tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post5059375045228690734..comments2024-03-29T10:51:12.209-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: TUESDAY, Sep. 8 2009 — Conflict settled by Treaty of Paris in 1856 / Skewered Asian fare / pseudopod-forming organism / Pirate or Padre for shortRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80924186325547736172009-10-14T01:55:48.100-04:002009-10-14T01:55:48.100-04:00here in Enid Oklahoma, we call it a "cake cou...here in Enid Oklahoma, we call it a "cake course"...syndicated mumnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15232240069612115732009-10-13T15:54:58.481-04:002009-10-13T15:54:58.481-04:0043A: "That's all ____ wrote (she)
In 199...43A: "That's all ____ wrote (she)<br /><br />In 1991 Firehouse had a song All She Wrote. <br /><br />Enjoy the you tube<br /><br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=13ekaoiy5eg" rel="nofollow"> All She Wrote</a><br /><br />RSDAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5257929114982271362009-10-13T11:43:29.548-04:002009-10-13T11:43:29.548-04:00Okay, so the theme is old, but like @foodie said t...Okay, so the theme is old, but like @foodie said this one had a nice twist to it, plus lots of theme answers. I was in the "there isn't really a theme" camp until I got to the SE corner, when I smiled. Not a bad puzzle at all, although exceptionally easy (despite the garden snake sneaking in there until RNA fixed it). I am surprised no one noted the additional theme answer: SALSA.Singernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38090037283810272712009-10-13T10:29:26.912-04:002009-10-13T10:29:26.912-04:00Don't know why I didn't see gartersnake. ...Don't know why I didn't see gartersnake. I had dartedsnake for the longest time. Otherwise, okay. Don't know what happened to yesterday's in syndication; seemed like my paper picked up a much older one--so missed out on all the fun I read about.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5282671477655693122009-09-09T07:15:38.195-04:002009-09-09T07:15:38.195-04:00guess rex deleted it!!thanxguess rex deleted it!!thanxchefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88221596195534402182009-09-09T07:07:59.353-04:002009-09-09T07:07:59.353-04:00just got yesterdays puzzle. have to call nytimes a...just got yesterdays puzzle. have to call nytimes and see what's going on.<br /><br />what's anonymous 6:27 all about - i'm not clicking on anything. is it the same anonymouse with all the chinese junkchefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63174806550835665742009-09-08T22:39:07.774-04:002009-09-08T22:39:07.774-04:00But since I care so little about theme, when it do...But since I care so little about theme, when it doesn't seem to matter, ...fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2426636856131146192009-09-08T22:14:52.569-04:002009-09-08T22:14:52.569-04:00This 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 6:54, 6:55, 1.00, 55%, Medium<br />Tue 7:31, 8:25, 0.89, 20%, Easy-Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:51, 3:41, 1.05, 68%, Medium-Challenging<br />Tue 4:12, 4:22, 0.96, 45%, Medium<br /><br />The disparity noted in my midday report remains at the end of the day. I think much of the explanation here is that, once again, the fastest solvers are bumping up against a ceiling (or floor?). The fastest median solve time for a Tuesday in the 14 weeks I've been doing this is 4:03 and for a Monday it's 3:19. So there's not a whole lot of room for improvement beyond today's 4:12 median for the top 100 solvers.sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54699544963940452162009-09-08T21:47:58.756-04:002009-09-08T21:47:58.756-04:00Since last night, I haven't been able to make ...Since last night, I haven't been able to make up my mind about what I think of this puzzle. There's a lot to like about it, as pointed out by Andrea, but I also agree with the apparent lack of flash. What helped me was to think about the theme revealer, "in the corner" as Rex said, slightly differently. It's like you're supposed to figure it out by yourself, and the constructor gives you every chance by putting this hint at the very end... Give up? then here it is. This then puts it in a special subcategory of puzzle, unlike the ones where the theme is evident and may help you all along. In fact, part of the puzzling experience is to be actively confusing-- by making the theme answers as disparate as possible rendering the puzzle "diabolical" (a la Sherlock Holmes). If I think of it this way, then it's really good... And the other layer of interest is that the theme is something lovely-- DANCE, while most of the theme answers (except Baseball Fan) are very far from it, a POTBELLY, a WAR, a SNAKE, ACID RAIN and God help us, a CREDIT LINE. So, it took a while, but I'm now in the very positive camp!foodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13052189131129098616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-69156538156723095672009-09-08T21:33:27.900-04:002009-09-08T21:33:27.900-04:00GUT COURSE was used "back in the day" sa...GUT COURSE was used "back in the day" says an older co-worker. No one under 50 here had a clue about that term. I'm guessing it's out of fashion now.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17081900126263427909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10311580888545078342009-09-08T21:32:05.969-04:002009-09-08T21:32:05.969-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17081900126263427909noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84894224811720249842009-09-08T19:31:23.221-04:002009-09-08T19:31:23.221-04:00@archaeoprof ... thanks for the shout out ... it s...@archaeoprof ... thanks for the shout out ... it seems that there is just about enough interest in the numbers to keep this gig going<br /><br />@Glitch ... always great to see Bruce quoted ... and one of my very favorite lines at that. A practically lifelong friend tried unsuccessfully to get me to listen to Springsteen throughout our teens in the 70s. I didn't see the light until Badlands hit me upside the head at the tail end of a party my senior year of college (circa 1980). The rest is history. His latest effort is the first to truly disappoint me after all these years. I even loved his less critically acclaimed work of the 90s.sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13334090144535372612009-09-08T18:20:59.091-04:002009-09-08T18:20:59.091-04:00Mike -- beware the foray in Sherlock's territo...Mike -- beware the foray in Sherlock's territory. I counsel you now while you still seem an innocent.<br /><br />Glitch's enthusiasm for Bruce I share.<br /><br />CREDIT LINE, from my experience in Banking, which is rather embarrassingly extensive, does have a very definite upper limit. So odd that at one time I used to play around with $50 million. (I still had a conscience then, but quit because I was losing it.)fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70968934076809270192009-09-08T17:40:10.177-04:002009-09-08T17:40:10.177-04:00Yesterday's gem by Michaels/Ashish a very toug...Yesterday's gem by Michaels/Ashish a very tough act to follow; can we expect to see more of those Andrea? This was "medium" for me but just right today. @glitch-thanks for very interesting origin of "86". Btw, we have garter snakes in So. VT that get to be two feet; yes, they can (and will) bite but the bite is "harmless" to humans. The sight is not always "harmless"! The snakes do our mice patrol. Also: who doesn't go around saying "I'm really IRED at you!". Have similar problem w LAIC but so be it. Use of ERLE and ONEA are beginning to strike meas very tired, dull fill. What I did like: GREENLIGHT, TIDIES. On balance, totally agree w RP this was "run of the mill"Charles Boglehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15667976595355657752noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65635212901504120632009-09-08T17:32:24.548-04:002009-09-08T17:32:24.548-04:00@Two Ponies ... I hope you feel better!
Later tod...@Two Ponies ... I hope you feel better!<br /><br />Later today when I was looking at the puzzle I thought it would have been fun to have the CHICKEN dance in it. Or is that just a Cincinnati thing? Maybe it doesn't exist anywhere else.johohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12708487230515532492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74807074087165296702009-09-08T17:21:00.109-04:002009-09-08T17:21:00.109-04:00Fun puzzle, way better than the typical Tuesday. ...Fun puzzle, way better than the typical Tuesday. <br /><br />Never heard the term "gut course" at the college where I teach. Around here students call it an "EASY A."<br /><br />@Rex and Foodie: not just bellydancing, but platform shoes, disco, pet rocks, and streaking! <br /><br />@Sanfranman: I always enjoy your statistical analysis. Thanks.archaeoprofhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17956231727789223463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19007014458051464162009-09-08T16:54:17.951-04:002009-09-08T16:54:17.951-04:00Oops, I forgot to mention how delighted I was when...Oops, I forgot to mention how delighted I was when solving this puzzle. It was a gem, on a par I might say, with yesterday's.fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20828292818879896302009-09-08T16:50:39.744-04:002009-09-08T16:50:39.744-04:00Thought that I was done with the POTBELLY issue al...Thought that I was done with the POTBELLY issue already today. A close friend, who now lives in DC confided that he had acquired the J6 protrusion, despite his reasonably abstemious lifestyle. I first attributed it to happy marriage, since there seems to be a correlation there. Age may also be a contributing factor; duh. Then it dawned on me that location may have something to do with it. My contemporaries who have departed the West Coast are all a bit plump now, while those of us still by the Pacific Ocean tend toward slender. Whether it's circumstantial or competitive, I hesitate to guess.fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63256134463522354912009-09-08T16:42:17.300-04:002009-09-08T16:42:17.300-04:00Midday 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 />Tue 7:27, 8:25, 0.88, 20%, Easy-Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Tue 4:15, 4:22, 0.97, 49%, Medium<br /><br />I'm not sure that it will hold up come the end of the day, but we've got another large disparity in relative difficulty between all solvers and the top 100. This time the top 100 is having a relatively more difficult time with today's puzzle (it was the opposite this past Saturday). As a rule, the median solve time for all solvers goes up and that for the top 100 goes down as the day goes on, so some of the disparity will probably abate.sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41512375739618687302009-09-08T16:36:58.965-04:002009-09-08T16:36:58.965-04:00@chefwen -- That's barely the UP. I'll be...@chefwen -- That's barely the UP. I'll be in Crivitz (Wisc) at the end of the week.Clarknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18390322490663618892009-09-08T16:35:16.287-04:002009-09-08T16:35:16.287-04:00@chefwen: waving across the bay to you from my mom...@chefwen: waving across the bay to you from my mom's back yard. Try the Nightengale or Bud Birmingham's for Friday fish fry with standard pub/supper club ambiance. <br /><br />My non-puzzle solving sister from LA had a harder time with today's puzzle. She, a one-time gogo dancer, was disappointed in the end not to find her dance.PlantieBeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01960277851368508036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33747730928132552372009-09-08T16:34:50.253-04:002009-09-08T16:34:50.253-04:00@ chefwen, Do they still call them "fish boil...@ chefwen, Do they still call them "fish boils" up there?<br />Don't forget to have some cheese curds!<br />Sqeek the anonymouseAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34243522384715814992009-09-08T16:16:34.311-04:002009-09-08T16:16:34.311-04:00Easy Tuesday with only two write-overs AGASP over ...Easy Tuesday with only two write-overs AGASP over agape and NUTRI over nutra.<br /><br />Think I'll take a pass on the SNAKE DANCE this time around<br /><br />@PlantieBea - I'm right across the pond from you in Menominee MI, back to WI in a couple of days, husband DYING for a fish fry. <br /><br />Sure is fun to be in a normal time zone with the rest of y'all.chefwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03999206352243329280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-79126760226864762992009-09-08T16:00:53.313-04:002009-09-08T16:00:53.313-04:00@ArtLvr - Funny, I just read "The RedHeaded L...@ArtLvr - Funny, I just read "The RedHeaded League" last week. I purchased The Complete Sherlock Holmes for summer beach reading this year. Great stuff.... I am now on "The Man With the Twisted Lip", it is addictive.<br />MikeMikenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50088631292064526332009-09-08T15:57:05.352-04:002009-09-08T15:57:05.352-04:00Still kvelling over yesterday's sweet comments...Still kvelling over yesterday's sweet comments by everyone. On behalf of the lovable but snarky Afish, Thank you!!!<br />I really like Alan Arbesfeld's puzzles in general...<br />and six kinds of dances!<br />He always does stuff I like...with words that seem super fun...<br />POTBELLY, IWON! SWINDLE, LEOTARD (to tie in with the dance theme, so that makes, like 8!)<br /><br />Yesterday bleedover: ACE/ACED<br />(I snuck in ACE in mine bec those were my initials before ACME!)<br /><br />My one mistake other than shared AGAST/AGASP was KEBAB for SATAY.<br /><br />Loved the J in the bottom corner...<br />The clue for FATE "You can't escape it" seemed very ominous!!!!!<br /><br />I've been collaborating with so many folks lately, another constructor asked whom I was cheating on him with this week, so maybe I've now become EASYA. (AGASP!)<br /><br />Sadly, my belly now dances all by itself!andrea easya michaelsnoreply@blogger.com