tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post5043648042675202741..comments2024-03-29T09:57:04.522-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Add british style / FRI 4-21-17 / Jazz on sports tickers / Thin layer of foam at top of espresso / Shark-jumping sitcom character / Alternative nickname for Liz / Iconic part of Nancy Sinatra's early attire / toon who wears red hair bowRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger92125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33461091010668109372017-05-27T11:05:51.565-04:002017-05-27T11:05:51.565-04:00Fruit flies like a banana.
Diana, LIWFruit flies like a banana.<br /><br />Diana, LIWDiana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78158448127399301762017-05-27T00:35:49.836-04:002017-05-27T00:35:49.836-04:00Time flies like an arrow. Play around with that, ...Time flies like an arrow. Play around with that, folks.<br /><br />It's probably not worth commenting about, but those who cringe at the word "nazi" are too precious by half. What about ISIS?<br /><br />People can adhere to acceptable English, or just say whatever they want to. Where do you stand on that? No comment.<br /><br />I found the puzzle easy. Can you say "wheelhouse", whatever that really means? Really nice cluing with which I had a clue every time.<br /><br />Anyway, way late, as so often happens, babysitting and island-hopping as I was, but this was a good one.<br /><br /><br /><br />rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61422475292289402762017-05-26T17:24:38.587-04:002017-05-26T17:24:38.587-04:00My favorite? "I dedicate this book to my par...My favorite? "I dedicate this book to my parents, the Pope and Mother Teresa."<br /><br />Or - commas save lives. "Let's eat Grandma," is soooo different when punctuated: "Let's eat, Grandma." <br /><br />There are two punctuation guides that begin their titles with "Eats, Shoots and Leaves."<br /><br />"Lapsing Into a Comma" and "Woe is I" were two favorite grammar guides I used with my students. Here's a poem from "Woe is I." (I don't know how to activate the underline or italics functions on the blog. Hence, the quotes around titles. Said the Luddite.)<br /><br />"Comma Sense"<br />Commas, which cut out the fat,<br />Go with which, never with that<br /><br />Diana, LIW, not a robotDiana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58958539192148777362017-05-26T15:43:27.189-04:002017-05-26T15:43:27.189-04:00@D,LIW - funniest thing I ever saw about the use o...@D,LIW - funniest thing I ever saw about the use of commas:<br />The panda eats, shoots, and leaves.rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47939311364907927332017-05-26T15:26:56.379-04:002017-05-26T15:26:56.379-04:00Yesterday, when I discovered a part of one 9of 8) ...Yesterday, when I discovered a part of one 9of 8) temporary crown was no longer in my mouth, I called the "on call" dentist for my dentist's office. She was my dentist for many years, so I was glad to know she would be able to help me - we made an appt. to meet at the office. When she was late, I knew something was wrong. She just is not a late person. Her car wouldn't start. But she was able to fix it! Don't you just love her? A dentist who can open the hood of a car and make it work! Amazing. I would electrocute myself.<br /><br />So I wish she had been here this morning to re-wire my brain. I had an epic failure to connect with so many clues. Like Bull. Duuuhhhhh! I could see OPTIMIST was emerging, but why? Oh, right...<br /><br />Putting in DISASTER crossed with SUMUP did not make for a clean start. Had the BOOTS but not the GOGO, if you get my drift. Never heard the terms "beldam" or CREMA. <br /><br />HELLOKITTY is EVERYWHERE, so I'm surprised so many didn't know it. I mean they plastered that d@^^ cat on everything a little girl might want to possess. Those who didn't know this clue will see one in the wild soon. Aren't wheelhouses funny? One person's gimmee....What is the proper way to spell gimmee?<br /><br />The only time grammar really gets to me is in the newspaper, especially if AP was connected to the article. Where are the editors? It's like Mr. Trump was making the corrections some days. Believe me. Sad.<br /><br />Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for AP to respect the Oxford commaDiana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66643897431946035912017-05-26T15:04:48.108-04:002017-05-26T15:04:48.108-04:00This one looked and played harder than it was.
T...This one looked and played harder than it was. <br /><br />The hard part was the HELLOKITTY span and the crossing OIL, clued as "One may be essential." Really, how does that follow? The EMU clue was not at all helpful either. That claw print did nothing.<br /><br />OMIGOSH? Okay. May be a bit picky about spelling as well as GRAMMAR. (Also, always cringe a bit on seeing the word NAZI used in a make-fun way.)<br /><br />Does a biblical PLAGUE qualify as an ACTOFGOD? Seems it would.<br /><br />Finally, a dumb mistake: at the LINTaL/ANNaE crossing. <br /><br />Otherwise, a pretty good experience and a good Friday puzzle. <br /><br /><br /> leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44111889199516478122017-05-26T13:06:55.540-04:002017-05-26T13:06:55.540-04:00Fairly hard for a while, then not so bad--in other...Fairly hard for a while, then not so bad--in other words, medium for a Friday. Did the N/NE, but ends petered out; started up again in the S/SW, finally sussed GRAMMARNAZI which with IBN made my sitcom character end in -NZ. A-a-ay, who else? But "shark-jumping??" I must've missed that episode. Also don't know HELLOKITTY's costume, but inferred it from the OK in the middle.<br /><br />Couple of inkblots: in my "rush" I HUsTLEd before I HURTLEd, and my AFRO genre was raP before POP. I'm trying to imagine HAT DATES. Do the milliner's wares get hinky after closing?<br /><br />I have mentioned Nancy's (lack of) talent previously; that extends to her couture. No DOD there. How about TORI? We could do Spelling, or Amos...but give me poetic license to change it to TORY, and I give you TORY Burch: A-ONE DOD. Birdie.spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72378200879861557022017-05-26T12:06:10.541-04:002017-05-26T12:06:10.541-04:00From the album GOGOBOOTS: https://www.youtube.com/...From the album GOGOBOOTS: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyBMwMmHZi4<br />rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58601838075249007102017-05-26T12:03:21.322-04:002017-05-26T12:03:21.322-04:00So glad I didn’t plunk in “disaster” in 1d, imagin...So glad I didn’t plunk in “disaster” in 1d, imagine that inkfest. Really took hold at the unlikely crossing of THEFONZ and AFROPOP. An artist known as Jain has a Current song out called Makeba and who could forget Ladysmith with Paul Simon?(or on their own on a former MPR Morning Show). Spread out from that area and it fell rather smartly. At least BETSY wasn’t clued Devos.<br /><br />GREATSCOTT and OMIGOSH and heavens to BETSY and a nod to OFL for the Snagglepuss bit, the only place I have ever heard Heavens to Murgatroyd.<br /><br />GOGOBOOTS is a fine album by Drive BY Truckers; I keep the CD at work, so I just put it on in honor of the mention of GOGOBOOTSin the puz. “Used to be a Cop” is a great tune.<br /><br />I suppose RONA Jaffe passed as a yeah baby back in the day.<br /><br />It will take an ACTOFGOD or the MESSIAH to keep me from working at least one day on this holiday weekend. Another puz like this one with no write-overs will esae the sting; I’d say today’s was AONE.<br />rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2633473640103943782017-05-26T11:12:03.568-04:002017-05-26T11:12:03.568-04:00EAU OHS
It’s PROFORMA, not an ACTOFGOD, GREATSCOT...EAU OHS<br /><br />It’s PROFORMA, not an ACTOFGOD, GREATSCOTT,<br />for each SPYSTORY the news PAPERCHASEs,<br />to use SMEARTACTICs about the HOTDATES he got,<br />and TOTUP his SECTs by TOTALBASES.<br /><br />--- ETHAN MARK DEAN<br />Burma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-242329720777986402017-05-26T11:11:02.897-04:002017-05-26T11:11:02.897-04:00This was tougher than the last few Friday puzzles....This was tougher than the last few Friday puzzles. It took a little over seven hints. All of them were in the lower half of the puzzle. And most of them were on the lower leftmost corner. Rona was another one. OHS also stumped me. Any thoughts?<br /><br /><br />Mark Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89608894970382679752017-04-23T11:26:55.565-04:002017-04-23T11:26:55.565-04:00@Muse and @ E.D. - I think there is a limit, under...@Muse and @ E.D. - I think there is a limit, understanding. There is another factor to consider, appropriateness to setting. It can be wrong to use "correct" English in some settings. I'm thinking of Henry with the soldiers before the Battle of Agincourt. Not the time for him to be courtly in his speech. That Shakespeare was a descriptivist is all the convincing I need. Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51313055672122292322017-04-22T16:44:49.896-04:002017-04-22T16:44:49.896-04:00@ED - there's no limit. The "mistake&quo...@ED - there's no limit. The "mistake" in <br /><br />A. <i><b>I seen</b> a big ole possum last night down the holler.</i><br /><br />is no more egregious, grammatically, than<br /><br />B. <i>Niles asked Dobson <b>and I</b> to help him tie his ascot.</i><br /><br />It's just that B is a mistake educated people make, so it's "acceptable."<br /><br />I think why it's so black and white for me is that I approach this from a purely linguistic standpoint: language is communication, and as such sentence A is fine. But when you understand that your words and the way you say them have that second layer of communication, namely they communicate where you're from, whether you're book smart... that's where the rub comes in, and that's why people get their nose all out of joint about this stuff. And that's what I need to bear in mind when I get all high and mighty.<br /><br />My students cheerfully speak like sentence A, and I don't make them say it over "correctly." I do tell them that if they dig their heels in and speak that way, at some point, somewhere outside of Calhoun County, WV, someone's gonna crane their neck to see what ignorant redneck just said that. It's their choice. I've made similar choices - I use <i>y'all</i>, the singular <i>they</i>, <i>who</i> and not <i>whom</i>, <i><b>lay</b> low</i> and I'm ok with people underestimating me, too.<br /><br />That you're "coming around" pleases me enormously!Loren Muse Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05308030011870397977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53545259815654759722017-04-22T14:47:06.920-04:002017-04-22T14:47:06.920-04:00What is connection between tori and rings?What is connection between tori and rings?Johnny Vagabondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14818885168273941962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84554255509489007382017-04-22T14:45:14.681-04:002017-04-22T14:45:14.681-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Johnny Vagabondhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14818885168273941962noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34950160190160657532017-04-22T07:55:03.967-04:002017-04-22T07:55:03.967-04:00I'm coming around, Loren. But is there a limit...I'm coming around, Loren. But is there a limit? When Frank (on American Pickers) says "I seen a big Nehi sign",I know what he means. But I just can't accept that degree of language degradation....<br /><br />Not a grammar Nazi, but maybe a grammar tory....evil doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17593231055589228837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23380018137091940842017-04-22T06:18:25.568-04:002017-04-22T06:18:25.568-04:00@Happy Pencil - I looked for your email address, b...@Happy Pencil - I looked for your email address, but none is listed, so I’ll just say this here – what people call a dumbing down of English is just language change. It’s as inevitable, inescapable, as evolution. Well, heck - it is evolution. To hear people say that this is a bad thing is like hearing people complain that humans are evolving away their appendixes. If there were no language change, we’d still be running around speaking one of the very few original languages. You and I would be speaking Indo-European. There’d be no Latin phrases to throw around. No French. No Hindi. <br /><br />So purists want to stop this inevitability. What. We take a snapshot of English in 2017 and say ENOUGH! Stop with the change already! We like the “value and precision” of English right now; let’s just settle with this version. Ok. So whose snapshot do we use? The guy who still insists on <i>I shall</i> instead of <i>I will</i>? Or maybe we’ll use the version of the guy who says <i>With whom did you go?</i> instead of the guy who says <i>Who did you go with?</i> We could choose the English of a chap in the UK who still says <i>I hadn’t a thing to eat last night</i> and ditch the version that allows <i>I didn’t have a thing to eat last night.</i> Do we allow in the words <i>google</i> and <i>app</i>? <br /><br />To argue that the desire to stanch language change is a desire for precise, clear language makes no sense to me. How is<br /><br />A. <i><b>With whom</b> did you dance last night?</i><br /><br />any more precise than<br /><br />B. <i><b>Who</b> did you dance <b>with</b> last night?</i><br /><br />Is there more “value and precision” in A?<br /><br />You said, “But I think trying to paint as elitist people who are interested in being careful about how they use the language is a form of elitism itself.” Guilty. You’re absolutely right, but I’m not backing down from my position. My goal is not to make anyone feel stupid. So it’s a far superior elitism. Hah.<br /><br />Sure, there are people out there who try to Do the “Right” Thing with their speech who are not elitist meanies. But the ones who correct other people’s language in a public way should be chased down the street with a baseball bat because 1) it embarrasses the speaker and 2) it’s done in order to let everyone know how educated and hence superior the corrector is. A bajillion people can respond to this and tell me I’m wrong, but I’ll never be convinced otherwise. Ever.<br /><br />Every now and then my husband and I go at it about this because his stand is more in line with yours. And I always fall for it, think maybe this time it’ll go differently. But then he uses words like “clear” and “precise” and it’s like we’re playing chess, he’s white, and his opening move is to push his rook pawn.Loren Muse Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05308030011870397977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67497854279341687112017-04-22T00:36:47.552-04:002017-04-22T00:36:47.552-04:00@GrammarNazi, too funny!
Time was, I couldn't...@GrammarNazi, too funny!<br /><br />Time was, I couldn't read the Martha Grimes mysteries fast enough, back when she was writing the Richard Jury books where all the titles are names of British pubs. She'd weave these wonderfully complex plots and you'd suddenly realize there were only 3 pages left and how will all this be resolved, then poof! <i>something happened </i>and everything fell into place and was explained in two paragraphs. <i>That's</i> deus ex machina. Annoyed the peace out of me.<br /><br />She improved by several orders of magnitude and stopped doing that when her defectives turned transatlantic and started coming over to Baltimore.Elephant's Childnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54678726777735056152017-04-22T00:09:21.135-04:002017-04-22T00:09:21.135-04:00I see that @Evil (and maybe others) saw the Seinfe...I see that @Evil (and maybe others) saw the Seinfeld angle. I firmly believe that anyone who can walk and chew gum at the same time can realize and maintain that kind of distinction... if they choose to.<br /><br />@Gill, cool!! Let me know what you think. <br /><br />Just wanted to check that you-all know that floods and hurricanes aren't <i>really </i> an ACT OF GOD? 'Vengeance is mine' notwithstanding, that term is just an insurance industry wiggle-word. <br /><br />ps. I should've had HELLOKITTY sooner, but I had letters in place at beginning and end and kept seeing HEnny pennY in thatslot.<br />Leapfingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14243620614139990887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26132690189698346362017-04-21T23:26:52.785-04:002017-04-21T23:26:52.785-04:00Pretty cool that Snagglepuss would say "Heave...Pretty cool that Snagglepuss would say "Heavens to Murgatroyd!" and "Heavens to BETSY!" as well. Exit, stage left, laughing. Guess you wouldn't say HELLO KITTY to your average pink mountain lion.<br /><br />I wouldn't say this was easy for me, as I mostly needed some letters in place for most entries to jog the brain. Good thing there were some like Zhou "I still say Chou" ENLAI, DAG and HAG to get started. Had HASTEN till UTA said to make that HURTLE, and I totally thought 18A had to be PIECEsomething. Most of my bruising were happened in the SE, where I was thinking of the Hyannis Port Kennedy, wanted 39D to be somethingDANCE and wrote in 40D as SPYSTUFF yesIdid.<br /><br />Not going to worry about 53A since Seinfeld didn't catch grief for the Soup NAZI, so a xwp should get a pass also. My cousin never mentioned anything about the camps for 60 years, and then only really spoke of two incidents. His mother never said a word about it for the rest of her life, so obviously this is all managed in a very personal way. As it should be. I'm just bemused at the fact of Phil GRAMM and Desi ARNAZ I (ie, Sr) being snugged up together. I don't spose a little Babalu would hurt old Phil.<br /><br />Anyway, if you're not up for full-blown character assassination yet, you might hold off on the SMEAR TACTIC and start off slow with a little SMEAR TICTAC.<br /><br />TGIF, Boys 'n' Berries<br />Leapfingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14243620614139990887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-69201678508424764872017-04-21T22:17:42.843-04:002017-04-21T22:17:42.843-04:00No one will see this late a post but, no one cares...No one will see this late a post but, no one cares about your identity. See ya.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53316317360925306762017-04-21T20:07:15.344-04:002017-04-21T20:07:15.344-04:00It took some effort, but I tracked down Tom Chiver...It took some effort, but I tracked down Tom Chivers' blog post where he coins <a href="https://tommychivers.wordpress.com/2012/10/11/if-someone-tells-you-singular-they-is-wrong-please-do-tell-them-to-get-stuffed/" rel="nofollow">tweedy pop prescriptivist.</a> It is such a better turn of phrase than GRAMMAR NAZI.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75471128292648611402017-04-21T19:09:46.112-04:002017-04-21T19:09:46.112-04:00I found this incredibly hard, particularly in the ...I found this incredibly hard, particularly in the southeast corner. It took me almost an hour and a half to finish up. The clue for IAMB is downright fiendish. I've heard of a bull market or being bullish, but I've never actually heard of a person with that attitude being called a bull, so OPTIMIST took me forever because I wasn't entirely sure what the constructor was looking for. Once I got that, ALITO was easy, but when I just had ---TO or ---T- (SPY STORY was pretty weird to me, since that's not a usual phrase, I don't think, so I got that late) I had no idea what Kennedy they were talking about. I even entertained the possibility that it was about the Kennedy Center and was looking for some kind of slang for actor/actress/singer.<br /><br />I can't say it's badly made, but this puzzle and I were clearly on different pages the entire time.Robnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28004350320420426112017-04-21T18:47:29.152-04:002017-04-21T18:47:29.152-04:00Here I thought that it was the old time actor Bert...Here I thought that it was the old time actor Bert Lahr, as the Cowardly Lion in TWOO, who was the first to say, "Heavens to Murgatroyd?"Warren Howie Hughesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41391932730663495552017-04-21T17:24:23.258-04:002017-04-21T17:24:23.258-04:00Haven't heard Sharp denounce term Nazi wheneve...Haven't heard Sharp denounce term Nazi whenever tied to Trump or any Republican for that matter. Stereotypical liberal hypocrite. You seriously cannot make this stuff up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com