tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post7175287514151579182..comments2024-03-28T20:15:26.332-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Skater Henie / MON 7-15-13 / Nasty online argument / Tour de France conveyance / Tom of Forrest Gump / Furry inhabitant of the forest moon of EndorRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger65125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44222306049550500162013-08-19T20:23:38.017-04:002013-08-19T20:23:38.017-04:00@AquilaAquilegia, you're absolutely correct ab...@AquilaAquilegia, you're absolutely correct about the variant spelling "shew" as they used it in our Grade X Trigonometry books which, I guess, were printed in the UK.Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81920617381332190732013-08-19T19:35:45.965-04:002013-08-19T19:35:45.965-04:00@strayling - this blog needs a "like" bu...@strayling - this blog needs a "like" button for comments like that. FLAMEWAR was new to me and I had no idea it originated in the comics. But yes, you are dated and pigeonholed.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-27204819515265362622013-08-19T19:16:28.110-04:002013-08-19T19:16:28.110-04:00I loved the superhero team trifecta. First XMEN, t...I loved the superhero team trifecta. First XMEN, then THOR, and finally a hidden one: FLAME WAR is old USENET terminology derived from people writing "flame on" to let readers know that they're about to not mince words.<br /><br />That in turn came from the Human Torch's catchphrase in the Fantastic Four comics.<br /><br />I guess that simultaneously dated and pigeonholed me ...straylinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13536180563789923012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52930522861547017972013-08-19T19:09:51.819-04:002013-08-19T19:09:51.819-04:00@DMGrandma: "Shew" is a word, although ...@DMGrandma: "Shew" is a word, although nobody uses it anymore to my knowledge, and my use of it above has been flagged as a misspelling! It's a variant or archaic (depending on the dictionary) form of "show" (the verb -- conjugated shew, shewn, shewing). I've only ever seen it in Anthony Trollope's novels... I think it even occurs in a chapter title in "He Knew He Was Right." Now, if I could only find my copy of that book....<br />It definitely doesn't work in the context of 10A, though. AquilaAquilegianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81151410978617437272013-08-19T18:23:08.397-04:002013-08-19T18:23:08.397-04:00What everyone has been saying, beautiful puzzle. ...What everyone has been saying, beautiful puzzle. Much too elegant to rush through. How can you savor the experience in only 3minutes? <br /><br />@DMG, The tennis this weekend was great, especially the Nadal/Fed match, and the Isner/Nadal Championship. I had daytime obligations and ended up watching at midnight and later, while suffering with the Sat. puz. <br /><br />@SIS and @rain forest - 40-10 Yeah!<br /><br />Several months ago @Tita tipped us off that you can substitute most any number for that part of the captcha, and that she uses '42'. My actual captcha is:<br /><br />42 thctsagGingernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91099547631197605932013-08-19T18:18:08.419-04:002013-08-19T18:18:08.419-04:00A fun Monday puzzle with shout-outs to my younger ...A fun Monday puzzle with shout-outs to my younger son, ALEX, and our cat-who-thinks-he's-a-dog, THOR, done while enjoying a couple of BEERS (Coors, no less) on the pool-deck. Why would I complain?<br /><br />@DMG - love your "smiley memory" of Ed Sullivan.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5195505931703353872013-08-19T17:19:19.087-04:002013-08-19T17:19:19.087-04:00@rainforest, I've played Desert Canyon several...@rainforest, I've played Desert Canyon several times. The long (660 yards?) par five is one of my favorite holes. I birdied it once with a driver, driver, 3-metal to the green and sunk about a ten-footer.<br /><br />Good for you as a two-time acer! I've come really close several times, but no cigar yet. A woman friend at our club has six!<br /><br />Really enjoyed (for about the sixth time) Beautiful British Columbia's Desolation Sound. There is no where on earth like it.Solving in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04249420848844874936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20101282699913550772013-08-19T16:54:34.095-04:002013-08-19T16:54:34.095-04:00@SIS Not bragging here, but I've had 2 holes-...@SIS Not bragging here, but I've had 2 holes-in-one. The first came when I was 13, and I had to wait 52 years for the second, just last year at Desert Canyon, a course you may know. So, the message is to just keep swinging. It'll happen.<br /><br />Agree on the "Go Hawks".rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71080977847672813282013-08-19T16:43:11.923-04:002013-08-19T16:43:11.923-04:00I think this was just a little more Tuesday tough ...I think this was just a little more Tuesday tough than a Monday. Enjoyed it, so thanks to Jeff and Angela.<br /><br />Had SONyA before SONJA, which made "Alters" ADyUST. Well, isn't that the way they pronounce it with SONJA's Norwegian accent?<br /><br />Been playing golf my whole life and am CHAGRINed that I've never had a HOLEINONE. Must be my on course BEERS.<br /><br />Capcha: snivel. Which is exactly what I'm doing. Aceless.<br /><br />Go Hawks.Solving in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04249420848844874936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77904909218211886072013-08-19T14:51:23.420-04:002013-08-19T14:51:23.420-04:00Enjoyed this one, but poor spelling did me in, aga...Enjoyed this one, but poor spelling did me in, again. I knew that sHEW couldn't be a word, but couldn't figure out what was wrong. However, it did give me me a smiley memory of Ed Sullivan introducing his "really big shew", so not every mistake is a total loss. Now to remember CHAGRIN with a C.DMGrandmanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40993279935513120492013-08-19T14:17:50.332-04:002013-08-19T14:17:50.332-04:00Nothing to FRETOVER but only surprise to me was th...Nothing to FRETOVER but only surprise to me was that our very talented constructors didn't try to include an RY to complete the vowel progression, even as a down entry. It's certainly hinted at in 33D (nolanRYan) but maybe a RYanoneal would have allowed them to RIDEOFF into the sunset in glory.<br /><br />Overall a fun Monday puzzle easy enough to SWAT away any remnants of a weekend BINGE. Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40588253140319983632013-08-19T13:48:40.691-04:002013-08-19T13:48:40.691-04:00I concur that this is an excellent exemplar for wo...I concur that this is an excellent exemplar for would-be constructors aiming to create a Monday-level puzzle. Solid to a fault.<br /><br />Entries which have been described as partials are simply alternate ways of expressing the clues for those answers, and I see nothing to FRETOVER. So, I guess I'll just RIDEOFF.<br /><br />capcha: deftuse, as in this puzzle's handling of progressive vowel sounds.rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15636089478744564522013-08-19T10:56:09.002-04:002013-08-19T10:56:09.002-04:00Rock solid? Shale maybe; surely not granite. You&#...Rock solid? Shale maybe; surely not granite. You've got four partials in there--two of them long! TUGAT, ENDAT, FRETOVER, READINTO. This doesn't bother anybody? I mean, it's a very good grid and all; other than the partials and DSL it's pretty clean fill. Vowel progression themes are somewhat less than exciting to me.<br /><br />My dearth of chatroom experience left me to fill FLAMEWAR in on crosses, and I'd inadvertently wrote in ICEBOX before correcting to FRIDGE (it just seemed the most natural expression, not that I'm THAT old!), but otherwise no problems. I pretty much wrote letters into the grid without stopping. I happened to notice that the time when I started was exactly on the hour; when I looked at the finish twenty minutes had passed. I just do not understand how anybody can do these in less than 20% of that. Mystifying.<br /><br />@Diri: you were quite right yesterday: I never noticed the wrong square! Had mAG, which fits as well as RAG, and since the down clue was totally unknown to me I was ready to accept any three letters there. Guess I have to strike "Victory!" and substitute "DNF." :(spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19204564172075179972013-08-07T05:00:49.339-04:002013-08-07T05:00:49.339-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Gravolitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03873406142457415451noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30232759795791858572013-07-15T22:20:31.065-04:002013-07-15T22:20:31.065-04:00This 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 5:43, 6:09, 0.93, 18%, Easy<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:32, 3:46, 0.94, 18%, Easysanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25901147829542049482013-07-15T22:13:08.528-04:002013-07-15T22:13:08.528-04:00Wasn't FNU LNU a Burmese Prime Minister?Wasn't FNU LNU a Burmese Prime Minister?retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10505867379005023582013-07-15T21:40:41.529-04:002013-07-15T21:40:41.529-04:00Speaking of improper names (and "U" ones...Speaking of improper names (and "U" ones to boot), today's NY Times featured a prominent article describing how the legal system identifies participants with no known identity in a case or police investigation as:<br /><br /> FNU LNU.<br /><br />Stands for "First Name Unknown" "Last Name Unknown".<br /><br />Coming soon to a Saturday puzzle near you!jackjhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02699305265544975575noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-4761704292785014972013-07-15T21:25:14.991-04:002013-07-15T21:25:14.991-04:00LAMS!
That's a brand-new (I think) internet a...LAMS!<br /><br />That's a brand-new (I think) internet abbreviation for "Laughing at MySelf"<br /><br />I did this puzzle at the beach today. I may have been a bit more distracted than usual, since the only clue/answer I had circled for possible comment was at 10 A. I had entered SHEW, and I knew that just couldn't be right, and yet every cross was perfect -- if you accepted my spelling of 10 D as SHAGRIN! Honestly, I know better -- but I just couldn't see it!<br /><br />Fine Monday puzzle otherwise!Bob Kerfufflehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02615811802419025933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29351087641409474362013-07-15T20:22:35.901-04:002013-07-15T20:22:35.901-04:00@ Ellen S -
Never heard of Lynn Truss 'til n...@ Ellen S - <br /><br />Never heard of Lynn Truss 'til now.<br /><br />The GCh in my new avatar is a female. Her babies haven't yet done anything much on the show circuit, but they are wonderful, cuddly, dogs, fulof <i>joie de vivre</i>.<br /><br />Thanks for asking.<br /><br />ps there are three s's in my captcha.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44992977996995118242013-07-15T20:21:48.626-04:002013-07-15T20:21:48.626-04:00@Ellen S thanks for the info on ATF@Ellen S thanks for the info on ATFchefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36846925364477438002013-07-15T20:10:49.743-04:002013-07-15T20:10:49.743-04:00@Ellen S - you know what they say, where there are...@Ellen S - you know what they say, where there are no cops there are no speed limits.<br /><br />I see that whatever great words of wisdom I had at 7:30 this morning disappeared into the ether. At least the electrons got recycled. It is days like today when I wonder what @I skip M-W would say. Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60375889524108601242013-07-15T19:31:54.869-04:002013-07-15T19:31:54.869-04:00@ret_chem -- love your roadside sign! Are you a f...@ret_chem -- love your roadside sign! Are you a fan of Lynn Truss? Sneak out at night in a balaklava with a can of paint, correcting apostrophes? (or... apostrophe's). That's a new/old avatar you have, yes? I missed the babies first time around -- is the Grand Champion in the picture their daddy or have they grown up and are taking the dogshow circuit by storm? <br /><br />@chefbea -- did nobody ever answer you? ATF is the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms [and Explosives]. Along with other highly armed federal agencies (FBI, US Marshals) the ATF was involved in the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruby_Ridge" rel="nofollow">Ruby Ridge</a> and Waco Massacres. Or... federal peacekeeping actions, if you prefer. Ellen Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00473445503706985149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8646274521611127182013-07-15T17:50:54.614-04:002013-07-15T17:50:54.614-04:00Favorite (mis)use of an S is on a roadside store i...Favorite (mis)use of an S is on a roadside store in ruralWV, probably an hour E of @LMS in Charleston: DOUGLA'S MARKET.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5976585435274273202013-07-15T17:13:21.524-04:002013-07-15T17:13:21.524-04:00@Gill I.P.,
U still seem mighty graceful, to me. ...@Gill I.P.,<br />U still seem mighty graceful, to me. What the hey. Everyone has their prefs.<br /><br />14 letter S's in a grid, per se, seems pretty average. Looks like 5 of them are used to not end any words. A few of the S's end words that ain't exactly plurals, like: HANKS, ODDS and LENS. The ending S's do help make the puz a bit more Mondayish, as the beginner can deduce some plural endings from the clues. Probably makes it easier for the constructors to fill the grid with easy vocab, too, of course.<br /><br />Proper names: I prefer improper names, myself. It might be a cool theme idea sometime for a puz, to totally banish all people names from a grid. Instead, have themers like:<br />OLDWHATSHERNAME<br />or<br />YOUKNOWWHOIMEAN<br />or<br />THEMANWITHNONAME<br />or, of course:<br />Masked and Anonymous<br />har.<br /><br /><br />M and A alsonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47616847163807059602013-07-15T16:40:25.651-04:002013-07-15T16:40:25.651-04:00I know I shall fall from grace but I honestly didn...I know I shall fall from grace but I honestly didn't find this puzzle all that clever or even fun.<br />In my estimation, there were way too many proper names and as @Anoa Bob mentioned, a ton of ESSESSSS.<br />The theme felt so tired, over used, and, well, boring.<br />So, having said that, I liked a lot of the non-theme word. CHAGRIN, always brings a grin. FLAME WAR was great although I thought maybe a "Troll" or two might weigh in since they do drop in often.<br />Sorry, just not my cuppa. GILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.com