tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post4478964123399789959..comments2024-03-28T10:27:32.306-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Half-filled auditorium to Frost / SAT 11-15-14 / Illness affecting wealthy / First video game character to be honored with figure in Hollywood Wax Museum / Author who was title subject of Best Picture 1937 / Home tech product discontinued in 1987 / Loser in 1970s-'80s war / Bristol's partner in pharmaceuticalsRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74621240722314431652014-12-20T18:49:11.389-05:002014-12-20T18:49:11.389-05:00Enjoyed the puzzle until my brain FROZE in the NE ...Enjoyed the puzzle until my brain FROZE in the NE because of NO OIL. Also stuck much too long with cORE, not seeing BORE.<br /><br />I think that looking at any source outside of the puzzle itself to find or check answers is "cheating" to one degree or another. Granted, I may be too much of a stickler about this, but I do think such "cheaters" lose bragging rights.leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70641410033003329092014-12-20T16:38:18.630-05:002014-12-20T16:38:18.630-05:00Wow! Rarified air in here! I have Never solved a S...Wow! Rarified air in here! I have Never solved a Sat puzzle without a google fest, but don't consider it cheating, I'm improving my vocabulary, and keeping my humility in check! : )KariSeattlehttp://yahoo.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35474011776436828002014-12-20T16:31:11.393-05:002014-12-20T16:31:11.393-05:00Said the latent homosexual mysogynistSaid the latent homosexual mysogynistAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33332913897118288072014-12-20T15:16:09.881-05:002014-12-20T15:16:09.881-05:00Medium, but oh so smooth, here. I liked this a lo...Medium, but oh so smooth, here. I liked this a lot, but two wrong slamdowns - ICEBERG, and WORKER BEE, held me up too long. Once those were fixed, the rest went smoothly and was tres enjoyable. <br /><br />Today's and yesterday's were a good end to the week, and any quality gap is not as large as @Rex would have us believe. <br /><br />WHAT THE, BOO HISS, and SO THAT'S IT, were great, as were the longer entries.<br /><br />I don't see why some had an issue to 52A. In the endgame, you are down to the LAST MOVES. <br /><br />Apparently, I may never get to play baccarat again.rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46552310935636024612014-12-20T12:16:14.756-05:002014-12-20T12:16:14.756-05:00@7d9a5b1: If any deli refuses to honor my NOOIL re...@7d9a5b1: If any deli refuses to honor my NOOIL request (which I always make; I prefer mayo), I can assure you they won't be in business long; they certainly won't get any more of mine.<br /><br />This one didn't play easy at first; I finally wedged in with MYERS, EDEN and TEENS. Then XKES opened the rest of the SW. Was held up getting into the center trying to figure out the rest of WHA____. Revisited the NW and found SKATE and APPLETREE. Hand up for berg, but FLOE was on my mind as I found THEFED, hence AFFLUENZA, and the NE was history. Finished in the SE with OFL's last: the M of MILER.<br /><br />A satisfying do. If I picked, it would be at nits. THE is never good, but THEFED enjoys super-acceptance in the real language, so no BOOHISS there. PIZZAPIES sounds a bit green-paintish; PIZZAS is enough, really. But again, in the language.<br /><br />It seemed that twice in this puzzle, high scrabble-count entries greatly eased progress--almost to the point I wish they hadn't been there. I'll call it medium, but the lack of fill junk is positively Berryesque. YOHO notwithstanding, I give it an A.<br /><br />3722. WHATTHE...spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19956802982692225352014-12-20T12:05:38.398-05:002014-12-20T12:05:38.398-05:00Really liked this one! Biggest hang-up was in the ...Really liked this one! Biggest hang-up was in the mid-south with barretT crossing biB, but solving pretty much counterclockwise and to the middle cured me of that.<br />Also some trouble with smaCKED, whaCKED, CraCKED, etc.<br />But I'd never call this puz EZ.<br />Funny to see BORE today after my AWL tirade yesterday.<br />Lots of 70's stuff with IBMC, MARIO, and BETAMAX.<br />I've actually had a HOLEINONE, nearly 20 years ago now. Cost a fortune in the clubhouse.<br />STEELE a gimmee for OFL? Not so for me.<br />Long time since I've heard, and wish I suffered from AFFLUENZA.<br /><br />Let's see about numbers for today . . . <br />noperondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67611856968021350152014-11-19T08:35:18.808-05:002014-11-19T08:35:18.808-05:00I enjoyed this puzzle; struggled
some with the SE ...I enjoyed this puzzle; struggled<br />some with the SE corner and was off base with the two meat clues (stuck with minces far too long). Overall, felt good to finish and thought it was one of better puzzles in some time in terms of consistency of cluing. <br /><br />Medium seems fair for an overall evaluation of the difficulty.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75612584327555752102014-11-16T07:15:14.784-05:002014-11-16T07:15:14.784-05:00Catching up with a day's worth of comments aft...Catching up with a day's worth of comments after a night on the town. Always great to learn something new from others' observations:<br /><br />@Lewis at 12:53 PM said, "The meat of a juvenile sheep older than one year is hogget; outside North America this is also a term for the living animal." That gave me a shock of memory, and I had to check - sure enough, the farmer in the movie <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0112431/" rel="nofollow">BABE</a>, about a sheep-herding pig, is named "Hogget," a little joke that I had not been aware of before!Bob Kerfufflehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02615811802419025933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72418406302253961322014-11-15T23:14:54.496-05:002014-11-15T23:14:54.496-05:00Please do not dignify mentally ill people with res...Please do not dignify mentally ill people with responses, no matter how right you obviously are.Andrew Heinegghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18101651673327984167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64731194548610941612014-11-15T21:38:25.643-05:002014-11-15T21:38:25.643-05:00@Tee'dmn, what's the story, Morning Glory?...@Tee'dmn, what's the story, Morning Glory? You sound like a woman after me own 'art! You obviously have away with words, but let's keep things straight, the one who cleansed behind that shower curtain was Dennis Kozlowski, former TYCOon, whose purchases included a $445 pincushion. Quite the little shopper, he.<br /><br />http://money.cnn.com/2002/09/23/pf/saving/q_tyco/<br /><br />btw, that STEELE-girded LOIN thingy sounds suspiciously chased to me. Will have to think further abelt that.<br />Leapfingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14243620614139990887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25499730450043085252014-11-15T21:30:52.334-05:002014-11-15T21:30:52.334-05:00Don't respond to trolls or those ridiculously ...Don't respond to trolls or those ridiculously long posts about girlfriends /wives/ relationships etc etc etc. Please. Just skip them and let the REAL posters get on with the blog.<br />Oh, don't respond to the trolls and phishers, just in case I wasn't clear. Don't Respond To Trolls Or Phishingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59712449395605796432014-11-15T21:01:16.645-05:002014-11-15T21:01:16.645-05:00An APPLETREE was also found in EDEN.An APPLETREE was also found in EDEN.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78781995233403789592014-11-15T19:26:29.047-05:002014-11-15T19:26:29.047-05:00Aw geez, I can't believe someone felt an answe...Aw geez, I can't believe someone felt an answer to Anon 1:22 was in order!!! But thanks for the effort, @SWfAF!<br /><br />Filipina Brides? Me, I'm on the lookout for a Horse Groom!SpokesBeing for Bikesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81229065933443129552014-11-15T18:46:31.900-05:002014-11-15T18:46:31.900-05:00Dear Anon 1:22 - Please continue to do what you do...Dear Anon 1:22 - Please continue to do what you do. Buy a Philipine bride, or a Russian hooker, or whatever tickles your pathetic little fancy. Men like you are of no interest to intelligent, powerful women. We appreciate your leaving us alone.Spokeswoman for American Femalesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-39750992310355849092014-11-15T18:35:35.163-05:002014-11-15T18:35:35.163-05:00Just about an ideal Saturday puzzle. Right degree ...Just about an ideal Saturday puzzle. Right degree of difficulty (hard, but doable), fair, nicely-phrased clue/answer combinations. <br /><br />I got stuck for a while with orate instead of skate for 1down. For some reason, I knew the Zola answer, which helped a lot.michaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47692121442942542482014-11-15T18:03:59.189-05:002014-11-15T18:03:59.189-05:00Don't get me wrong. I really really enjoy out...Don't get me wrong. I really really enjoy outstanding themeless puzs like this one.<br /><br />But which puzs do U remember, long term? I honestly don't have many themelesses at all in that category. Maybe one: the Patrick Berry themeless that had every letter but an E. Which, in a gimmicky way, was a kinda unstated theme. I do remember that certain people make great themeless puzs, tho: Barry Silk, Patrick Berry, Karen Tracey, Manny Nosowsky, BEQ, and now Peter Wentz.<br /><br />I remember specifically oodles of great themed puzs, don't U? The one about wardrobe malfunctions. Or the one with the flying black U's in the grid design. Or the one that "cracked ME up". Or that one that couldn't decide whether BOBDOLE or CLINTON won. har. I may not always remember who did them, tho. But, I do remember several great constructors of themed puzs, too.<br /><br />So I think he, she & they who say that the fill is everything in a crossword may be way oversimplifying. Depends on what trips yer trigger, in my book. I just wanna say that I think the Shortzmeister does a darn fine job of supplying an arsenal of puzs with lotsa different triggers in em. And pull-chains, for old @63.<br /><br />But I digress.<br /><br />M&ACrosswords Viewed thru a Masknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68711602270746583232014-11-15T18:01:46.832-05:002014-11-15T18:01:46.832-05:00Speaking of cheating, I made no comment yesterday ...Speaking of cheating, I made no comment yesterday because the puzz. stumped me 3/4s through. I don't google or ask my four-legged live-in companions for help, so when I know I'm stuck, my cheat is to check Rex's finished posted puzzle, a line at a time, as needed, to get the brain in gear again and fill in the blanks. For me, yesterday was still a bear (NOT a HONEY!)<br /><br />Today's experience reaffirmed my 'walk away from the puzzle' technique. Started it in the morning w/ some success in the S, and here and there, but maybe got a tad more than halfway done when a social engagement called me away for several hours. Maybe it was the delicious oysters we ate at lunch or the wishful window shopping at a jewelry store (not suffering from AFFLUENZA, I could not afford the one-of-a-kind 18k, ruby and diamond bee earrings that spoke STRAIGHT to my heart), but when I picked up the puzzle again, I nearly shouted Eureka! as the LASTMOVES magically appeared.<br /><br />Thanks, PW and WS. Very clever misdirects.Ludyjynnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57419834181827826682014-11-15T17:28:10.775-05:002014-11-15T17:28:10.775-05:00@benko -- "pointful" -- good one!@benko -- "pointful" -- good one!Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09709142959535977331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54068244754408760112014-11-15T17:25:51.797-05:002014-11-15T17:25:51.797-05:00Yes, just a nice misdirection, though it so happen...Yes, just a nice misdirection, though it so happens that the famous opening of Mozart's <i>Eine kleine Nachtmusik</i> is sort of reminiscent of 27A:TAPS (notably the opening 9 notes are all drawn from the same four notes of the 5-note <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bugle" rel="nofollow">bugle scale</a> that sound in Taps).<br /><br />NDENoam D. Elkiesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60990681487994235582014-11-15T16:47:38.526-05:002014-11-15T16:47:38.526-05:00Yeah, Gill. I had "AcES"--many of the ea...Yeah, Gill. I had "AcES"--many of the early guys were fighter pilots with wartime aerial kills--until 29 Down nixed that....<br /><br />Evilevil doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17593231055589228837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80102577721935872902014-11-15T16:43:57.489-05:002014-11-15T16:43:57.489-05:00Squeaky clean puzzle and a super-fast Saturday tim...Squeaky clean puzzle and a super-fast Saturday time for me. First entry was orATE, last entry way SKATE, after circling all the way back. I had APPLE____ before APPLETREE, and enjoyed how the finding GROVE and the cross-reference trippped the TREE part for me.Alannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67493053904185413332014-11-15T16:38:54.089-05:002014-11-15T16:38:54.089-05:00@Diri...I was trying to remember where I first hea...@Diri...I was trying to remember where I first heard that word. Amazing isn't it? The chutzpah for even uttering it as a defense. <br />@ED. APES was a bit of a stretch now that I see it. I guess next we'll see German Shepherds?GILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49435082739096678682014-11-15T16:01:01.814-05:002014-11-15T16:01:01.814-05:00@leapfinger - this is what caused my consternation...@leapfinger - this is what caused my consternation at <a href="http://www.cnn.com/2014/02/05/us/texas-affluenza-teen/" rel="nofollow">AFFLUENZA</a>.<br /><br />Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91832033966928582052014-11-15T15:51:33.177-05:002014-11-15T15:51:33.177-05:00I don't consider apes to have been astronauts,...I don't consider apes to have been astronauts, any more than I considered kenneled dogs in my 767 baggage bins 'pilots'.<br /><br />And not fond of 'Y athlete' as a clue for "Yalie", since it gives us the first letter of the answer. Good clue for Eli's, or Bulldogs.<br /><br />Evilevil doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17593231055589228837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37211412507029499672014-11-15T15:33:16.783-05:002014-11-15T15:33:16.783-05:00@Deborah,
The actual clue for 40A MUTTON is "...@Deborah,<br /><br />The actual clue for 40A MUTTON is "Chops meat". Typical misdirection, it turns out that "chops" is to interpreted as a noun rather than a verb.<br /><br />As for "minces", it's just an incorrect guess that many people mentioned. So there's no connection at all between "minces" and MUTTON.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com