tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post4985383411579157335..comments2024-03-29T03:22:09.826-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Early Westinghouse collaborator / TUE 8-21-12 / Old Indian ruler / Father of dialectical idealism / Lincoln moniker / Chair designer Charles / Emperor of A.D. 69Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48381218884800693042012-09-25T16:16:39.687-04:002012-09-25T16:16:39.687-04:00Got caught with nObE at 15A, and had no inkling i...Got caught with nObE at 15A, and had no inkling it was wrong. Just too many clues from areas out of my experience.<br /><br />@Spacecraft. I started with DIrt, as well. However, when the crosses started sayin "no way", I realized the clue was a verb, not a noun. It's a common crossword ploy. I got caught last week with something a drawer holds, interpreting drawer as furniture, not someone drawing. At least nobody complained about the center of gravity today,so I guess we're all learning!DMGrandmanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60733628537595045792012-09-25T15:23:19.350-04:002012-09-25T15:23:19.350-04:00Geez, I don't even have any original mistakes ...Geez, I don't even have any original mistakes to write about, even though I did make just about all of the ones that everyone else has mentioned. And unlike, @Spacecraft, I never changed ADVIcE and didn't know UMAMI, so EAMES remained invisible and I DNF. Did anybody else try bOss before DOPE? - I guess my idea of "modern" slang is more than a little out of date.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86855850457058489262012-09-25T15:00:53.201-04:002012-09-25T15:00:53.201-04:00This puzzle was the DOPE. And, I see that TISCH RE...This puzzle was the DOPE. And, I see that TISCH REECHOed (was that correctly SPELT?) again. Wasn't he in Sunday's puz? Is this National Laurence Tisch Recognition Week?<br /><br />If I continue to be a CW solver I'm going to have to start watching "The Simpsons" and listening to Rap. <br /><br />Anyway, I liked the twist that Josh Knapp put in the PuzzLe, especially PLACIDRAIN.<br /><br />ADVISE and HEED next to each other was cute.<br /><br />GO SEAHAWKS! Sorry Cheeseheads.Solving in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04249420848844874936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86898227519970331692012-09-25T13:50:57.644-04:002012-09-25T13:50:57.644-04:00Wait a minute...what day is today? TUESDAY? With O...Wait a minute...what day is today? TUESDAY? With OTHO and (OMG!) UMAMI?? Sheesh, UMAMI should marry UOMO and beget Anne UUmelmehay!<br /><br />I started out on the wrong foot, filling in the NW with DIRT, ABLE and BEER. Then I looked vertically and saw RLE... and TER.... Later I was ABLE to correct to DISH, but look at that clue: Gossip. 999 solvers out of a thousand are going to write in DIRT without an inkling that it might be wrong. But how in the WORLD do you make the leap from gossip to DISH? You can't. You'd have to have a bridge or a helicopter. Not even a kangaroo can jump THAT far.<br /><br />On to further troubles. Naturally, I put in GNP for 5d. I bet a lot of you did too. Then we come to 15a: NOPE---but wait! NOPE is already in the grid! That's like a commandment stored in the crossword ark: you just can't DO that! Besides, NOPE didn't make sense at 15a. Oh, okay, our product isn't national, it's domestic. The former just seems to always occur first in my mind.<br /><br />Finally, I took counsel for a noun (ADVIcE) instead of a verb. So I had EA_EC as the furniture guy's name. That didn't feel right, so I changed the C to an S. Hmmm. EAMES? I think I saw that once before, I'll try it. Wish someone would clue it as Goren's partner.<br /><br />UPDO and HEGEL didn't make this any easier. Medium-challenging for me--on a Tuesday! Yeah, PLEATMYSHORTS is almost worth the price of admission, but ONCEAGAIN: what a God-awful clue for 1a!Spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52349594930269091782012-09-25T13:46:55.221-04:002012-09-25T13:46:55.221-04:00DNF because I have 2 NOPEs. Knew one was wrong, b...DNF because I have 2 NOPEs. Knew one was wrong, but couldn't find it. GrossNationalProduct seems to be common knowlege, and so Domestic just didn't occur to me.<br /><br />About re-iterate, re-echo, etc usage. When I hear someone say re-occur my ears cringe and I want to yell 'it's RECUR!'.<br /><br />As has been said, lots of fun stuff today. Thanks JoshGingernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11257369271296637822012-09-25T09:16:33.805-04:002012-09-25T09:16:33.805-04:00As I once famously asked, "Who's umami?&q...As I once famously asked, "Who's umami?" (Or was it "Daddy"?)Pedro M.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-39928071741080378502012-09-04T14:08:03.106-04:002012-09-04T14:08:03.106-04:00"The search for Toddler Puzzle on your Smart ..."The search for Toddler Puzzle on your Smart Phone ends here Recomended by Simplyrealmoms.com, iheartthisapp.com, iphoneappreview.com, Editors Favorite Badge Award by appysmarts.com avialable on Itunes, Google Play, Amazon Apps & Samsung Apps"<br /><a href="http://goo.gl/GaF3h" rel="nofollow">puzzle</a><br /><a href="http://goo.gl/GaF3h" rel="nofollow">toddler puzzle</a><br /><a href="http://goo.gl/GaF3h" rel="nofollow">child puzzle</a><br /><a href="http://goo.gl/GaF3h" rel="nofollow">toddler games</a><br /><a href="http://goo.gl/GaF3h" rel="nofollow">child games</a>child puzzlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12303292534421762823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83377958246280290202012-08-21T22:49:40.369-04:002012-08-21T22:49:40.369-04:00@Rex - With all due respect, I reject your assessm...@Rex - With all due respect, I reject your assessment out of hand, as <br /><br />1) You're biased towards all things Simpson, an<br />2) You've shown, time and time again, your preference for fake cartoon characters over fake humans.<br /><br />You really should have recused yourself from this discussion.Really Really Mean Guynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25976173044570015162012-08-21T22:29:53.787-04:002012-08-21T22:29:53.787-04:00Troubled sleep last night had me reading Suetoniou...Troubled sleep last night had me reading Suetonious at 4am , so OTHO was a welcome puzzle gift. Not especially fond of Robert Graves as an original writer, but as a translator of the classics, he's excellent.fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81848192326739276862012-08-21T20:40:47.214-04:002012-08-21T20:40:47.214-04:00Apu wins.
rpApu wins.<br /><br />rpRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46607719361878721122012-08-21T19:58:56.469-04:002012-08-21T19:58:56.469-04:00Gotta say the fav clue was by far Tesla and Westin...Gotta say the fav clue was by far Tesla and Westinghouse, as an ex GE guy it is fun to see DC current coming back into play, let alone mentioned in a crossword...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09437598702084522549noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17073352277538610222012-08-21T19:35:14.442-04:002012-08-21T19:35:14.442-04:00@ Mean Guy - I'm much too polite to respond to...@ Mean Guy - I'm much too polite to respond to your crass attack. The dog you are trying to remember is Santa's Little Helper.Mr. Nahasapeemapetilonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24537880850331832752012-08-21T18:07:53.338-04:002012-08-21T18:07:53.338-04:00Difficult for a Tuesday. DNF by a long shot. Difficult for a Tuesday. DNF by a long shot. Ginger Amelia perrynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11732860401412856392012-08-21T16:52:56.509-04:002012-08-21T16:52:56.509-04:00@Mr. Nahasapeemapetilon - So sad. Yes, you're...@Mr. Nahasapeemapetilon - So sad. Yes, you're on the show. Barely. You're just a bit player. You're insignificant. You're not even as well known as the dog, Itchy or Scratch or Barfy or whatever his name is. No, Barfy is famously from that cartoon that's famously not funny. You're not even famously not funny, you're simply not funny.Really, Really Mean Guynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46077977046660461642012-08-21T16:37:20.771-04:002012-08-21T16:37:20.771-04:00@pop & Acme - Obscure?? Esoteria?? Try ubiquit...@pop & Acme - Obscure?? Esoteria?? Try ubiquitous! I happend to be on the longest running show on television. Our audience is multigenerational. You could turn on your set right now and probably find a rerun. I am not known solely because of the NYT. YMA Sumac, however, ...<br />Mr. Nahasapeemapetilonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22471867448077237342012-08-21T15:26:20.229-04:002012-08-21T15:26:20.229-04:00@joho - Got the right puzzle, thanks for showing m...@joho - Got the right puzzle, thanks for showing me the way. Where's your cute little doggy?<br /><br />Really liked this one, had the same faves as everyone also.<br /><br />@pop - You have to watch dancing and singing judges to hear "that was DOPE man"<br /><br />Like @syndy spelled SCORcESE fixing the C to an S was my only write over. Of course reading the top line of Rex's write up last night, trying to figure out why it was so different from what I had got me off to a flying start.chefwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03999206352243329280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72792921967866854372012-08-21T15:25:28.755-04:002012-08-21T15:25:28.755-04:00@pop
I feel for you, because sometimes I feel by t...@pop<br />I feel for you, because sometimes I feel by the time the NYT lets constructors use contemp slang in an early week puzzle it usually already is passe... I cite the DORAG/DAWG cross of last week.<br /><br />Tricky balance, they are trying to appeal to a younger hipper demographic, but are balancing it with wanting us to give the puzzle a longer shelf life so they can keep repackaging the puzzles into books, etc. so it always seems (to me) a slight step off...<br />and yet I welcome any attempt at getting away with "fresher" clues in the earlier week puzzles which can be limited in the ways in which you can clue.<br /><br />But for the APU, OTT, DRE glue words, those are only esoterica depending on the individual, and are a necessity for getting the longer more interesting themes, so I wouldn't fight them. That said...<br /><br />@JohnV <br />your argument for DOPE/APU/LOL doesn't quite hold up there... It could totally be super hard generationally unless you were a daily solver... Obviously population of Rexville is not representative of average solver!)<br /><br />However, I am relieved you do know Bowie after all! Youtube "Let's Dance" and I bet you could add that to your list!Acmenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88090100623087254562012-08-21T14:22:20.444-04:002012-08-21T14:22:20.444-04:00@Pop - 1) 42 times in the NYT XWord is NOT obscure...@Pop - 1) 42 times in the NYT XWord is NOT obscure. 2) Mondays and Tuesdays are good easy puzzles for beginners to get their feet wet. 3) After a while the obscure become familiar.<br /><br />Tthe CAPTCHAS on the other hand can be a bear any day of the week. Needed to reload 8x before I would attempt to prove I'm not a robot. Jeez.Momnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82254547721622656432012-08-21T14:13:12.873-04:002012-08-21T14:13:12.873-04:00John V @11:43
Thanks for your comment on my post. ...John V @11:43<br />Thanks for your comment on my post. I don't think the solution to a puzzle should depend upon one's familiarity with the NYT usage of obscure words or names. Otherwise, puzzle solving becomes an exercise in retrieving bits of esoterica. I've never constructed a puzzle so I don't know if the use of DOPE as a response to the clue of "excellent" is a necessary tool. In this puzzle it seems to be a showy effort to appear into a very obscure piece of slang which is likely to disappear from usage before very long.<br /><br />Regards, Pop<br /> Popnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22564049490028022192012-08-21T13:38:45.448-04:002012-08-21T13:38:45.448-04:00Liked the theme (got it at PLACID RAIN), but alas ...Liked the theme (got it at PLACID RAIN), but alas DNF with UMA*I crossing EA*ES (any number of letters made sense, but I picked the wrong one) and even had one error after I changed OTHO to OTTO (knew HOPI, but figured OTTO made more sense than OTHO).<br /><br />PLEAT MY SHORTS – LOL.<br /><br />Did not like REECHO (it’s like recirculate and reiterate – the “re” is redundant). Had REVERB until I got SIC and HOT (but took 2 aspirin and felt better . . . badum-ching).<br /><br />@Rex - I guess there were no Popes named Bob or Tom?<br /><br />@Carola – there’s a beer aficionado's heaven in Bellmore, NY called <b>Effin Gruvin’</b>.Birdnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76337399601674414612012-08-21T13:37:35.214-04:002012-08-21T13:37:35.214-04:00I could live without
DROIDS=PDAS
and
EXCE...I could live without<br /> DROIDS=PDAS<br /> and<br /> EXCELLENT=DOPE<br /> Never heard of those. <br /> And UMAMI?<br /><br /> This puzzle seemed more like a Thursday to an old guy like me.ANON Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64270136603633116262012-08-21T13:36:31.528-04:002012-08-21T13:36:31.528-04:00I could live without
DROIDS=PDAS
and
EXCE...I could live without<br /> DROIDS=PDAS<br /> and<br /> EXCELLENT=DOPE<br /> Never heard of those. <br /> And UMAMI?<br /><br /> This puzzle seemed more like a Thursday to an old guy like me.ANON Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65328504408730769262012-08-21T13:10:28.151-04:002012-08-21T13:10:28.151-04:00Malapopped the NOPE early and said AhH at first,al...Malapopped the NOPE early and said AhH at first,also SPELT SCORcESE .It had a little more traction than the usual tuesday but I didn't do the puzzle until this morning and didn't spin my wheels on the older model.syndyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16814698406887041710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59754473764100156592012-08-21T12:53:10.760-04:002012-08-21T12:53:10.760-04:00great theme, but i had a natick at the crossing of...great theme, but i had a natick at the crossing of EAMES and UMAMI. in retrospect, i've halfway heard of EAMES but have no clue about UMAMI.paulnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87824305828945463612012-08-21T12:40:03.936-04:002012-08-21T12:40:03.936-04:00@joho: I do recognize, "Changes" and Gr...@joho: I do recognize, "Changes" and Ground Control ....". Did not know that these were David Bowie.John Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557037910799243636noreply@blogger.com