tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post4472478416762032551..comments2024-03-29T07:01:08.827-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: NCIS actor Joe / FRI 8-8-14 / Anderson of Nurses / It was you, operatically / Lovingly, on a music score / Rostock bar stockRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-69836461059763236612016-02-18T14:45:00.211-05:002016-02-18T14:45:00.211-05:00I'm back to catching up on back issues, so thi...I'm back to catching up on back issues, so this is about a year and a half late... Pretty easy puzzle, but I did have a beef with "alia" used as a plural. I was taught that "others" was "alii", and "other" was "alia". Apparently I've either misremembered or have forgotten some usage quirk here... I would have written the clue as "Ovid's other". Had to change it once I got "sedated".Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08491852040969338431noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44935604176853259652014-09-12T19:28:52.846-04:002014-09-12T19:28:52.846-04:00Liked this one a lot even though I DNF'd at th...Liked this one a lot even though I DNF'd at the ALLTHAT/SERT crossing. Never heard that "all that" means perfect. I think ALL PHAT is way better slang.<br /><br />I thought the shapes were Space Invader entities moving in a SE direction until I got SOMETHING'SFISHY, and then I saw the boxy fish swimming in a NW direction.<br /><br />The very cluing trumps some of the greasier fill for me.<br /><br />324 Knockin' on the same door, @Spacey.rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16685117815981953192014-09-12T17:16:43.369-04:002014-09-12T17:16:43.369-04:00I'm not up on current slang and I know not of ...I'm not up on current slang and I know not of Spanish muralists and Mies van der whoever so ALLSTAR seemed perfectly reasonable for "Excellent". My ignorance is not the puzzle's fault so I'm not complaining. (I should have known rITRATE was wrong though.) OTOH I really liked the clue for LOSERS (Things that ties never have) and I wanted Ovid's others (57a) to be ALIi because of the plural - am I wrong about that?<br /><br />410 - that's just rubbing salt in the wound.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38523623891524033402014-09-12T15:59:51.761-04:002014-09-12T15:59:51.761-04:00Eri tu. Perfectly good Itaian for It was you.Eri tu. Perfectly good Itaian for It was you.Longbeachlenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9835367555610941102014-09-12T15:43:47.773-04:002014-09-12T15:43:47.773-04:00I seem to be the only one who thought those "...I seem to be the only one who thought those "fishes"<br /> were "fours"! So I didn't "see" them until I finally got THYROID off OILRICH. Not that solved things. I had LoveSiT for too long, and my starwort was an eSTHER. So much for the NW. By the time I got ATCHESON, I just didn't care to sort the rest of it out. (Rostock,which spell master insists has a capital R, sounds like something from Maleska's era.) Only other misplay was itIS, which left my now numb brain q wondering what GASOHiL could possibly be!! In retrospect, why did that clue have a question mark? Off to lick my wounds, and contemplate the only semi-readable Captcha I could get after something like ten tries...<br /><br />822. Out and out.DMGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52936472772105015722014-09-12T14:17:23.510-04:002014-09-12T14:17:23.510-04:00ENSUITE is fine by me. I had to look it up some ye...ENSUITE is fine by me. I had to look it up some years ago to make sure which type of facilities were included in a certain lodging situation. <br /><br />654: no goodrondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71985222142111794372014-09-12T12:27:43.237-04:002014-09-12T12:27:43.237-04:00I tried to guess the black shapes; fish did not oc...I tried to guess the black shapes; fish did not occur. After solving and having another LOOKSEE, I concede that, with block shapes, that's about as well as you can depict a fish--but they still don't really look like fish to me. They look like...kites. (I can hear Lucy now: "You blockhead!")<br /><br />To the puzz itself. Though endweek-clued, this one was a very crackable nut. AMERICA gave me an easy start in the NW; then I had the early brainchild of ONEUPS for bests, and with NYSE and EDYS I had SOMETHIN_______.<br />Trying to get "closes a session" with ___SOUT, that square has to be G, so: LOGSOUT. Ah, THAT kind of session. Good ol' Dean ACHESON helped in the NE, then I never considered bitcHin' (@Doug, that's so '50s!), going straight for ALLTHAT, hold the chips, and TITRATE. RUBE and SUNBELT left me with --ATE-- in the middle of the 15er--which was all I needed for ONTHEWATERFRONT, not only 1954's OSCAR winner, but one of the best pictures of all time.<br /><br />WOE: ENSUITE (really? Smells...well, you know.) Along with APs NOI and ATAN, plus the awfu EROO, this blunts some very fine longer fill; those 7x7 corners are not easy to do, taking this nice asymmetrical grid down to a B. Still enjoyed it though.<br /><br />5201: Knock-knock-knockin on heavens door.spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56377099703925278352014-09-12T11:40:14.020-04:002014-09-12T11:40:14.020-04:00I guess my brain just closed down. Got everything ...I guess my brain just closed down. Got everything but the NW corner. Never heard of Gangnam. I had something fishy and America but the rest is blank. Boo me! May you acquire a big black wart on your nose, Mr. Haight.......lol<br /><br />Ron Diego<br /><br />23022Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9273602324307232842014-08-10T14:39:23.427-04:002014-08-10T14:39:23.427-04:00Good puzzle and sufficiently puzzling for Friday (...Good puzzle and sufficiently puzzling for Friday (after several weeks in a row that were far too easy). Chiming in on "Fop" and "Metrosexual". Born are obsessive about how they are perceived in public. Main difference is a mextrosexual is not only concerned about his clothing, but about his weight and muscularity, while I don't think a fop can't be overweight, in fact I think there were lots of overweight fops. Also, a fop dresses flashy while a metrosexual dresses obsessively neat -- top quality clothes, but not flashy and always without a wrinkle, ironed a hundred times over. But these are minor differences within a category of people who are overly concerned with their public appearance, so the clue is accurate regardless of some of your objections. P.S. -- A classic metrosexual is Mike G. on ESPN's morning "Mike and Mike" show, in fact jock Mike openly derides him as a metrosexual. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91152875046873098272014-08-09T12:46:38.391-04:002014-08-09T12:46:38.391-04:00Re: SISTENE: Maybe none are Sistine, either, but I...Re: SISTENE: Maybe none are Sistine, either, but I've never had MESO soup. You?Kirkpatnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45684125431860148382014-08-09T07:42:08.892-04:002014-08-09T07:42:08.892-04:00@Lewis. Thank you.@Lewis. Thank you.Umanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34595008670628644182014-08-08T22:38:49.071-04:002014-08-08T22:38:49.071-04:00I guess being the 91st person to comment means tha...I guess being the 91st person to comment means that it's all already been said. Finished with Googling - saw the little fishies - and now don't have to wait too long for Saturday's puzzle to appear. Arlenehttp://www.listeningclosely.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60679041935738509792014-08-08T22:33:01.986-04:002014-08-08T22:33:01.986-04:00OMG. Hideously difficult for me. NE and SE were ...OMG. Hideously difficult for me. NE and SE were almost impossible. Took me almost a full hour. Plus, those were fish? Yikes. Once it was done, I liked it, sure, but oh brother what an ordeal.<br /><br />gpoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26120669620773921332014-08-08T20:12:05.687-04:002014-08-08T20:12:05.687-04:00worse Xword of the year by far
UP THE IRONS!worse Xword of the year by far<br />UP THE IRONS!Expobillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58502403634136530292014-08-08T19:55:58.869-04:002014-08-08T19:55:58.869-04:00Busy day, we just got to this. Tough puzz for us, ...Busy day, we just got to this. Tough puzz for us, but we got it. Highlights were @Rex's mistake and Doug Peterson's use of the picture of the brother from "Orphan Black" as an example of FOP (awesome character, great actor).<br /><br />Fish. They were fish? OK.<br /><br />ENSUITE. S'il vous plait? Wife says she's seen it used in English, OK.Mohair Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502840715719161565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66109432229073598342014-08-08T19:08:42.756-04:002014-08-08T19:08:42.756-04:00@Useless Reference Works
Merriam Webster
Alibi: 2...@Useless Reference Works<br /><br />Merriam Webster<br />Alibi: 2) : an excuse usually intended to avert blame or punishment <br /><br /><br />So yes, you've chosen your name wisely.Zekenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61804718880900707812014-08-08T19:06:25.277-04:002014-08-08T19:06:25.277-04:00Loved the oscars and hos clues. I knew right off ...Loved the oscars and hos clues. I knew right off the bat what the 54 best picture was, but I thought the three center squares were boxing gloves! (I coulda been a contender...) , so the fishy clu had me stumped for quite a while.<br />Overall, fun puzzle.<br />HAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43820761111150251392014-08-08T19:01:48.401-04:002014-08-08T19:01:48.401-04:00Do you have other stories like this one? (I like i...Do you have other stories like this one? (I like it.) Seems like a Nasrudin Sufi story!Whirred Whacksnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55764991932318442492014-08-08T18:28:35.034-04:002014-08-08T18:28:35.034-04:00@r.alphbunker: Lovely description of the relation...@r.alphbunker: Lovely description of the relationship between clue and entry.mathguynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67517518184856295152014-08-08T17:59:22.004-04:002014-08-08T17:59:22.004-04:00Merriam-Webster - 3 : first, earliest a ship'...Merriam-Webster - 3 : <b>first</b>, earliest <i>a ship's maiden voyage</i>, <i>the maiden flight of a spacecraft,</i> <br />Dictionary.com - 8: made, tried, appearing, etc., for the <b>first</b> time: a maiden flight. <br />Oxford Dictionaries (US) - 2. Being or involving the <b>first</b> attempt or act of its kind.<br />The Free Dictionary - 6. <b>first</b>: a maiden flight.<br />Wiktionary - (figuratively) Being a <b>first</b> occurrence or event.<br />The Urban Dictionary - 3) <b>First</b><br /><br />emphasis addedUseless Reference Worksnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41562656817743562392014-08-08T17:50:09.000-04:002014-08-08T17:50:09.000-04:00My understanding of the relationship between a clu...My understanding of the relationship between a clue and an answer is that you can replace the clue by the answer in <b>some</b> sentence and get a sentence that says the same thing. So in the case of first/MAIDEN<br /><br />S1: It was the ship's <first> voyage<br />S2: It was the ship's <MAIDEN> voyage<br /><br />Replacing S1 by S2 results in no loss of meaning.<br /><br />The requirement that the clue and the answer be synonyms is a stronger requirement.<br />r.alphbunkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00657275501845781384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68361634315598740042014-08-08T17:46:13.087-04:002014-08-08T17:46:13.087-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.r.alphbunkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00657275501845781384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-27509216567589357762014-08-08T17:31:18.357-04:002014-08-08T17:31:18.357-04:00Loved "Sounds from some mall temps" as a...Loved "Sounds from some mall temps" as a clue for "hos"--just think of some of the awful alternatives.bswein99https://www.blogger.com/profile/17695650849084225055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18291716334614071082014-08-08T17:28:12.034-04:002014-08-08T17:28:12.034-04:00MAIDEN is incorrectly clued. MAIDEN never means f...MAIDEN is incorrectly clued. MAIDEN never means first, it means you haven't done 'it' yet, whatever 'it' is. A ship's MAIDEN voyage is in fact her first voyage, but that doesn't mean that MAIDEN means first. It means that she hasn't done 'it' yet, that she undertakes the voyage as a MAIDEN. A MAIDEN race is for horses who haven't won yet. It's never about first, it's about not having done it.Zekenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18211782729743468462014-08-08T17:02:42.171-04:002014-08-08T17:02:42.171-04:00Surely you're joking, Mr. Evil Doug. The NATO ...Surely you're joking, Mr. Evil Doug. The NATO alfabet was deliberately constructed to use words that were either practically international (whiskey, hotel, etc), or broadly recognized by Americans and Europeans. Alfa is the way the first Greek letter is spelled in most European languages, which tend not to use the "ph". Which begs a whole nother question which I won't go into. seastate5https://www.blogger.com/profile/13389022340940867701noreply@blogger.com