tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post5018923478939706789..comments2024-03-19T00:21:49.519-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: German port on Weser / TUE 7-26-11 / Kid-lit elephant / Jan Brady player on Brady Bunch / Early Ron Howard role / Bridge maven SharifRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger93125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-69617501447771996492011-08-31T04:10:09.246-04:002011-08-31T04:10:09.246-04:00I was looking around for a way to get "C"...I was looking around for a way to get "C" in there other than where it is; saw that if you put it at #23 and changed the R in DARED to a T, you'd have CORE, CADET, DATED. Then I saw--alas!--that right there stands (you guessed it) the only F in the grid! Augh! The pressure of the pangrammer!<br /> Speaking of pressure, I can't see why so many people time themselves on these things. Gawd, don't you have enough time pressure in your life?<br /> I do these in pen, mostly because that's what's around the house. Yeah, sometimes I have to write over, and it looks messy, but I live with it. But medium-challenging, even for a Tuesday, is more credit than I'd give. The only bit of trouble I had was at<br />65d, where I had ITY (no clue in the world about 70a). That was quickly corrected, and that was it.<br /> Aqua is not water; it is water (Latin) or, Cato's water, etc. Nice nod to a rarely seen Potus, James Knox POLK. And I, too, enjoyed the ODIE/OPIE double. How about a new sitcom with a boy and his dog?<br /><br />captcha=inglx: the garbled English you get when you try to construct pangrams.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66750883224943476332011-08-31T01:16:15.468-04:002011-08-31T01:16:15.468-04:00Ack! A couple more things. (Sorry!)
@william ...Ack! A couple more things. (Sorry!) <br /><br />@william e emba - Thanks for sharing that story. Wow. <br /><br />@Dirigonzo - Beat you to the punch by a matter of hours. Though for me it's a first donation. I first found Rex when his blog was a few months old, and there wasn't a lot of chatter in syndi-land, so I stopped popping in. Now that we have our very own little syndi-community, I'm really enjoying it. (Hi, Pippin! Hi, Red Valerian! Hi... okay, I'm gonna reel it in and shut up now.)<br /><br />@ anyone and everyone who might know: A commenter one day recently posted a great poem with one anagrammed word left blank throughout. (Why doesn't spell-check like "anagrammed?") Anyway, it was a great poem, and I never did figure it out. Anyone else?<br /><br />termind: A term anorexics use to tell folks they've been firedDebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16675331024091722316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21251533203020461082011-08-31T01:03:03.074-04:002011-08-31T01:03:03.074-04:00Super late here, and I don't have anything of ...Super late here, and I don't have anything of great interest to add (but will ramble on anyway). The theme had a bit of synchronicity for me as a friend of mine posted an update on FB griping about the fact that non-English speakers can become licensed drivers here. He tends to gripe a lot about immigration issues, but in this instance I really have to agree. I drove into Tijuana on a lark many years ago - blithely ignoring all of the "LAST STOP FOR INSURANCE!" signs as I went. Then, two blocks over the border, I'm confronted by a round red sign with ALTA (I think?) in white letters. I froze, assuming this was probably a stop sign, but good luck to me in deciphering anything more complex. I pulled over, had lunch, and hightailed it back over the border. (Knowing my father had spent some time in a Tijuana jail didn't help <br /><br />Of possibly greater interest, someone at the NY DMV apparently tells folks that street sign shapes are the same world-wide. Not true. That sign that sent me scurrying north was definitely round. (This was 14 years ago - maybe they've changed.)<br /><br />Black, Bic ballpoint for me. On newsprint. I also have actual write-overs, but I usually barely trace the letters unless I'm certain. Today.... NO write-overs! Yea, me! <br /><br />@Waxy - I love your mother!<br /><br />happig: a happening pig! Gitchu sumDebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16675331024091722316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60981869975993404862011-08-30T18:04:37.211-04:002011-08-30T18:04:37.211-04:00@Anonymous 5:06 PM
Christmas (briefly: Xmas) is a...@Anonymous 5:06 PM<br /><br />Christmas (briefly: Xmas) is a time to open a present.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-4511838561903729442011-08-30T18:03:02.125-04:002011-08-30T18:03:02.125-04:00For whatever reason my paper decided not to print ...For whatever reason my paper decided not to print the clue for 34d so EVEP_UMB took a little guesswork but L seemed reasonable and turned out to be right, so no problem. Otherwise very smooth and pleasurable except I somehow inexplicably ended up with Rock's Better Than EtRA - no idea how that happened.<br /><br />@anony 5:06pm, think "time to give presents" and it make's sense.<br /><br />Captch is remit - is it time to donate to Rex again already?Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43517919225851669452011-08-30T18:02:59.800-04:002011-08-30T18:02:59.800-04:00@anon 5:06 - many of us give/receive presents at C...@anon 5:06 - many of us give/receive presents at Christmas or, briefly, Xmas.<br /><br />Mom's favo(u)rite way of getting the attention of her unruly brood back in the day in the Midlands was to raise her voice and bring forth a "harken unto me, you lot!". Odd cuz she didn't normally speak in anachronistic English but I guess the admonition had been passed down over the generations. It certainly worked.Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56946593993171643522011-08-30T17:06:27.189-04:002011-08-30T17:06:27.189-04:00How do you get "xmas" for 27D present ti...How do you get "xmas" for 27D present time, briefly?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57317897221834058262011-08-30T16:35:49.032-04:002011-08-30T16:35:49.032-04:00Started with 6d through 9d, kept going down with T...Started with 6d through 9d, kept going down with TRAD, and when XMAS came up next I had the theme. DEERXING = yellow sign. The rest came easy except for EXIT which eluded me for some time. Too many green signs.<br /><br />Quick solve, but too many writeovers with my 22a (the answer to which should have been GLUE STICK anyway).<br /><br />Is there a no calorie diet soda? I thought ONE was the lowest.<br /><br />EVE PLUMB herself once said said "HARK! Who goes there?" Had a huge crush on her as a teen. It bothers me a little to see KEITH on top of her (though it's common knowledge that plumbs have stones).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2732238888786571232011-08-30T16:24:05.913-04:002011-08-30T16:24:05.913-04:00Really enjoyed the blog today - well actually I en...Really enjoyed the blog today - well actually I enjoy it EVERY day. <br /><br />@Marlo - I second everything you said in your second paragraph about the blog - very entertaining and informative.<br /><br />@TwoPonies and @foodie - Also had a crush on Omar - it was those wonderful dark eyes!<br /><br />@CoffLvr - "The quick brown fox etc." is also used to demonstrate different font types on my computer as you can see what each individual letter would look like in any given font.<br /><br />I liked this puzzle and thought the theme was fun. I am a syndy solver who confidently solves in PEN (M-W) and NOT so confidently still solves in PEN for the rest of the week.<br /><br />Re pangrams - don't really notice until I come here and don't really care. I just want good fill and a fun puzzle.Pippinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30329613316596193222011-08-30T12:15:30.551-04:002011-08-30T12:15:30.551-04:00Foodie,
Sharif, Sheriff? No, sheriff (if that&#...Foodie, <br /><br />Sharif, Sheriff? No, sheriff (if that's what you meant) is an officer whose name derives from a shire--a shire-reeve, a county official. I also assume you did not mean "serif" as in san-serif for a type face. Unclear where serif actually comes from, but not from the middle east. Most likely from the same origin as script, or scribble, since a serif is the extension of certain letters in typeface.<br /><br />I thought this one was easier than most, only one write over (ink, bien sure) of STEW for the erroneous SOUP, a hasty ink-in. As a new cross word solver, the puzzles always take me longer than the regulars, but perhaps that's because I'm savoring the clues. Anyway, 13 minutes. "Dietsoda" should be a sign and be assigned a color, right?Doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16421403572509284371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40366653138868578542011-07-27T01:31:49.865-04:002011-07-27T01:31:49.865-04:00This 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 6:44, 6:51, 0.98, 48%, Medium<br />Tue 8:36, 8:55, 0.96, 44%, Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:40, 3:40, 1.00, 51%, Medium<br />Tue 4:12, 4:35, 0.92, 24%, Easy-Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16869994595409246402011-07-27T00:02:25.382-04:002011-07-27T00:02:25.382-04:00Re Pencil/Pen discussion. I have to solve with a P...Re Pencil/Pen discussion. I have to solve with a PLUM PURPLE CRAYOLA. <br /><br />Yours truly, Jesus Christ.jburgsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15499507097275864042011-07-26T23:55:26.626-04:002011-07-26T23:55:26.626-04:00I hadn't realized when naming my daughters Edy...I hadn't realized when naming my daughters Edythe (EDIE) and Eleanor (ELLIE) how often they'd get shout-outs. They are impressed every time and may even believe I have something to do with it when it happens. <br /><br />I am another who values this blog and the diverse opinions in the comments for what I learn about solving and construction. Like wine (which I don't know anything about except that I like to drink it), I am a xword lover not a connoisseur. So I appreciate hearing what bugs or impresses others (and why) and comparing those impressions with my own sense of a particular puzzle.Marlohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00803853060625250318noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40233083527333984442011-07-26T21:35:39.504-04:002011-07-26T21:35:39.504-04:00@William e emba - I remember hearing that story be...@William e emba - I remember hearing that story before, thanks for posting it. Also thanks for all the interesting and insightful posts through the years. I always pay close attention when I see your nameMikeMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54929083577223333952011-07-26T20:42:38.331-04:002011-07-26T20:42:38.331-04:00@treedweller - in settings there's a place whe...@treedweller - in settings there's a place where you enter your NYT password, but it imay not apply in e free version? I'm not sure I ever saw the free version, its been over a year since i downloaded. There's also a way to subscribe to BEQ puzzles - you pay a small subscription fee but they're delivered to you twice a week! BONUS!hazelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04627015904603641109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37654550823077299122011-07-26T20:41:10.639-04:002011-07-26T20:41:10.639-04:00@william e emba ... your story gave me the chills....@william e emba ... your story gave me the chills. Thank you!johohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12708487230515532492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38871753825043220682011-07-26T20:08:42.337-04:002011-07-26T20:08:42.337-04:00@william e emba: priceless! Great blog day today!!...@william e emba: priceless! Great blog day today!!machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68896992488739518212011-07-26T19:41:16.679-04:002011-07-26T19:41:16.679-04:00There have been lipogram crossword puzzles before....There have been lipogram crossword puzzles before. For example, Ashish Vengsarkar two years ago had a puzzle titled "Almost a Pangram", in honor of Obama's inauguration. Pete Muller had a puzzle whose theme answers delivered the message that a common letter was missing (it wasn't an E).<br /><br />I recall a NYT puzzle a few years ago that had all As for the vowels.<br />===============================<br />And while you're all arguing whether to pangram or not to pangram, the only thing about the puzzle that really jumped out of me (after the megacute theme, one which will guarantee that I instantly remember the actual of bracketed clues) was one extraordinarily oddball clue.<br /><br />Frank Morgan, the actor who played "Professor Marvel" mentioned in the 71A clue, and also played the Wizard himself, the gatekeeper, the driver of the Horse Of A Different Color, and one of the guards.<br /><br />As far as his being a SEER, the following is an amazing story (quoted "True" from snopes.com):<br /><br />What definitely did occur on <i>The Wizard of Oz</i>--perhaps the most astonishing thing that did occur--; was dismissed as a publicity stunt. Yet it is vouched for by [cinematographer] Hal Rosson and his niece Helene Bowman and by Mary Mayer, who served briefly as the unit publicist on the picture. "For Professor Marvel's coat," says Mary Mayer, "they wanted grandeur gone to seed. A nice-looking coat but very tattered. So the wardrobe department went down to an old second-hand store on Main Street and bought a whole rack of coats. And Frank Morgan and the wardrobe man and [director] Victor Fleming got together and chose one. It was kind of a Prince Albert coat. It was black broadcloth and it had a velvet collar, but the nap was all worn off the velvet." Helene Bowman recalls the coat as "ratty with age, a Prince Albert jacket with a green look."<br /><br />The coat fitted Morgan and had the right look of shabby gentility, and one hot afternoon Frank Morgan turned out the pocket. Inside was the name "L. Frank Baum."<br /><br /><br />"We wired the tailor in Chicago," says Mary Mayer, "and sent pictures. And the tailor sent back a notarized letter saying that the coat had been made for Frank Baum. Baum's widow identified the coat, too, and after the picture was finished we presented it to her. But I could never get anyone to believe the story."william e embanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59653439848833204942011-07-26T19:00:07.289-04:002011-07-26T19:00:07.289-04:00I DLed the Crossword app by Stand Alone. I can'...I DLed the Crossword app by Stand Alone. I can't see any way to solve the NYT puzzle. Is it because I have the free app and there's an upgrade? or am I just that blind?treedwellerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16342530371183121220noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91653117095416083562011-07-26T18:15:04.570-04:002011-07-26T18:15:04.570-04:00@Foodie: wonderfully put!@Foodie: wonderfully put!machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55835539712580773742011-07-26T18:02:25.705-04:002011-07-26T18:02:25.705-04:00@foodie...well said@foodie...well saidchefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11929185814196651852011-07-26T17:40:05.184-04:002011-07-26T17:40:05.184-04:00@foodie - I would compare it to being in Disneylan...@foodie - I would compare it to being in Disneyland. There is an incredible level of detail -sights, sounds, smells,etc. that create an ambiance. Many are so subtle that most guests never consciously notice them, but the fact they are there enhances the overall experience. <br /><br />There are puzzles that "feel" like a pangram. When you discover it is in fact, a pangram, an extra "a-ha" moment occurs. (I recognize there are those who are may get a different feeling). I would put this in the same category as the BARB (Sharp put-down) clue in our host's recent puzzle. 99% of solvers will see nothing special; the other 1% will get the joke.Jeffreynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80340500289314644132011-07-26T17:38:20.264-04:002011-07-26T17:38:20.264-04:00@Jeffrey ... I couldn't have said it better!
...@Jeffrey ... I couldn't have said it better!<br /><br />@foodie ... that's an interesting take! I think you may have just created quite an image of you in your business suit. :)<br /><br />@Rex ... I love a good pangram, so shoot me.johohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12708487230515532492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74060093762189476332011-07-26T17:37:23.994-04:002011-07-26T17:37:23.994-04:00Thank you @foodie, it's why we all love you......Thank you @foodie, it's why we all love you...<br />now I can get my knickers/speedo out of its bunch!apexnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29053332399339812352011-07-26T17:13:15.559-04:002011-07-26T17:13:15.559-04:00I've been debating all day whether to mention...I've been debating all day whether to mention this, because it's a little odd. But what the heck...It's how my brain works. <br /><br />The first time I heard about pangrams, before I heard any opinions in one direction or another, my first thought was that I had never noticed and probably would never have, if it weren't for reading about it. My second thought was: this is like wearing sexy underwear under a business suit. Most people will have no idea that you've done it. A few might discover it and some might appreciate it, but mostly, it's like your own little fun secret. <br /><br />Of course, if it ruins the fit of the business suit, it's not a good idea. If it doesn't, and puts a little kick in your day, then hey..foodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13052189131129098616noreply@blogger.com