tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post4391315453112407876..comments2024-03-28T06:08:12.377-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Bandleader Kyser / WED 11-16-11 / Baseball star nicknamed Godzilla / 1960s payola figure Freed / Phenomenon named for infant Jesus / Salad made famous by Julia ChildRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger71125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38004787963928447452011-12-21T22:53:35.633-05:002011-12-21T22:53:35.633-05:00The marks, they be in. Happy Solstice indeed.
...The marks, they be in. Happy Solstice indeed. <br /><br />Guessed right at MATSuI AMu. Never heard of SPAHN, but no problem from crosses. Did not like AGAZE (20A). Ditto to comments above about BICEP. yeesh. (Of course, there would have been complaints had it not been clued "informally.")<br /><br />Although I understand 33D "go to seed" as ROT, I don't like it. Sometimes, my zucchini rot, but they never go to seed. Sometimes, my cilantro goes to seed but it never rots. I would think that, in the plant world (so being all literal-minded here), any going to seed happens before any rotting.<br /><br />@Spacecraft: I had an epic DNF yesterday. Had cART for 1D, and guessed at 1A and 3D, which left me with cAhAN and hEBULONPIKE. My excuse?--when I think "Rockies," I'm looking a little farther north. (No excuse for the director.)<br /><br />captcha: screper = Xmas creeper beyond the paleRed Valerianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04638265039015470938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48793790710132860702011-12-21T16:08:45.881-05:002011-12-21T16:08:45.881-05:00My dilemma at 1a was between bvds and lace which b...My dilemma at 1a was between bvds and lace which both seemed plausible; all it took was a SITZ(bath) to set things straight (if it had been bras, which I never even considered, I would have been screwed). I needed the theme to give me GARDENPARTY.<br /><br />Happy Winter Solstice.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25452764219348331522011-12-21T16:08:12.081-05:002011-12-21T16:08:12.081-05:00The Spacecraft thanks Jen in CA for providing a ni...The Spacecraft thanks Jen in CA for providing a nice SITZ bath for my bruised ego. It was soothing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24360105789045233352011-12-21T13:08:30.823-05:002011-12-21T13:08:30.823-05:00@spacecraft, one of my favorite things about this ...@spacecraft, one of my favorite things about this blog is being able to converse with people about transitive vs. intransitive verbs without having to teach an entire English lesson to explain what that means. :)Jen in CAnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31650723349654781742011-12-21T10:54:53.035-05:002011-12-21T10:54:53.035-05:00@bageezer - With all due respect to Oeschger and C...@bageezer - With all due respect to Oeschger and Cadore, they were both 28 at the time and in their respective primes. When Spahn went 16 innings against Marichal he was 42, an age most pitchers don't reach until well into retirement (Oeschger, Cadore and Marichal, for instance).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38706097569519580022011-12-21T10:54:44.447-05:002011-12-21T10:54:44.447-05:00Spacecraft here. @begeezer: how about the time Sat...Spacecraft here. @begeezer: how about the time Satchel Paige threw BOTH ends of a double-header? Pikers indeed.<br /> Hand up for CHART as an INtransitive verb. Yes, we can CHART our progress, but "He made the top 40; he CHARTed?" I don't think so. Bad clue.<br /> Sitz bath comes directly from the German Sitzbad, you guessed it, a bath in which one sits. But that still didn't give me the NW. Never heard of BABA cake, or VLOG. I just left the corner square blank, totally befuddled, with _BDS trailing off to the right and _ABA hanging down. Yep, a Wedensday DNF: oh how that hurts! Maybe I'll soak my bruised ego in a SITZ bath.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40454266796987820982011-11-17T02:02:56.478-05:002011-11-17T02:02:56.478-05:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 8/1/2009 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 6:42, 6:50, 0.98, 48%, Medium<br />Tue 10:46, 8:52, 1.21, 92%, Challenging<br />Wed 9:10, 11:49, 0.78, 6%, Easy (8th lowest median solve time of 124 Wednesdays)<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:34, 3:39, 0.98, 43%, Medium<br />Tue 5:20, 4:34, 1.17, 90%, Challenging<br />Wed 4:36, 5:51, 0.79, 6%, Easy (7th lowest median solve time of 124 Wednesdays)sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2224641386817571752011-11-16T18:58:05.431-05:002011-11-16T18:58:05.431-05:00Best wishes, @Sparky. On a clear day you will see ...Best wishes, @Sparky. On a clear day you will see forever.quilter1https://www.blogger.com/profile/09569747169212018177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13135668812034101832011-11-16T18:31:35.729-05:002011-11-16T18:31:35.729-05:00Started trying to tack shot on to theme answers. ...Started trying to tack shot on to theme answers. That sorted itself out. @Tita. I agree but more fun than Google. @Rube. If I am weird what were you doing at the party? <br /><br />Back from Mt. Sinai safe and sound. Time for a little nap.Sparkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11149915526159432838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52931135289794335792011-11-16T18:07:08.742-05:002011-11-16T18:07:08.742-05:00@bageezer,
The next time Oeschger's name make...@bageezer,<br /><br />The next time Oeschger's name makes the NYT Crossword, I promise to give him his due. <br /><br />I remember reading about that game years ago. I wonder how many pitchers were used in that 31 inning AAA affair a few years back?Chip Hiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944056030047563287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76053193169023777402011-11-16T17:57:15.051-05:002011-11-16T17:57:15.051-05:00@Chip Hilton,
Two pitchers going 16 may have been...@Chip Hilton,<br /><br />Two pitchers going 16 may have been a big deal in '63, but it hardly compares with the game in Boston on May 1, 1920. Remember that one? Joe Oeschger of the Braves battled Leon Cadore of the Brooklyn Dodgers for all 26 innings, before the game was called because of darkness with the score tied 1-1. The whole thing lasted just 3 hours and 50 minutes. Talk about sterner stuff.<br /><br />Spahn and Marichal: pikers.bageezernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43897968437273313462011-11-16T17:44:12.528-05:002011-11-16T17:44:12.528-05:00After all I've heard, I'd rather go with t...After all I've heard, I'd rather go with the anagram and have zits.Chip Hiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944056030047563287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49522910766349624362011-11-16T17:36:29.623-05:002011-11-16T17:36:29.623-05:00*** (3 Stars) Fun albeit easy for a Wednesday. Tha...*** (3 Stars) Fun albeit easy for a Wednesday. Thank you Mr. Cee. No EFS in this one.<br /><br />I wish 54A was clued for IRON City beer and linked to 68A -- which it was/is.<br /><br />And, after years of drinking beer you may lose sight of your LAPTOP.<br /><br />Nothing to ad except I am never taking a bath with Acme if there are lasers involved.dkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17317008233459295376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37604081900823863552011-11-16T17:32:23.404-05:002011-11-16T17:32:23.404-05:00@acme: lol!
With the kidney stones, I heard it was...@acme: lol!<br />With the kidney stones, I heard it was an actual bath you had to sit in. The procedure can be pretty rough.machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3276320553778724672011-11-16T17:21:54.581-05:002011-11-16T17:21:54.581-05:00I think men use sitz baths too, you sit in one and...I think men use sitz baths too, you sit in one and they zap you with lasers to break up your kidney stones so they can pass more easily ...that's the context I've heard it in.<br /><br />Ok, you may uncross your legs now!acmenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17062521767870289862011-11-16T17:16:09.988-05:002011-11-16T17:16:09.988-05:00Hand up for BraS at 1A, no idea what a VLOG is, kn...Hand up for BraS at 1A, no idea what a VLOG is, knew aATA couldn't be anything at 3D, that's when BVDS came to light. Also had Blade in at 7D until nothing around it would work. <br /><br />Austrian grandmother always talking about a SITZ bath, so that one I knew.chefwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03999206352243329280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66042493589633267302011-11-16T15:32:01.922-05:002011-11-16T15:32:01.922-05:00Yep for BRA and "this was really Tues." ...Yep for BRA and "this was really Tues." OK puzzle with a very good theme.<br /><br />Is COSI crosswordese yet?<br /><br />Perhaps the Z in SITZ is the sound of the nether regions shrinking?jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68552557568145739922011-11-16T15:11:24.319-05:002011-11-16T15:11:24.319-05:00Both Stephen Rea and Stephen Fry (of Fry and Lauri...Both Stephen Rea and Stephen Fry (of Fry and Laurie fame) appear in V for Vendetta. Recognizing and using the latter in the puzzle threw me off pretty well.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11344749905328839792011-11-16T15:00:19.529-05:002011-11-16T15:00:19.529-05:00Spahn and Sain and . . .Spahn and Sain and . . .Braves Fannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85907969163750839692011-11-16T14:48:03.939-05:002011-11-16T14:48:03.939-05:00For those who are interested (archeoprof?) here is...For those who are interested (archeoprof?) here is the link for those Christmas Creep dodads:<br /><br />http://consumerist.com/2011/10/introducing-the-christmas-creep.htmlsantafefrannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22529850415224431022011-11-16T14:09:22.656-05:002011-11-16T14:09:22.656-05:00SOlved last night and wrote a comment and kept che...SOlved last night and wrote a comment and kept checking for Rex to appear...finally gave up and went to bed, but my take was so similar to @Rex's again, that all seems right with the world and I'll post it anyway...<br /><br />Thought this was super smooth, and altho I didn't need the theme reveal to get any of the answers, I was pleasantly surprised and really liked this, even tho I'm a total non-drinker and the BEER didn't change meaning at all...<br /><br />I think it's great to have BARRELOFMONKEYS smack across the center...and starting with BAR to boot.<br /><br />Started off shakily with BraS for BVDS, but once I got my undies out of a twist, it was smooth sailing.<br /><br />What's with ARENA 3 days in a row (and in two other puzzles Monday according to another poster)?<br /><br />I liked CHART as a verb tho I'm usually anti-Haigisms. <br />(Who else remembers when TARGET was a noun only? eh? whatsay, young 'un?)<br /><br />Even all the baseball stuff was almost tolerable (SPAHN MATSUI).<br /><br />I used to collect WHEAT pennies<br />(my god, I am a dinosauress) so I forgive ACHE being a letter off!<br /><br />Was taught this weekend that Beer Pong is just called PONG...at least to the young Princeton alums we ran into in Golden Gate Park on Saturday, who had set up a tournament by Stowe Lake...<br /><br />Weird to see LYON without an S, as well as BICEP...and shockingly few plurals...I totally APPLAUD Gary Cee!<br /><br />NICOISE was an answer on Day One of the finals on Jeopardy! Monday night. But I miss not turning on the TV and seeing our boy Joon.arena carat monkeysnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13110865434998940522011-11-16T14:05:56.816-05:002011-11-16T14:05:56.816-05:00@SantaFeFran: Christmas creep! I love it. Seems...@SantaFeFran: Christmas creep! I love it. Seems like capitalists want to turn every holiday into a celebration of overconsumption.archaeoprofhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17956231727789223463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-39474505457558536842011-11-16T13:59:03.005-05:002011-11-16T13:59:03.005-05:00I thought this puzzle was MUCH more difficult than...I thought this puzzle was MUCH more difficult than Tuesday's was.<br /><br />I only had to google 2 clues for Tuesday.<br /><br />I had to google 12-15 clues (at least) today.<br /><br />I caught the theme though when I got to Belly Dancer.Miettenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76474927956203960542011-11-16T13:53:11.877-05:002011-11-16T13:53:11.877-05:00It did feel like a Tuesday, especially with the re...It did feel like a Tuesday, especially with the relatively plain cluing, but it felt like a GOOD Tuesday.<br /><br />A picky point: I think BICEP can be used as an adjective, as in "bicep curl", but when referring to the muscle itself, which is "two headed", I think it is always called the BICEPS. If that is true, then the clue wasn't exactly right. But I may be wrong about this -- anybody know for sure?Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09709142959535977331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59790274883571661152011-11-16T13:50:03.632-05:002011-11-16T13:50:03.632-05:00OK, so yesterday was just some bad nightmare. A hi...OK, so yesterday was just some bad nightmare. A hiccup in the crossword time line. Whew.<br /><br />I liked this puzzle, excpept for AGAZE. Seems like when a constructor has an odd fill he/she adds an A to the front and . . . "Tada, I'm done". Too bad.<br /><br />My use of a beer bong was not for drinking beer - it was for enjoying some herb. Instead of water, we used beer. @Tobias - I don't think you would have chugged down any of this beer. LOL!<br /><br />Cheers!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com