tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post726626876308914497..comments2024-03-29T03:22:09.826-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Phrase in group photo caption / THU 6-23-16 / Radiohead frontman Thom / Speakeasy-goer / They're best left untouched generally Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63623336696253397192016-07-28T23:20:30.407-04:002016-07-28T23:20:30.407-04:00I'm no chemist, either. But I remember 'sa...I'm no chemist, either. But I remember 'sal hepatica' being very common. Googled it; it went out in 1958.Part of the Bristol-Myers corp history, along with Ipana toothpaste.And, yes, it was a salt.Nightowlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13163606165528477841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61961677279708322062016-07-28T22:55:53.361-04:002016-07-28T22:55:53.361-04:00*hopefully they wet their palates only!
*drys*hopefully they wet their palates only!<br />*drysNightowlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13163606165528477841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60617867874586697722016-07-28T20:22:54.393-04:002016-07-28T20:22:54.393-04:00@spacecraft, you are right, I misunderstood your p...@spacecraft, you are right, I misunderstood your point. My apologies.Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05185068601066087185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65812559588501952072016-07-28T18:25:56.790-04:002016-07-28T18:25:56.790-04:00Ah, @Sailor, you misunderstood my last line. I DO ...Ah, @Sailor, you misunderstood my last line. I DO remember that product--and agree with all you said about its popularity. I was wondering why no one ELSE seemed to recall it. (On closer inspection, I see that a couple folks did mention it, so that was what probably confused you.) Still, there were better clues available, starting with the Kerouac protagonist.<br /><br />Thanks @rainy; it was routine, but no surgery is 100% safe. Mine evidently was.<br /><br />@Diana LIW: Thanks, and Mr. W. has a kindred spirit re modern movie-house sound systems. Blast you out of your seat!spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32570540962119250312016-07-28T18:01:56.977-04:002016-07-28T18:01:56.977-04:00Did you know that Meryl Streep has the same number...Did you know that Meryl Streep has the same number of letters as HELENMIRREN? I sure do. It even crosses well with ARMYBASE - all the wordplay clues were gimmes for me - SOAP, SOFA, POBOY all jumped into the puzzle. Then, getting the theme early on, I filled in the themers lickity split. <br /><br />But the PPPs? Not so much. Lots of guessing. Lots. Why, @Rondo asks? How can I miss this stuff? Well, deafie husband can't stand the sound systems at the movies - my last movie-house movie was Titanic. Really. TV is either movies (to make up for above) or Mr. W's sports. I listen to NPR. I do read the "people" column in the paper, so I get some pop culture news there, on the radio, and of course there's the magazines at the checkout stands at the grocery. I study them carefully as I wait my turn. <br /><br />But I guessed well. My only error was ERrS for ERAS. Yes, I know, I know - you needn't rub it in. Yes, I did say to myself that the puz wouldn't have ERR and ERrS in the same grid. And, yes, ERrTO makes no sense at all. I really mythed that one. <br /><br />@Spacey - glad to see you're in fine fettle. I noticed the Syndie lag too, and took the deLorean to futureland and saw that REX has a sub this week. I guess someone clued him in, as now the Syndie button works just as well as my fabulous car.<br /><br />Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for Crosswords Diana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26131109987889500832016-07-28T16:24:05.759-04:002016-07-28T16:24:05.759-04:00Finally broke the code on the themers with ROBERT,...Finally broke the code on the themers with ROBERT, but after further delays got TIEd up in the YEW/YORKE/ERATO crossings. <br /><br />YORKE was the real culprit here, but was also am-bushed by what appeared to be an out-of-place YEW in an English hedge, and couldn't identify ERATO as part of a nonet.<br /><br />Thought for a while that I was INIT, but no SOAP.leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53638265008978749792016-07-28T14:24:05.028-04:002016-07-28T14:24:05.028-04:00Outside Pittsburgh, there is a Coraopolis, named a...<br />Outside Pittsburgh, there is a Coraopolis, named after someone's wife Cora!<br /><br />But you should be familiar with Annapolis, Minneapolis, & Clark Kent's home, Metropolis!<br /><br />While walking around Charleston SC, we noticed historic markers used the term "Carolopoplis" - which <br /><br />the Preservation society apparently chose as a high-falutin' way to say "Charles-town"<br /><br />http://hiddencharleston.com/carolopolis-award/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14830789824819485822016-07-28T14:19:16.255-04:002016-07-28T14:19:16.255-04:00@spacecraft: I think that SAL needed a better clu...@spacecraft: I think that SAL needed a better clue, and preferably one that indicated it’s not current usage. But it’s not ancient history, either. Sal Hepatica was <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sal_Hepatica" rel="nofollow">produced by Bristol-Myers until 1958</a> , and it had been a big seller throughout the first half of the 20th century. I remember it well from my childhood, and I’m not retired yet. It was in my grandparents’ medicine cabinet, and advertisements for it seemed to be everywhere. So I’m just as surprised that you have apparently never heard of it, as you are that I have.Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05185068601066087185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89605535907430225962016-07-28T14:15:32.707-04:002016-07-28T14:15:32.707-04:00@rainy - Sylvester "Sly" Stone (original...@rainy - Sylvester "Sly" Stone (originally Stewart)rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16855449008657658242016-07-28T13:38:00.420-04:002016-07-28T13:38:00.420-04:00I guess I am one of the few who did not find this ...I guess I am one of the few who did not find this easy, not because of the plethora of names, but just because I was obtuse for way too long. Even though I had the four corners all worked out, the "formally" thing didn't click and in the Hallowe'en clue, I was trying to work something around "trick or treat" (hah). The French cutie was 'amour' at first, and only when I changed that to CHERI did the PENELOPE drop. Of course - formal names! <br /><br />From that point things went rather well. Got all the themers, got HELEN MIRREN, a favourite of mine, but had to struggle with the South centre and the midwest for a bit. Btw, @Alias Z, Thom Yorke and Radiohead do belong here. Great band. <br /><br />Maybe a nit, but as far as I know, only Stallone is referred to as SLY. A friend of mine from high school was named SYLVESTER, and the shortened version of his name was Syl. Makes more sense. Anyway, liked this puzzle, as stupid as I was in eventually getting to a finish.<br /><br />@Spacy - hope all went well with your surgery.rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46850703548427472432016-07-28T11:01:09.908-04:002016-07-28T11:01:09.908-04:00P.S. Forgot to mention: the syndicated spot has be...P.S. Forgot to mention: the syndicated spot has been glued to Saturday June 18 all week. Wake up there, hoss!spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85958991938823313992016-07-28T10:57:19.064-04:002016-07-28T10:57:19.064-04:00I could actually start in the NW this time! And af...I could actually start in the NW this time! And after laying down the first themer, a gimme with the clue + the ROBE...start, I thought, hey guys, it's Thursday; better toughen this one up. They tried to in the NE by picking an obscure AGEE, but it didn't work. Never heard of "ONLY Sixteen" or "ONLY Time," but the Platters' signature hit was enough. Momentary confusion in the east with IVY for the hedge plant; I thought YEW was a tree. But by and large I sailed through this one. Call it easy-easy-medium. (Or EEM, if you're doing RD's).<br /><br />I like the unstrained use of the high-scrabble letters. For DOD, I'll use one of @rondo"s from yesterday: DOROTHY Lamour. Va, as they used to say, va voom. Re military installation nomenclature: FORMALLY, it's true the Army doesn't have "BASEs," but you can still say that "the Army has two new companies BASEd at Ft. Dix." In that sense I'm okay with it. It ain't the hill I wanna die on.<br /><br />Does anybody remember SAL Hepatica? 'Nuff said. Birdie.spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8674537348190058922016-07-28T10:35:37.096-04:002016-07-28T10:35:37.096-04:00Easiest puz this week, names notwithstanding. Actu...Easiest puz this week, names notwithstanding. Actually helping. All seemed fair to me. Especially yeah babies HELENMIRREN, LEONA Lewis, LORDE, and RENEE Goldsberry. Never really considered INGA Swenson that way, but I’ve been wrong before. The gals might have a yeah baby in Keanu REEVES? I don’t read People mag or watch any of those tabloid TV shows, yet I know most of the names that pop up, how are so many other folks so unaware? PENELOPE for your thoughts. Penny Cruz? Don’t like how that rolls.<br /><br />Even considering how silly this theme was (and I got it at the RO in the first themer), it’s better than a rebus. But probably too easy for Thursday, unless one is not familiar with the PPP factor here. <br />rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87787049228721865562016-07-28T09:08:31.619-04:002016-07-28T09:08:31.619-04:00USED POBOY
OHYES, I let PENELOPEPINCH my ass, and...USED POBOY<br /><br />OHYES, I let PENELOPEPINCH my ass, and give AFEW SWATs, as well.<br />Oh LORDE she ONLY makes that PASS when she ENTREATS me to ENTAIL. <br /><br />--- SAL AGEE<br />Burma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54731615706248731792016-07-02T12:33:38.985-04:002016-07-02T12:33:38.985-04:00Apologies for this comment littering inboxes so af...Apologies for this comment littering inboxes so after the fact. I got to this puzzle a couple weeks late but was nonetheless compelled to comment. <br /><br />A cute theme was ruined by 15 proper nouns, a good 5 of which were obscure. X-word puzzles that become trivia contests are no fun. The rest was too easy for a Thursday and the fill was meh. The bad and the ugly trumped the good in this puzzle. Did an evil villain slip a Roofie into Rex's coffee before he reviewed it? This was not the voice of our fearless leader. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05500546556642223248noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61087768026378119412016-06-23T23:46:24.337-04:002016-06-23T23:46:24.337-04:00I hadn't noticed but thanks for pointing that ...I hadn't noticed but thanks for pointing that out!lynnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13703790943594389859noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83852138187004354542016-06-23T22:48:34.442-04:002016-06-23T22:48:34.442-04:00@Hartley...I completely floored my husband by comi...@Hartley...I completely floored my husband by coming up with the final Jeopardy answer.....I didn't have the heart (mean streak) to tell him I heard here...GILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52194002435878593642016-06-23T22:43:47.362-04:002016-06-23T22:43:47.362-04:00@Hartley70 - Amen@Hartley70 - AmenMohair Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502840715719161565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48963850853771585772016-06-23T22:00:22.222-04:002016-06-23T22:00:22.222-04:00As @Bookwoman guessed, SAL is Latin for salt. No ...As @Bookwoman guessed, SAL is Latin for salt. No idea how commonly it is used these days, but well within my lifetime it was commonly used to name salt compounds (sal ammoniac or ammonium chloride, NH4Cl; sal soda or sodium carbonate, Na2CO3) and brand-name commercial mixtures of salts (Sal Hepatica). Kinda surprised, actually, that the chemists in the group are unfamiliar with this usage.<br /><br />On the other hand, whilom??? Now that's really going back in time.Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05185068601066087185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43334038288858755982016-06-23T19:48:43.421-04:002016-06-23T19:48:43.421-04:00@Kitty and @Hushpuppy, as an online puzzle solver ...@Kitty and @Hushpuppy, as an online puzzle solver I would enjoy the evening's final Jeopardy question much more if you did not reveal it hours before it airs. I'm a digital NYT subscriber and had no idea they ruin that night's Jeopardy game in the paper. I understood they offered the question the day after it aired. Thank you in advance for your future consideration.Hartley70https://www.blogger.com/profile/00557118655188472450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91299747702000622362016-06-23T18:56:06.000-04:002016-06-23T18:56:06.000-04:00Fun theme. Good to see I wasn't only one thin...Fun theme. Good to see I wasn't only one thinking up of these. Did the ol' Richard Hertz when having a sub on the signin sheet in high school. To make it more formal and less obvious pun. Jonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06956650480399527813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80443062797125924262016-06-23T16:59:04.656-04:002016-06-23T16:59:04.656-04:00@Anoa Bob - Sal hepatica, like sal ammoniac(which ...@Anoa Bob - Sal hepatica, like sal ammoniac(which some folks will surely remember), is the sense in which SAL is being clued in the puzzle, I think.kitshefnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51717401307315856082016-06-23T16:31:39.357-04:002016-06-23T16:31:39.357-04:00I got aDNF because I misspelled "siphon"...I got aDNF because I misspelled "siphon" as "siphen". My fault, but I would have caught it if not for the terrible clue for "Halo." A video game??? PLEASE!!! Gimme a break! And then there were the totally meaningless to me Leona Lewis, someone called "Lorde," something called Radiohead involving Yorke, Renee Goldsberry, John Agee , adding to my general dissatisfaction. Given that much completely unfamiliar ( and uninteresting to me) material, I guess I should be happy to have missed only one square. But I'm not! <br /><br />Pop culture fill aside, I liked the theme. (and got Polis by trying every two letter combination P--is, where the second letter was A or O. When I got to POLIS, I thought of metropolis and guessed it. )<br /><br />OISKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16808675378318214461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86007300591823298272016-06-23T16:10:18.730-04:002016-06-23T16:10:18.730-04:00SAL used to get clued as some variation of "A...SAL used to get clued as some variation of "Actor ___ Mineo". I guess he's becoming a bit dated. Another option, even more dated though, would be the old Bristol-Myers laxative/cathartic <a href="https://img1.etsystatic.com/000/0/6518381/il_570xN.325495951.jpg" rel="nofollow">SAL Hepatica</a>. With summer in swing, maybe it's time to <a href="http://www.old-time.com/commercials/1930's/Ad%20Sal%20Hepatica%202.jpg" rel="nofollow">bring it back</a>.Anoa Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16185183023273883700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87499408941916236792016-06-23T16:00:40.448-04:002016-06-23T16:00:40.448-04:00@Mohair - one of the funniest comments this year!!...@Mohair - one of the funniest comments this year!!<br /><br />To be fair, I often like a puzzle *just* because my car, or favorite planet, or some other very personal-but-nothing-to-do-with-puzzle-value thing is in it, even if it's a lousy puzzle.<br />In fact, it is the ability to evoke lots of memories/stories that make me enjoy a puzzle - and give me plenty of fodder to bore y'all with!Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.com