tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post4253764354859293035..comments2024-03-29T08:57:48.742-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Czar's edict / WED 11-19-14 / Self-proclaimed leader of ISIS, e.g. / Krupp Works city / Instrument with sympathetic strings / Tropicana Field site informallyRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51389385987568806012014-12-24T19:45:57.318-05:002014-12-24T19:45:57.318-05:00As noted above, it's a day here on the left co...As noted above, it's a day here on the left coast to say "Merry Christmas" to all other of us syndicalists.<br /><br />About the puzzle, I want to say "Thanks, Santa," for a pleasantly easy solve.leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2472602305190542942014-12-24T14:47:18.721-05:002014-12-24T14:47:18.721-05:00NOREAEPHRON makes me ready for flight or fight. He...NOREAEPHRON makes me ready for flight or fight. Heard she wrote with an Epi-pen.Addy Renalinenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36465252183984501452014-12-24T13:28:12.852-05:002014-12-24T13:28:12.852-05:00Decent puzzle, nothing outrageous.
Did have to swi...Decent puzzle, nothing outrageous.<br />Did have to switch around the I/Y between CALyPH and ELiSE, otherwise no problems.<br />OCH = "and" in Swedish.<br />Yeah babies LARA and MAURA and in there somewhere ERECT.<br />Lots and lots of 3 letter words today, but done well enough to eschew complaint.<br />Very merry to all syndi-solvers.<br /><br />Let's see that captcha - 2710 = 1rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89221370900622092512014-12-24T12:41:23.966-05:002014-12-24T12:41:23.966-05:00Pretty good puzzle with a theme that I sussed. I ...Pretty good puzzle with a theme that I sussed. I think I prefer a revealer to actually help with the solve rather than to describe the theme afterwards. Nevertheless, I liked it.<br /><br />Merry Christmas to all you syndilanders.rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58494728037558316832014-12-24T12:36:38.819-05:002014-12-24T12:36:38.819-05:00Breezed through this one, and actually figured out...Breezed through this one, and actually figured out the no...on bit. Rare for me to figure out the gimmick, so I'm smiling this Christmas Eve. Greetings of the Season to all, and to all, a good night!<br /><br />100 guess that's coal in my stockingDMGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36744026630805897902014-12-24T11:29:45.587-05:002014-12-24T11:29:45.587-05:00Busy period for the (self-proclaimed!) spellcaster...Busy period for the (self-proclaimed!) spellcasters. Why do they pick on this site? Or are they this prolific all across the internet? Yikes!<br /><br />I was really hoping OFL would list today's theme as "Lunchtime sandwiches," with NO- and -ON as the "bread." It's unfortunate that those words are 9 and 10 letters long, respectively, or it would have made a boffo revealer. The actual one is good, but...<br /><br />Yeah, I was amused at the clue "at attention" for ERECT--but when that word "penetrated" the HOTTEA I howled. That was worth the price of admission.<br /><br />My first thought for Aleve vs. Vicadin was NONaddictive, which is why it can be sold NONPRESCRIPTION.<br /><br />Synchronicity: just last night on Jeopardy a contestant gave the response "What is a monitor lizard?" and was called wrong; I yelled into the TV that she was NOT wrong--and sure enough, just before Final Jeopardy Alex announced a score change, giving her credit and explaining, rightly, that the KOMODO dragon IS one of the monitors.<br /><br />Theme: decent. Fill: for so many 3's, actually not bad at all. B.<br /><br />NO #s today, just the message--which I relay heartily to all you syndies: Happy Holidays!spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52335315439693984512014-11-20T15:50:25.147-05:002014-11-20T15:50:25.147-05:00@Joseph Welling - I'm sitting here in Detroit....@Joseph Welling - I'm sitting here in Detroit. I've got my one way bus ticket. My bags are packed. I'm moving south to Windsor, ON. According to you I am an immigrant. In this case, either could be correct depending on one's point of view and the current location of the subject.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82994675356842131022014-11-20T15:39:23.162-05:002014-11-20T15:39:23.162-05:00Jberg said:
"@Joseph Welling, the clue is &q...Jberg said: <br />"@Joseph Welling, the clue is "headed for Ellis Island." You can interpret that as someone about to get on a ship in some European port, i.e., emigrating from his or her native country. Once the ship arrives at Ellis Island, he or she will be an immigrant."<br /><br />I don't buy it. Emigrant means leaving--going out of a place. The clue is worded only as going toward a place.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15339432172410182520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85991577034442731342014-11-20T15:14:02.974-05:002014-11-20T15:14:02.974-05:00Breezed through and finished without thinking abou...Breezed through and finished without thinking about the theme. Now I wonder if I would have seen it on my own. I did not like the use of ISIS.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80987808427104123712014-11-20T08:56:28.790-05:002014-11-20T08:56:28.790-05:00If you've spent any time reading Russian histo...If you've spent any time reading Russian history, UKASE is a gimme.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46688136161529510832014-11-20T08:11:09.010-05:002014-11-20T08:11:09.010-05:00Mmm, dummmies!Mmm, dummmies!Anonymous Respondernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26755102018283814052014-11-20T07:56:13.359-05:002014-11-20T07:56:13.359-05:00Obviously, the theme,"There's no two ways...Obviously, the theme,"There's no two ways about it," means there's only one "a" in each of the theme answers. You bunch of dummmies! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72076326428735618002014-11-20T06:38:32.314-05:002014-11-20T06:38:32.314-05:00Thanks, @ludyjynn, for asking; @beatrice, for your...Thanks, @ludyjynn, for asking; @beatrice, for your excellent answer, and @At Your Service, for coming through. Y'all teamed up to put together the best part of today's commentary, I thought.<br /><br />Leapfingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14243620614139990887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31380414229486920632014-11-20T00:11:08.078-05:002014-11-20T00:11:08.078-05:00@NCA President, I've crossed glaciers in both ...@NCA President, I've crossed glaciers in both the USA and Canada in the months of July and August. Even though glaciers are receding, I can assure you there was still plenty of ice there.Mountaineernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52480690628502306242014-11-19T22:12:33.279-05:002014-11-19T22:12:33.279-05:00
Yes, thank you, @At Your Service (for the second ...<br />Yes, thank you, @At Your Service (for the second time?), and @Ludyjynn, so glad you enjoyed it.beatricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16162755764092888665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75708934884146651772014-11-19T20:52:51.133-05:002014-11-19T20:52:51.133-05:00@AtYourService, your link was much appreciated. E...@AtYourService, your link was much appreciated. Enjoyed the YouTube recording. This is why I follow this blog...learn something new every day.Ludyjynnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86586798205970660892014-11-19T19:45:04.640-05:002014-11-19T19:45:04.640-05:00Very easy puzzle, done on the train to NY. I had t...Very easy puzzle, done on the train to NY. I had to look twice at that "emigrant" clue as well. I guess you can talk yourself into it.<br /><br />Happy birthday, @jberg! You and our old friend Dave.<br /><br />@Nancy and @Hartley: the four of us would have a ball! machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66235763804875351442014-11-19T18:16:26.688-05:002014-11-19T18:16:26.688-05:00Hey @Gill I, shouldn't the second half of the ...Hey @Gill I, shouldn't the second half of the diner's whine be "and the portions are so small"?<br /><br />After putting in NORA EPHRON and the first half of the revealer, I jumped to 64A and filled in the second half, put NO ON in the other theme entries and had an easy fill from there. Had to get UKASE from the crosses. Although I know I've seen it not so long ago, I think I need more repeats of new info than I used to, to make it stick.<br /><br />No real challenges but no complaints, though I think the case being made against the clue for CALIPH has merit.Teedmnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12832353448839187816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15142083952315295942014-11-19T17:01:31.476-05:002014-11-19T17:01:31.476-05:00Moly Shu says that if I want to read "fair&qu...Moly Shu says that if I want to read "fair" reviews of puzzles, I ought not to come here. I think this is excellent advice. I mean to take it.7d5a9b1noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31846536136358029812014-11-19T16:46:16.801-05:002014-11-19T16:46:16.801-05:00Vivaldi - Double Concerto, for viola d'amore &...<a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-z9AjYc0kNE" rel="nofollow">Vivaldi - Double Concerto, for viola d'amore & lute RV 540</a> At Your Servicenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68238234447321859082014-11-19T16:31:22.521-05:002014-11-19T16:31:22.521-05:00Thank you, @Beatrice, for your explanation. It jus...Thank you, @Beatrice, for your explanation. It just so happens Vivaldi is my favorite classical composer, but my technical musical knowledge is sorely lacking. This helps.<br /><br />Forgot to add earlier that Cher won best supporting actress for "Silkwood". Ludyjynnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66365527350814465402014-11-19T16:06:11.797-05:002014-11-19T16:06:11.797-05:00@Ludyjynn -- arghh...it should have read 'it w...@Ludyjynn -- arghh...it should have read 'it was an absolute shock and revelation...' -- 'shock' should have been deleted instead of 'revelation', 'shock' sounding rather hyperbolic -- but accurate nonetheless.beatricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16162755764092888665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26745306759315645472014-11-19T15:52:21.804-05:002014-11-19T15:52:21.804-05:00@Ludyjynn -- I thought perhaps your question re:...@Ludyjynn -- I thought perhaps your question re:'sympathetic strings' would elicit a response from AliasZ or jberg, who are both (I think) classical musicians...and maybe you have looked into it by now. I'm a poor substitute, but shall have a go at it: they are a set of tuned strings on certain stringed instruments which are situated underneath or sometimes (I think) beside the strings which are actually played, and which vibrate sympathetically with certain pitches produced by those played strings, thus in some way enhancing the sound. Apparently quite a few such instruments exist in the world, only very few in Western classical music (with which I am most familiar). The most commonly used one that I know of is called a 'viola d'amore', which has a lovely, sometimes shiver-inducing quality. One of my all-time favorite pieces of music is the Concerto for viola d'amore, lute and strings in d minor, RV 540 by Antonio Vivaldi. I first knew and fell in love with this piece as being for viola and guitar, and when, years later, I heard it performed on the intended instruments, it was an absolute shock... I am still not able to embed, but there are a number of performances of it on YouTube, so please, if you or anyone else here is at all inclined to check it out, please, please do so (that goes especially for you, @LMS!). <br /><br />Alas, my still favorite version is that first one, on an old Turnabout LP, which I never owned and which was apparently never transferred to CD.beatricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16162755764092888665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59268038969015429702014-11-19T15:33:06.427-05:002014-11-19T15:33:06.427-05:00Do you call your significant other "The Close...Do you call your significant other "The Closer"? If so, that is truly delightful :-)Your motherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00607269853307855705noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31309235577698325092014-11-19T15:31:07.694-05:002014-11-19T15:31:07.694-05:00You youngsters may be unfamiliar with the word ...You youngsters may be unfamiliar with the word 'Ukase' outside of puzzles. It's a different story for anyone who did hide-under-the-desk drills during the Cuban Missile Crisis. Here, from google books ngrams is a <a href="https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=ukase&year_start=1950&year_end=2008&corpus=15&smoothing=2&share=&direct_url=t1%3B%2Cukase%3B%2Cc0" rel="nofollow">graph of 'ukase' usage from 1950 to 2014</a>. There is quite a drop off from 1970 to 1990.Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17459992224851404501noreply@blogger.com