tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post4481281006936084865..comments2024-03-29T01:22:33.864-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Muhammad's pugilistic daughter - WEDNESDAY, Feb. 25, 2009 - K Browder (Schoolmaster's rod / Brand of clothing or energy drink / Radio no-no)Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26521666401990200582009-04-06T05:59:00.000-04:002009-04-06T05:59:00.000-04:00I assumed "littlest sucker" was just in a figurati...I assumed "littlest sucker" was just in a figurative sense . . . a little guy, twerp, a runt.<BR/><BR/>The pop culture in crosswords seems to come from the same era as that in <I>Jeopardy!</I> not old enough to be retro-cool and for me to know it, and not current. Vikki Carr? <I>My Lai, Vietnam</I>? 1970 war film? <I>Sigh</I>. You're either going to have to go back to the <I>Roman Holiday</I>-, <I>Glenn Miller</I>-era, or stick with things from the past couple of years, if you don't want me to turn to Google, Shortz & co.Charlyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01390300490315841794noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60049627049795096682009-02-26T10:47:00.000-05:002009-02-26T10:47:00.000-05:00Good puzzle, Kelly, for a less-expert solver like ...Good puzzle, Kelly, for a less-expert solver like me... never saw the theme coming until the 48D clue and final K, where it all snapped together.<BR/><BR/>I like the way newspaper/editorial jargon appears often in NYT puzzles (OBIT, ONSPEC, EMDASH, STET, MSS) -- seems appropriate to New York City.<BR/><BR/>-30-Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02681342234536407419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72067915794070748702009-02-26T03:20:00.000-05:002009-02-26T03:20:00.000-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.liquid el layhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00955796642605260715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88906674133121703922009-02-26T03:11:00.000-05:002009-02-26T03:11:00.000-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.liquid el layhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00955796642605260715noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83024555404718239742009-02-26T02:52:00.000-05:002009-02-26T02:52:00.000-05:00@jim-Chicago, don't have a hissy, it IS iced tea; ...@jim-Chicago, don't have a hissy, it IS iced tea; our tea is iced and our diamonds are "ice". This happens a lot in the cold country puzzles (north of Virginia). I do love New York and go get 'em, Rex darlin'!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82063504865512546732009-02-26T01:15:00.000-05:002009-02-26T01:15:00.000-05:00I thought this a fun puzzle with a small hang-up f...I thought this a fun puzzle with a small hang-up for me in each corner, maybe NE the most somehow as that is where I finished but nothing major. Wednesday is still the limit for me for calling them doable and easy puzzles. Did this one in AcrossLite since I am out of town and the Vegas hotels won't bring you a paper. I really love physically writing out puzzles; it went quickly, but it felt like the hangs-up took longer.<BR/><BR/>Kindly excuse rant below:<BR/>AHEM!!<BR/>ICETEA absolutely infuriates me. As a CT boy who lived in the south for a while, I guess that's where the peeve comes from along with all the infuriating gerund slurs and annoying (yes, politically incorrect) annoying) accents. :-) <BR/><BR/>It is iced (adjective, dammmmmmit!!!!!) tea, otherwise you would have a straw in a block of frozen tea. ICETEA is just sloppy and no amount of just accepting it is OK such as "they sound the same". I'm surprised to see comments re: ICETEA with all the clue/word bitching done on here. Ice is not no adjective, nohow.<BR/><BR/>But then again, it is an admitted bete noir of mine, thence the overreaction.xyzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08287781952915413013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53524191561745342942009-02-25T21:24:00.000-05:002009-02-25T21:24:00.000-05:00@ Clark - well thought. Clever, IMO. You are eithe...@ Clark - well thought. Clever, IMO. You are either a mathematician, a lawyer, or both.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9267418173044832372009-02-25T19:30:00.000-05:002009-02-25T19:30:00.000-05:00@archaeoprof: Late to the party--too much stuff to...@archaeoprof: Late to the party--too much stuff to do before Brooklyn. Since you asked: Yes, the song was considered pure <I>Kitsch</I> in my family, but we sang it anyway. <BR/><BR/>Here's a tidbit I found as I was googling for its history: "The song was sung simultaneously in English and German by troops during the Christmas truce of 1914, as it was one of the few carols that soldiers on both sides of the front line knew."<BR/><BR/>As far as I know, they also played soccer against each other as it was one the games both sides could play, and the participants, at least on the German side (I don't know anything about the British side), had to be moved back from the front after the truce b/c the soldiers were no longer able to shoot at the guys with whom they had sung and played soccer before.Ulrichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02086202853174403008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54980884921421233642009-02-25T18:38:00.000-05:002009-02-25T18:38:00.000-05:00Ice tea? What?!Ice tea? What?!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68026466121981118732009-02-25T17:39:00.000-05:002009-02-25T17:39:00.000-05:00Easy except for the SE corner which I made harder ...Easy except for the SE corner which I made harder by reading boney for bonny and wondering why SKELETON or SCROD wouldn't fit. Also iffy on the LAILA spelling but it had to be IBEAM. FERULE, AME, and ETUI were gimmes for reasons discussed. This was fine for a Wed.jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1703917612092874142009-02-25T17:20:00.000-05:002009-02-25T17:20:00.000-05:00retired_chemist -- but a spinner does make random...retired_chemist -- but a spinner does make random in order or arrangement, it takes an array of numbers that has some particular order and it produces a string of numbers, one after the other, as one uses it, that is random in order. So it takes a spatial ordering and rearranges it into a random temporal ordering.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80834194125565850552009-02-25T17:16:00.000-05:002009-02-25T17:16:00.000-05:00The editing software I use at work has a SPIKE key...The editing software I use at work has a SPIKE key which "deletes" the story but doesn't eradicate it. When you choose to search for a story, one option is to "include SPIKE queue in searches." That's the modern way of looking through the sheets of copy that used to end up on the spike.George NYChttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11844466463123158982noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14745291960187334782009-02-25T17:14:00.000-05:002009-02-25T17:14:00.000-05:00Ooops - hit the send button too soon.The thing abo...Ooops - hit the send button too soon.<BR/><BR/>The thing about icetea vs. icedtea is that they're pronounced almost the same - the d and t just sort of merge together. I'm sure that's how it entered into the written vocabulary without the d.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64445472376933046922009-02-25T17:12:00.000-05:002009-02-25T17:12:00.000-05:00@treedweller@treedwellerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36869352767520944172009-02-25T16:57:00.001-05:002009-02-25T16:57:00.001-05:00I finally have access to my own computer again, so...I finally have access to my own computer again, so I'm catching up. It's nice to visit family, but when said relatives are very set in their (80's plus) ways, it can be a challenge to keep in touch with the modern world. It's good to finally be on vacation.<BR/><BR/>I liked this puzzle okay, I suppose. After last weekend, I'm just relieved to breeze through one and not have to worry if I should be trying to compete.<BR/><BR/>@Shin Kokin Wahashu<BR/>That was a fine illustration of how you never remember the abbrev. SRTA<BR/><BR/>@SPIKED news stories<BR/>plenty of logical explanations here, but my rationalization was that the reporter would view them as potential Pulitzers, while the editors might choose to SPIKE them.<BR/><BR/>@ICETEA<BR/>Being from Texas, where summer lasts 9 months a year, iced tea is almost as common as water (some places, more). Much as I hate to admit it, I hear ICETEA at least as often as "iced." I still think it's wrong.<BR/><BR/>@anonymous anonymous<BR/>you can only delete a post if you register with Blogger and post through that account. When you post anonymously, we are all stuck with whatever makes it to the web. I'm not saying that to push for your entry into the cult, but that's how it works.treedwellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12634227778469664442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80292780335427424272009-02-25T16:57:00.000-05:002009-02-25T16:57:00.000-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.treedwellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12634227778469664442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47096280664523476452009-02-25T16:56:00.000-05:002009-02-25T16:56:00.000-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.treedwellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12634227778469664442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84940619052070226652009-02-25T16:52:00.000-05:002009-02-25T16:52:00.000-05:00I was puzzled by 'spiked' news stories but hubby s...I was puzzled by 'spiked' news stories but hubby says he remembers the spike and that when word processors were being introduced in the newsroom he remembers an editor saying 'look...you can push this key and spike the story!' He says that was also when an ad guy could get in the newsroom without going through nine gates of security.Linda Ballhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12417535881100246975noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29716212922043516352009-02-25T16:41:00.000-05:002009-02-25T16:41:00.000-05:00I finally have access to my own computer again, so...I finally have access to my own computer again, so I'm catching up. It's nice to visit family, but when said relatives are very set in their (80's plus) ways, it can be a challenge to keep in touch with the modern world. It's good to finally be on vacation.<BR/><BR/>I liked this puzzle okay, I suppose. After last weekend, I'm just relieved to breeze through one and not have to worry if I should be trying to compete.<BR/><BR/>@Shin Kokin Wahashu<BR/>That was a fine illustration of how you never remember the abbrev. SRTA<BR/><BR/>@SPIKED news stories<BR/>plenty of logical explanations here, but my rationalization was that the reporter would view them as potential Pulitzers, while the editors might choose to SPIKE them.<BR/><BR/>@ICETEA<BR/>Being from Texas, where summer lasts 9 months a year, iced tea is almost as common as water (some places, more). Much as I hate to admit it, I hear ICETEA at least as often as "iced." I still think it's wrong.<BR/><BR/>@anonymous anonymous<BR/>you can only delete a post if you register with Blogger and post through that account. When you post anonymously, we are all stuck with whatever makes it to the web. I'm not saying that to push for your entry into the cult, but that's how it works.treedwellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12634227778469664442noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13101991495998662562009-02-25T16:36:00.000-05:002009-02-25T16:36:00.000-05:00A couple of weeks ago an email came around the off...A couple of weeks ago an email came around the office from someone who had lost a small needle case of great sentimental value. I was very tempted to respond - you lost your ETUI?Jeffreyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01699404861773455504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30558522518731549322009-02-25T16:28:00.000-05:002009-02-25T16:28:00.000-05:00The funny thing for me about ETUI is that is cross...The funny thing for me about ETUI is that is crosswordese that I have known for almost as long as I can remember, but I somehow never bothered to look it up. I always just pictured a simple pin cushion. Even though that is clearly not appropriate for a thimble, the etui-sewing connection is so strong that I still wasn't fazed by it. As Anon10:40 said, my solving has improved dramatically since I have started paying more attention to the answers I didn't know. Rex, I have your wonderful rants about the ???? parts of a puzzle to thank for my change in attitude.<BR/><BR/>XavsXavierhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01963797718694036045noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20199652165824365212009-02-25T16:09:00.000-05:002009-02-25T16:09:00.000-05:00@Chip Hilton: Etui is considered crosswordese to s...@Chip Hilton: Etui is considered crosswordese to such an extent that Will Shortz held up a pretty silk one before the competition last year. Lo and behold, the word came up in one of the puzzles. It's basically a cotton flannel holder for needles (to keep them from rusting before they were made from stainless steel) with an attractive outside. Of course there would be a holder for a thimble in it.machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42481140168375255812009-02-25T16:01:00.000-05:002009-02-25T16:01:00.000-05:00@ Chip H - etui will be in about every fifth puzzl...@ Chip H - <BR/><BR/>etui will be in about every fifth puzzle - or so it seems sometimes. Next time, you'll know.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46650545375115919352009-02-25T15:25:00.000-05:002009-02-25T15:25:00.000-05:00@Chip, you must have your head in Spring, too! (I ...@Chip, you must have your head in Spring, too! (I even purchased some peat pots already.) And when I think of SPIKEs, I think of feeding plants.<BR/>@Evil, great T-shirt! Was it meant to be a shout-out to Timothy Leary?<BR/>@Wade, I believe Dick Cavett used to have print ads in Seventeen magazine for Cornsilk.fikinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06324570637549775751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20066264046890518862009-02-25T14:54:00.000-05:002009-02-25T14:54:00.000-05:00Looked at 1D first and really wanted to be BANANA,...Looked at 1D first and really wanted to be BANANA, but after looking at a couple of acrosses knew that was not to be the case. <BR/><BR/>Never heard of FERULE but living on the west coast for so long it seemed every third young surfer you would see was wearing NO FEAR gear.<BR/><BR/>Thanks to all who cleared up the NEWSSTORIES question, that messed with my head last night, but I knew that by morning the Rexite Family would set me straight.<BR/><BR/>Good luck to all attending the tournament this weekend.chefwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03999206352243329280noreply@blogger.com