tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post487527606388037490..comments2024-03-29T03:22:09.826-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: SUNDAY, Mar. 2, 2008 - Patrick Blindauer and Tony Orbach (SUSAN OF "LOOKER")Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger20125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51055277014034976722008-03-10T13:39:00.000-04:002008-03-10T13:39:00.000-04:00First half of the alphabet, the switches were all ...First half of the alphabet, the switches were all at the beginning of a word, while in the second half they were anywhere. That messed me up for quite a while.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84884167212913857572008-03-07T14:49:00.000-05:002008-03-07T14:49:00.000-05:00It took me reading your summary to realize that th...It took me reading your summary to realize that the switched letters are in order, all the way through, A-Z. Sigh.Catherinehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00035416674656804840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8375308482797579462008-03-05T17:15:00.000-05:002008-03-05T17:15:00.000-05:00Don't know if you're still reading this late in th...Don't know if you're still reading this late in the week, Rex, but you should know that Junior Brown (one-time shill for Lipton Ice Tea) has a song called "My Baby Don't Dance to Nothing But Ernest Tubb."<BR/><BR/>I believe the late Mr. Tubb also ran a music store in Nasville.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41893961833323211752008-03-05T15:19:00.000-05:002008-03-05T15:19:00.000-05:00I think 78 across should be "snatch" (clap hands o...I think 78 across should be "snatch" (clap hands on), making 73 down "str" (orch. section [strings]).Gary Paul Gilberthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12941698776126034822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91907750417466195672008-03-05T13:17:00.000-05:002008-03-05T13:17:00.000-05:00I really enjoyed the alphabet substitution theme o...I really enjoyed the alphabet substitution theme of this puzzle. But I just now checked the blog comments, and discovered the fact that all 26 letters are represented in their correct order. WOW. That's one fancy puzzle.<BR/><BR/>And you folks are making me feel old, because when I saw Susan Dey, I immediately thought of the Partridge Family (I think I had a crush on her in 3rd grade). Looker AND LA Law seem like contemporary references to me, by comparison. (!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8716646732799038552008-03-04T23:48:00.000-05:002008-03-04T23:48:00.000-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.mrbreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14704156557484017968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76457409844504618892008-03-04T23:47:00.000-05:002008-03-04T23:47:00.000-05:00Having just figured out that the theme clues ran i...Having just figured out that the theme clues ran in alphabetical order gives me newfound respect for this puzzle.<BR/><BR/>Also, denim (49A) is in no way casual attire. At least not in my world.mrbreenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14704156557484017968noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41945507573273393052008-03-04T15:59:00.000-05:002008-03-04T15:59:00.000-05:00Well, I know I'm not near as good as all of you at...Well, I know I'm not near as good as all of you at doing these things, but I do enjoy learning new words.<BR/><BR/>So, now, when I see a panhandler, I'll say..."Don't cadge me, bro!" or not.<BR/><BR/>(and I did know Mr. Tubbs!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89604919593767218162008-03-04T10:58:00.000-05:002008-03-04T10:58:00.000-05:00The best thing about Susan Dey in "Looker" was tha...The best thing about Susan Dey in "Looker" was that you got to see her nekkid. Not so, LA LAW.<BR/>On the other hand, not my type, dressed or not.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82171789538363101892008-03-04T09:29:00.000-05:002008-03-04T09:29:00.000-05:00Oy! SOY BEANS. I thought it was from SPY BEAMS, ...Oy! SOY BEANS. I thought it was from SPY BEAMS, which also makes a kind of sense, no? But that would make two M to N transitions. Ah, well.<BR/><BR/>For Finnic language, I had some crosses, and figured that Estonia is near Finland, so maybe it's got a Finnic language. Of course, Hungary is NOT near Finland, but Hungarian is in the same language group with Finnish.<BR/><BR/>And for Fife player, I just now got it from your writeup. I guess I didn't watch enough junk TV as a kid.Spencerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00884188052527454989noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30359940826428444862008-03-04T07:59:00.000-05:002008-03-04T07:59:00.000-05:00@Tony,Thanks for dropping by, and for pointing out...@Tony,<BR/><BR/>Thanks for dropping by, and for pointing out the Miles-for-MILO error. I'm making more than my usual number of mistakes since returning from Brooklyn. I'm just tired, I think (and writing too fast - trying to play catch-up). That's the excuse I'm using this week, at any rate.<BR/><BR/>Saw you around a lot in Brooklyn but never got the chance to meet you. Maybe next year. Congrats again on a lovely puzzle (you too, PB2).<BR/><BR/>RPRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43483499422292994302008-03-04T01:11:00.000-05:002008-03-04T01:11:00.000-05:00Mary in NE = Anonymous 10:53 -- thanks for pointin...Mary in NE = Anonymous 10:53 -- thanks for pointing out the alphabetical order; I solved the entire puzzle (during the break after the considerably harder ACPT-7) without noticing this, even though Y/Z was there at the very last square of the puzzle. Yet another example of getting further appreciation of the day's puzzle from the blog and commentary.<BR/><BR/>Dan 12:24 -- wow, we have a great-grandson of sorts of Bartok among us. Did your grandfather keep in touch with Solti after graduation?<BR/><BR/>I wouldn't have expected Rex to single out "plaudit" as strange: it seems to come straight from Latin, and is close to the familiar "applaud" and the standard crosswordese/headlinese "laud".<BR/><BR/>--Noam D. Elkies (who will now again be able to savor the occasional Mon/Tue puzzle instead of racing to finish in under N minutes)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58170135277368112112008-03-04T00:24:00.000-05:002008-03-04T00:24:00.000-05:00Great puzzle - I didn't solve it until tonight, so...Great puzzle - I didn't solve it until tonight, so unfortunately I'd heard about the theme already.<BR/><BR/>Got my Broadway clue fix, as expected... here's the <A HREF="http://crosswordfiend.blogspot.com/2007/12/christina-applegate-should-stop-by-here.html" REL="nofollow">Christina Applegate</A> reference from Orange. She was charming in that show, if not a Broadway-caliber singer.<BR/><BR/>About 75-A, SOLTI, the "Student of Bartok"... my <A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/George_Feyer_(pianist)" REL="nofollow">grandfather</A> was also a student of Bartok and a classmate of Solti's. At the conservatory, apparently, Solti was the star pianist and my grandfather was going to be a conductor... but it turned out the opposite way.Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11209543514266918480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15130738444105107532008-03-04T00:00:00.000-05:002008-03-04T00:00:00.000-05:00The alphabetical order made it awesome and way eas...The alphabetical order made it awesome and way easier for me to finish. I love this blog, but I only allow myself to read it when I am done, which sometimes does not happen!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82125452315288113252008-03-03T23:26:00.001-05:002008-03-03T23:26:00.001-05:00Thanks for the nice write-up -Patrick and I had fu...Thanks for the nice write-up -<BR/>Patrick and I had fun making this, and possibly more fun still having it come out during the crossword tournament and getting immediate feedback from all those great puzzlers! A quick correction on the comments though: coming from a name nut, the actor to whom you're referring that we happily didn't reference is MILO O'SHEA, not MILES - we need him to be perpetuated for the use of that first name too!<BR/><BR/>Best,<BR/>Tony<BR/>Hey, Congrats on #55!Torbachhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03890812257012031327noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-62924148648173243972008-03-03T23:26:00.000-05:002008-03-03T23:26:00.000-05:00That SPY BEANS seemed inconsistent until I saw Rex...That SPY BEANS seemed inconsistent until I saw Rex's revelation on the P for O substitution. I thought there was more of a pattern as to where the substitution might occur, but I now see that it could fall anywhere.fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65319507030048810082008-03-03T23:15:00.001-05:002008-03-03T23:15:00.001-05:00@anonymous: Respect for finding this and thanks fo...@anonymous: Respect for finding this and thanks for pointing this out! This makes my copy of the puzzle, signed by both constructors (!), the most cherished artefact that I brought home from the ACTP.Ulrichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02086202853174403008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37896454075808317422008-03-03T23:15:00.000-05:002008-03-03T23:15:00.000-05:00Ernest Tubbs was a true country music legend. He ...Ernest Tubbs was a true country music legend. He played for over 40 years on the Grand Ole Opry and is one of the first members of the Country Music Hall of Fame. His biggest hit was "Walking the Floor Over You". It is identified with his main musical style, Honky Tonk. <BR/><BR/>If I were a betting man, I would bet his hometown (which is now officially a ghost town) will be in a puzzle this year...Crisp, TX or at least the his home county of Ellis, TX.miguelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01635752811256776963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76217026597805135482008-03-03T22:57:00.000-05:002008-03-03T22:57:00.000-05:00Rex is back! But really, you could have taken a b...Rex is back! But really, you could have taken a break for a couple of puzzles. Would the fans have minded? Anyone else remember 1978 when there was a printing strike and The New York Times missed an entire papacy? <BR/><BR/>In case it hasn't been said enough, thanks for this blog and creating all the enthusiasm that channelled so many of us into ACPT 2008!<BR/><BR/>Jim Finder/Jim in NYC/Jiminy C.Jim Finderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08484757199667048774noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3099090256980970132008-03-03T22:53:00.000-05:002008-03-03T22:53:00.000-05:00Of added interest is that the letter shifts are in...Of added interest is that the letter shifts are in alphabetical order (first one changes "a" to "b", second one "c" to "d", etc.)<BR/><BR/>Mary in NEAnonymousnoreply@blogger.com