tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post3634851652162213615..comments2024-03-28T18:01:16.957-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: BlackBerry routers / FRI 4-25-14 / Hypothetical particle in cold dark matter / Colorful party intoxicant / FIve-time US presidential candidate in early 1900s / Elvis hit with spelled out titleRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger85125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47891078204515308552014-06-09T21:27:46.059-04:002014-06-09T21:27:46.059-04:00Britain is my EXENEMY...said no one ever!Britain is my EXENEMY...said no one ever!Dave Ahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03047489293175114097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91135031150374913542014-05-30T17:35:19.398-04:002014-05-30T17:35:19.398-04:00Thanks @SiS. I'm over it as the better team (l...Thanks @SiS. I'm over it as the better team (last night) won. Will transfer support to your Seahawks once the NFL gets underway.<br /><br />Fo' shizzle loved parts of this puzzle such as UVINDEX, DEJAVU, EXENEMY, SEXSCENE, CATERWAUL, GAGARIN and the entire SW which I thought was a brilliant construct. Not so fond of CHILLAX, JELLOSHOT, and ESURANCE but guess that's the price paid for being an oldie. <br /><br />A real hot shot would have been the crossing of SEXSCENE with NYMPHOMANIA rather than its more, ah, flaccid cousin INFOMANIA.<br /><br />A TRIO of 8's.<br /> Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31221112739011375952014-05-30T16:17:29.143-04:002014-05-30T16:17:29.143-04:00Fine Friday fare fraught with freshness and fun - ...Fine Friday fare fraught with freshness and fun - Fabulous!<br /><br />Four nines - I'm all in.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66865796153103525962014-05-30T14:05:28.942-04:002014-05-30T14:05:28.942-04:00First time through this one looked impossible, an ...First time through this one looked impossible, an "s" here, a tentative guess there, so I put it down for a bit. Maybe the coffee helped, but when I tried again it slowly started to fall. Ended up with one awful error, Had hIRED for "put on", and never noticed that left GAGhRIN for the spaceman. Probably unpronounceable even in Russian!<br /><br />Correct answers, but No idea why: IPHONE, STILETS, WNBA. What is "the New York Liberty"?<br /><br />Also two pair, 9's and 3's.<br />DMGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21041431126391426482014-05-30T13:33:27.332-04:002014-05-30T13:33:27.332-04:00Enjoyable, tough fripuz, Joel, and if you're g...Enjoyable, tough fripuz, Joel, and if you're graduating, congrats on that step, too!<br /><br />Had aRab before MRED crossing with gEtbeHiND before LENDAHAND. misspelling RIdALIN held me up with my "Puzzle solver's complaint" until I did an alphabet run. <br />Liked the clue for BALDSPOT and love the word LEONINE.<br />INFOMANIA a new word for me, albeit inferrable.<br /><br />Condolences to @Waxy.<br /><br />Can't see three sixes winning. Fold.Solving in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04249420848844874936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71160988312725616992014-05-30T12:48:59.643-04:002014-05-30T12:48:59.643-04:00Every once in a while I try one of these before my...Every once in a while I try one of these before my brain is in gear; this was one of those times. After a struggle in the SE which included having to write over G.I.BLUES because I forgot about the *hit???* T-R-O-U-B-L-E, I gave up. Again, I don't know whose definition of the term "hit" we're using--but it aon't mine.<br /><br />Even with CATERWAUL, LID and FAST as starts, I just couldn't think of anything more. Even wanted YOULLSEE, but couldn't confirm. I console myself with the knowledge that no way could I have arrived at INFOMANIA. Just too much I didn't know.<br /><br />And two crappy pair. Today, as the T-shirt says, is "not your day, and tomorrow isn't looking good either."spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30271386147149137422014-05-30T12:18:47.867-04:002014-05-30T12:18:47.867-04:00First impression: What a nice write-up.......for a...First impression: What a nice write-up.......for a change. The puzzle just all fell together even though I never heard of the words "chillax" and "infomania." It reminded me of a Patrick Berry puzzle in that if you jump around and fill in what you're pretty sure of, you can infer the rest.<br /><br />Ron Diego 9:15 PST 5/30Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6895479765806779332014-04-25T22:02:33.230-04:002014-04-25T22:02:33.230-04:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 8/1/2009 post for an explanation and my 10/15/2012 post for an explanation of a tweak I've made to my method. 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 6:07, 6:04, 1.01, 59%, Medium<br />Tue 6:42, 8:16, 0.81, 4%, Easy (8th lowest ratio of 228 Tuesdays)<br />Wed 12:08, 10:13, 1.19, 88%, Challenging<br />Thu 16:25, 18:08, 0.90, 31%, Easy-Medium<br />Fri 19:45, 21:15, 0.93, 37%, Easy-Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:45, 3:58, 0.95, 19%, Easy<br />Tue 4:19, 5:07, 0.85, 4%, Easy (10th lowest ratio of 228 Tuesdays)<br />Wed 7:19, 6:14, 1.17, 88%, Challenging<br />Thu 9:28, 10:44, 0.88, 25%, Easy-Medium<br />Fri 11:06, 12:18, 0.90, 28%, Easy-Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65169628254876246592014-04-25T21:38:32.794-04:002014-04-25T21:38:32.794-04:00I finished in less than two hours, so I'd say ...I finished in less than two hours, so I'd say that ranks as "easy," as it's been awhile since I've finished with zero squares wrong.<br /><br />Adrians and Gagarin were gimmes (though not quite the spelling of Gagarin) and that helped immensely.<br /><br />I really struggled with "exam paper," of all things, and to me it was just kind of bland cluing. Like others, I suspect, I had art show and then art talk before art sale.<br /><br />Just a meh from me for most of the clues, though I do love caterwaul as a word.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85266082531527110332014-04-25T21:24:11.259-04:002014-04-25T21:24:11.259-04:00Perhaps from reading this blog for so long, I had ...Perhaps from reading this blog for so long, I had "puzzler's complaint" as "it stunk" for a short while.<br /><br />Got most of the puzzle quickly, but was stalled for a while in the northwest. Eventually decided that "chillax" made sense even if I had never heard of it.michaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22147341591707125562014-04-25T21:06:45.492-04:002014-04-25T21:06:45.492-04:00Finished it, and enjoyed it despite never having h...Finished it, and enjoyed it despite never having heard of Adriana, chillax not being a word, never heard of a jelloshot, and really disliking the clue for "trouble." There was so much wonderful stuff here, and such clever cluing, that the few "WTF"s didn't matter. Only the "trouble" gave me trouble. Never heard of the song, although I grew up during the Elvis era, and hesitated because I thought "Why would they pick some obscure old song to clue a word like "trouble"? Great puzzle.OISKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16808675378318214461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73122253490490054562014-04-25T19:02:06.687-04:002014-04-25T19:02:06.687-04:00Loved this puzzle.
Only things to say today are: ...Loved this puzzle.<br /><br />Only things to say today are: a havre is any old port in a storm. so that made sense to me.<br /><br />I so wanted the relationship between Germany and England to be frENEMY, but alas.<br /><br />gpoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55732987311289563582014-04-25T18:05:44.288-04:002014-04-25T18:05:44.288-04:00Agony, sheer agony. I loved it but it was a real s...Agony, sheer agony. I loved it but it was a real slog for me. AviA before FILA, frENEMY before EXENEMY, and finally naticked at JELLySHOTS, just didn't see it, though after teacher college kids for twenty years, I know what they are. One cheat, for DEBS, but a really good workout. Knew CHILLAX, and GAGORIN, so I feel pretty good.Malsdemarenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26138799293597456582014-04-25T17:25:03.151-04:002014-04-25T17:25:03.151-04:00some youngstars at work helped me with this one-es...some youngstars at work helped me with this one-especially ADRIANA lima (never heard of her)<br /><br />finally finished at home with the SW the last to fall as well...loved the cluing, too<br /><br />going to keep plugging along with these fridays and saturdays schmuzzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15641995525666982653noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3962929368282640462014-04-25T15:48:36.237-04:002014-04-25T15:48:36.237-04:00Solved this much earlier (or thought I had), but I...Solved this much earlier (or thought I had), but I'm at a conference and couldn't come here. Actually, i'd messed up the SW -- hd Avia, then Puma, saw LEONINE, but didn't think of IPHONES until much later -- so I forgot that I had to change the PU.. from PUMA. I have no idea about FILA, but others seem to know it -- and FAST just never occurred to me. <br /><br />That said, <br /><br />a) Are STYLETS for real? Bigger stilettos?<br /><br />b) The nice thing about 43A is that I groaned -- bet I'm not the only one -- 'horrible POC,' then was delighted to see that it wasn't.<br /><br />c) Why aren't there any jokes about 51D, "It takes two nuts." Is Usain BOLT like Tiger Woods?jberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02169065390875378077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57979150219469126652014-04-25T15:42:17.002-04:002014-04-25T15:42:17.002-04:00Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 8/1/2...Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 8/1/2009 post for an explanation of my method and my 10/15/2012 post for an explanation of a tweak to my method):<br /><br />All solvers (median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Fri 19:33, 21:15, 0.92, 36%, Easy-Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Fri 11:46, 12:18, 0.96, 39%, Easy-Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2387559247140884332014-04-25T15:26:51.665-04:002014-04-25T15:26:51.665-04:00Ditto sheets smelled wonderfully!!!Ditto sheets smelled wonderfully!!!wreckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08797908615185213756noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2820347210353325282014-04-25T15:22:39.007-04:002014-04-25T15:22:39.007-04:00Bravo, Fagliano! I'm new to chillax, jellosho...Bravo, Fagliano! I'm new to chillax, jelloshot, and Cream (I'm 82), and thinking of tees in the plural held me up; but I succeeded. When I taught Jr. High, way back when, I distributed exam papers on DITTO SHEETS (probably a lot of you don't know about them). I prefer Tebaldi's rendition of the Cilea aria (chacun a son gout). Fred Romagnolohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11994837736408182418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14194720781959359622014-04-25T14:45:20.275-04:002014-04-25T14:45:20.275-04:00@ John V, love "silver solver"!@ John V, love "silver solver"!Two Ponieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03279414989390373057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25897866879508603122014-04-25T14:23:26.066-04:002014-04-25T14:23:26.066-04:00p.s. @Gill I.P... har back.
Dountah Seeyudzs &...p.s. @Gill I.P... har back.<br /><br />Dountah Seeyudzs & Shteemz Skaginn flew many CCCP joint missions, btw.<br /><br />M&AM and Alsonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28419578831304269762014-04-25T14:11:50.439-04:002014-04-25T14:11:50.439-04:00Great puzzle. Got all except the model stuff in N...Great puzzle. Got all except the model stuff in NE and, yes, this silver solver got Yuri GAGARIN. Nicely balanced puzzle across the ages. I usually have more trouble with Joel's puzzles, but thought this one pretty easy, save for the NE.John Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557037910799243636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23528813495535737152014-04-25T13:58:17.268-04:002014-04-25T13:58:17.268-04:00@63: Primo writeup.
@Joel: Lovely work. Have U ev...@63: Primo writeup.<br /><br />@Joel: Lovely work. Have U ever considered wantin to take over the runtpuz franchise, instead of that new NYT gig? Anyhoo, me and the PuzEatinSpouse were really on yer wavelength, on this themelessthUmbsUp puz. Finished it between orderin and gettin the chow served, at the local pancake house. Wrote tons of stuff in with little or no crossin help. Only erase-outs:<br />* ANION...scratch,scratch...AXION.<br />* TIA...scratch...NIA.<br />* RAISECAIN...scratch,scratch,scratch...RAISEHELL.<br /><br />Really admired the dejavuosity of GAGARIN and SEXSCENE ("Subset of a sex act?").<br /><br />M et A.Masked and Anonymo6Usnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17487653812995732192014-04-25T13:23:04.625-04:002014-04-25T13:23:04.625-04:00@ Sir Hillary. Thanks.@ Sir Hillary. Thanks.jdvnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23554256708108364702014-04-25T13:16:27.129-04:002014-04-25T13:16:27.129-04:00One could only wish that other constructors (and e...One could only wish that other constructors (and editors! ) would examine Mr. Fagliano' s work. This puzzle is a combination of some easy (but interesting) clues, some clues that require some thought and others I would never know but for the doable crosses. Amen to never hearing again about any more supermodels, unless you think being anorexic and having to constantly obsess over your appearance in order to keep your job is super and a model example!Andrew Heinegghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18101651673327984167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32771559745355049332014-04-25T13:14:48.593-04:002014-04-25T13:14:48.593-04:00I wanted "Puzzle solver's complaint"...I wanted "Puzzle solver's complaint" to be Tooeasy...Atlantasolvernoreply@blogger.com