>had</b> been his high school diploma, she wouldn't have needed to ask!<br /><br />Eric HalseyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56117325965837383922011-02-06T16:04:39.861-05:002011-02-06T16:04:39.861-05:00gimmes (no crosses needed):
ALLS, EGO, ERN, LAURA,...gimmes (no crosses needed):<br />ALLS, EGO, ERN, LAURA, ATO, KEY, SRS, MST, LEES, YET, SOO, AGES, NEE, AGUA<br /><br />freebies (all crosses):<br />ENSOR, SEATED, NAS, ESS, LEA, DENOVO, LIME, HAL, URAL, DADS, UNI, TWAY, TYMURRAY, ISHAM, MATSU, STET, WEA<br /><br />answer evolutions:<br />DeSKS-->DISKS<br />reel-->SPIN<br />proS-->AYES<br />INDexES-->INDICES<br />LiNcoln-->LAramie-->LANSING<br />mELd-->JELL<br /><br />I saw the joke as a pun on the word "class" and didn't dig any deeper than that.r.alphbunkernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73610125183450251262011-02-06T15:57:03.498-05:002011-02-06T15:57:03.498-05:00@Leah - I know what you meant and agree.
@Chefw...@Leah - I know what you meant and agree. <br /><br />@Chefwen -- I'm rooting for Da Bears today regardless of whether they are playing or not or whether Cutler is wearing his Depends or not....Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17255776575230533772011-02-06T15:29:25.684-05:002011-02-06T15:29:25.684-05:00Oh, yeah, I had La Mer for the Debussy clue, too.Oh, yeah, I had La Mer for the Debussy clue, too.quilter1https://www.blogger.com/profile/09569747169212018177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42803040652482668482011-02-06T15:23:44.922-05:002011-02-06T15:23:44.922-05:00I liked the joke and enjoyed the puzzle. QED. Rex ...I liked the joke and enjoyed the puzzle. QED. Rex is correct that if you don't like the joke much, it's not going to be a lot of fun.<br /><br />Struggled with JUST AVERAGE LOOKING (I thought it would start JUST AS and thought AGE would be a complete word).<br /><br />Did not see the last word coming and got it from crosses -- which was perfect.Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02681342234536407419noreply@blogger.com