tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post6126742212611161557..comments2024-03-29T08:38:19.158-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: SUNDAY, Sep. 23, 2007 - David Levinson WilkRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger44125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49597077884621652972007-10-02T18:21:00.000-04:002007-10-02T18:21:00.000-04:00have to say, you guys, I like this posting (even ...have to say, you guys, I like this posting (even though, age-wise and time-solving wise, I don't fit the demographic). I'm getting into a routine of solving the puzzle sometime between Mon-Wed and then checking out the answers (esp. to themed words/phrases) here, and then reading all your comments. Feels like talking with friends about a common subject. Best part of it is, I don't have to clean up the house before you guys come over. I guess I'm learning to accept the virtual chat. Does that give a clue to my age?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10374689744920647792007-10-01T23:01:00.000-04:002007-10-01T23:01:00.000-04:00I agree with two wheeler re: "Till" It made big pr...I agree with two wheeler re: "Till" <BR/>It made big problems for me as I started with PLOW. When I finally completed the west side, I was ready to declare an error in the definition... that is until I checked M-W dictionary and found the first listing (oldest etymology) for TILL is as clued. <BR/>(from the boonies, a week late)Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13379213828047971192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71945146998007941352007-09-24T13:48:00.000-04:002007-09-24T13:48:00.000-04:00I thought the trouble in the west could partly be ...I thought the trouble in the west could partly be blamed on "till." Shouldn't it be "'til" or until?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63993465514135827422007-09-24T01:35:00.000-04:002007-09-24T01:35:00.000-04:00Got more assistance from the theme today than in a...Got more assistance from the theme today than in any other puzzle for quite some time. Actually did this puzzle with a friend, and it was a mostly harmonious experience, especially since she commanded the pen. Only twice did I get reprimanded for interrupting.fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26413698421655834302007-09-23T22:07:00.000-04:002007-09-23T22:07:00.000-04:00An easy puzzle, but parterre and tenoner were new ...An easy puzzle, but parterre and tenoner were new to me and only gettable via crosses. I thought there was a lot of crosswordese in this puzzle, but the theme was enjoyable.Michael Chibnikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04700426644898924644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90015403198924844202007-09-23T18:42:00.000-04:002007-09-23T18:42:00.000-04:00English spelling "theatre" in the cryptic this wee...English spelling "theatre" in the cryptic this week. grrr.Daemmerunghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17658923387000760831noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68516649522773630112007-09-23T18:09:00.000-04:002007-09-23T18:09:00.000-04:00ah. silly me. I thought perhaps it was Armenian ...ah. silly me. I thought perhaps it was Armenian for 20, or something. thanks!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55458008872961347212007-09-23T17:58:00.000-04:002007-09-23T17:58:00.000-04:00FIFTY is composed of five letters, 40% of which ar...FIFTY is composed of five letters, 40% of which are EFS.<BR/><BR/>rpRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23841432728848472632007-09-23T17:55:00.000-04:002007-09-23T17:55:00.000-04:00I'm staring too. why is 'efs' 40% of 50?I'm staring too. why is 'efs' 40% of 50?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35101772958367674022007-09-23T15:46:00.000-04:002007-09-23T15:46:00.000-04:00I actually had "Broke for Co" instead of broke for...I actually had "Broke for Co" instead of broke for Go because I thought the amount you paid depended on your roll and if you rolled 2 sixes the roll broke for the water works COmpany and they got paid more. Plus I thought Mozarts symphony was INComplete. Amusing how far off base you can get when you take the wrong train on the wrong track!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78493762865667897572007-09-23T15:23:00.000-04:002007-09-23T15:23:00.000-04:00Between yesterday's Newt at the urinal imagery and...Between yesterday's Newt at the urinal imagery and today's GROIN (really, Will?), I am officially grossed out over here in Northeast Ohio, home of the O'JAYS. Not to be confused with O.J., who I distance myself from at all costs. <BR/><BR/>It's been such a week for Harry Potter clues. I finally finished #7 yesterday so SNAPE was an interesting harmonic convergence of life and puzzling. As was ALF, I hate to admit, which someone at work brought in on dvd to show at lunchtime on Friday. I watched one ep. It was ... very dated, and not funny. <BR/><BR/>APPLES FOR BOB was definitely my favorite switcheroo. <BR/><BR/>APARTHEID means separation in Afrikaans. In case there was any uncertainty about that? <BR/><BR/>I found it interesting that I still have a vivid mental image of the plane on which the Beatles flew into NYC, and thus PAN AM was a gimme, along with ZAK. The things that imprint on the brain of an 11-year-old. <BR/><BR/>Loved ORISON. One of Hamlet's most moving moments is the speech in which he says to Ophelia, "Nymph, in thy orisons be all my sins remembered." Wouldn't have known that word but for my love of that play. <BR/><BR/>Fun puzzle overall.wendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06899889818724088564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74804141887803862252007-09-23T14:43:00.000-04:002007-09-23T14:43:00.000-04:00A question:Does "Greek peak"/MTOSSA break the abbr...A question:<BR/>Does "Greek peak"/MTOSSA break the abbrev. rule since the abbrev. is in the answer but not the clue? Or does "Mt." fall under the rule of STPETER ("Figure in many jokes"), in that "St." is so common, cluing it is unneccesary? <BR/>Just wondering.<BR/><BR/>Liked 59A JUMBOSIZE/"Extra-large" (especially in all caps.<BR/><BR/>Did not like 22A TOTAL/"Unadulterated". Yuck.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43405165470028802732007-09-23T14:19:00.000-04:002007-09-23T14:19:00.000-04:00I found this puzzle to be one of the most gettable...I found this puzzle to be one of the most gettable Sundays in a while. Very little esoterica and very few mean ("Like llamas"?) crosses. Had the most trouble with 14A "Afternoon fare" because like yesterday's "Old Drive-in fare" (OATERS) I was wrongly thinking about food. I wanted it to be LUNCH.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89605565010295357632007-09-23T14:04:00.000-04:002007-09-23T14:04:00.000-04:00I stand corrected (by Wikipedia). Mitch Miller *wa...I stand corrected (by Wikipedia). Mitch Miller *was* an oboist and player of the English horn, which of course isn't a horn at all, but another double-reed instrument. But many of his arrangements were heavy on horns, as I recall. The search brought up an (un)favorite of my youth, his arrangement (or maybe composition) of "Tzena, Tzena." Ick. Old-time popcult wasn't much good, either.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90844077220615237782007-09-23T13:57:00.000-04:002007-09-23T13:57:00.000-04:00Nasty puzzle. I ran aground in the W, centering on...Nasty puzzle. I ran aground in the W, centering on MTOSSA, which I thought was unfair, particularly because PELION (which was what I had) fit the same space. Mitch Miller may have been an OBOIST at some time in his career, but he was known primarily as a conductor and arranger, and I thought his instrument was (French) horn. The theme answers were easy, but the fill was mostly awful.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15943079242500563542007-09-23T13:17:00.000-04:002007-09-23T13:17:00.000-04:00My A to Z crossword dictionary also supports unto ...My A to Z crossword dictionary also supports unto and unroot as correct. This felt about right for a Sunday and getting the theme early really helped the process. My only error was the unlucky guess of the day at the ORISON/NUNNIO crossing. Neither were familiar (I assume ORISON shows up in Xwords occasionally, I just haven't seen it or don't remember) so I put in an E at the of ORISON.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1881251548575843542007-09-23T12:42:00.000-04:002007-09-23T12:42:00.000-04:00To jordanthejust: I had the same problem and final...To jordanthejust: I had the same problem and finally resorted to Google to find out that (a) tenoner IS a legitimate word; and (b) in all the references I saw (I did not do an exhaustive search), the word always means a machine, one that cuts tenons, not a person. Now, I agree that people can be named after the thing they make (as in roof/roofer), but that doesn't always work (I don't think that a cornerer makes corners). So, is anybody out there who can confirm that in a workshop a guy who makes tenons or operates a tenoner is referred to by the same name?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13306963715594276372007-09-23T12:30:00.000-04:002007-09-23T12:30:00.000-04:00Well as long as it's official!Now I don't feel so ...Well as long as it's official!<BR/><BR/>Now I don't feel so bad.<BR/><BR/>rpRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40547639303954619482007-09-23T12:05:00.000-04:002007-09-23T12:05:00.000-04:0051D: A tenoner makes tenons, which fit into mortis...51D: A tenoner makes tenons, which fit into mortises.<BR/><BR/>The RHUD supports both unroot and unto as clued, making the crossing officially ambiguous.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52623989499006539422007-09-23T12:03:00.000-04:002007-09-23T12:03:00.000-04:00TKTS is a booth in Times Square where you can get ...TKTS is a booth in Times Square where you can get discounted Broadway tickets just before the shows. The nearby theaters release unsold tickets, since obviously it's better to fill a seat at a lower price than not to fill it at all. For those willing to be flexible it can be a good deal. The booth is within a stone's throw of the NYT headquarters (but this summer the throw got slightly longer when the newspaper moved west into an elegant new building on 8th Avenue).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68240926694124187152007-09-23T11:53:00.000-04:002007-09-23T11:53:00.000-04:00Poster: There is no such word as "veria." It's "op...Poster: There is no such word as "veria." It's "opera buffa" (comic opera) or "opera seria" (dramatic opera). There is, however, e.g., "Don Giovanni," which is called by its librettist un "dramma giocoso," or "humorous drama," a mixture of comic and serious. There is also "verismo" or "realistic" opera, such as the works of Puccini, which often had realistic, contemporary plots and settings.<BR/><BR/>In another area, remember the famous Chas. Addams cartoon with the witches test-tasting their brew? One of them tells the other: "You forgot the eye of newt."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51721622877627921282007-09-23T11:44:00.000-04:002007-09-23T11:44:00.000-04:00I can't stare at 51D anymore. It may be obvious l...I can't stare at 51D anymore. It may be obvious later, but would someone explain?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28390924679169052432007-09-23T11:41:00.000-04:002007-09-23T11:41:00.000-04:00PARTREE ?= Par Terre = 'on ground' in French?PARTREE ?= Par Terre = 'on ground' in French?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43291866156889753972007-09-23T11:32:00.000-04:002007-09-23T11:32:00.000-04:00UNROOT works but is UNTO really till? UP TO clearl...UNROOT works but is UNTO really till? <BR/>UP TO clearly is.<BR/>GEODOMEM/BUENO instead of the elegant GOODOMEN/BUONO did me in.<BR/>AMANA for Whirlpool was a gimmee for me. That means I have been doing too many puzzles. Very Petergordonesque.barrywephttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04025848655112601237noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2404886952237785082007-09-23T10:26:00.000-04:002007-09-23T10:26:00.000-04:00The O'Jays! A soul group from the '70s.Rex, I must...<A HREF="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_O'Jays" REL="nofollow">The O'Jays!</A> A soul group from the '70s.<BR/><BR/>Rex, I must express my gratitude for the Mitch Gaylord shoutout. He was such a cutie in his Olympic days, and then the movie thing happened, and...oy. Good for a laugh, though!Orangehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12433254398377357737noreply@blogger.com