tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post6418726792162144974..comments2024-03-29T01:22:33.864-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: TUESDAY, Nov. 3 2009 — Gila woodpeckers nest in them / What Fred Ott did in first movie to be copyrighted / Flu fighters AbbrRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52786996977672795232009-12-08T22:25:10.761-05:002009-12-08T22:25:10.761-05:00This puzzle was frustrating! Monday's was a v...This puzzle was frustrating! Monday's was a very easy fill for me, seemingly every answer right there. Today, all seemed two or three or four thoughts away. Many of the clues/answers were just out of my knowledge zone.<br /><br />I also wondered what a zerog was! <br />Believed expats should clue with an abbr.<br />Odium, ionia, antonia, elsie, wac, raree among the other frustrations of today.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85825383413134295602009-12-08T14:26:37.166-05:002009-12-08T14:26:37.166-05:00I forgot to mention, Dat Ding. I got it cuz I was ...I forgot to mention, Dat Ding. I got it cuz I was a child when the novelty song came out and those kind of songs get etched in your head. Being forever wrong about lyrics, I always sang along, thinking the words were gimme that thing.Paulnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1660269843959022472009-12-08T14:22:47.905-05:002009-12-08T14:22:47.905-05:00Any puzzle I can complete in one sitting is easy. ...Any puzzle I can complete in one sitting is easy. I liked the quote, didn't recognize it, but knew enough that Cuomo was more articulate than most and so there ought to be some, what's the word, symmetry. So poetry and prose were among the last answers I got, helping my lack of knowledge of things (star) trekky. Never, ever heard of a raree show.Paulnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70663035350207966592009-12-08T14:22:46.379-05:002009-12-08T14:22:46.379-05:00Any puzzle I can complete in one sitting is easy. ...Any puzzle I can complete in one sitting is easy. I liked the quote, didn't recognize it, but knew enough that Cuomo was more articulate than most and so there ought to be some, what's the word, symmetry. So poetry and prose were among the last answers I got, helping my lack of knowledge of things (star) trekky. Never, ever heard of a raree show.Paulnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61740992560260307512009-12-08T14:14:45.466-05:002009-12-08T14:14:45.466-05:00Writing from syndication-land:
The most deadly th...Writing from syndication-land:<br /><br />The most deadly thing to solving a puzzle with a quote theme isn't being ignorant of the quote, but "knowing" it.<br /><br />Here, I thought the quote was "You campaign in poetry, <b>but</b> govern in prose." This hung me up because I couldn't figure out how GET_N_RB resolved into "Blow one's top" or what "Former mideast inits." TAR was supposed to represent.<br /><br />Personally, I didn't find anything to dislike about TOW LINES. If anything, I'd say water skiing is considerably less obscure than John Dryden.<br /><br />Aside from the write over of BUT to YOU, this puzzle didn't cause me much difficulty, though I would say that it shades more to the difficult side of a Tuesday puzzle.Nullifidianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15207390447020990907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76797007973065410452009-11-04T07:50:04.312-05:002009-11-04T07:50:04.312-05:00@Geometricus --
If that doesn't work, one cou...@Geometricus --<br /><br />If that doesn't work, one could try<br /><br />OWAH<br /><br />TANA<br /><br />SIAMThe King and Inoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71031419309332202772009-11-03T23:18:15.292-05:002009-11-03T23:18:15.292-05:00I think that db has it closest to correct:
OOX = &...I think that db has it closest to correct:<br />OOX = "oosh" like other Central American deities<br />TEP should be pronounced with an ancient Egyptian accent (refer to your favorite mummy horror flick)<br />LER should be uttered with a thick Celtic brogue<br />NON should be forced through the nose with a decidedly Gallic whine<br /><br />If pronouncing the deity's name correctly doesn't help you fill in those pesky three-letter bad fill words try this chant for four letter fill:<br />OWAH<br />TAGU<br />SIAM<br />repeat over and over faster and faster...<br />TGeometricushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12608136348402997098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41285882331404111092009-11-03T22:01:31.990-05:002009-11-03T22:01:31.990-05:00@dk - Love your new spelling of my name, I might h...@dk - Love your new spelling of my name, I might have to adopt it and take in on Iron Chef America.chefwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03999206352243329280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51621683975503867682009-11-03T21:23:49.113-05:002009-11-03T21:23:49.113-05:00@PIX - my Sicilian husband's family does not d...@PIX - my Sicilian husband's family does not differentiate among cousins, nephews, etc. The words cucine (koocheen)or nipote are applied indiscriminately. For someone who spent her childhood vacations going to cemeteries and ancient relatives, this seemed sacreligious. WASPS have 100 words for relatives (and a few for snow).<br /><br />NY is not on the road to bankruptcy in the sense that CA is, but Mario did some very strange things as Gov. (3-letter fill) many aren't even aware of. He was no Carter - more of a Jesuit in his complexity, which can be impressive or frightening.Sfinginoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60731324237034525952009-11-03T20:31:21.398-05:002009-11-03T20:31:21.398-05:00@PIX: so nice of you, but we found a way. In fact,...@PIX: so nice of you, but we found a way. In fact, my upper arm is pretty sore...machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16599731331443510562009-11-03T20:12:22.829-05:002009-11-03T20:12:22.829-05:00@Mac...you can have my flu shot.@Mac...you can have my flu shot.PIXnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67803103626248490552009-11-03T19:56:40.742-05:002009-11-03T19:56:40.742-05:00@Ruth, we have instant run off or rank voting here...@Ruth, we have instant run off or rank voting here in Mpls. I think that kinda kills the romance aspect.<br /><br />@JustAskin, sometimes you find a hand on your back and other times a hand on your throat... justsayin :)<br /><br />Off to my anger management class... I am ABD (all but discipline).<br /><br />@chefwin, dat ting is what I know from David Lindleydkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17317008233459295376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54257962778978377252009-11-03T19:39:57.133-05:002009-11-03T19:39:57.133-05:00Rex, would you consider adding a poll feature for ...Rex, would you consider adding a poll feature for people to vote on whether they thought each day's puzzle was Easy, Easy-Medium, Medium, Medium-Challenging, or Challenging (for its day of course)? I think it would be really interesting! It was hard, for a Tuesday, and I agree, a bit blah. Fun quote though.Patricia Shepardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07825057108605071171noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47526645127502478512009-11-03T19:32:22.994-05:002009-11-03T19:32:22.994-05:00Say what you want about Cuomo, the guy was a great...Say what you want about Cuomo, the guy was a great Doritos salesman.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16677173037227969042009-11-03T19:24:26.789-05:002009-11-03T19:24:26.789-05:00@sanfranman59: good catch!
@PIX: my AMA connected...@sanfranman59: good catch!<br /><br />@PIX: my AMA connected PG couldn't get met a flu shot.machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53938782329075068912009-11-03T18:27:15.108-05:002009-11-03T18:27:15.108-05:00Cuomo was a pseudo-intellectual who continued NY S...Cuomo was a pseudo-intellectual who continued NY State down the path of bankruptcy, all the time presenting himself as a later day Thomas Aquinas immersing himself in deep, deep thought. An intelligent man that was a complete disaster as governor. But a New York Times kind of guy.<br /><br />21D Cuz…should have been clued as a Shakespearean reference to any family member; not just what we would call a cousin.<br /><br />AMA as flu fighters is just dumb…they are not on the front lines fighting the flu…love them or hate them, they are very busy doing other things…<br /><br />This really kills me, but I agree with everything Rex said about the puzzle…lots of bad short fill…lame quote from a lame ex-gov.PIXnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71464804804882908632009-11-03T17:27:17.135-05:002009-11-03T17:27:17.135-05:00@JustAskin,
Well, of course not, but you knew tha...@JustAskin,<br /><br />Well, of course not, but you knew that. <br /><br />Didn't expect it. Don't really care. But I appreciate your noticing.<br /><br />Thanks,<br />rpRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14163041330764022862009-11-03T17:23:23.598-05:002009-11-03T17:23:23.598-05:00Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 7/30/...Midday report of relative difficulty (see my <a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=35115061&postID=3588389571383499624&isPopup=true" rel="nofollow">7/30/2009 post</a> for an explanation of my method):<br /><br />All solvers (median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Tue 9:38, 8:39, 1.11, 77%, Medium-Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Tue 4:56, 4:26, 1.11, 80%, Challenging<br /><br />A quote from Harvard's political theorist Michael Sandel in Thomas Friedman's Sunday op-ed piece: "Obama needs to energize the prose of his presidency by recapturing the poetry of his campaign."sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26333597189578153112009-11-03T17:07:58.540-05:002009-11-03T17:07:58.540-05:00When I was younger it struck me that romances star...When I was younger it struck me that romances start with poetry and end in prose. At the beginning, stars in the eyes and joyous discovery of the things you find delightful in the new object of desire; but eventually, it comes down to how strongly you disagree on whether you need to put the cap back on the toothpaste (and other things too fierce to mention). Elections are the start of the REAL part of the relationship.Ruthnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24260469522107532002009-11-03T16:57:53.669-05:002009-11-03T16:57:53.669-05:00@David from CA. There are actually 5 R's: Reu...@David from CA. There are actually 5 R's: Reuse, Recycle, Reduce, Respond, and Reject.PlantieBeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01960277851368508036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26343028826038544042009-11-03T16:51:22.948-05:002009-11-03T16:51:22.948-05:00@Rex - Question regarding yesterday: As Andrea me...@Rex - Question regarding yesterday: As Andrea mentioned that the inclusion/omission of the indefinite article THE in the theme clues was a major concern of hers in this puzzle, am I correct in assuming that the apologies for posts chastising you for focusing on that were handled off line?JustAskinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76101798899527997022009-11-03T16:29:40.329-05:002009-11-03T16:29:40.329-05:00duce is first. cycle is third.
as for ooxteplern...duce is first. cycle is third. <br /><br />as for ooxteplernon, it's OOSHT-AY-LUR-NOWN. the p is silent.dbnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90043050969650122062009-11-03T16:25:26.768-05:002009-11-03T16:25:26.768-05:00Dear OOXTEPLERNON:
Since gods tend to have notorio...Dear OOXTEPLERNON:<br />Since gods tend to have notorious issues with anger management you seem the ideal one to ask about the correctness of "GET ANGRY" as an answer to (9D: Blow One's Top). WTF? I, for one, get angry fairly often - like when devisors intersect proper noun answers (blessedly absent in this puzzle), but I rarely blow my top at such times. Seems the latter always comes after the former.<br /><br />And my brain is mush - what's the 3rd "R"??? Reuse, Recycle, ....?David from CAnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54955984886983444832009-11-03T15:53:27.094-05:002009-11-03T15:53:27.094-05:00I say, 'ding', da clue for DAT doesn't...I say, 'ding', da clue for DAT doesn't need to be capitalized. The clue need not be quoting the title of the song. It may be quoting a line from the song. And even if the writer of the song capitalized DAT in the published version, I don't think that binds the rest of us. It is a matter of style. If the writer of the song dotted her letters 'i' with smiley faces would the NYT be bound to follow suit if it quoted the song?Clarknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81339438079561291562009-11-03T15:41:33.874-05:002009-11-03T15:41:33.874-05:00@rube - I had towropes at first seemed logical and...@rube - I had towropes at first seemed logical and you're right about towlines. <br /><br />@anonymous - so glad the grammar police abhorred the incorrect usage of abhor!<br /><br />Did not know the quote but it became very obvious quite early on.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com