tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post7248255653422468025..comments2024-03-29T05:08:37.783-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: SATURDAY, May 12, 2007 - Rich NorrisRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger29125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80628525429364200602007-06-27T14:19:00.000-04:002007-06-27T14:19:00.000-04:00Wednesday morning here. Calloo-Callay!It's finally...Wednesday morning here. Calloo-Callay!It's finally finished! One mistake, Still had DROP for DRAM. <BR/><BR/>Interesting because I had PIKE for "Speedy fish" (of course "proven" by the ICE SKATER) and DO GOODERS was the last answer filled in making it PIKO <BR/>(VERSITILE being spelt wrong)<BR/><BR/>I had help. I went to the atlas for the Equadorian peninsula.<BR/><BR/>AND <BR/><BR/>This morning I looked for the puzzle and couldn't find it. Then Hanne appeared with it, having filled in GLOOMY, GLUESTICK, DELHI, and HAULER. <BR/><BR/>NO GOOGLE! (insert smug smiley)<BR/><BR/>There is now a backlog, which may be a while clearing as I am building an Art Door for an exhibition in August, and it has to be finished in a week to be photographed for the catalogue.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86994349795726086092007-06-25T01:59:00.000-04:002007-06-25T01:59:00.000-04:00Seemed a toughie to me. Didn't help that I went d...Seemed a toughie to me. Didn't help that I went down the dark (purple) garden pathway with 'fuschia' once I had 'IA'. And Princess Oona? Aiyoh. A few really fun clues (dot follower, one studying camels) helped make up for cul de sac and trala, which even with an explanation I'm still not quite comfy with.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3738081630971167172007-06-23T20:42:00.000-04:002007-06-23T20:42:00.000-04:00Ouch! Got through it with 6 trips to google. I a...Ouch! Got through it with 6 trips to google. I agree that CULDESAC for stalemate is a big stretch and I never would have gotten it with out googling DEBRA. Also, is politic really spelled with K? My only error was ICESCANERS for ICESKATERS. I thought of someone in the stands studing the camels (of course this also made lucine and maco wrong).Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42081150301133303012007-06-23T11:44:00.000-04:002007-06-23T11:44:00.000-04:00This puzzle just wasn't any fun. I'm disappointed...This puzzle just wasn't any fun. I'm disappointed. Thanks for your help, Rex. <BR/><BR/>There ought to be a rule against words like "duad" or "cul de sac" as a stalemate. Crossword puzzles are written to entertain, aren't they?Merry Musehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08016389440104909244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5627229728204444112007-06-23T11:31:00.000-04:002007-06-23T11:31:00.000-04:00Well, now at least I'm not feeling like a total fa...Well, now at least I'm not feeling like a total failure...and I was doing so well all week...Thanks all of you!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82049557511098185322007-05-19T10:26:00.000-04:002007-05-19T10:26:00.000-04:00Well, thank god you posted your comment to the wro...Well, thank god you posted your comment to the wrong date, so no one will ever know of my error!<BR/><BR/>:)<BR/><BR/>Cheney is monstrous in his way - you can see how I went wrong.<BR/><BR/>rpRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64456919638794437002007-05-19T10:21:00.000-04:002007-05-19T10:21:00.000-04:00I love your blog and must admit you've saved my sa...I love your blog and must admit you've saved my sanity on several occasions. Thanks for that. But I must admit I was surprised that you used Cheney (the VP's version) instead of Chaney as a reference to actor Lon. Thanks for being so human and just a teensy bit fallible.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54866381847116695602007-05-13T13:40:00.000-04:002007-05-13T13:40:00.000-04:00"You don't know beans" for another bean = nonsense..."You don't know beans" for another bean = nonsense example.....<BR/><BR/>Been outta town, thought about looking at the paper and trying it, but thanks to all comments regarding difficulty, I'll just start the new week with Sunday.<BR/><BR/>Trish in OPAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45417875457358284972007-05-13T09:28:00.000-04:002007-05-13T09:28:00.000-04:00Thank you Linda G for explaining ETS. Boy, this wa...Thank you Linda G for explaining ETS. Boy, this was a doozie and I'm glad it's over.Campesitehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01852123189179333049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30623058112549502362007-05-13T00:02:00.000-04:002007-05-13T00:02:00.000-04:00Man--this one brought me to my knees. The only ans...Man--this one brought me to my knees. The only answers I knew for certain at the outset were:<BR/><BR/>SEA LIONS (loved seeing them frolic on the west coast)<BR/>CASTANET (thought the clue was adorable)<BR/>ALLS (duh!)<BR/>SET A (also, duh!)<BR/>RIO (a guess here, but the only word that made sense)<BR/>IRA (I've got one, so OK)<BR/>LOIN (mmmm)<BR/><BR/>Then I had to google. Then snatch a word from Rex's solution and soldier on. Then start cursing NIGH ON (really, really wanted NEARLY) and DUAD (DUETs, anyone?). And having FISSURE instead of CAESURA for a long while didn't help my cause, either...<BR/><BR/>Deep breath. Tomorrow is Sunday, and it can't be so bad.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63802560938964249762007-05-12T16:15:00.000-04:002007-05-12T16:15:00.000-04:00Yes, very relieved to know that the entire crosswo...Yes, very relieved to know that the entire crossworld had a problem with at least one area of this puzzle. Alex and I had similar wrong answers, including NEARLY for NIGH ON. Unfortunately, I put that wrong answer in the wrong place, so that really added to the confusion.<BR/><BR/>ETS? I had just written that I still didn't get it, then it came to me. For the benefit of anyone else that is still lost, think flying saucers.Linda Ghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15816794362786044423noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46238299733041663492007-05-12T14:36:00.000-04:002007-05-12T14:36:00.000-04:00Maybe it's generational: I have indeed heard "full...Maybe it's generational: I have indeed heard "full of beans" used to mean "full of it" ("nonsense," that is). But I have also heard it used to mean "full of vigor" - I'm pretty sure Milhouse's mother uses this to describe him at some point... ah yes, after Bart confesses that he has sabotaged Milhouse's romance with Samantha Stanky, Milhouse and Bart begin brawling. From snpp.com:<BR/><BR/>Mrs. Van Houten thanks Bart for coming and shows him to Milhouse's room, where he finds Milhouse crying on his bed. Bart confesses, and the two fight. Mrs. Van Houten pops in and is pleased. ``Milhouse is out of bed and full of beans!'' Mr. Van Houten is also pleased.Rex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-706397437976498342007-05-12T13:58:00.000-04:002007-05-12T13:58:00.000-04:00To me "you're full of beans" means "you're energet...To me "you're full of beans" means "you're energetic, full of get-up-and-go. I can't imagine a sense of BEANS that means "nonsense."<BR/><BR/>I finally realized how 4D, "Saucerful," could be ETS -- as I was posting, as usual. I make a practice, when faced with a hellacious monster like this, of circling clues that I think are unfair or over the top; this one had 10 out of 59. Too many. I'll save y'all the details. Still, I managed to do it with the aid of Google only, as opposed to those for which I finally have to come here to get a leg up. Yesterday's Berry forced me here to get even the tiniest purchase on it. This has been a very bad week, for me anyway.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31035665371053244282007-05-12T13:31:00.000-04:002007-05-12T13:31:00.000-04:00Wow, definitely was an off night if my brain could...Wow, definitely was an off night if my brain couldn't come up with "your full of beans." But can beans = nonsense be used in outside the context of that exact phrase? If not then it is "full of beans" that means nonsense, not beans itself. But considering that I didn't finish as much as 20% of the puzzle I'm not really in a position to get nitpicky.<BR/><BR/>If you're full of beans and then spill those beans, the nonsense gets converted into non-nonsense.Alex S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07543077687426776863noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45734110226037914062007-05-12T13:04:00.000-04:002007-05-12T13:04:00.000-04:00I'm just glad to see that you classified this puzz...I'm just glad to see that you classified this puzzle as "hard." <BR/><BR/>To answer one of Alex's questions, cul de sac is litterally the bottom of the bag. I'm not so sure about that clue, though. Cul-de-sac i a synonym of impasse, and impasse is a synonym of stalemate, but is cul-de-sac a synonym of stalemate? I really don't think so. <BR/><BR/>Anyway, about 2/3 or the way through this puzzle, I came to a dead end (impasse, cul-de-sac, stalemate...ok, maybe it is...), so I'm glad there is Rex (sung to the tune of Jimmy Dorsey's "Im glad there is you.")<BR/><BR/>As for beans for nonsense..."You're full of beans" means "you're talking nonsense," right?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61782010078529080002007-05-12T12:44:00.000-04:002007-05-12T12:44:00.000-04:00This was a hellaciously difficult puzzle for me. ...This was a hellaciously difficult puzzle for me. Don't know whether to praise it or curse it, but probably the former since it felt good to finish. If not for "sealions" proving that my guess of "loin" was correct, I'm not sure I would ever have even gotten started. Sort of an odd week, no?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70359809928091144352007-05-12T12:40:00.000-04:002007-05-12T12:40:00.000-04:00Whoa, that was a tough one. Thanks for explaining...Whoa, that was a tough one. Thanks for explaining ELEM. I didn't get that one even after I finished the puzzle.Norrin2https://www.blogger.com/profile/08556797281238202366noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48962336639103582692007-05-12T12:11:00.000-04:002007-05-12T12:11:00.000-04:00Every one of Alex's gimmes/answers in the first co...Every one of Alex's gimmes/answers in the first comment were hell on earth for me - I needed a lot of crossings to get all of them - looks like everyone found a completely different path into this thing (In contrast, I got ELEM right off the clue, go figure). Kind of cool when that happens.<BR/><BR/>I worked on paper from AcrossLite, as the applet apparently took one look at the puzzle, and decided to take the night off, showing only a blank screen in my browser.Howard Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00766792795622192271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56178862772382235202007-05-12T12:06:00.000-04:002007-05-12T12:06:00.000-04:00Pork & BEANS, LOIN of pork & PETUNIA (Porky Pig's ...Pork & BEANS, LOIN of pork & PETUNIA (Porky Pig's Girlfriend).JC66https://www.blogger.com/profile/05324615675333287919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46801349749568937872007-05-12T11:57:00.000-04:002007-05-12T11:57:00.000-04:00Another Saturday Slog. Finished with pride. Then...Another Saturday Slog. Finished with pride. Then noticed that I had, however briefly, convinced myself that "Refrain" was an adequate syn. for "Tracts" -- as in pamphlet or verse -- which gave me an entirely different color altogether.<BR/><BR/>Perunia!!<BR/><BR/>Hey. It could happen.Harleypeytonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13574343617664486585noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6400738835629936042007-05-12T09:29:00.000-04:002007-05-12T09:29:00.000-04:00Rex,Terrific write-up for a really tough puzzle. ...Rex,<BR/><BR/>Terrific write-up for a really tough puzzle. How about the pork connection...BEANS, LOIN & PETUNIA?JC66https://www.blogger.com/profile/05324615675333287919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66394277402540196032007-05-12T09:01:00.000-04:002007-05-12T09:01:00.000-04:00Nice deconstruction, Rex. I think yesterday's HERC...Nice deconstruction, Rex. I think yesterday's HERCULEAN would be the appropriate term for the task at hand. Impressive constructing; Norris ought to get a medal of some sort, as should anyone else managing this on their own. My paltry few unassisted words were: <BR/>ALLS<BR/>SET A<BR/>ART DECO<BR/>IRA<BR/>VERSATILE (which I amazingly got off of just the E in DECO) which allowed me to get ... VID <BR/>NEWMAN (wrong, of course, for the reasons Alex stated)<BR/><BR/>You know when googling gets you absolutely nowhere that it's gonna be a hair-pulling day. There should be some sort of psychological test that analyzes you from the words you can get on the first run-through of a given puzzle. It must reveal something!<BR/><BR/>Thought it was somewhat odd that DOGOODERS were characterized as naive, even if it was qualified by sometimes. Seemed a value judgment.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32069054346995592852007-05-12T08:46:00.000-04:002007-05-12T08:46:00.000-04:00This shows you how much I don't know about movies-...This shows you how much I don't know about movies--never have heard of <I>The Hustler</I>, got LAURIE, thinking it was how <B>Peter Lorre</B> spelled his name.<BR/><BR/>Dumb luck, I guess.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67130387773819352272007-05-12T08:45:00.000-04:002007-05-12T08:45:00.000-04:00my solving was identical to kratsman's -- 'cept i ...my solving was identical to kratsman's -- 'cept i needed help at 35 & 39a (thank you, rex!)... held on to "silly glasses" for faaaaaaaar too long. cleaning up that area let me bring it home.<BR/><BR/>loved "one studying camels" for "ice skater" and "evasive tactics" for "song and dance."<BR/><BR/>:-)<BR/><BR/>janieAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90911470591377482152007-05-12T06:43:00.000-04:002007-05-12T06:43:00.000-04:00This was definitely a tough one, at least for me. ...This was definitely a tough one, at least for me. I solved it NW, SE (where the CUL opened up the), NE, SW.<BR/><BR/>It helped that I remembered MAKO from a LAT puzzle a few says ago (clued almost identically).<BR/><BR/>Piper Laurie makes an appearance in 2 puzzles today, btw. <BR/><BR/>Always like Rich Norris puzzles: tough but fair, as they say.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com