tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post619730536726129090..comments2024-03-29T01:22:33.864-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Flutelike instruments / MON 11-14-11 / Polymeric compoud in breast implants / Popular computer game with geometric shapesRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger80125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63117922808853642302017-08-02T14:37:49.087-04:002017-08-02T14:37:49.087-04:00Although flutes and ocarinas both have edges over ...Although flutes and ocarinas both have edges over which the air vibrates to form a pitch, a flute is a pipe resonator whereas an ocarina is a cavity resonator. This makes an ocarina very unlike a flute. One consequence of the difference is that on a flute both the size and placement of the holes is critical, whereas the holes on an ocarina can be placed almost anywhere and only their size matters.paleolithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00869723067229032824noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13914424413455355982011-12-19T21:22:33.845-05:002011-12-19T21:22:33.845-05:00Syndicated solver here.
I liked WASSAILS being pa...Syndicated solver here.<br /><br />I liked WASSAILS being part of the puzzle because for us syndie-land folks, it's nearly Christmas.<br /><br />I agree with the medium-challenging rating. This was one of the first Mondays in <i>months</i> that I couldn't confidently start in the NW corner and work my way through in order. In fact, the NW was the last area to fall.<br /><br />I started by remembering the ALAMO, then working my way toward the EASTS, then DAMASK and EUCLID took me down to the SW and then back towards the west and then north in a clockwise motion. BTW, Del Taco is not the only person who mentally associated OCARINAS with <i>Zelda: The Ocarina of Time</i>.<br /><br />I had nothing but ARENA in the NW corner until I twigged to the bowling theme, so that gave me STRIKE GOLD and SPARE SOME CHANGE. Then I found ASEA for "sailing", and pulled SATRAP from some recess of my memory where words are stored that I've forgotten that I knew. Last to fall was SAUD because I had never heard of ADIN, and I was looking for some general category like EMIR or AGHA, and wasn't thinking about specific dynasties like the House of SAUD.Nullifidianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15207390447020990907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74186458908442267012011-12-19T17:31:00.516-05:002011-12-19T17:31:00.516-05:00From 5 weeks later, it seems to me that any place ...From 5 weeks later, it seems to me that any place where OLDNICK is Satan surely the Christmas drinks should be WhiSkeyS.<br /><br />@Anony 8:01 AM - that's too funny. Do you suppose it was deliberate, or just lucky?Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-27002423047999804932011-12-19T17:04:39.762-05:002011-12-19T17:04:39.762-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54333607864092990672011-12-19T13:17:34.241-05:002011-12-19T13:17:34.241-05:00I do the NYT crosswords; my husband bowls. So the ...I do the NYT crosswords; my husband bowls. So the theme was a no-brainer for me. But I thought this was a pretty tough Monday, where some answers were only gotten by the crosses. That's unusual for a Monday. <br /><br />And I was hoping for one more theme answer, because if you don't get a STRIKE, and you miss your SPLIT and don't pick up your SPARE, then your frame is OPEN. <br /><br />Oh, but I did appreciate 45D: X (which is, of course, the symbol for STRIKE, which means you knocked over TEN pins).Jen in CAnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83654083089831458692011-12-19T08:01:44.683-05:002011-12-19T08:01:44.683-05:00Am I the only one that found it amusing that the r...Am I the only one that found it amusing that the reference to silicone was 38D?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65950108950229746592011-11-14T23:07:39.204-05:002011-11-14T23:07:39.204-05:00I have a flute and an ocarina-I must say my ocarin...I have a flute and an ocarina-I must say my ocarinamore closly resembles my nose than it does my flute-just sayin' my captha is MISDO-crosswordesesyndyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16814698406887041710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46812441152268530912011-11-14T23:00:30.736-05:002011-11-14T23:00:30.736-05:00To those nattering about the money theme...how abo...To those nattering about the money theme...how about 54A - NABOB?<br /><br />Bill's blog (www.nytcrossword.com), reminded me that it also means "person of wealth"...Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57629770155309707392011-11-14T22:37:03.420-05:002011-11-14T22:37:03.420-05:00By the way this is barcelona guy, orchestral music...By the way this is barcelona guy, orchestral musician. Can't figure out how to comment with my google account.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63480695045739296222011-11-14T22:33:29.189-05:002011-11-14T22:33:29.189-05:00@Sfingi Orchestral flutes are part of the woodwind...@Sfingi Orchestral flutes are part of the woodwind section, and they have no reeds (and these days are usually made of silver or gold).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83300512894388900632011-11-14T21:18:13.331-05:002011-11-14T21:18:13.331-05:00@andrea - What's crosswordese for some is ever...@andrea - What's crosswordese for some is every day stuff for others. RIT could be a cloth dye or the Rochester Institute of Technology in these parts.<br /><br />Monday - "easy for me, deefeecult for you." as Senor Wences used to say. <br /><br />ARENA was on 3 puzzles, today. <br /><br />@MO7s (what does that mean?) - Here I have learned that saxophones are woodwinds and recorders are not. It's all about reeds. <br /><br />Wassail, wassail all over the town<br />Our toast it is white and our ale it is brown.<br />Our bowl it is made of an old maple tree<br />And the wassailing bowl I'll drink to thee.<br /><br />@2ponies - also prefer Georgia.<br /><br />@dk - then there's candlepins and 10 pins.Sfingihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06903616949048940858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-39219440769590359472011-11-14T21:00:45.489-05:002011-11-14T21:00:45.489-05:00I finished Monday in what felt like 3 minutes!
I ...I finished Monday in what felt like 3 minutes!<br /><br />I am therefore quite flabbergasted that so many of you from whom I have learned so much thought differently.<br /><br />Fridays and Saturdays (even some Thursdays) are still a struggle for me, though my completion rate has definitely gone way up in recent months. Because of that, I welcome easy Mondays. (Yes, I realize that you are comparing Mondays to Mondays...still, seemed easier than most.)<br /><br />My only problem is that with the now daily chore of hauling fallen trees down my endless driveway has me struggling to stay awake for the 10pm Release of the Puzzle!Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6790166916920978112011-11-14T17:39:41.121-05:002011-11-14T17:39:41.121-05:00@acme: please add my name to the growing list of ...@acme: please add my name to the growing list of those who loved your comment. <br /><br />I guess I'm a Saturday solver, in that I usually (but not always) finish every day including Saturday.<br /><br />But I look forward to Mondays, because (and here I agree with @Foodie) the best ones are fresh, fun, and they set up the rest of the week. <br /><br />And nobody does Monday like the Queen of Mondays.archaeoprofhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17956231727789223463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36856464942462026902011-11-14T16:46:32.395-05:002011-11-14T16:46:32.395-05:00@foodie, @bill, @REO, @jim,
yes yes yes yes exactl...@foodie, @bill, @REO, @jim,<br />yes yes yes yes exactly! thank youacmenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54447885296940963152011-11-14T16:46:21.349-05:002011-11-14T16:46:21.349-05:00@andrea -- I know exactly what you mean but it'...@andrea -- I know exactly what you mean but it's tough to articulate. Sorta like Potter Stewert on obscenity.<br /><br />And, TV Guide puzzles are not for beginners. I can't do them. Way too much arcane TV trivia (and yes, I know I'm admitting to reading TV guide).jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35593929783316449232011-11-14T16:26:42.249-05:002011-11-14T16:26:42.249-05:00Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 8/1/2...Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 8/1/2009 post for an explanation of my method):<br /><br />All solvers (median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Mon 6:32, 6:50, 0.96, 33%, Easy-Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:41, 3:40, 1.01, 54%, Medium<br /><br />I'm a little surprised that this one isn't more on the Challenging end of the Monday spectrum for all the reasons Rex notes in his blog post. It looks like there may be fewer than the typical number of Monday online solvers. So it may be that more folks gave up on solving it than is usually the case. This would skew the "All solvers" rating toward the Easy end of the scale.<br /><br />That said, my solve time places this puzzle in my Easy-Medium Monday range.sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89922833151032304922011-11-14T16:26:39.222-05:002011-11-14T16:26:39.222-05:00I don't know. I just don't know. This pu...I don't know. I just don't know. This puzzle was...not fun. It didn't go down like a Monday, and that was before I got to WASSAILS (which I didn't get, by the way).<br /><br />To get that, I would have had to know APIA and AEC, neither of which I did. I'm a reasonably intelligent person, but that was just not happening. <br /><br />Um, this was a Monday?<br /><br />Not even worth getting upset about. <br /><br />Not to put too fine a point on it, but WARLORD was reasonably difficult (clued the exact same way) two Saturdays ago. Therefore...SATRAP?? On a Monday??<br /><br />There hasn't been a kick in the balls like this for a real long time. Good to know Will is still willing to mess with us from time to time. Duly noted.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18391847471384798773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-7035604129826758612011-11-14T16:04:29.086-05:002011-11-14T16:04:29.086-05:00@Foodie
The Monday puzzle isn't for most peop...@Foodie<br /><br />The Monday puzzle isn't for most people who comment on this blog, frankly. <br /><br />The puzzle is intended to pull in new solvers. They idea is that the puzzle is easy and fun for the solver, and hopefully, they'll try the next day's puzzle as a result.<br /><br />And Monday puzzles are very, very difficult to construct. It's hard to keep the vocabulary at a Monday-level difficulty, while still entertain. It's actually easier to construct Tuesday-Wednesday level puzzles because you can get away with more answers. And I might argue themeless puzzles are easier, too, since the constructor isn't burdened by fixed theme entries.REO Speedbagwagonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5279914103636075452011-11-14T15:58:03.939-05:002011-11-14T15:58:03.939-05:00@ACME -- nice points.
Basically, crosswordese ent...@ACME -- nice points.<br /><br />Basically, crosswordese entries are words you never see outside of crosswords. <br /><br />For example, ALOE is NOT crosswordese. ANOA, however, is definitely crosswordese. If you polled non-crossword solvers, very few would know what ANOA was, but everyone would know ALOE.<br /><br />As for something like WASSAILS, that's just a tough word. Probably doesn't belong in a Monday puzzle, but if the crossings are fair (and I'd argue crossing it with AEC isn't fair), then it's okay.Billnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66578381417927137052011-11-14T15:56:55.018-05:002011-11-14T15:56:55.018-05:00@andrea, since I use food as an anology for everyt...@andrea, since I use food as an anology for everything, here's my take on what you're saying: that a NYTimes Monday puzzle is like a lovely appetizer to a sumptuous meal... Light, delicious, a little unexpected, but sophisticated. That does'nt mean either easy to make or obvious for the consumer. So if the beginner dish is mac and cheese, then there's no comparison. But I think using it as an intro to beginners is a great idea because it whets the appetite while raising expectations....foodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13052189131129098616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76001537202870087902011-11-14T15:55:50.313-05:002011-11-14T15:55:50.313-05:00sweet potato
noun
3.Informal. ocarina.
@jberg...f...sweet potato<br />noun<br />3.Informal. ocarina.<br /><br />@jberg...flutes do not have reeds<br /><br />Just sayin.M07Snoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24139651162264010882011-11-14T15:42:04.970-05:002011-11-14T15:42:04.970-05:00@Anon 2:21 re: P.P.S Just as I am always telling y...@Anon 2:21 re: P.P.S Just as I am always telling you guys.<br /><br />Captch: stedi. See?Weak Law of Large Numbersnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22074977143960506382011-11-14T15:32:30.603-05:002011-11-14T15:32:30.603-05:00@lEWIS
I love that you had OLDNICe!!! I think tha...@lEWIS<br />I love that you had OLDNICe!!! I think that's really funny.<br /><br />I recently saw some crazy Norwegian film where Santa was indeed a Satanic character, there were lots of them and they went around kidnapping and torturing and eating little children...<br />but for the life of me I can't remember the name. So I think in Norse myth there is a Santa/Satan connection that goes beyond an anagram...<br /><br />@Tobias<br />Thank you for the compliment(s) as always...but if you can believe it, I semi-disagree with a few things, if that is not too ungracious!<br /><br />First of all, of course Mondays are an introduction to the week, but I don't think of them for beginners, per se. I think of non-NY Times puzzles for beginners (TV Guide, those commuter ones, etc.) to get someone up to speed.<br />Monday NYT are still for sophisticated solvers, still, I;d like to think, a cut above others.<br /><br />Nor do I think of them as the most important (!!??) even tho I love making them. <br />They may be easiER to solve, but not dumbed-down in ANY way.<br />So it's not a disaster to have SATRAP or LEGATO, lovely words, and I'm totally all for learning new words and the meaning behind words <br />(ie I found today's YENTA discussion interesting about which came first, plus I had always thought it meant "matchmaker" not "gossip")<br /><br />Where we agree is if there is a buildup of too many + crosswordese, it makes the puzzle more impenetrable for the novices, and less bouncy and more likely to be abandoned than finished... thus defeating the whole purpose!<br /><br />And, I'm embarrassed to admit, I'm a bit confused about what exactly "crosswordese" is.<br />To me, "tough" words or unknown to the general populace (eg OKEEFE, who used to be married to Bonnie Raitt, whom I always have weird awkward run-ins with, so I count today among them!) are NOT crosswordese...<br /><br />Closer would be RIT, which I feel is only known to solvers bec of its having appeared in crosswords so you gotta know it (and is semi-desperation glue for the constructor, SST is another I have relied on) and old-fashioned words like ADIT ("mine entry" back in the day...ADIN is its new cousin)<br /><br />So, pls don't confuse/lump together having words that are a bit of a stretch yet add to freshness and learning with those that are the weird obscure standbys of the bygone era (that non-puzzle folks point to when they want to make fun of crosswords, like ANOA)<br /><br />The list I made last night @2:39am is the list I think I would have received from Will asking me if I could change to make it more accessible on a Monday (which is why it is tough to construct early week fare) which of course necessitates starting from scratch often.<br /><br />But it's by no means a terrible puzzle...Those stacks of 8 are very sophisticated, there is a "Monday appropriate" theme, some interesting words, etc. it was just sort of a near-miss (SPLIT?) for reasons sometimes felt but hard to articulate, which makes me ever-thankful for this blog.<br /><br />(I may have to duck-and-cover for one of mine in a couple of weeks, that I don't know how many of these semi-subjective (ie Will and the history of the NY Times and what has evolved thru the century) "rules" I have broken as well...<br />I will leave it to @evil doug and others to cite my specific hypocrisies!)<br /><br />I still feel I'm having a bit of trouble explaining what I feel crosswordese is vs "hard-for-Monday" fill, they are two very different things in my mind... <br />What I'm trying to say, there is a difference between regular glue, tired glue, obscure words, fresh words that are unknown to many, fun to learn, random abbrevs, and just missed freshness...<br /><br />but my bigger point is that Mondays NYT are not for novices, tho they serve that purpose too...<br />blech, I'm going to quit while I'm behind!anoa carla makingitnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40134186225668510152011-11-14T14:59:00.495-05:002011-11-14T14:59:00.495-05:00Forgot to say that JOBLOT was totally familiar to ...Forgot to say that JOBLOT was totally familiar to me. Not sure if it is age-related or a regionalism, but since there is evidently a chain store named JOBLOT it can't be all that obscure.quilter1https://www.blogger.com/profile/09569747169212018177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87695443564935621562011-11-14T14:21:40.085-05:002011-11-14T14:21:40.085-05:00This is anon@1:58
Every time I had a question abou...This is anon@1:58<br />Every time I had a question about a clue/answer, you (and many others too) have always been gracious to explain the nuance behind the clue/answer. Thank you for your kindness. I hope I can return the favor to others someday.<br /> <br />P.S.:I think this is another attribute of engineer/math types: They don't suffer fools gladly, but willingly (and go out of the way to) help others who need it.<br /><br />P.P.S Now that the poll has closed, did anyone else notice how the percentages stayed consistent after a day or two, eventhough the voting population kept increasing?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com