tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post4928282701753755987..comments2024-03-28T22:09:11.213-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Base found in DNA and RNA / FRI 8-6-10 / "That greeny flower" in a William Carlos Williams poem / Bruce Springsteen balladRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51989719209966811472010-09-14T04:06:20.874-04:002010-09-14T04:06:20.874-04:00I wanted CHALK line instead of CONGA line. I thou...I wanted CHALK line instead of CONGA line. I thought it was too cute right next to SLATES to be wrong. I probably would have got FIREANTS and SNOWBOARD if I hadn't stuck to my guns.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21702600225640300922010-09-12T15:32:51.622-04:002010-09-12T15:32:51.622-04:00This comes quite late, as I do the puzzle in syndi...This comes quite late, as I do the puzzle in syndication, but would guess Do Re Mi means cash because they're all notes, like C-notes are.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2067022918434288772010-09-10T19:43:18.841-04:002010-09-10T19:43:18.841-04:00Very late hand up for the ASPHODEL/SIMNEL crossing...Very late hand up for the ASPHODEL/SIMNEL crossing - I, like so many others guessed "L" which seemed reasonable, it was just wrong. Also struggled as did so many with the spelling of WENCESLAS; wanted a "z" in there somewhere at one point and was pretty sure it ended in "...aus", until it didn't. Finished with one other error in the southeast: decided, wrongly again, that the delighted expression at 42A was hAH, so I wound up with a composer named Shlieri which seemed perfectly reasonable, just not correct. Am I the only one who wanted ScrewED for given a raw deal? That answer tickled me so much that I stuck with it way past the time I knew it had to go. Once FRAUD was in place I stepped back and saw SHAFTED which I like almost as much. My sons snowboard so henceforth and forevermore I shall refer to them as SNURFERS - just one more way to annoy them (payback is a bitch, I say.)<br /><br />@PuzzleGirl, your write-up still shines five weeks later.<br /><br />No Saturday puzzle for me (my paper doesn't publish on Saturday) but I'll be back Sunday to join in the festivities, and only ONE week later than the rest of you! Over and out. (Secret word - pladomi. Money used in Monopoly?)Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2438119535394172572010-08-12T01:40:26.011-04:002010-08-12T01:40:26.011-04:00I have a quibble with this puzzle... if you're...I have a quibble with this puzzle... if you're going to spell AMEBA with an OE, then you should pluralize with -AE. AMEBAS or AMOEBAE. AMOEBAS is just wrong!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73074132750955157732010-08-07T17:14:45.755-04:002010-08-07T17:14:45.755-04:00I found it. Its from my favorite Robert Frost poem...I found it. Its from my favorite Robert Frost poem: "Trial by Existence"<br /><br />"Wide fields of asphodel fo'ever"Willhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09382385095545716698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-69355541189006779482010-08-07T16:13:11.743-04:002010-08-07T16:13:11.743-04:00Whitman, I mean.Whitman, I mean.Willhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09382385095545716698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30256986173818376362010-08-07T16:11:42.952-04:002010-08-07T16:11:42.952-04:00NW and SE easier than a typical Friday for me, SW ...NW and SE easier than a typical Friday for me, SW typical Friday, NW I had to Google. Couldn't spell "Wenceslas" and have no idea what a "simnel" is. Did know "asphodel" though, and I'm thinking this is an another famous poem, is it Whiman? Does anyone know?<br /><br />But "flopsweat"? Was in the theatre for years and never heard of this. has anyone heard of this term?Willhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09382385095545716698noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5257760262810941232010-08-06T22:06:57.368-04:002010-08-06T22:06:57.368-04:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my <a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=35115061&postID=3588389571383499624&isPopup=true" rel="nofollow">7/30/2009 post</a> 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 7:16, 6:58, 1.04, 72%, Medium-Challenging<br />Tue 10:30, 8:49, 1.19, 92%, Challenging<br />Wed 10:33, 11:47, 0.90, 28%, Easy-Medium<br />Thu 18:29, 19:08, 0.97, 45%, Medium<br />Fri 22:56, 26:32, 0.86, 28%, Easy-Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:51, 3:43, 1.04, 71%, Medium-Challenging<br />Tue 5:13, 4:33, 1.12, 90%, Challenging<br />Wed 5:35, 5:47, 0.96, 44%, Medium<br />Thu 8:51, 9:10, 0.97, 50%, Medium<br />Fri 11:24, 12:54, 0.88, 30%, Easy-Medium<br /><br />@JayWalker ... when folks here comment about puzzle difficulty, they're usually rating it relative to the day of the week. An Easy-Medium Friday (like today's puzzle) would be rated as off the charts difficult for a Monday, Tuesday or Wednesday.sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35507247433931072622010-08-06T21:49:57.203-04:002010-08-06T21:49:57.203-04:00F! Granted I had plenty of time and my son to help...F! Granted I had plenty of time and my son to help me (and to distract). <br /><br />I was greatly helped by the fact the Simnel cake was a gimme. Never ate it, never made it, but I have an English "cookery" book that has a picture of one with those little fake chicks on it.<br /><br />Got retorts without crosses as well somehow, learned flop sweat, wanted Omar Epps when House was in the clue but wasn't sure about his part's name. and am unsure about censure/deplore, but too tired/lazy to look it up.<br /><br />@Jesser, PG, Wade: great, great comments and write-ups and what have you. <br /><br />Oh, one bad one: had --manly for weak and craven and for a second, angrily, thought: womanly???machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36221858604231055382010-08-06T17:40:25.643-04:002010-08-06T17:40:25.643-04:00Philly, yes, I saw the obit a couple of days ago a...Philly, yes, I saw the obit a couple of days ago and thought of you. Everything I am today I owe to Hee-Haw--came on every Saturday at 6:00, right after Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom. Marlin Perkins had the cushiest job in the world--just standing there by that globe in an insurance company's office while Jim gets his ass handed to him on a platter by some wildebeests.<br /><br />I've been revisiting "Tunnel of Love" for the past couple of hours to see if I still believe everything I said earlier. I do. It's just a rung or two below "Blood on the Tracks" in the category of great breakup records. <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0lXhKIS0bvQ" rel="nofollow">This</a> may be my candidate for Bruce's greatest song.<br /><br />Foodie, you're too kind, as always. God help anybody who'd take a class from me on anything at all.Wadehttp://www.nutcrackerbuck.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31600552633669218452010-08-06T17:13:54.643-04:002010-08-06T17:13:54.643-04:00What a great day of comments here. Wade, what a s...What a great day of comments here. Wade, what a start...I guess you saw the obituary for the creator of Hee-Haw.<br /><br />Acme...one of your best name conventions ever and professional funny comments<br /><br />PG - you rock<br /><br />william e emba...fabulous! You paralleled my life except for the math part and then finally getting WCW.PhillySolverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06896753042626337920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40681325035114755062010-08-06T17:06:48.809-04:002010-08-06T17:06:48.809-04:00@Greene, I love the version of Guthrie's "...@Greene, I love the version of Guthrie's "Do Re Mi" by Nanci Griffith--lots of energy, fun.<br />@BobK, I thought of the aspidistra too in coming up with Asphodel--sounded right.<br />My fastest Friday ever. Go figure.Ruthnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59190405755456624402010-08-06T16:49:54.751-04:002010-08-06T16:49:54.751-04:00I too had the dreaded L. Mostly medium other than...I too had the dreaded L. Mostly medium other than that. Being a House fan helped. I did start out with SHINES and struggled like many with the WENCESLAS spelling. I'm over all more positive than negative about this one.jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59493474856397864212010-08-06T15:43:51.560-04:002010-08-06T15:43:51.560-04:00<<.. the song reflects the impending breakup...<<.. the song reflects the impending breakup of the marriage between Springsteen and then-wife Julianne Phillips...>><br /><br />What I always assumed (but didn't know Scialfa sang back-up vocals)--interesting. In any case a heart-wrenching song and one of Bruce's best IMO.<br /><br />Fun puzzle BTW--thanks PB!deerfencernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49282493127224730172010-08-06T15:37:04.522-04:002010-08-06T15:37:04.522-04:00Medium? Easy-Medium?? My ass!!Medium? Easy-Medium?? My ass!!JayWalkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03831689781994792218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44400682467471061902010-08-06T15:31:17.297-04:002010-08-06T15:31:17.297-04:00Hah! Hahaha!
I spent nearly a year and a half in...Hah! Hahaha!<br /><br />I spent nearly a year and a half in college sweating over William Carlos Williams. Strictly on my own too. I read his poetry over and over again, including "Paterson" and of course "ASPHODEL, That Greeny Flower".<br /><br />Why? Because I couldn't get it. What the bleep was this "sprung rhythm" stuff?? It drove me nuts.<br /><br />I mean, I can't understand more than three consecutive words of Wallace Stevens, but it is gloriously thrilling. (Heck, I can't understand more than three consecutive letters of <i>Finnegans Wake</i>, but it cracks me up every time.) But over at the stylistic opposite poetic end was William Carlos Williams.<br /><br />In the end, I'm happy to report, I got it. However, I refuse to look at most post-Williams poetry. Too much work.<br /><br />Over the years I've mostly associated with mathematicians. We have a wide range of interests, and a number of them are into all sorts of English literature. Only once have I met one who was familiar with Williams, and he too loved "Asphodel", or so he told me seeing me reading it. Too bad the guy was absofreakinglutely nuts, and I had to end the conversation as quickly and as uncomfortably as possible.<br /><br />On the other hand, I was almost Naticked, looking at a SInNEL cake crossed with an actor OnAREPPS. I decided this was not a last name, and then guessed OMAR EPPS (why yes, we saw him as a <i>Mod Squad</i> actor <a href="http://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/2008/12/saturday-dec-20-2008-brad-wilber-game.html" rel="nofollow">12/20/08</a>). That was my only writeover.<br /><br />Overall, I found the puzzle easy-medium.william e embanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70884988091208206432010-08-06T15:31:10.766-04:002010-08-06T15:31:10.766-04:00@anon at 12:15, 54a, jump in the pool, and 5D ever...@anon at 12:15, 54a, jump in the pool, and 5D everyday along with the rest of us.<br /><br />@Cathyat40, buying Baja Sessions and San francisco Days (Chris Isaac albums the later with Solitary Man) for my brother's birthday. I will, of course, copy them to iTunes to ensure they work.<br /><br />Tin roofs are still cheap... steel is not.dkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17317008233459295376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49756741429853901422010-08-06T15:10:08.427-04:002010-08-06T15:10:08.427-04:00DNF for me. ASPHODEL, SIMNEL, SEEBEE, WENCESLAS a...DNF for me. ASPHODEL, SIMNEL, SEEBEE, WENCESLAS are all new to me. <br /><br />I thought it was Challenging - let's see what the stats are later.<br /><br />Fun write-up.JenCThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18290169184354765840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67217123925528905342010-08-06T15:08:56.889-04:002010-08-06T15:08:56.889-04:00Wade - thanks very much for your very thoughtful e...Wade - thanks very much for your very thoughtful elaboration. <br /><br />I don't really think of myself as maudlin, but perhaps when it comes to B Springsteen I am. I still love Nebraska for some reason I can't explain, I could listen to Born to Run every Friday afternoon and never get sick of it, and The Rising still makes me cry every single time I listen to it. <br /><br />I realize now that I haven't listened to Tunnel of Love enough. So thanks again very much for your comments.hazelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04627015904603641109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81917620971002879332010-08-06T15:02:44.520-04:002010-08-06T15:02:44.520-04:00@Puzzlegirl
Still smiling hours and hours later fr...@Puzzlegirl<br />Still smiling hours and hours later from your concise FLOPSWEAT "Ew". :)acmenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-39715977991221545132010-08-06T14:57:05.370-04:002010-08-06T14:57:05.370-04:00@Anonymous 2:10: As has been pointed out by other...@Anonymous 2:10: As has been pointed out by others, "Green Stuff" and DO RE MI are both slang for money. The "green" reference is fairly obvious. I'm not certain how DO RE MI came to denote cash. I have always assumed it was related to the term "dough" as slang for money and just naturally evolved into DOugh RE MI. <br /><br />The slang has a certain old-time feel to it. Anyone remember Woody Guthrie's song "Do Re Me"? I oddly remember Fred Flintsone using the phrase "Do Re Me Money" more than once on television long ago. There was also a Broadway musical called <i>Do Re Me</i> back around 1960 which starred Phil Silvers and Nancy Walker which used the term freely. It was about a group of con men (ergo Silvers) muscling in on the burgeoning jukebox industry.<br /><br />I love the term FLOP SWEAT. I remember seeing an extremely unloved production of <i>The 3Penny Opera</i> (the production's spelling, not mine) on Broadway in 1989 which starred, of all people, Sting! Everybody did their best, but even Atlas himself could not have carried the weight of that ponderous production on his shoulders. The house positively reeked of FLOP SWEAT.Greenehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10412634072650228847noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73892264058501286712010-08-06T14:52:33.775-04:002010-08-06T14:52:33.775-04:00@ Anon 2:10 -
From my 11:18 post:
DO-RE-MI and ...@ Anon 2:10 - <br /><br />From my 11:18 post:<br /><br />DO-RE-MI and "green" (in the clue) are both slang for money.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38321207288672451552010-08-06T14:10:54.315-04:002010-08-06T14:10:54.315-04:00I got "doremi" from the other clues in t...I got "doremi" from the other clues in the southeast corner, but I can't for the life of me figure out why it's "Green stuff." Can somebody explain? Thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78835669225373960112010-08-06T14:06:12.913-04:002010-08-06T14:06:12.913-04:00I, too, am a proud member of The Northeast Natick ...I, too, am a proud member of The Northeast Natick Society. When are we going to elect officers?Kurthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15015697522634469827noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23662206394705390112010-08-06T13:54:28.531-04:002010-08-06T13:54:28.531-04:00Too tough for me today and didn't have much ti...Too tough for me today and didn't have much time this morning. So gave up and came here<br /><br />Have never heard of,made,or eaten a simnel cake. I'll have to look up the recipe.<br /><br />Lots of tin roofs here in NC.<br /><br />Read in our local paper that I-Hop's mascot - miss pancake was molested out side of her restaurant in Bellingham, Wash. Thought Rex might be interested in this storychefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.com