tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post526354117530727853..comments2024-03-19T09:47:21.454-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: FRIDAY, Nov. 16, 2007 - Chuck DeodeneRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61439892302896820162008-01-04T20:11:00.000-05:002008-01-04T20:11:00.000-05:00Oh I do. That's why I asked, and my reason for the...Oh I do. That's why I asked, and my reason for the "even". I figured you might simply move on and ignore those of us who only do the crossword in syndication. And I only get the paper on Fridays, so I never get to do theme crosswords.Aviatrixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13634111275860140084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6192487244285463412007-12-30T07:36:00.000-05:002007-12-30T07:36:00.000-05:00@Aviatrix: The question is: do you? Please see the...@Aviatrix: The question is: do you? Please see the comment immediately preceding yours.<BR/><BR/>rpRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14633414972788622002007-12-30T00:52:00.000-05:002007-12-30T00:52:00.000-05:00I loved this puzzle. One of my favourite Fridays i...I loved this puzzle. One of my favourite Fridays in a long time. I didn't even have to Google anything because there was no obscure US celebrity crossing an obscure mammal genus.<BR/><BR/>As a commercial pilot and former flight instructor, I can tell you that I would use the exact phrase "it maintains a proper attitude" to describe an autopilot. It's not even the least forced. It was the first thing I filled in confidently, although I was afraid that it was too easy and I must have been tricked, as I was when I put NAVIGATOR instead of STEERSMAN, but I easily accept the latter. My profession steered me wrong for "first-class handouts," but I was delighted with the answer. I loved QANDA, thought Bbl fraction was an excellent clue, giggled at the clue for BRA, and groaned in appreciation at TREERINGS and ONLINE. <BR/><BR/>Cavalier evaluation? had me wondering what kind of tests knights take, so I was all over Rode and ride before I got to ROAD. It didn't help that I had guessed BUSH for the man of the year, either. <BR/><BR/>It was good to see ANC: if you don't know that one you are young and missed a very important chapter in the history of South Africa. <BR/>I still don't get TARPS. Do you use tarpaulins to keep rain off the baseball field?<BR/><BR/>I have to agree with Rex on SPORT and ENOUNCE. I've never heard anyone enounce that his dog was named Sport.<BR/><BR/>Rex, do you even read the six week late comments from those who get the crossword in syndication in the hinterlands?Aviatrixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13634111275860140084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17994267966952175652007-12-28T18:00:00.000-05:002007-12-28T18:00:00.000-05:00Rex Reads All.rpRex Reads All.<BR/><BR/>rpRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11813946711416771162007-12-28T17:32:00.000-05:002007-12-28T17:32:00.000-05:00This is to second Cathy-a way for us six-week-oute...This is to second Cathy-a way for us six-week-outers to communicate would be super. You might be surprised to find we actually have something to add. Wonder if Rex ever reads these after day one?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2972482471167508672007-12-28T12:48:00.000-05:002007-12-28T12:48:00.000-05:00I've been reading this blog daily for several mont...I've been reading this blog daily for several months now, and thought that there might be enough of us in syndication to have our own set of comments. Today, I actually have something to add (not just a rehash of what everyone else said): <BR/><BR/>www.extremeironing.com<BR/><BR/>Check it out - it is a sport, but i don't see anyone calling themselves "ironers" :-)<BR/><BR/>also, a note to green mantis who said... <BR/> "John Smith, AKA Shorty McShortypants."<BR/>All the men that I have seen in the hood would be more likely to be AKA "Saggy McBaggypants" rather than Shorty. <BR/><BR/>CathyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74708491577596849692007-11-17T02:09:00.000-05:002007-11-17T02:09:00.000-05:00Fergus,I wasn't actually disputing your take on th...Fergus,<BR/><BR/>I wasn't actually disputing your take on the clue. Just letting you know how I was looking at it. The clue was awkward and the hyphen made it more so. But I like a good grammatical puzzle!<BR/><BR/>Rex, if you liked Penny here, she was hilarious on Orange's blog. Thanks for the yucks, Penny.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49015495976510977562007-11-17T00:51:00.000-05:002007-11-17T00:51:00.000-05:00Rikki, First let me point out that I don't pretend...Rikki, <BR/><BR/>First let me point out that I don't pretend to be an expert on grammar or punctuation. However, from the Style and Usage books I'm familiar with, a First class handout is fine if you want to refer to the handout distributed at the first class, but First-class handout must show that that handout is described by the adjective, first-class. If we allow First-class to describe all things pertaining to that which occurs in the first class session, then there's no issue to dispute since that handout definitely falls into this description. Even with the question mark and it being Friday, that construction still seems too much of a contortion. I'm only carrying on here because I'm not sure we've thoroughly understood each other with respect to the implications of the hyphen in this case. [My dictionary also allows first-class to be an adverb, as in travel first-class, so maybe if we push handouts into verb territory (even more unlikely) then it might find a way to work to our satisfaction?] Sorry if I've made this tedious, but when one can locate the exact point of contention, there's often nothing further to dispute. Did I finally make my point clear, even if you may not agree with it?<BR/><BR/>Fergusfergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30292301580130650692007-11-16T22:51:00.000-05:002007-11-16T22:51:00.000-05:00I didn't much care for this one. And I really, re...I didn't much care for this one. And I really, really wanted "66A: Trunk accumulation" to be SPARE TIRE.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03345623954861334689noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38557680860222773462007-11-16T22:36:00.000-05:002007-11-16T22:36:00.000-05:00Rick,That's sung by Sir Joseph Porter in HMS Pinaf...Rick,<BR/>That's sung by Sir Joseph Porter in HMS Pinafore ... I was following up Dick Swart's 1:32 p.m. quotations from Sir Joseph and the Captain from the same scene. A Gilbert & Sullivan fan can't resist an opening for a quotation .... Thanks for asking.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77106447345738571592007-11-16T22:32:00.000-05:002007-11-16T22:32:00.000-05:00Fergus... I wasn't thinking of the quality of the ...Fergus... I wasn't thinking of the quality of the handouts. Just that they were given out at the first class, as syllabi would be, rather than, say, the second class. They could actually be lousy syllabi and still be first-class syllabi. Thus the ?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17520672869308927212007-11-16T22:28:00.000-05:002007-11-16T22:28:00.000-05:00Rex: Just an opinion, that's all -- not meant to ...Rex:<BR/><BR/> Just an opinion, that's all -- not meant to be convincing or smug or anything else. Surely people of good will can differ over the quality of a crossword puzzle...Michael Chibnikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04700426644898924644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65383229201754989762007-11-16T22:09:00.000-05:002007-11-16T22:09:00.000-05:00Frankly, I don't care what you're convinced by. Sa...Frankly, I don't care what you're convinced by. Saying you're not convinced is itself about as far from convincing as a comment could be. I'm surprised by the smug, condescending tone of a lot of the pro-puzzle messages today. Penny seems to be the only one with an idea of how to dissent forcefully but gracefully. <BR/><BR/>rpRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76930903053217097042007-11-16T21:15:00.000-05:002007-11-16T21:15:00.000-05:00I thought this puzzle was just fine -- some cleave...I thought this puzzle was just fine -- some cleaver clues and about the right level of difficulty for a Friday. I don't understand (and am not convinced by) the negative comments. And I completely agree with orange's suggestion that one should check out a clue-answer combo by looking it up before complaining about alleged inaccuracies.Michael Chibnikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04700426644898924644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73260004138127667562007-11-16T20:27:00.000-05:002007-11-16T20:27:00.000-05:00Jim in NYCWhere's that from?<B>Jim in NYC</B><BR/><BR/>Where's that from?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21035450454585755822007-11-16T18:56:00.001-05:002007-11-16T18:56:00.001-05:00And Dick Swart, "I'll teach you all ere long to re...And Dick Swart, "I'll teach you all ere long to refrain from language strong ...."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83518890588655309412007-11-16T18:55:00.000-05:002007-11-16T18:55:00.000-05:00Aha on AKA! Thanks. Got no street cred no mo.And...Aha on AKA! Thanks. Got no street cred no mo.<BR/><BR/>And I goofed while pontificating above: I didn't mean to put that extra hyphen in 'hand-out'. Even if my point were to be definitely correct, in the discussion of hyphens I ought not be tossing the stray one in.fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75853488763882906412007-11-16T18:50:00.000-05:002007-11-16T18:50:00.000-05:00A lot of Nattering Nabobs of Negativism on the blo...A lot of Nattering Nabobs of Negativism on the blog today. <BR/><BR/>Today's puzzle was within the normal range for a weekend puzzle, as others have said.<BR/><BR/>The comments, however, are a bit over the top. Is the moon full tonight or what?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86484574396743903192007-11-16T18:49:00.000-05:002007-11-16T18:49:00.000-05:00dk:> Thank you all for the attitude info. I hope t...dk:<BR/>> Thank you all for the attitude info. I hope to work it into a conversation soon. I like the concept of nose up or down relative to direction traveled.<BR/><BR/>That is actually the "angle of attack", not the attitude (which is measured relative to the horizon as someone said). Should be even more fun to work into your conversation, I would think. "JR Peabody III's nose attained a high angle of attack as he stomped from the room after exchanging quibbles with head waiter".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21024375727202991772007-11-16T17:51:00.000-05:002007-11-16T17:51:00.000-05:00Yeah Fergus-- "John Smith, AKA Shorty McShortypant...Yeah Fergus-- "John Smith, AKA Shorty McShortypants." Although I wandered the streets for quite some time myself while trying to make sense of that one.<BR/><BR/>Yay for Renee Poussaint. I'm from D.C., and I think she was a local newsperson when I was growing up, so I felt special when she was a gimme. Weird the things we remember from when we were ten, like a best friend's phone number, while these days I can hardly remember my own.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1960113563715374892007-11-16T16:57:00.000-05:002007-11-16T16:57:00.000-05:00Fergus, one last clarification: "street name" isn'...Fergus, one last clarification: "street name" isn't referring to the name of a street or avenue, but to a person's 'street name,' which is what he's called in the 'hood.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81544451828188784702007-11-16T16:34:00.000-05:002007-11-16T16:34:00.000-05:00My father used to call me "Sport" and I was no can...My father used to call me "Sport" and I was no canine.<BR/>Puzzle a cinch for a Friday but kind of goofy too.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2662152737455662822007-11-16T16:33:00.000-05:002007-11-16T16:33:00.000-05:00And I thought the use of the question mark made hy...And I thought the use of the question mark made hyphen quibbles off-limits. I could be wrong?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74490949469037685262007-11-16T16:30:00.000-05:002007-11-16T16:30:00.000-05:00Rikki, I could only properly agree with you if ind...Rikki, I could only properly agree with you if indeed the SYLLABI were really top-notch. Or if the clue were simply Class hand-outs?, which muddies the adjective/noun distinction. Your last-class exams would be real stinkers, or of the lowest order, in my blue book; but maybe there are legitimate disagreements in Manuals of Style? I now recall a surprisingly long time spent with a number of teachers discussing the use of a hyphen in some missive to the Parents. And that it ain't always as precise as one might like ...fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3829976470246136552007-11-16T16:00:00.000-05:002007-11-16T16:00:00.000-05:00Rick -- Unfortunately true.Rick -- Unfortunately true.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com