tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post6235657440184142346..comments2024-03-19T08:32:59.615-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Small-time tyrants / SUN 5-30-10 / Opponent of Pericles / Cumberland Gap explorer / Supermax resident / Latte topperRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger64125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30121228226070753662010-06-06T22:12:41.114-04:002010-06-06T22:12:41.114-04:00I meant to say "I'm irate."I meant to say "I'm irate."Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17382290839519441667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78079414358509929532010-06-06T22:02:52.240-04:002010-06-06T22:02:52.240-04:00ISTS for 58A Believers is pretty bad, but even wor...ISTS for 58A Believers is pretty bad, but even worse is IRED for 33A Seeing red. A fun puzzle, nonetheless, with a great theme. I was able to guess some of the themed answers without any crosses which hardly ever happens.Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17382290839519441667noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46496325307980273982010-06-03T19:14:47.708-04:002010-06-03T19:14:47.708-04:00The fact that I was able to complete the entire pu...The fact that I was able to complete the entire puzzle in one sitting means it's probably on the easy side for a Sunday (I'm really at a Thursday/Sunday level, dabbling now in Fridays but *never* printing out the Saturdays (I've an online subscription)). But puzzles are complex things, and the perceived level of difficulty will vary based on a person's areas of knowledge, life experience, memory for odd facts, and, I think, mood and disposition while doing a puzzle! Thanks, RP :-)<br /><br />While I'm at it, I might as well throw this out there for comments: what crossword puzzle tourny would you recommend for a first-timer (of my above-described level)? I would be going for the experience and for fun, not to compete seriously. I love puzzles and appreciate them as Great Art which is also participatory (and the creators are artists, for sure)!Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350571589422693875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1826135562856376122010-05-31T15:25:48.846-04:002010-05-31T15:25:48.846-04:00Dain, you are exceedingly welcome.
And thanks fo...Dain, you are exceedingly welcome. <br /><br />And thanks for perhaps the first nice comment anyone's ever made about my difficulty rating system :)<br /><br />Keep on keepin' on,<br />RPRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23397627331061736592010-05-31T15:22:16.653-04:002010-05-31T15:22:16.653-04:00What a crossword week this has been for me! I am ...What a crossword week this has been for me! I am a new solver who has just really started in earnest the last few weeks and am still very novice. I am picking up as much crosswordese as fast as I can but the last couple of weeks have still been kind of frustrating and disappointing.<br /><br />But I finished Monday's, was damn close on Tuesday (four squares off I think), finished my very first Wednesday puzzle of my life (!), did a good job on Thursday's... Friday and Saturday I didn't get anywhere... <br /><br />But today's Sunday puzzle was the closest I have ever gotten in my life! According to Across Lite, I filled in 95% of the grid accurately! I only missed fifteen boxes in the entire puzzle!<br /><br />I know its not much for people who are used to completely solving the puzzle 7 days a week and are irritated if it takes them more than 15 minutes, but for me to hunch over my table for hours on Sunday afternoon and grind out 95% of the Sunday puzzle felt like an enormous triumph and I am totally encouraged to keep trying each day.<br /><br />The only two things that messed me up were on the east side. I insisted on putting TEENsy rather than TEENIE, and my stubbornness there derailed 100, 101, and 102-d and killed the SE corner. The only other part on the whole grid that messed me up was ANAPESTS, which I have never heard of and still have absolutely no idea what they are.<br /><br />So thank you, Rex -- I have read the blog every day for about a month and my growth as an xword solver is exponential. A month ago I looked at the Sunday puzzle, struggled to come up with a few names or trivia-type answers that I knew, and gave up with about 4 of 5 answers penciled in. Yesterday I was 95% complete. So thank you so much for your insights!<br /><br />-Dain<br /><br />P.S. Thanks for rating its difficulty a "Medium". It would have taken some of the glory away if I came on and it was ranked "ridiculously easy" or something. "Medium" makes it feel like more of an accomplishment.Citizen Dainhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09789010705241919403noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78015516902997579122010-05-31T11:15:48.636-04:002010-05-31T11:15:48.636-04:00Hey, just figuring out how to select my correct Bl...Hey, just figuring out how to select my correct Blogger acct.Doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10389790318218161090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1070245727651401092010-05-31T10:24:19.658-04:002010-05-31T10:24:19.658-04:00Found this a very easy puzzle, except the SW corne...Found this a very easy puzzle, except the SW corner which needed an overnight pause before I could think of rubber cement and union. It was coasting downhill from there.<br />JBAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53542517600835740192010-05-31T10:23:18.511-04:002010-05-31T10:23:18.511-04:00Found this a very easy puzzle, except the SW corne...Found this a very easy puzzle, except the SW corner which needed an overnight pause before I could think of rubber cement and union. It was coasting downhill from there.<br />JBAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90130298725022730432010-05-31T04:12:06.949-04:002010-05-31T04:12:06.949-04:00@DBGeezer
Just popped in to get my tweets :(
I'...@DBGeezer<br />Just popped in to get my tweets :(<br />I'm not exactly sure what you are talking about...but I think Martin has 'splained what I was trying to do and Sanskrit prob would have been better but I couldn't make it work...<br /><br />I couldn't do Fri...Sat I got as far as MOE------- and gave up...I don't do Sundays, in general, so I'm in slight withdrawal.<br /><br />ATTN SAN FRANCISCO folks!!!!!!!!!!<br /><br />I'm s'posed to announce that the 2010 ACPT Champion Dan Feyer will be in SF next weekend and his folks are throwing a fancy-schmancy bagel lox thing for all puzzle folks to celebrate local boy making good. <br />SO if you's like to put some faces to names and can attend next Saturday (Noon June 5th) give me a holler: andreacarla.michaels@gmail.com<br />and I'll tell you the details. <br />(To my special blogger pals, I have a spare room with your name on it if you want to fly in!)andrea carla masadanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56534899317888401722010-05-31T01:04:07.176-04:002010-05-31T01:04:07.176-04:00Here is J. S. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Mi...Here is <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ipzR9bhei_o" rel="nofollow">J. S. Bach's Toccata and Fugue in D Minor</a> for your listening enjoyment.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83367024708747261792010-05-31T00:34:17.517-04:002010-05-31T00:34:17.517-04:00@ Rex - please don't count me as critical, and...@ Rex - please don't count me as critical, and most certainly not in any sense angry, about your rating. I'm only speaking for my own solve, and I know you try to picture how it worked for crossworld in general.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85079182538234900322010-05-30T22:59:02.203-04:002010-05-30T22:59:02.203-04:00@dk - On the show "Food Wars" Matt's...@dk - On the show "Food Wars" Matt's won the contest.<br /><br />ternest - tallest one in the herd.chefwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03999206352243329280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18847133284392535052010-05-30T21:17:38.416-04:002010-05-30T21:17:38.416-04:00@chef bea and wren, We have a Juicy Lucy war going...@chef bea and wren, We have a Juicy Lucy war going on here in the Twin Cities. We have two bars, The 5&8 and Matt's and both claim to be the Juicy source. <br /><br />No luck on the egg cream today, no one wants to do the raw egg part. And the seltzer part -- fuhgetaboutit. Sigh, like my espresso I guess I'll have to make it at home.<br /><br />Rex, you have explained your rating system so many times that even I (a bear of little brain) get it.<br /><br />@Tinbeni, good try to cover the FACT that you are disoriented to time... only person and place to go. Scotch and Cheerios for breakfast is never (well hardly ever) a good idea.<br /><br />See you all tomorrowdkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17317008233459295376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90220631374020861942010-05-30T19:54:25.129-04:002010-05-30T19:54:25.129-04:00But on the other hand: masala is a Hindi word (you...But on the other hand: masala <i>is</i> a Hindi word (you didn't mention it's also a language), so I don't think Andrea's pun, while not her finest work, warrants four question marks in one line. So it's wiseass-to-wiseass and I feel better.<br /><br />Everyone, have a great Memorial Day.Martinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40224518633247305182010-05-30T19:46:13.713-04:002010-05-30T19:46:13.713-04:00DBG,
Sorry. Missed the bit about it being an OT ...DBG,<br /><br />Sorry. Missed the bit about it being an OT reference. That isn't true.<br /><br />Never mind. Wiseass out.Martinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22951650982182713602010-05-30T19:44:34.945-04:002010-05-30T19:44:34.945-04:00@DBGeezer,
Masada suicide.
Sorry, I can't re...@DBGeezer,<br /><br /><a href="http://lmgtfy.com/?q=masada&l=1" rel="nofollow">Masada suicide.</a><br /><br />Sorry, I can't resist that.Martinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-62866229744047037422010-05-30T18:59:47.141-04:002010-05-30T18:59:47.141-04:00I only called it "Medium" bec. I was bei...I only called it "Medium" bec. I was being conservative (it was fast for me, too). It's just that yesterday was one of those (pretty rare) days when things are Way easier for me than for most others (I was faster than Al Sanders of "Wordplay" fame, which will literally Never happen again) — so my "Difficulty rating" was off. Said miscalculation made people write me angry, critical letters. Luckily, my readers are mostly decent folks so even the peeved missives were kind and respectful. Anyway, I'd rather be wrong going my gut (and recorded times) then wrong bec. I was playing it safe, so it's back to playing it as it lays (or lies, if you're persnickety like that) tomorrow.<br /><br />Thanks guys/gals,<br />rpRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13327775781535519022010-05-30T18:22:40.973-04:002010-05-30T18:22:40.973-04:00Nice and smooth. What Rex said, except I would cal...Nice and smooth. What Rex said, except I would call it easy. Normalizing my time to a 15X15 by assuming that the time per square is a constant, I got an easy-medium Wed. time, not a Thursday time as Sundays are supposed to be on a par with. <br /><br />ELLA/CLEON was kinda Naticky, but I guessed well. Actually only an L sounded right....<br /><br />Some fun fill, not much boring stuff. Couldn't ask for more...<br /><br />Thank you, Mr. Berlin.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34737443579801838902010-05-30T18:01:22.700-04:002010-05-30T18:01:22.700-04:00@ Shark said...on Thursday:
@andrea carla michaels...@ Shark said...on Thursday:<br />@andrea carla michaels: Hindi mixture of spices? HINDI mixture of spices? HINDI?? :-)<br /><br />Yes, Hindi is the adjective to apply to things Indian. ..e.g., That is Hindi music... Hindu, is the name of the principal religion practiced in India. e.g., The Hindu people worship at Hindu temples, and eat Hindi food for dinner..<br /><br />@andrea carla, you referred (also on Thursday) to an OT reference to the Masada people committing suicide. I am unable to discover that reference. Could you please help?<br /><br />ThanksDBGeezernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74872823509756999132010-05-30T17:52:46.818-04:002010-05-30T17:52:46.818-04:00I tumbled to the theme early on and found it very ...I tumbled to the theme early on and found it very helpful. I would toggle back and forth to get the 2 clues associated with each theme answer and would get it with relatively few crosses. Fun!<br /><br />@Eric Berlin, I have had this experience countless times-- thinking that I had come up with something truly original only to find out that it echoed something that had been done before, and leaving me wondering whether or not I had done it fully independently. But this theme is sooo much rarer than the add-a-letter or switch a letter approach. It's a breath of fresh air! Thank you!foodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13052189131129098616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23211671375262398032010-05-30T16:56:06.794-04:002010-05-30T16:56:06.794-04:00Rex, you've got to get better tools. :) GLAD...Rex, you've got to get better tools. :) GLADLY has been used five times since 2000. Two obscurities in 2000, CrossSynergy in 2004, Newsday in 2007 and USA Today in 2008. The database I use (and wrote) is available for free at www.otsys.com/clue (although the USA Today and Newsday clues aren't included in the public version, at their request).Matt Ginsberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08454783267139515845noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22717809025911550072010-05-30T16:47:51.280-04:002010-05-30T16:47:51.280-04:00Thought Rex would have to come up with a new descr...Thought Rex would have to come up with a new descriptor for this one--"Super Easy"--and figured the idea was to not to tax anyone too much on a holiday weekend. I'm hardly one of the champion solvers, and finished this in record time with no teeth gnashing. I expect/need/desire a little teeth gnashing on Sunday!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71784645777947938302010-05-30T16:21:57.782-04:002010-05-30T16:21:57.782-04:00@joho
Duh!
I was referring to the level of difficu...@joho<br />Duh!<br />I was referring to the level of difficulty. <br /><br />Or maybe I was time-tripping to Tralfamadore to check out Montana Wildhack.<br />I was "one toke over the line ..."Tinbenihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14661395078047234853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54947659116852888162010-05-30T16:16:30.200-04:002010-05-30T16:16:30.200-04:00Loved this puzzle, as BEQ said, easy breezy. Top ...Loved this puzzle, as BEQ said, easy breezy. Top half went down super easy but I slowed down a tad on the bottom. Had a few glitches, 23D was theater before THE ARTS, 29A fest before RIOT and the bikini was yellow before it was TEENIE. Overall, and enjoyable outing. Thank you Mr. Berlin and as always Rex for the excellent write up.<br /><br />@chefbea - having Juicy Lucy's tonight, extra napkins will be available.chefwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03999206352243329280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89752169948908911752010-05-30T15:46:20.252-04:002010-05-30T15:46:20.252-04:00Good heavens, yeah, I can see where mine would rem...Good heavens, yeah, I can see where mine would remind you of this! And I guess I solved this back in 2007, though I have no memory of it. Ah well, so much for thinking I had come up with something utterly original. (Hint: I didn't really think I had.)Eric Berlinhttp://www.ericberlin.comnoreply@blogger.com