tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post5304561693740240576..comments2024-03-29T07:17:55.045-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: MONDAY, May 19, 2008 - Mike Nothnagel (PORTRAYER OF FRANK SINATRA ON "SATURDAY NIGHT LIVE")Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15606727717379394792008-06-30T12:22:00.000-04:002008-06-30T12:22:00.000-04:006 weeks on in syndicate-land, this remains a quali...6 weeks on in syndicate-land, this remains a quality Monday puzzle. The only quibble I have lies at the intersection of 46D (answer=AS BAD) and 62A (clue=BAD:PREFIX). Two bad?<BR/><BR/>Also, if additional HOWE's are needed by any constructor, consider hockey great Gordie. Would be a relief from the only other hockey player to occur commonly in the NYT xword, (Bobby) ORR.<BR/><BR/>Those older than Gen-X'ers will also remember Gil Hodges as the manager of the World Series-winning Miracle Mets of 1969. Despite being clued (36D) as a BASEBALL GREAT, Hodges has been (unfairly many believe) denied election to the Baseball Hall of Fame to date.Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83509720430446094902008-06-30T11:22:00.000-04:002008-06-30T11:22:00.000-04:006/30 A ROADIE is an employee of a rock band, not ...6/30 A ROADIE is an employee of a rock band, not a follower. GROUPIE it had to be.<BR/><BR/>Question, if you were writing a clue for GIL, could you use GILBERTO? or would that violate a rule? Gilberto Gil is a famous Brazilian musician, he comes here to LA because we have lots of Brazilians living here.Chrisvbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02413838643396646838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44887438171639828262008-05-20T03:42:00.000-04:002008-05-20T03:42:00.000-04:00oops, make that Peter bumped up my idea from four ...oops, make that Peter bumped up my idea from four entries to SIX, (for a Monday no less!) and then designed a bigger grid! SO, come to think of it, I can't really take any credit for this...<BR/>and I just noticed MikeN had TOMB as the first word to go with his other 4 "empty" fifteen letter entries!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49346254795055327392008-05-20T02:11:00.000-04:002008-05-20T02:11:00.000-04:00@john reid, bill d, mac, jc66, ulrich, amyWOW, tha...@john reid, bill d, mac, jc66, ulrich, amy<BR/>WOW, thanks for all the kudos!!!!!! <BR/><BR/><BR/>Made my day (tho less than an hour left at this end)!<BR/>To be in both was just a wonderful coincidence (third time it's happened in 6 months!) and made me seem far more prolific than I am!<BR/>If only Will had published today one of the three or four he has in the pipeline, I would have had the trifecta!!!<BR/>Sorry to Rex for my double-header (see I can sling around these sports' terms!) mentioned in a NYT-only blog.<BR/><BR/>(Actually, the LAT one, one of my favorite puzzles to date, was rejected by BOTH Will AND Peter, for reasons I will not bore you with...)<BR/><BR/>As for the one in today's NY Sun<BR/>(anyone who couldn't download it, feel free to email me directly at acmenaming@earthlink.net, I'll send you the whole week's worth!) <BR/>I owe a HUGE debt to <BR/>Peter "Not For Me" Gordon, as he bumped my whole theme up MANY notches by suggesting a fifth entry: THEBEACHBOYS. That necessitated a total rewrite, including a change from IRENECASTLE to her lesser known spouse VERNON...and losing GEORGE SAND, after he realized that was indeed a woman! ;) <BR/>(Some boys, who shall go nameless, tho not our beloved Rex, know too much baseball, not enough French literature!)<BR/><BR/>Speaking of sports-related edits, I had never heard of either TODD SAND (in the NY Sun) nor STRO (in the LAT) (which I'd not have had, by choice, in one of my puzzles, in a million years!)<BR/>:)<BR/><BR/>Oh, and lest I forget to mention, even tho Mike's puzzles were not on the same day, I think his Saturday/Monday accomplishment far outshines anything I could ever hope to do!<BR/><BR/>(also loved GOAS which I plan to cadge! Maybe I'll reprise my Eisenberg Uncertainty principle costume just for the occasion!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45759383274423512702008-05-20T00:30:00.000-04:002008-05-20T00:30:00.000-04:00I like to drink sidecars while watching snl or csi...I like to drink sidecars while watching snl or csi!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1382134540824184472008-05-19T22:02:00.000-04:002008-05-19T22:02:00.000-04:00mike, i think i personally might have preferred RE...mike, i think i personally might have preferred REARM/TRE to REAIM/TIE (REARM sounds like a real word to me, whereas REAIM doesn't; but TIE is preferable to TRE), but if it's an improvement, it's a fairly incremental one. i don't see a nicer way to manage that area of the grid.<BR/><BR/>in any event, i was pleasantly surprised to see your name on a monday byline. i didn't set any speed records on this one (partly because i also tried to shoehorn PYRRHICVICTORY where it wasn't really appropriate), but there was lots of good stuff here. i especially liked LOWDOWN, GROUPIE, ACEHIGH, and GOAS.<BR/><BR/>out of curiosity--was [Group watched by Little Bo Peep] your clue, or will's? i'm starting to think he intentionally puts semi-repeats into the grid just to wind people up. i was also a bit surprised on second glance to see "as" hiding in [Pretend to be, as at a Halloween party]. seems like the clue would have worked well enough without it, and i usually like to see the clue and answer share no common words.Joonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07825085755390339668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90977774107486385452008-05-19T21:37:00.000-04:002008-05-19T21:37:00.000-04:00Hello all.As I mentioned on Amy's blog, I almost m...Hello all.<BR/><BR/>As I mentioned on Amy's blog, I almost missed this one...between Saturday's puzzle and a day of catching-up from a weekend conference, I almost didn't even look to see who constructed today's puzzle !<BR/><BR/>Thanks for the kind words, as usual. I agree with Rex about some of the less-than-stellar fill (REAIM made me cringe, too), but I thought the icky stuff was (at least mostly) justified by other stuff. Not always the best way to go with a fill, but there you are.<BR/><BR/>@fergus: Although I'm certainly still a newbie when it comes to puzzle construction, I was pretty sure that this theme would have to run on either a Monday or a Tuesday. So, if my submitted clues were more tantalizing than those that appeared, it certainly wasn't by that wide of a margin.<BR/><BR/>Also, I like constructing Mondays and Fridays (and all the other days of the week) pretty equally. Putting nifty stuff like JOE PISCOPO into a Monday is just as much fun as sticking KITE-EATING TREE in a Friday.<BR/><BR/>Until next time (which, at this rate, will be Wednesday)...<BR/><BR/>MNAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-4997579034904702092008-05-19T21:15:00.000-04:002008-05-19T21:15:00.000-04:00I like how Mr. Nothnagel often chimes in here, but...I like how Mr. Nothnagel often chimes in here, but it's usually after a bruising puzzle. I wonder how the Monday experience is differs in his point of view? Also, I'm curious whether this grid was more tantalizingly clued when first composed? <BR/><BR/>Just as I'm not a big fan of symmetric integrity, nor do I really care if there's an explicit theme or not. I could see how this one could be tarted up for a Friday, say, but I know some purists might take issue with the obvious, though not glaringly so, theme.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46153586834683347122008-05-19T20:50:00.000-04:002008-05-19T20:50:00.000-04:00Great puzzle, Mike! A real treat to see two of you...Great puzzle, Mike! A real treat to see two of yours published so close together.<BR/><BR/>I want to say congratulations to Andrea Carla Michaels also; pretty impressive to be in the LA Times and the NY Sun in the same day! Both great puzzles too, lots of fun. Thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82179543927139951592008-05-19T20:20:00.000-04:002008-05-19T20:20:00.000-04:00I found this puzzle rather easy actually. It spok...I found this puzzle rather easy actually. It spoke to much of my pop culture knowledge. Patch Adams was the first movie my wife and I saw together. (I do think it's a bit sappy and maudlin.) I fondly remember how Rikki Tikki TAVI fought against the evil Nagaina, and when SNL was funny. I just recently saw a family guy episode that paid homage to Dennis Miller, who IMO was the best Weekend Update Anchor SNL has ever had.<BR/><BR/>At the very least, Francis the Mule stayed in the barn...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65163349333337620412008-05-19T20:18:00.000-04:002008-05-19T20:18:00.000-04:00Looked up Actress EDIE McClurg at imdb.com, quite ...Looked up Actress EDIE McClurg at imdb.com, quite an accomplished character actress. From Ferris Beuller:<BR/><BR/>Grace: Oh, he's very popular Ed. The sportos, the motorheads, geeks, sluts, bloods, waistoids, dweebies, dickheads - they all adore him. They think he's a righteous dude.Leonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07466240197659721721noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-27544726523906233842008-05-19T20:05:00.000-04:002008-05-19T20:05:00.000-04:00I remember "iter" from the Maleska era - usually c...I remember "iter" from the Maleska era - usually clued as a Roman road. Perhaps that''s what led to the anatomical usage.JannieBhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18282015159638078416noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35445344305379460592008-05-19T19:50:00.000-04:002008-05-19T19:50:00.000-04:00i meant jane curtin... not elleni meant jane curtin... not ellenchefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46924352597332694792008-05-19T19:47:00.000-04:002008-05-19T19:47:00.000-04:00Orange, I was afraid you'd say that!Can someone pl...Orange, I was afraid you'd say that!<BR/><BR/>Can someone please use ITER in a sentence?Doc Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12540112168511893896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58145156912718195522008-05-19T19:42:00.000-04:002008-05-19T19:42:00.000-04:00Doc John: Yes, the ITER will recur.Anon 1:54, you ...Doc John: Yes, the ITER will recur.<BR/><BR/>Anon 1:54, you must be new here. Rex loves to include pictures that resonate for him and relate to his post, but not to the crossword per se. CHELA was illustrated with Homer Simpson's pet lobster Pinchy, for example, and not a photo of a lobster, because Pinchy's way funnier than the average crustacean. Scroll down a couple posts and you'll see Lance Armstrong illustrating the noun LANCE (meaning the sharp object).Orangehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12433254398377357737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8717155801725536072008-05-19T19:41:00.000-04:002008-05-19T19:41:00.000-04:00Noticed our new friend Maurice Jarre on Jeopardy!Noticed our new friend Maurice Jarre on Jeopardy!machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36987986416130418302008-05-19T19:23:00.000-04:002008-05-19T19:23:00.000-04:00I've never heard the word ITER in all my years as-...I've never heard the word ITER in all my years as- well, you know. Is it one of those pantheonic things that I just need to add to memory?<BR/><BR/>Lots of TV in the puzzle today. Apart from JOE PISCOPO and JIM Lehrer, there's also CSI and I SPY.<BR/><BR/>And a couple relationships: <BR/>The for-some-reason-disliked JOE PISCOPO was a guest on ST:TNG (where they use PHASERS). He played a comedian on the holodeck who was trying to teach Data how to understand humor. Nobody aimed or REAIMed a phaser at him, though.<BR/><BR/>Also CSI and GIL (Grissom).<BR/><BR/>I guess I've done enough blathering. Nice job on the puzzle, Mr. N!Doc Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12540112168511893896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13397339867814743182008-05-19T18:28:00.000-04:002008-05-19T18:28:00.000-04:00This was my first-ever sub-5-min. time. Don't kno...This was my first-ever sub-5-min. time. Don't know why it seemed so easy to me and artlvr if it gets a "medium" rating here, but I guess that's the nature of the beast.<BR/><BR/>Started at 1A, worked down to the SE, then got BLANKCARTRIDGES based on the theme and the crosses at the end--still don't know the clue for that one. <BR/><BR/>It was fun to blow through one, but I still prefer the hard-but-not-too-hard puzzles later in the week.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16816840926134158122008-05-19T17:57:00.000-04:002008-05-19T17:57:00.000-04:00Yeah I'm not sure Tim Lehrer is even a person, but...Yeah I'm not sure Tim Lehrer is even a person, but yet, there he was in my puzzle.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80260747142729481992008-05-19T17:55:00.001-04:002008-05-19T17:55:00.001-04:00When are you doing your weekly wrap up?When are you doing your weekly wrap up?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70775396509323497552008-05-19T17:55:00.000-04:002008-05-19T17:55:00.000-04:00When are you doing your weekly wrap up?When are you doing your weekly wrap up?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11721570402297407702008-05-19T17:21:00.000-04:002008-05-19T17:21:00.000-04:00@anonymous.../Glitch -You are right and I was wron...@anonymous.../Glitch -<BR/><BR/>You are right and I was wrong. From a purely crossword standpoint, JOEPISCOPO and PATCHADAMS are beautiful answers and do anchor the puzzle nicely.<BR/><BR/>However . . .<BR/><BR/>Has the statute of limitations expired yet on finding Robin Williams funny?<BR/><BR/>Just askin'Bill from NJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10103923612595508277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65566620315633678172008-05-19T17:10:00.001-04:002008-05-19T17:10:00.001-04:00Seen on the "Downtime" page of this week's Time ma...Seen on the "Downtime" page of this week's Time magazine (second to last page): two xword-only words: oater and Alou. What are the odds of that?Doc Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12540112168511893896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82414589040272856962008-05-19T17:10:00.000-04:002008-05-19T17:10:00.000-04:00a fun easy monday puzzle. I stopped watching SNL ...a fun easy monday puzzle. I stopped watching SNL when the originals left - chevy chase, Guilda Radner, Ellen Curtain etcchefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12613995129606408852008-05-19T17:07:00.000-04:002008-05-19T17:07:00.000-04:00Just did Andrea Carla's puzzle in the LA-Times: ve...Just did Andrea Carla's puzzle in the LA-Times: very nice! Also, the site is so user-friendly, I have hardly ever done a puzzle on-line, but this was easy. Wish the NY Sun would adopt this method. That one is hard to reach.machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.com