tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post5497687056852748350..comments2024-03-28T16:10:40.182-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Gen Pershing's grp in WWI / FRI 12-25-15 / Middle of three-part maxim / High Priest of Shiloh / Performer of Green Hornet theme in 1960s TV / Literary character on whom Captain Hook is basedRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-7172956150504274712016-01-29T23:26:06.153-05:002016-01-29T23:26:06.153-05:00So, Diana, LIW, one could say you weren't myth...So, Diana, LIW, one could say you weren't myth-educated?Teedmnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12832353448839187816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58629655919304087072016-01-29T22:20:07.609-05:002016-01-29T22:20:07.609-05:00OK. We Synders have had some communication of lat...OK. We Synders have had some communication of late. I was thinking of a way of identifying ourselves since Rainy considered cutting out. He/she is still perturbed re: our time status. <br /><br />What do you think? We could put "Synd" or "Syndie" or 5-weeks-later-waiter" or (well, I am the lady in waiting...) somewhere after our name or title or post comment or ....<br /><br />Thots? Saving the best for last? In the meantime, we ought to be coming up with poems for Burma Shave's anniversary - yes? <br /><br />I think that I shall never see<br />a crossword lovely as a ....<br /><br />Go for it!<br /><br />D, LIWDiana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76168334146015522342016-01-29T20:21:22.107-05:002016-01-29T20:21:22.107-05:00Yo Rainy! 1 am or pm - EST, CST, MST, PST in cros...Yo Rainy! 1 am or pm - EST, CST, MST, PST in crosswordeseland? I posted at least 7+ hours before I saw any newer posts. Bummer, but it is what it is. Maybe Rex will open a school for monitors to help him. <br /><br />Maybe we Syndies need to get up at 3 am and post quickly. ;-)Or....just come back the next day. <br /><br />One good thing about the "moderated" posts is you see everyone's opinion unaffected by the others. A small thing, but still...<br /><br />Hey guys/gals - wouldn't it be fun to invade the future as a group? Just sayin'<br /><br />Lady Di (you know who I am)Diana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1571827260243912972016-01-29T16:20:22.498-05:002016-01-29T16:20:22.498-05:00I didn't find this easy at all. I put in BASK...I didn't find this easy at all. I put in BASK and SANTA CLAUS right off and was stalled in the NW immediately. The South was more malleable, but I certainly didn't know TELENOVELA, and it took a few risky moves to eventually get that SE. I actually think that teaching myths, especially Greek ones, is a good thing, and so it took a long time to get MISEDUCATE (strange word, too).<br /><br />However, OWL, OHMS, and HEAR NO EVIL, gave me LA SCALA, which made me see ST NICHOLAS and remove SANTA, and from there the NE came labouriously. <br /><br />I liked HALF COCKED (@BURMA SHAVE...?) and loved the hidden XMAS. Overall, a nice Christmas puzzle even if the Christmas spirit has long since evaporated.<br /><br />OK, guys, I'm hanging in, but as of 1:00, I'm the only syndi here. Hello?rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71710286723095339812016-01-29T14:39:01.394-05:002016-01-29T14:39:01.394-05:00When I saw Scylla I thought it sounded like some k...When I saw Scylla I thought it sounded like some kind of bacteria that could cause an awkward skin disease. So I looked it up. And, of course, SEAMONSTER was so obvious in the definition - a huge cheat, but my only. Guess I'm MISEDUCATED regarding myths.<br /><br />Had Santa Claus before STNICHOLAS, but the Chicago Transit Authority and La Scala whispered in my ear that something was awry. Also had CackLED before CHORTLED - hardy har har. No fair Ali crossing Eli, but I guessed the L when it was correctly surrounded. <br /><br />Other than that, one good solve led to another. A successful, if not completely unassisted, Friday. Enjoyed it.<br /><br />If you haven't gone back to yesterday, Burma Shave outdid himself with his Ode to the Greeks. Bravo!<br /><br />Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for CrosswordsDiana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49941572634895354672016-01-29T12:28:48.819-05:002016-01-29T12:28:48.819-05:00Finished correctly (not easy-medium for me, by a l...Finished correctly (not easy-medium for me, by a long shot!), but had to come here to discover that the four unidirectional squares spelled out XMAS. That they do, and it adds depth to the theme.<br /><br />I had the devil's own time getting started. ALHIRT/AHAB went down in the NW...but then nothing. I had expected 6-down to be SANTACLAUS; don't know why STNICHOLAS didn't occur sooner. Wanted HEARNOEVIL in the SW but couldn't corroborate. Finally remembered LASCALA (duh!) and found my corroboration. Things spread quickly then, but stalled in the SE with ADA_____. This was very tough to parse into ADAGENCY, and even after that, that whole southern CANDYCANE was one giant natick. I mean really--ALI clued as...who??? and ELI clued as...WHAT??? I put these babies in as pure guesses. Just lucky.<br /><br />In the NE my hole maker was a MOle before it was a MOTH, and so my mind was on the four-legged variety in the "Red moles" clue. At last the old KGB gave me my ultimate aha! and I was done.<br /><br />"One TOKE over the line, sweet Jesus..." Days better left in the murky past. What do I think of this puzzle? ITSAKEEPER. A-.spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18563436500442706552016-01-29T12:11:39.396-05:002016-01-29T12:11:39.396-05:00I guess sometimes it doesn’t pay to get a comment ...I guess sometimes it doesn’t pay to get a comment in too early. My comment from yesterday must have gotten lost in the top of the shuffle and I see that @BS appears to have had to re-post today. Two points I had were: One write-over was down at that song title where I had MMMmmm, thinking of the Crash Test Dummies song, but even so I was only half way there on the Ms. And - I wouldn’t mind a little BANTER with acting yeah babies elegant RENE Russo and red bikini clad Phoebe CATES. A hundred years ago I suppose PEOPLE sad the same about Mata HARI. Otherwise, kinda what @spacey said.<br /><br />As for today, I saw the funny shapes and unchecked squares, but CANDYCANES was not on my radar as I am in post XMAS candy mode.<br /><br />ALHIRT was a bit of an idol in my youth when I was a trumpet player, but no matter how much I REHEARSED . . . Turns out I could play more like Herb Alpert.<br /><br />Was expecting to see a link to the Edgar Winter Group’s FREERIDE. Now I’ve got that tune in my head for the day.<br /><br />No doubt about it today as (the grown up) EVAN Rachel Wood is the yeah baby of the day. <br /><br />Highest concentration of SOMALIS outside of Somalia is right here in the Twin Cities. Seems kinda odd with the cold and all.<br /><br />ENDOFSTORY for me, and to all a good NITE.<br />rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-27892025910552664722016-01-29T11:37:40.578-05:002016-01-29T11:37:40.578-05:00KGBSPIES’ NITE YARN
OLEG wanted a FREERIDE to SEE...KGBSPIES’ NITE YARN<br /><br />OLEG wanted a FREERIDE to SEE some SECT SETAPART,<br />“ITSAKEEPER and I HEARNOEVIL”, he CHORTLED as he walked.<br />But he was ATAD MISEDUCATEd, bless his POUR heart,<br />ENDOFSTORY? He REHEARSED, but ALSO went off HALFCOCKED.<br /><br />--- CLEO EVAN GORE-MARX<br />today’s stream of unconsciousness brought to you by ST.NICHOLAS’ ADAGENCY ARTSALE<br />Burma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63200480852625449182015-12-28T21:04:58.098-05:002015-12-28T21:04:58.098-05:00@Rex: yes, Yule is used without tide or log. You n...@Rex: yes, Yule is used without tide or log. You need to spend more time hanging out with Pagans.kitshefnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74287521412629809752015-12-26T15:07:03.354-05:002015-12-26T15:07:03.354-05:00Actually, Easter is a far holier day than Christma...Actually, Easter is a far holier day than Christmas; anybody can get born.Fred Romagnolohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11994837736408182418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64441283541639282792015-12-26T11:27:51.363-05:002015-12-26T11:27:51.363-05:00I was glad to notice XMAS, as it helped me to DNF....I was glad to notice XMAS, as it helped me to DNF.<br />Hope y'all had a wonderful Christmas yesterday, along with celebrating the return of the Sun, and with a full moon to boot!Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65061806894752473612015-12-26T01:49:13.629-05:002015-12-26T01:49:13.629-05:00ELI/ALI - insert random consonant to make foreign-...ELI/ALI - insert random consonant to make foreign-looking name. Fail.Greghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18080027831092093115noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3087021774673158152015-12-25T22:37:50.381-05:002015-12-25T22:37:50.381-05:00Good puzzle. Sorry to drop in so late, but today,...Good puzzle. Sorry to drop in so late, but today, family first.<br /><br />In part because my sister's mother-in-law is 103 years old, today they had the TV on much of the time, one of those new-fangled computer/TV hybrids. After viewing the latest pictures of great-granddaughter and a few cat videos, we watched an animated marionette TV show about the Nativity from about 1949, presented by "the telephone company," the Bell System. For MIL's sake, the subtitles are always on, and we were debating whether they were created by humans or computers. Not conclusive but crossword echo when we read that "there was no room at the in." But no question when we read that the Three Wise men, "brought gifts of gold, frankincense, and murder." Can't make this stuff up!Bob Kerfufflehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02615811802419025933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76940488883848796062015-12-25T22:03:57.439-05:002015-12-25T22:03:57.439-05:00SPIES not MOLES.
SORRYSPIES not MOLES.<br />SORRYCharles Flasterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16588962898277593533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24922070046003011762015-12-25T20:53:55.081-05:002015-12-25T20:53:55.081-05:00X as an abbreviation for Christ. http://www.religi...X as an abbreviation for Christ. http://www.religionfacts.com/chi-rho<br />I always wondered about the X and P on the vestments of Catholic priests during mass. <br /><br />I used to have a book about plantations in Connecticut that included may excerpts from the diary of a minister. He used X as in Xmas in his entries as pointed out by old timer as a shortcut. Nothing irreligious about this man.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-4513013286219924522015-12-25T17:55:29.173-05:002015-12-25T17:55:29.173-05:00Yet another NYTimes contribution, this time buried...Yet another NYTimes contribution, this time buried in the puzzle, to the Left's War On Christmas. On this, the most holy of days, we get as the theme 'Sam X', Malcom's younger brother.<br /><br />Have they no shame, have they no decency?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28127464446363134472015-12-25T17:26:49.944-05:002015-12-25T17:26:49.944-05:00YesterPuz's grid was ohso prophetic... ETHOOKs...YesterPuz's grid was ohso prophetic... ETHOOKs! The hooker that stole XMAS! Sweet. I'm in.<br /><br />Initial M&A gets, on this FriPuz:<br />* ALHIRT. RCA. Have his "Java" 45.<br />* AIM. ICE. Note how answers were fallin in pairs, to save precious nanoseconds.<br />* MARX. Groucho had some downright primo quotes.<br />* XMAS. After gettin the X in the crook, went lookin for a clue to support it. Found 29-A (which yielded CANDYCANES) and 25-D (which turned out to be no help). But guessed XMAS from the canes and a suspected MSRP.<br />* OWL. LASCALA. <br /><br />Late M&A gets:<br />* ATAD. Had ABIT. Backed that pony, way too long ...<br />* TELENOVELA/not ABIT/EVAN/ELI.<br /><br />fave WEIject: WEI. Never got much education on Chinese Dynasties, in grade school. Fourth grade teacher Miss Downey did give little M&A long lists of questions to research in books scattered one place or another within the schoolroom, to keep him out of the way. Some questions may have been China-related, but no WEI, Jose.<br /><br />fave Xmas Gift: DVD version of "Sharknado 3: Oh Hell, No".<br /><br />Thanx to Guizzo darlin and the Chenmeister, for gangin up on us, for Xmas.<br />Special holiday greetins to:<br />* The Shortzmeister, who manages to make M&A look forward to every mornin except Saturday, all year long.<br />* @009, who I hope has all his Xmas dreams come true.<br />* Evil Doug, who likes to take long sabbaticals and short, funny potshots.<br />* The Letter U, who took a short sabbatical, this Xmas.<br />* r.alphbunker, who gave M&A a home, when there was no room at the inn.<br /><br />Hope everyone in the Comment Gallery has a super-fun holiday, of their fave kind.<br /><br />xM&As<br /><br /><br />**gruntz**Masked and Anonymo1Usnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31177864565331433352015-12-25T16:31:37.546-05:002015-12-25T16:31:37.546-05:00@AliasZ - thank you for your Christmas Eve posting...@AliasZ - thank you for your Christmas Eve posting - this is, to me, the most beautiful of all Christmas carols. The first section of the video is both stunning and very moving. <br /><br />I'd like to add another of my favorite Xmas tunes, 'In Dulce Jubilo' - also harmonized by Praetorius. Apologies for the ad, but this is an especially nice version that 'intersperses' versions by other composers.<br /><br />@Leapfinger - I hope you will or have enjoyed those two pieces! I appreciate your note, and loved the one to AliasZ!<br /><br />@GeorgeBarany - as usual, your blog-puzzle was delightful. This is as good an opportunity as any to tell you how much I appreciate the blog, as well as your apparent generosity with this collective undertaking. It does, indeed, seem like great 'fun'!.<br />' beatricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16162755764092888665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-69947980026072535032015-12-25T16:15:21.701-05:002015-12-25T16:15:21.701-05:00@old timer - Yeah, we were talking today about the...@old timer - Yeah, we were talking today about the dearth of Christmas carols on the radio and over store speakers these days. Endless "Santa Baby" and "Rockin' Around the Christmas Tree" just doesn't cut it. We created a Norman Nabertwackle Choir Christmas channel on Pandora and got all that great music in the house. Pandora mixes in some Nat King Cole type stuff too, nice.<br /><br />XMAS II - When the Keep Christ in Christmas thing was going on I was told that the "X" stood for the cross - the Chi explanation makes much more sense. Remember a bumper sticker at the time: "Keep Christ in Xmas". Neat.<br /><br />Declaring no harm/no foul on OFL for not knowing AEF. Gimme for this history nut, but a war too far for non-buffs.<br />Mohair Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502840715719161565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12889779311467206502015-12-25T15:56:34.091-05:002015-12-25T15:56:34.091-05:00
Rex
WW I, AEF too antiquated for you. Would it ...<br />Rex<br /><br />WW I, AEF too antiquated for you. Would it have helped if the 35D clue read: the group led by supreme allied commander of the US forces World War II, Dwight D. EisenhowerAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30822933712636097272015-12-25T15:05:12.719-05:002015-12-25T15:05:12.719-05:00I think the comment about not teaching america his...I think the comment about not teaching america history was a subtle dig at Rex who could not remember if he'd heard of the AEF. "Blackjack" Pershing isn't a name you'd soon forget. It's right up there with "Vinegar Joe" Stillwell. <br /><br />The military nicknames are the best. Poitical, not so great. Who's going to remember "The Decider" in 100 years? <br /><br />And don't get me started on those pathetic combo names like J-Lo, A-Rod, J-Law, and whomever Ben or Jerry is dating now. Ad upchuckium. <br /><br />Later.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83027557856339839152015-12-25T14:00:29.336-05:002015-12-25T14:00:29.336-05:00My name is Francis Tolliver .... (or did his famil...My name is Francis Tolliver .... (or did his family spell it Talliaferro?<br /><br />Great song.<br /><br />Perfect Christmas puzzle. Easy! With grandchildren home, it was a nice break between opening presents under the tree and starting the stuffing, then the turkey.<br /><br />Couple of comments on earlier posts:<br /><br />(1) Not only do they teach American history in schools, they teach it both in elementary school and high school -- the latter is a requirement in California and probably everywhere.<br /><br />(2) Xmas has Christ in it (the X being the first letter of "Christ" in Greek -- X or Xt were common abbreviations back when everything was written out in longhand, just like Thos and Jno and Wm for common men's names. But it seems to me you don't hear the good old carols so much on the radio these days, which makes the Christmas stories less well known than they should be.<br /><br />I dislike candy canes and therefore did not know the shapes, other than J, which was missing from this puzzle.old timernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37150790458188824542015-12-25T13:44:28.444-05:002015-12-25T13:44:28.444-05:00Yes, a SLED is a traditional Yule gift. Our oldest...Yes, a SLED is a traditional Yule gift. Our oldest son was born on XMAS Eve (he was 49 yesterday). My father in law showed up the next day with a six-foot Flexible Flyer, saying, "A boy's gotta have a SLED for XMAS." This for an 8-pound something infant. Took him years to grow into it.<br /><br />BTW, as has been noted here many times, the X in XMAS is the Greek letter Chi, the initial for the Greek Christos. Nothing disrespectful or anti-Christian about it.Master Melvinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00593874886180784660noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6714382978443757882015-12-25T13:38:28.635-05:002015-12-25T13:38:28.635-05:00Keep the Solstice in XMAS!Keep the Solstice in XMAS!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73112293622019771822015-12-25T13:25:33.596-05:002015-12-25T13:25:33.596-05:00Loved it! Maybe the first Friday puzzle for me whe...Loved it! Maybe the first Friday puzzle for me where I didn't have to Google once.<br /><br />A sled is most definitely a traditional Christmas gift, IMO. At least if you live where it snows. As a kid in Wisconsin, I can remember many times going sledding on Christmas afternoon, with everyone out there trying out their new sleds.<br /><br />Merry Christmas to all! (or Happy Whatever-You-Celebrate!)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com