tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post5642419196779497772..comments2024-03-29T07:17:55.045-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Steel giant founded in 1899 / WED 5-21-14 / Friedrich units for short / Google co-founder SergeyRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger112125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29356086164956551992014-06-25T18:18:51.915-04:002014-06-25T18:18:51.915-04:00Yo, this puzzle be wiggin me out!Yo, this puzzle be wiggin me out!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71455291463214335872014-06-25T18:14:36.200-04:002014-06-25T18:14:36.200-04:00raceCAR before crosses finally fixed the NW.
I pr...raceCAR before crosses finally fixed the NW.<br /><br />I probably invested in that steel giant, ARMCO. That's likely why it went out of business.<br /><br />REDSCARE and HENIE juxtaposed with IPADS and BRIN. <br />EVIL next to GIRLSDORM. Something BLEU, perhaps? <br /><br />Save the HONEYBEES.<br /><br />Time to eat some WHIRLEDPeas.Solving in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04249420848844874936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26178236272604415122014-06-25T16:13:56.204-04:002014-06-25T16:13:56.204-04:00The French phrase "que sera, sera" kept ...The French phrase "que sera, sera" kept me from seeing the Italian BUONA sera for quite a while but eventually the melons and the skater bailed me out (albeit with less than 100% certainty until I came here). Someone (@JOHO?) wondered five weeks ago if "ICES in" is as real as "snows in" - as someone who has been iced in on more than a few occasions let me say, yes it most certainly is.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1594742857312198572014-06-25T14:42:00.632-04:002014-06-25T14:42:00.632-04:00Struggled a bit with this one. With tEn for "...Struggled a bit with this one. With tEn for "beauty" and RepLy for "comeback" it took a bit of jiggling and jogging to sort out the NE, but eventually got there. Did have to hope ACS was correct and tut-tutted at BEWIG, but otherwise enjoyed this one. As for the puns, actually they helped me a bit, and they were certainly nothing compared to the groaners my husband keeps lobbing out there. So, hey, a good Wednesday!DMGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63698445800275223212014-06-25T14:24:30.455-04:002014-06-25T14:24:30.455-04:00Land o'Goshen, what a fuss!
Most crossword pu...Land o'Goshen, what a fuss!<br /><br />Most crossword puzzle solves hinge on what you know or don't know. I had heard of Friedrich air conditioners (ACS), so ARMCO was no problem. Regarding BEWIG, the term "bewigged" is in the language, so it's present tense is fair game, I think.<br /><br />Refraining from criticizing anybody here, I *will* say that I think on many occasions, disparaging a puzzle seems to be based on the length of time it takes people on certain days. But, MY MY, today, there's nothing here to get ABOIL over. <br /><br />Perhaps I've missed the golden rules about puzzle-making, and maybe that was when I was in the GIRLSDORM, but I still enjoyed this one. rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58764276081464584042014-06-25T14:08:33.949-04:002014-06-25T14:08:33.949-04:00Unfortunate ignorance relating to Spanish and the ...Unfortunate ignorance relating to Spanish and the entire melon family led to a personal 49A/50D nattick but otherwise found this a fun Wednesday puzzle. <br /><br />Perhaps I'm easily pleased but found the theme puns original and very amusing, especially WHIRLEDPIECE which IMHO rates 4 ****'s. Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58182847074606452972014-06-25T11:52:07.465-04:002014-06-25T11:52:07.465-04:00quick and easy. fun puzquick and easy. fun puzTorbhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01813931192681953872noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16645211041973641102014-06-25T11:16:08.880-04:002014-06-25T11:16:08.880-04:00Easy except for that horrid mid-east. Had I not re...Easy except for that horrid mid-east. Had I not remembered that eerie Cash line about shooting a man just to watch him die, the whole section would have been pure guesswork. ARMCO a steel "giant?" GIANT??<br /><br />Ne.<br />Vah.<br />Hoidofit.<br /><br />The A was a total shot in the dark. I think that sector deserves a sector-wide flag for sustained obscurity. There's no football equivalent, but in hockey it would've been a five-minute game misconduct. Let's say, fifteen yards from point of infraction.<br /><br />And that's a lot of yards, because this guy was almost home with a very nice effort. I got what was going on much sooner than did OFL, and with more appreciation, too. Some of the fill was subpar; heck, if your name's not Berry, that's pretty much true all around. I could've done wothout CEES and the crutchy SASES. Still some nice longer fill and an amusing theme. Redo that one area and you'd have a GEM.<br /><br />@jthurst: I think you mean this is the crossWHIRLED. Doesn't that fit better?spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91551441892957491472014-05-22T00:04:06.507-04:002014-05-22T00:04:06.507-04:00@ZenMonkey - I find the amateur psychoanalysis of ...@ZenMonkey - I find the amateur psychoanalysis of Rex a little tiresome, too. People who find him excessively critical are free to ignore him. I assume when he gets sick of doing this he'll stop. Besides, he is only half the show, anyway. The gridderati and the rest of the commentariat are almost always worth reading. If one disagrees with his take, feel free to come here and tell us why. You are likely to find a few others who agree.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31867499641900027282014-05-21T23:40:39.857-04:002014-05-21T23:40:39.857-04:00Top = Spinning Top? Whirling Top?
Top = Spinning Top? Whirling Top?<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71890773533347045132014-05-21T23:39:03.713-04:002014-05-21T23:39:03.713-04:00I don't mean to keep posting bummers, but why ...I don't mean to keep posting bummers, but why do people constantly ask Rex if he's burnt out because he didn't like a puzzle that you did? <br /><br />As I've said before, this is frequently the case with me. I'll finish something I thought was clever and fun, and come here to see that Rex didn't like it. Sometimes because he was annoyed by obscure references that I had no problem with, or sometimes because, as here, he just didn't like the answers for whatever subjective reason. In that case it's just a difference of opinion and so what?<br /><br />If he didn't like a puzzle I did for technical reasons, then I might learn something about solving or constructing. <br /><br />I know I sound like a toady, but I'd say the same thing in defense of anyone here who expressed an opinion about the puzzle. <br /><br />For the record, I didn't like this puzzle much either; it wasn't BAD bad at all, but the theme entries fell very flat for me. I took a few years off from doing the puzzle, and I do feel in a subjective way that the quality has slipped. And if I knew as much about puzzles as Rex and many of you, it would probably be even more exasperating and disappointing. I don't think that necessarily signifies burnout.<br /><br />ZenMonkeyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01351161309102608706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-4689219442252647642014-05-21T23:33:25.104-04:002014-05-21T23:33:25.104-04:00I can't argue with any of you about what pop i...I can't argue with any of you about what pop is today. I never listen to it. I walk out of restaurants that play it too loud. I assume that what they blast between innings at the Met games is "pop." Or is it dance music? Or techno. Or metal, ska, …I really don't know the difference… (not being judgmental. I don't eat fish. People often try to get me to try, say mahi-mahi, or snapper - it's all fish to me; I don't know the difference, and don't care to know. So it is with what I call "rock…")OISKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16808675378318214461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3657025391731110252014-05-21T23:31:10.542-04:002014-05-21T23:31:10.542-04:00@jae--Oh yeah! I just meant rock, as opposed to a...@jae--Oh yeah! I just meant rock, as opposed to and distinct from rock and roll, started in the 60s. You know, in mid to late 60s when the bluesy form of rock and roll morphed into the heavier and more stylistically inclusive style of rock. Definitely, most hit songs these days don't even feature rock rhythms or instruments, they are dance music songs. There is an occasional rock-oriented hit, but I would say the last time the pop charts were dominated by rock music was in the 90s.Benkonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30851109724193252742014-05-21T23:19:40.530-04:002014-05-21T23:19:40.530-04:00@Benko - Absolutely! The reason I posted that lin...@Benko - Absolutely! The reason I posted that link was that you said '60s and that particular song brought rock and roll into the mainstream in the early /mid '50s. I also agree that much of what pop is today is dance music. It's not the simple guitar/bass/drum mix that characterized 50's and '60s rock and roll.jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50150390066380372382014-05-21T23:08:01.643-04:002014-05-21T23:08:01.643-04:00@jae-- I meant that the boogie woogie style of rhy...@jae-- I meant that the boogie woogie style of rhythm and blues went back about 80 years, not what is technically "rock and roll". The first technically "rock and roll" single, according to general consensus, was Ike Turner's "Rocket 88", recorded in 1951. But it was an amped-up version of music which had been existence for about 20 years by that point, I think.<br />Still, I find the basics of rock and roll go back even farther than that, if you listen to the first hillbilly and blues recordings of the late teens and early 20s, the roots were already present. Boogie woogie Fatha Hines/Jelly Roll Morton piano also certainly has the structure intact. I could argue, that in a way, Fats Waller was the first rock and roll "star".Benkonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8116640470239102222014-05-21T22:09:39.369-04:002014-05-21T22:09:39.369-04:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 8/1/2009 post for an explanation and my 10/15/2012 post for an explanation of a tweak I've made to my method. 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 7:57, 6:04, 1.31, 100%, Challenging (2nd highest ratio of 229 Mondays)<br />Tue no data<br />Wed 11:16, 9:54, 1.14, 81%, Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 4:59, 3:57, 1.26, 99%, Challenging (3rd highest ratio of 229 Mondays)<br />Tue no data<br />Wed 7:21, 6:11, 1.19, 89%, Challengingsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51301448482828534382014-05-21T21:03:24.274-04:002014-05-21T21:03:24.274-04:00I have spent so much time reading German that I am...I have spent so much time reading German that I am comfortable putting a BE- prefix on any verb. BEWIG? No problem.Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17459992224851404501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13476917357775252032014-05-21T20:50:56.857-04:002014-05-21T20:50:56.857-04:00@JTHurst - one of the greatest comments ever!
I&#...@JTHurst - one of the greatest comments ever!<br /><br />I'm not there yet, but crossword land is beginning to permeate my regular life.<br /><br />DNF because of BRIN, ARMCO, btu for ACS, etc. I don't mind puns, though.<br />HArd for Wed.Sfingihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06903616949048940858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33121091153338752032014-05-21T19:18:46.214-04:002014-05-21T19:18:46.214-04:00Just to prove that good taste and bad puns aren...Just to prove that good taste and bad puns aren't mutually exclusive, here's the APASHAnata, Barenboim on the piano.<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4C3TIr2bBo0Leapfingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14243620614139990887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70465010914293884792014-05-21T18:31:19.392-04:002014-05-21T18:31:19.392-04:00@quilty1 -- Hope your Mom does well; tough times, ...@quilty1 -- Hope your Mom does well; tough times, I know.<br /><br />@Carola -- I knew I was thinking of Aramco and didn't care: I figured the odds were better than 1 in 26!<br /><br />@AliasZ -- Dang! Was in a hurry before work, just wanted to leave a footprint; at that hour, probably only firing up one hemisphere. Billy Wilder dredged up The Apartment, and I looked no further. Of COURSE, SLiHot would have been ideal. What teamwork, what teamwork!<br /><br />You haven't let me know if Szent-Gyorgyi got his email through<br /><br />PS. "Bosom Buddies" also had a lot of bewiggery-pokery going on. Is it alright to say 'bosom' on this site?Leapfingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14243620614139990887noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78428152839299069522014-05-21T17:59:33.246-04:002014-05-21T17:59:33.246-04:00MYMY...it seems the peanut gallery is evenly divid...MYMY...it seems the peanut gallery is evenly divided on the merits of this puzz. It set Rex's blood ABOIL and despite his OATH not to totally BASH it, he HAS done so,EVILly upsetting @Honeysmom, 11:57 AM, in the process. The CAD! Someone must ESTOP him. I kid. STAND your ground, Rex.<br /><br />I found this to be an easy-medium Wed. Not a GEM, but of at least CEE quality (okay, B-). I like puns, the groanier the better, so this one worked for me.<br /><br />Thanks, MB and WS.Ludyjynnnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37146832807260772532014-05-21T17:52:50.956-04:002014-05-21T17:52:50.956-04:00@Benko - Rock Around the Clock Bill Haley and the...@Benko - <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgdufzXvjqw&feature=kp" rel="nofollow">Rock Around the Clock</a> Bill Haley and the Comets 1954jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65101478438041217312014-05-21T17:44:29.651-04:002014-05-21T17:44:29.651-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32854726281696121892014-05-21T17:05:30.028-04:002014-05-21T17:05:30.028-04:00@OISK: Perhaps your definition of "rock"...@OISK: Perhaps your definition of "rock" is much more inclusive than mine, but it seems that the vast majority of pop music now is dance music-based rather than rock. Dance music, in the sense of what disco morphed into during the eighties, through electro, house, and techno music.<br />Rock music has been around since the 60s, and rock and roll itself is really just an update of boogie woogie rhythm and blues, going back probably 80 years or so. Predates a lot of the people on your list.Benkonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37696581901819827232014-05-21T16:59:33.978-04:002014-05-21T16:59:33.978-04:00@Z Don't know who Pharrell is, and never liste...@Z Don't know who Pharrell is, and never listen to Beyonce or Eminem, although I have heard of him, and have seen her (mostly doing commercials). I said "pre 1970," when pop music would have included Sinatra, Tony Bennett, Perry Como, Steve Lawrence, early Streisand, and Broadway show tunes. (I use "pop" as an abbreviation for "popular.") In recent decades, non-rock popular music is very hard to find.OISKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16808675378318214461noreply@blogger.com