tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post5533622025477215003..comments2024-03-28T13:17:40.062-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Actress Rue of Rules of Engagement / SAT 12-17-11 / English explorer who named Lake Victoria / TV title lawyer Stone / Scandalous 1980s inits. / Old Testament outdoorsmanRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66564563971242401302012-01-21T20:49:51.060-05:002012-01-21T20:49:51.060-05:00JAPERY is a singular noun; jests is a plural noun,...JAPERY is a singular noun; jests is a plural noun, or a verb.<br /><br />SARA Rue, is an obscure actress who appeared in exactly seven episodes of a meaningless TV show with a two year run. Please.<br /><br />ELI Stone; the name of another pathetic TV series. <br /><br />It's not like there aren't any significant Eli's or Sara's to choose from.<br /><br />ARD should be AZD.<br /><br />QUICKFREEZE is an entirely made up phrase.<br /><br />And no one in the history of tasty snackfood has ever used the phrase SALSADIP.<br /><br />Secret target = ARMPIT was great!Steve in PDXnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90841764677818346112012-01-21T19:09:31.450-05:002012-01-21T19:09:31.450-05:00@chefbea 2:25 PM
just read in our paper that our g...@chefbea 2:25 PM<br />just read in our paper that our good friend Etta James has died.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76870057814766877302012-01-21T18:54:05.875-05:002012-01-21T18:54:05.875-05:00Spacecraft here. Well,ya can't please everybod...Spacecraft here. Well,ya can't please everybody. This was a Tale of Two Puzzles for me: the West, done with three Googles in the NW corner and despite starting with the actual term FLASHFREEZE in place of the made-up phrase in the answer; and the inscrutable (and totally unfinished) East.<br /> JAPERY never occurred to me; yeah, I know it's a real word, but outside of Mr. Roget, I couldn't name five poeple who EVER used it--and neither can you. And there's<br />"lowest" number on a clock: I suspected a Shortzy twist on that one, but my brain just flat-out missed that turn. I should know by now: you can't drive down a snaking back road like you do on the Autobahn. And Will's Fridays and Saturdays? Hairpins, baby.<br /> Outdoor dining place-MESSTENT.<br />I guess, strictly speaking...tents have FLAPS, not "doors" per se... but really. One thinks of outdoor as being, you know, outside. It's a BRUTAL clue.<br /> And now tell me how to make the leap from "Go! Go! Go!" to FLOORIT. First of all, I'd have to leave the stadium, or arena, where I'm rooting for my team, and climb into a getaway car. What did I do, heist the gate?? Even with FLO___ in place I had no chance. Oh, and here's the sockdolager: run down for GETTIRED. No, no: run down means TIRED, not GETTIRED. Or run down means HITAPEDESTRIAN while you're FLOORingIT.<br /> The clock clue is my bad; I'll admit I should've gotten that one. But the rest? Horrible, rotten clues; you might as well ENCRYPT the whole thing in, say, Sanskrit.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83016405754708754412012-01-21T17:27:38.480-05:002012-01-21T17:27:38.480-05:00Loved it and finished it (and of course I'm no...Loved it and finished it (and of course I'm not so naive as to think those are entirely unrelated). <br /><br />Plunked down Abado for 5D (pianist Claudio), feeling all hoity-toity worldly. He's a violinist and his name has another B. Oh, well. Grid's a little messy, but it's right (now).<br /><br />Wanted SALSAmIx for a while.<br /><br />My Mom used to say "bless her pointed head," which was a sort of affectionate slap.Red Valerianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04638265039015470938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5851164702442680352012-01-21T16:24:03.520-05:002012-01-21T16:24:03.520-05:00And from 5 weeks later, I don't recall ever he...And from 5 weeks later, I don't recall ever hearing anyone say "I'm just sayin." Nor have I ever heard anyone refer to pajama pants.boardbtrnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57916981652757268282012-01-21T16:18:12.477-05:002012-01-21T16:18:12.477-05:00Would a clue like this be okay?
"With 60-Acro...Would a clue like this be okay?<br />"With 60-Across, Eddie Murphy or Samuel L. Jackson"<br />Answer: AFRICAN AMERICANS?<br />...<br />Not so much, I bet.<br /><br />So why then, is it permissible to single out the racial heritage of the two Michelles, who are famous for being great athletes, and not for their racial makeup?<br /><br />IMJUSTSAYIN.Steve in PDXnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73408346555506785862012-01-21T14:23:31.437-05:002012-01-21T14:23:31.437-05:00@anon 1:40 Check Mirriam Webster. Tortoni: Ice c...@anon 1:40 Check Mirriam Webster. Tortoni: Ice cream made with heavy cream often flavored with rum. I agree, it's not the same tortoni I know.Sage of La Mesanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82021376095487769572012-01-21T13:40:02.464-05:002012-01-21T13:40:02.464-05:00Being an Italian-American (nod to Asian Anerican),...Being an Italian-American (nod to Asian Anerican), I can say with little doubt that there never was nor never will be rum in tortoni. It's made with sherry, egg yolks, heavy cream and sugar syrup.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32859798846001717752012-01-21T12:27:14.364-05:002012-01-21T12:27:14.364-05:00After reading our leader's ravings, I must adm...After reading our leader's ravings, I must admit I received a mental image of an old fashioned, bespectacled, thin lipped school marm, slapping a ruler on her desk.<br /><br />Secondly, there are just "salsas" for many things, including salsas for dipping. Ergo, salsa dip is OK by me. Nothing redundant about that. Nuff said.<br /><br />The term "just sayin" can be used in many ways for many reasons. I have never heard it used passive-agressively. There is almost nothing in this world that is black and white except for perhaps a squad car.<br /><br />@Evil D, You & I think alike. We must be the 35th King's of something.Simply, Ronnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22588832741472782532011-12-18T23:35:16.450-05:002011-12-18T23:35:16.450-05:00Translation lesson for non-Southerners: "Bles...Translation lesson for non-Southerners: "Bless your heart" means either "That's awful" or "You poor thing" OR "You should consider a brain transplant." As others have said; context is everything. Thus: "Aunt Millie let the salsa dip sit out all night and Cousin Ed nearly ended up in the hospital, bless his heart" versus "Bless her heart, Aunt Millie let that salsa dip sit out all night." <br /><br />Liked the puzzle but anyone watching me solve it would say, "Bless her heart."Cathelouhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11546948747589294162noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32596256106309966932011-12-18T09:10:24.527-05:002011-12-18T09:10:24.527-05:00@swimslikeafish--I guarantee some of us are still ...@swimslikeafish--I guarantee some of us are still reading . . .and appreciate your input.<br /><br />@JFe--I'm glad you enjoyed it.<br /><br />@acme and others who mentioned it--I never think of the Panama Canal without remembering "Arsenic and Old Lace" and the crazy uncle. So thanks for the memories.<br /><br />Off to do today's puzzle--which I figure lots of you did last night.600https://www.blogger.com/profile/14501483791122854785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34849047934955279162011-12-18T07:58:17.126-05:002011-12-18T07:58:17.126-05:00Given the way my workdays go, I am almost always a...Given the way my workdays go, I am almost always a day late to the blog, so don't get to post because I figure y'all won't still be reading. (But that doesn't stop me from checking it out every day and enjoying it tremendously. Like cracking up about @evil's dancing waiter.)<br /><br />Anyway, can't resist chiming in about SALSA. My understanding of this word in its Spanish meaning is it's like pesto or our crossword friend olio; that is, it means a mixture of some kind (literally, "sauce"), whatever works for your particular tastes or what you've got in the fridge. So SALSADIP seemed to me just wrong; though I guess I'll accept the idea that if it has sour cream in it, it's a dip -- but then the clue should have said so. Y'know, just sayin...swimslikeafishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15561314104964203746noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23850961996282940242011-12-18T01:41:51.440-05:002011-12-18T01:41:51.440-05:00@tita
merci! i WAS trying to think of minitel/pne...@tita<br />merci! i WAS trying to think of minitel/pneumatic tubes!<br />They were still using those when everyone had moved on to faxes... Today's menopause moment conflated minitel(etype). I appreciate you wading thru all my gobbledegook to actually help me. Besos!Acmenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-92231082641639292572011-12-18T01:15:34.532-05:002011-12-18T01:15:34.532-05:00Acme...
Huh?
" those air chutes the French us...Acme...<br />Huh?<br />" those air chutes the French used to use prefax...wait, werethose called TELETYPES? They were called something French-sounding, not surprisingly."<br />Do you mean pneumatic tubes? (google that term and "Stew Leonard" and you'll see a disappointing misuse by an all-American tax evasion success story.)<br />Is that what you mean? Or do you mean the Minitel...Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72259428368958066712011-12-18T01:03:55.210-05:002011-12-18T01:03:55.210-05:00@Dirigonzo and @Lindsay: Watch out for the two (TR...@Dirigonzo and @Lindsay: Watch out for the two (TROOPER) Mustangs on the Maine Tpke. They just look like ordinary muscle cars.Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02681342234536407419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12420296877464819962011-12-18T00:06:01.247-05:002011-12-18T00:06:01.247-05:00@santafefran (filling in for evil) -- No, but he w...@santafefran (filling in for evil) -- No, but he wore a powder blue cape. And, did I mention he was handsome.jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-92152637282315414872011-12-17T21:44:51.466-05:002011-12-17T21:44:51.466-05:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 8/1/2009 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 6:59, 6:51, 1.02, 63%, Medium-Challenging<br />Tue 7:58, 8:52, 0.90, 20%, Easy<br />Wed 12:16, 11:48, 1.04, 63%, Medium-Challenging<br />Thu 22:18, 19:01, 1.17, 82%, Challenging<br />Fri 21:56, 25:27, 0.86, 23%, Easy-Medium<br />Sat 26:54, 30:00, 0.90, 26%, Easy-Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:49, 3:40, 1.04, 71%, Medium-Challenging<br />Tue 4:35, 4:34, 0.96, 44%, Medium<br />Wed 6:29, 5:51, 1.11, 80%, Challenging<br />Thu 10:33, 9:17, 1.14, 78%, Medium-Challenging<br />Fri 11:18, 12:36, 0.90, 35%, Easy-Medium<br />Sat 15:11, 17:06, 0.89, 30%, Easy-Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9302276393652523932011-12-17T21:35:33.185-05:002011-12-17T21:35:33.185-05:00The NYY clue threw me. I can see why, on a scoreb...The NYY clue threw me. I can see why, on a scoreboard, they would use that abbreviation. But if a clue has the Postal Code followed by the team initial, well, I went with AZD.<br />Had ALL kinds of fun with that!<br />Otherwise, loved the puzzle!TDavisnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13295534751759879132011-12-17T20:46:29.418-05:002011-12-17T20:46:29.418-05:00@evil , so was your waiter doing the Salsa Dip?
...@evil , so was your waiter doing the Salsa Dip?<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Captcha: chides. I'm just sayinSantafefrannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73590224048160370142011-12-17T20:12:30.593-05:002011-12-17T20:12:30.593-05:00Yes, it happens so often: I'm at a restaurant...Yes, it happens so often: I'm at a restaurant and ask for some salsa---and the waiter breaks into dance. "No, no---I meant salsa DIP, senor." Then I go to a record store, ask for salsa, and they give me a jar of chip dip! <br /><br />Context, people. Of course there are different meanings to "salsa"---and a majority of other English words that don't require us to redundantly over-describe them. <br /><br />"I ordered some Suzette, I said<br />'Could you please make that Crepe?'"---Bob Dylan<br /><br />Evilevil doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17593231055589228837noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35147111734392081042011-12-17T20:09:46.775-05:002011-12-17T20:09:46.775-05:00SALSA DIP Recipe.
1) Buy/Make your favorite Salsa...SALSA DIP Recipe.<br /><br />1) Buy/Make your favorite Salsa.<br />2) Mix with Sour Cream.<br />3) Serve.Not a Double Dippernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67224793719579246602011-12-17T19:33:06.154-05:002011-12-17T19:33:06.154-05:00A nice Saturday, possible but required some work. ...A nice Saturday, possible but required some work. I completely agree with Rex about I'm just sayin..feel the same about the mysterious (for me as a non-Southerner) "bless his/her heart" which has always seemed to me as sending a totally mixed message because it is inevitably followed by something uncomplimentary. Doesn't soften it at all for me, but maybe for native speakers...michaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17564375681778204722011-12-17T19:18:12.068-05:002011-12-17T19:18:12.068-05:00SALSADIP seems like a perfectly reasonable phrase ...SALSADIP seems like a perfectly reasonable phrase to me - had I gotten it I would have finished the puzzle instead of *almost* finishing.<br /><br />@Lindsay, I'm pretty sure the troopers who drive those blue Crown Vics don't call them SQUADCARS, they're "cruisers".<br /><br />Slinking back to syndiland now - see you next week (maybe).Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32597876650013871182011-12-17T19:15:38.897-05:002011-12-17T19:15:38.897-05:00So maybe SALSA DIP is a new dance craze?So maybe SALSA DIP is a new dance craze?Santafefrannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14114701722294031762011-12-17T18:51:35.697-05:002011-12-17T18:51:35.697-05:00@ jberg, You are so right about salsa.
I could say...@ jberg, You are so right about salsa.<br />I could say I'm going out to get some salsa and you could ask if I was going to the grocery or the record store.<br />That's one reason I love hanging out with you people. I learn the darnedest things!Two Ponieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06896743444873087885noreply@blogger.com