tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post5010375057519290648..comments2024-03-29T01:22:33.864-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Physical feature Britain's Lord Nelson / WED 2-9-11 / 1930s org with blue eagle logo / Richard nominated seven Oscars / Distant relative of MontereyRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3412684167663039402011-03-17T13:15:52.584-04:002011-03-17T13:15:52.584-04:00[2/9 in Mar’11] Five weeks and a day late, but st...[2/9 in Mar’11] Five weeks and a day late, but still want to thank Rex and all the commenters here for what is often much needed insight; for this puzzle I would *n*e*v*e*r* have figured out 24D FLATTIRE (even though I got the letters) and had a hard time seeing even after reading all of the comments. If I’m stranded on the side of the road the first thing that comes to mind isn’t, “gee this is really a jack necessitator moment”. Other than that one thing (two if you count Rex’s valid objection to 22D) I loved this puzzle. I originally thought of the TOYSURPRISES in the English Christmas crackers so the theme was completely obscured for quite a while, but enjoyed the aha moment when (after I decided to ignore 24D) it gelled. Aloha from the future.lodsfhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05345395843784742434noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78253435259503856172011-03-16T18:37:50.597-04:002011-03-16T18:37:50.597-04:00this puzzle should have been a lot better.this puzzle should have been a lot better.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84571757574125741512011-03-16T15:27:05.150-04:002011-03-16T15:27:05.150-04:00I'm glad to see @Waxy has made an appearance -...I'm glad to see @Waxy has made an appearance - it's been pretty lonely in syndication land lately.<br /><br />For reasons I don't fully understand, or maybe understand too well, I knew Daniel's home was TENNESSEE off only the T from TAT so that gave me a leg up on the puzzle. Didn't know the Painter's preparation at 5a and the first letter of the MD's name could have been anything as far as I'm concerned - I guessed wrong so DNF.<br /><br />Favorite clue was for ALOHA at 2d.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5467911876227300592011-03-16T13:42:44.110-04:002011-03-16T13:42:44.110-04:00I just wonder if Chandler was being ironic when he...I just wonder if Chandler was being ironic when he used "recherché" in his letter.timhttp://timwarner.orgnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87133906752416324842011-03-16T13:22:53.171-04:002011-03-16T13:22:53.171-04:00With ACNED spotted, and before the theme revealed ...With ACNED spotted, and before the theme revealed itelf, was sure Daniel's home was some variation of LIONSDENS or LIONSLAIR.<br /><br />Actually, this theme could be the grist for many an additional puzzle with all the other JACKs that could be SKIPped as in:<br />lumberjack<br />steeplejack<br />amberjack<br />jackass<br />jack snipe<br />every man jack<br />Jack and Jill<br />jackanapes<br />jackboot<br />jackdaw<br />Jack Frost<br />jackhammer<br />jack-in-the-box<br />jack-in-the-pulpit<br />jackknife<br />jacklight<br />jack of all trades<br />jack-o'-lantern<br />Jack pine<br />jackpot<br />jackrabbit<br />Jack Russell<br />Jack the Ripper<br />Jack be nimble<br />and I'm sure a jackload of others...Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49135122460586208452011-02-10T22:19:18.132-05:002011-02-10T22:19:18.132-05:00I like your 'blog, but I gotta stand up for Ro...I like your 'blog, but I gotta stand up for Ross Macdonald. Loves me some Lew Archer!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82633275462791565132011-02-10T02:33:50.570-05:002011-02-10T02:33:50.570-05:00I put in SKIPbACK and tried to figure out the them...I put in SKIPbACK and tried to figure out the theme afterward, bec it could have been CAPITAL (any letter here)<br />So weird to half notice all the missing JACKS and still not make the connection. <br />eg Black = 21, I just figured the #21 on a roulette wheel was black...<br /><br />Or Union, something felt off, but in went FLAG anyway. I can't explain that each time I felt something was off, but not missing!<br />I thought each answer was missing the word BACK!<br />Finally dawned on me...so found this more interesting and a curiosity and an outside-the-box, so that's nice. <br /><br />My first thought was LEE Grant, I'm such a feminist/old lady! ;)<br /><br />And I read all the comments but don't see any that mentioned that ONE was in the puzzle three times:<br />TWENTYONE, ONE ARM, ONE B. That seems ONE too many, no?<br /><br />Get rid of the awful ONEB and you solve two problems at once, no?<br /><br />Didn't know Natterjack, but it sounds like it would be warty, which is ACNED for a TOAD, I'm guessing.andrea cary michaelsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59099758847588395152011-02-09T23:55:15.487-05:002011-02-09T23:55:15.487-05:00You guys are insane with your 11 minute solve time...You guys are insane with your 11 minute solve times. It takes me literally 45 minutes to an hour to solve puzzles! I think I just don't have the hang of this crosswordese yet (I started doing these about two weeks ago.)...<br /><br />I was impressed with myself for getting what I did today though! I got all but about 6 clues after coming back to it three separate times during the day.<br /><br />Love the site, love you guys. Thanks for making it a great, welcoming place!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28221342532768169682011-02-09T22:20:51.678-05:002011-02-09T22:20:51.678-05:00Thanks, everyone, for your helpful comments on met...Thanks, everyone, for your helpful comments on methods of approaching the puzzles, in answer to the question I posted on Monday. I appreciate that you took the time!<br />Cheers to all.KarenSampsonHudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12072958906391798661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52666423543644563792011-02-09T22:03:31.832-05:002011-02-09T22:03:31.832-05:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 7/30/2009 post 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 6:29, 6:54, 0.94, 26%, Easy-Medium<br />Tue 8:59, 8:57, 1.00, 58%, Medium<br />Wed 11:38, 11:46, 0.99, 55%, Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:41, 3:41, 1.00, 52%, Medium<br />Tue 4:36, 4:35, 1.00, 58%, Medium<br />Wed 5:49, 5:48, 1.00, 56%, Medium<br /><br />@archeoprof ... you're most welcome. So far, this has been a remarkably Medium week by the numbers.sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24525253166527405022011-02-09T21:50:38.693-05:002011-02-09T21:50:38.693-05:00SKIPJACK tunas (also known as Arctic bonito, ocean...SKIPJACK tunas (also known as Arctic bonito, oceanic bonito, watermelon and, in Hawaii, aku) get their name because they seem to "skip" out of the water. They can weigh up to 40 pounds, but are more typically ranged from 6 - 8 pounds. Skipjack flesh is similar to that of yellowfin tuna. It may be cooked by almost any method including baking, broiling, grilling and frying.<br /><br />From the Food Lover's Companion.<br /><br />Wanted to post a lot earlier but my stinkin pooter was down and I had to wait for the, as usual, out of town husband to check in and walk me through setting things right. It's not easy being technically impaired.<br /><br />Loved the puzzle and caught onto the theme quickly. Only write over was SUE over SeE at 40Dchefwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03999206352243329280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-555074754560893642011-02-09T21:10:47.603-05:002011-02-09T21:10:47.603-05:00Makin GRIDDLECAKES out of cornmeal and pine nuts. ...Makin GRIDDLECAKES out of cornmeal and pine nuts. So I guess if I use JACK pine nuts I will be theme-centric.<br /><br />Nice one Victor. I had nair for NEET as I am of a certain age. But otherwise...<br /><br />*** (3 Stars)<br /><br />Once commented at an opening the paintings could be fixed with a coat of GESSO... of course the artist was standing next to me and I was tipsy thanks to his wine... I am a TOAD, nope NEWT.<br /><br />Saw American Grind House last night... well worth it.<br /><br />d(late nite poster)kdkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17317008233459295376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38333957576615626002011-02-09T19:56:38.303-05:002011-02-09T19:56:38.303-05:00clunky theme...clunky theme...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26318918762639409492011-02-09T18:36:30.421-05:002011-02-09T18:36:30.421-05:00@Doc John: thanks for the Burton Oscar list. I had...@Doc John: thanks for the Burton Oscar list. I had a huge crush on him as a teenager. But I also had kind of a crush on his predecessor Sir Richard Burton, the 19th century explorer. I read his book, The Look of the West, an account of his trip across the American west from St. Louis to California. He hated it mostly and I wished as a young girl that I could take him on the same trip. <br />@JaxinLA: I second your remarks about the puzzles this week and the blog.quilter1https://www.blogger.com/profile/09569747169212018177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91374665109207101172011-02-09T17:20:13.013-05:002011-02-09T17:20:13.013-05:00@fikink: yes, I do remember SYZ. You and I obvio...@fikink: yes, I do remember SYZ. You and I obviously move in the same highly sophisticated circles. <br /><br />@sanfranman59: you do us all a great favor with your daily reports. Thank you!archaeoprofhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17956231727789223463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81491897480448822112011-02-09T16:55:37.864-05:002011-02-09T16:55:37.864-05:00@ArtLvr
You saw a connection that I didn't. I ...@ArtLvr<br />You saw a connection that I didn't. I thought of "No trumpets, no drums" because of the "No jacks" theme. Initially thought that George Bernard Shaw had said it. (Brings to mind the GHOTI puzzle). But Google indicates that Tennessee Williams said it. I didn't make the connection that TENNESSEE was one of the answers. Thanks for pointing this out.r.alphbunkernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9451990139287032982011-02-09T16:20:59.516-05:002011-02-09T16:20:59.516-05:00@CathyAt40
I am having a lot of fun with the toy. ...@CathyAt40<br />I am having a lot of fun with the toy. I get to solve crossword puzzles while debugging it!<br /><br />I haven't figured out how to compute the BEQ of a puzzle yet. I am working with visualizing puzzles instead. Here is one attempt:<br /><br />http://www.mumde.net/CampusTest/xword/Oct0906.htmr.alphbunkernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54255084132731545242011-02-09T16:17:25.124-05:002011-02-09T16:17:25.124-05:00Liked this one a lot - But, where's the lumber...Liked this one a lot - But, where's the lumber, Jack?<br />Got the theme when I asked, "But, don't you mean Union JACK?" for flag.<br /><br />@Glimmerglass - of course not - but you got it any way, didn't you.<br />I believe it was Jesperson who said English speakers will make a verb into a noun and vice versa, so forget about it.<br /><br />Did not know TAEBO or ONEB, so left the B blank at this personal Natick.<br />But no Googles.<br />@Emba - must be advertised on sports. And I haven't been on a plane since before 9/11/01.<br /><br />Just found out my third peanut visitor is - after Mr. Squirrel and Mr. BlueJay - a Junco! What a cute little guy - and brave.<br /><br />Thought of Lee Grant, too, besides CARY and Hugh.<br /><br />@Ex-Sot - I think it's TENNESSEE sippin' whiskey, but I'm an almost teetotaler. <br /><br />Has anyone had a type of Cracker Jack called KarmelKorn? I thought it was only found in Syracuse, but I see some advertised in Gatlinburg, TN, and it dates back to 1929, WY. Sure is good, and even better with the Orange Julius.Sfingihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06903616949048940858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75217733329391249162011-02-09T16:05:46.064-05:002011-02-09T16:05:46.064-05:00For me it was a clever theme that could have been ...For me it was a clever theme that could have been better executed. Easy going through the entire puzzle except for the NE corner. Had TIE instead of TAT for 10A. No idea what TAT means. Had ISLE instead of ACRE in 11D (no idea who Jane Smiley is). Never heard of TAEBO. Had ONE C in 28D so TAECO made sense to me.<br />Finally never heard of GESSO. But I learned a word that I will surely forget by tomorrow.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44158689713584081832011-02-09T15:20:00.163-05:002011-02-09T15:20:00.163-05:00Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 7/30/...Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 7/30/2009 post for an explanation of my method):<br /><br />All solvers (median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Wed 11:27, 11:46, 0.97, 48%, Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Wed 5:54, 5:48, 1.02, 60%, Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42346945514076450002011-02-09T14:37:34.399-05:002011-02-09T14:37:34.399-05:00I completely agree with your writeup, Rex, except ...I completely agree with your writeup, Rex, except for ACNED which, medically, is perfectly acceptable.<br /><br />Just for completeness, here are Richard Burton's Oscar nominations:<br />My Cousin Rachel (1952)- Best Supporting Actor<br />The Robe (1954)- Best Actor<br />Becket (1964)- Best Actor<br />The Spy Who Came in from the Cold (1965)- Best Actor<br />Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? (1967)- Best Actor<br />Anne of the Thousand Days (1970)- Best Actor<br />Equus (1977)- Best Actor<br /><br />Plus, he was in my all-time fave movie (for personal reasons): Where Eagles Dare.Doc Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12540112168511893896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24638458245578022032011-02-09T13:58:41.644-05:002011-02-09T13:58:41.644-05:00@Anon 1:22: 22D seemed to break the logic because ...@Anon 1:22: 22D seemed to break the logic because of the way my brain parsed the clue, which I admit may not be accurate. Looking back at it now, I can see how it would be "Start of the name Jack," but originally I read it as paired with the theme revealer, meaning that the clue phrase could stand on its own without the name "Jack" involved. Probably a misreading on my part now that I look at it again.Steve Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15185067739452052656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37454488486714209992011-02-09T13:33:58.916-05:002011-02-09T13:33:58.916-05:00I thought it was easy and was surprised to see Rex...I thought it was easy and was surprised to see Rex's medium. I never look for the themes just do the clues and had no problem. my first answer was Cary, though I love Hugh Grant there's really only one that springs to mind. My only hesitancy came with is it Rho or Chi.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84928605979885258562011-02-09T13:29:01.791-05:002011-02-09T13:29:01.791-05:00In reply to Glimmerglass near the top of the page,...In reply to Glimmerglass near the top of the page, "acned" is not based on a verb. See "short-haired" and "yellow-bellied" for nouns that are converted to adjectives by adding "-ed". I'm in a hurry so I can't think whether this conversion is usually in this type of two-word phrase or whether I might think of another case with a one-word noun.<br />In another example, "short-lived" should ideally be pronounced with a long "i" because it refers to "life". However, in the United States, it is usually pronounced with a short "i" because of confusing the origin of the phrase with the verb.enoughtoilhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08292483039038954023noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31493519223207562482011-02-09T13:22:11.509-05:002011-02-09T13:22:11.509-05:00Steve, each of the theme clues omits "jack&qu...Steve, each of the theme clues omits "jack". The theme reveal says that each themed clue skips jack. The clue for 22D is missing the word "jack". Without it it makes no sense, with it it does.<br /><br />How does 22D break the theme's internal logic?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com