tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post7365417519869688959..comments2024-03-29T10:22:19.863-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: FRIDAY, Jan. 25, 2008 - David Quarfoot (ONETIME SERBIAN CAPITAL)Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger51125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90211285059934933132008-03-07T20:10:00.000-05:002008-03-07T20:10:00.000-05:00@Aviatrix: On a piano, there is no black key betwe...@Aviatrix: On a piano, there is no black key between B and C so, in fact, B# is the same as C, and Cb is the same as B. (Same for E and F.)PuzzleGirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06835502266781516627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11582410032647372272008-03-07T17:20:00.000-05:002008-03-07T17:20:00.000-05:00To a boatman, "OAR" is NEVER a verb!Other than tha...To a boatman, "OAR" is NEVER a verb!<BR/><BR/>Other than that, merci, DQ.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37680670958321364752008-03-07T15:39:00.000-05:002008-03-07T15:39:00.000-05:00It was easier than usual for a Friday wasn't it?Fo...It was easier than usual for a Friday wasn't it?<BR/><BR/>For boarding spot I had the O (from a not-completely right MANYROLES) and was all "dock, jetway, airstairs, gangplank, jetty," then I rethought the clue and thought "Guantanamo Bay, broken windows, vacant home, school, dorm, kennel" before I finally got to "hill, mountain, SLOPE!" I think some day I'll write a stream of consciousness piece on me solving a puzzle.<BR/><BR/>A B is not the same as a C-flat, a B-sharp is the same as a C-flat, so likewise an A-sharp is a B-flat, or almost a B.<BR/><BR/>34D fails the breakfast test only if you have a dirty mind (I do too). It could apply to getting into a swimming pool, for example.<BR/><BR/>I really wanted 62A to be a misleading clue, giving pie, turnover, struedel, temptation, anything but an actual application on the Mac.<BR/><BR/>I was so determined that the true judge of films was the number of people willing to pay to see them, that I managed to shoehorn SEATSOLD into 65A without noticing that it was short an S. I knew TRON (were there any other movies in 1982?), had GASRANGE and ASCOTTIE (but wasn't married to the latter), so eventually I had to accept that my mess wasn't working. I think I left it with DISCS and the nonsensical SESNGOLD. Can't tell, too much ink there!<BR/><BR/>I wish to retract my complaints about baseball and US politics. They still vex me, but the New York specific things in this puzzle finally whacked me upside the head with the fact that it's the <I>New York</I> Times crossword, so of course it's all American, baseball and apple pie. Love it or leave, sweetheart.<BR/><BR/>I laugh at how you report your times in minute and seconds. Mine for this puzzle was 1:35--after an hour and a half I guessed the few missing letters for proper name and foreign word crosses, and came to your site. That does include actually making and eating breakfast, and emptying the dishwasher.Aviatrixhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13634111275860140084noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37824403919835989892008-03-07T10:50:00.000-05:002008-03-07T10:50:00.000-05:0065 Across JUDGE OF MOVIESReinholdHave we forgotten...65 Across <BR/><BR/>JUDGE OF MOVIES<BR/><BR/>Reinhold<BR/><BR/>Have we forgotten about the character BHPD Det. Billy Rosewood<BR/>from Eddie Murphy's movie Beverly Hills Cop<BR/><BR/>http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0092644/Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85446194254825788102008-01-26T00:14:00.000-05:002008-01-26T00:14:00.000-05:00PSolver, probably best not to mention the Sat puzz...PSolver, probably best not to mention the Sat puzzle yet...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12542793062082646542008-01-25T23:59:00.000-05:002008-01-25T23:59:00.000-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.PhillySolverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06896753042626337920noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57287928834891953252008-01-25T22:27:00.000-05:002008-01-25T22:27:00.000-05:00Great. On one hand are people referencing Barry M...Great. On one hand are people referencing Barry Manilow songs. On the other hand is Rex talking about Depeche Mode, so I'm stuck with "Just Can't Get Enough" in my head. ARGH!<BR/><BR/>Well, more to my tastes, Lou Reed references a couple of the streets of Alphabet City in the poignant "Halloween Parade."<BR/><BR/>I relatively breezed through this for a Friday. In fact, I assumed that Rex would rate this one an "easy," since I didn't even have to think about googling.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29996402490680346102008-01-25T21:40:00.000-05:002008-01-25T21:40:00.000-05:00I enjoyed the comments more than the puzzle! Start...I enjoyed the comments more than the puzzle! Started with TV TRAY and finished it all without looking anything up -- but my guess at the Japanese car where it crossed with E ? Segar left me with one wrong letter! <BR/>Liked the ambiguity of 22A's clue "habit" which might have been ROBE if a nun's habit, rather than ROTE, but didn't care for 27A using clue "boarding" for snowboarding -- slang, maybe, but for me it's as if you could use "walk" for cakewalk.<BR/><BR/>ATALANTA (17A, fleet runner of myth) was a gimme because it was the name of the athletic club for girls in high school. Long before its time, our public HS was very supportive of athletics for young women, and even had two pools -- one for boys and one for girls! We didn't have co-ed cheerleading teams though: they were male-only!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88112804172956689652008-01-25T21:37:00.000-05:002008-01-25T21:37:00.000-05:00Solvers can rest easy. I don't have a girlfriend ...Solvers can rest easy. I don't have a girlfriend as jc66 claimed. I did get a huge laugh from the post, though.<BR/><BR/>Oh, and I was delighted that Shortz left my original clue "Boarding spot" - it was a shout out to all us snowboarding crossworders. Well, assuming there are any besides me. Off to watch the Winter X Games.<BR/><BR/>DQ<BR/><BR/>PS IMO, the best entry I ever put in a puzzle was XGAMESX - as in X Games Ten, which was held around the same time as the 2006 Olympics. Shortz sadly disagreed and the puzzle never saw print anywhere.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2382866940641710512008-01-25T20:16:00.000-05:002008-01-25T20:16:00.000-05:00Nice puzzle -- just the right level of difficulty ...Nice puzzle -- just the right level of difficulty for a Friday. I could hardly believe disci but it had to be right.Michael Chibnikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04700426644898924644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30728391046165218122008-01-25T19:49:00.000-05:002008-01-25T19:49:00.000-05:00I miss AD too. 65A reminded me of that episode im...I miss AD too. 65A reminded me of that episode immediately: <A>http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fakin%27_It</A><BR/><BR/>Great puzzle today I thought, the fill came quickly and was enjoyable.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14454025806125369576noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80227170331698762142008-01-25T19:29:00.000-05:002008-01-25T19:29:00.000-05:00"Small dog being worn around the neck" would go ba..."Small dog being worn around the neck" would go back to the "perishable fashion accessory"<BR/>clue of the other day.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82158348604178661122008-01-25T18:27:00.000-05:002008-01-25T18:27:00.000-05:00My mind kept insisting on seeing ASCOT TIE as A SC...My mind kept insisting on seeing ASCOT TIE as A SCOTTIE, and wondering how in the hell that was supposed to work. Interesting visual of a small dog being worn around the neck, though. I had a nasty typo too, NES instead of NIS. Do they play old video game consoles in Serbia? Took me a while to find that sucker.Howard Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00766792795622192271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77710951457578826482008-01-25T18:17:00.000-05:002008-01-25T18:17:00.000-05:00@karma: The liner notes of "Barry Manilow II" (whi...@karma: The liner notes of "Barry Manilow II" (which I probably do have in a box in the basement somewhere, but which I searched for on the internet for today's purpose) say that "Avenue C" is a song popularized by the Count Basie Orchestra. Manilow's version adds lyrics that were written for the tune by Jon Hendricks (whoever that is). You can hear a sample of the Manilow version <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/Barry-Manilow-II/dp/B000F2CC2W/ref=pd_bbs_sr_1?ie=UTF8&s=music&qid=1201302723&sr=8-1" REL="nofollow">here</A> and the County Basie version <A HREF="http://www.amazon.com/Avenue-C-Remix/dp/B000THG6O8/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1201302661&sr=1-1" REL="nofollow">here.</A> It's actually quite infectious. (Much like "Copa Cabana." Thanks a lot, Rex.)PuzzleGirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06835502266781516627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82181732988752144952008-01-25T18:09:00.000-05:002008-01-25T18:09:00.000-05:00Nothnagel: yes! REINHOLD was my first fill today -...Nothnagel: yes! REINHOLD was my first fill today - but what I had in my head was William Hung singing "Mock Trial with J. Reinhold! Mock Trial with J. Reinhold!"<BR/>I miss <I>AD</I>. Taste the sadness.<BR/><BR/>Mo: Boxleitner also reminded me of the Gaffney experiment, having just read <I>Gridlock</I>...<BR/>Filled in TRON without noticing the "title role" part of the clue (thank goodness).Danhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11209543514266918480noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82044211813204383752008-01-25T17:51:00.000-05:002008-01-25T17:51:00.000-05:00Her name was Lola ...She was a showgirl ..[the gra...Her name was Lola ...<BR/><BR/>She was a showgirl ..<BR/><BR/>[the gravitational pull of the song is irresistible]<BR/><BR/>rpRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10457461218515049422008-01-25T17:48:00.000-05:002008-01-25T17:48:00.000-05:00@PG -- Manilow / Avenue C? Never heard of it. I ...@PG -- Manilow / Avenue C? Never heard of it. I hope it wasn't C for Copa.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3740111165031938442008-01-25T17:21:00.000-05:002008-01-25T17:21:00.000-05:00@profphil: Powerful piece likely refers to the Q...@profphil: Powerful piece likely refers to the Queen in chess.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47792291283669164872008-01-25T16:47:00.000-05:002008-01-25T16:47:00.000-05:00@fergus-- as relates to thirst: QUENCH>>>EXTINGUI...@fergus-- as relates to thirst: QUENCH>>>EXTINGUISH>>>PUT OUT. i think i've heard the phrase "extinguish one's thirst" in some soda advertisement or another. i thought about that, too, and that was all i could come up with.<BR/><BR/>somehow guessed at TRON with the T, not knowing bruce boxleitner, when some corner of my mind associated the year 1982 with that movie. i believe "1982 sci-fi hit" tends to be the clue for that more often than that. that was my WOOHOO moment of the day...Jeffhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04876983158225590317noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35941290333560265052008-01-25T16:41:00.000-05:002008-01-25T16:41:00.000-05:00Nice Friday one, not too difficult. I also thought...Nice Friday one, not too difficult. I also thought of Cana right away, just didn't spell it right, and filled in Doric before checking the crosses. Fun to see "dese" and "yer out" in one puzzle. I got GI Joe in one go, even though the toy I remember was only about 4" tall, but beloved by my son. I was getting much to complicated about "spotter", hunting or something?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1583152092430646832008-01-25T16:28:00.000-05:002008-01-25T16:28:00.000-05:00Pop culture actually helped me with DEMODE. The f...Pop culture actually helped me with DEMODE. The fashion mag Ugly Betty works for is MODE so DEMODE for "no longer in" made sense.<BR/><BR/>@mo -- thanks for the Gaffney aritcle.<BR/><BR/>@dgb -- thanks for the the ips... lesson.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74108223885149303102008-01-25T16:18:00.000-05:002008-01-25T16:18:00.000-05:00Seeing the 'correct' answer at the 43 square could...Seeing the 'correct' answer at the 43 square could have given me an ASOK moment. Had a T there assuming one with some spunk would sooner be darting about, rather than making a DARE. (BTW, having lived in England, it's hard to use 'spunk' in strictly the American way. (BBTW, there are a whole bunch of prepositions in those British placenames -- I dare the puzzle to start using the Welsh ones.))<BR/><BR/>Haditha, Ramadi, Baqubah, Samarra, or variants in spelling to fill eight spaces -- SADR CITY fell in as a bit of a disappointment. Then with the appearance of the Dear Leader, I was looking around for Dinner Jacket or QOM or at least a Shah to complete the Axis of Evil trifecta. <BR/><BR/>Pulling ATALANTA out of some lonely neuron reinforced the salutary effect that puzzling has on memory maintenance. I'd learned that it Ionian not IONIC, but I'm sure the latter checks out, but nowhere near as frequent in usage I would guess. Just wondering what else besides a fire suits the pairing of QUENCH and Put out?fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2327531057013841962008-01-25T16:05:00.000-05:002008-01-25T16:05:00.000-05:00Blazed through this one (well, Friday's version of...Blazed through this one (well, Friday's version of "blazed", anyway) until I got to the SW. Two names I had no connection with (NAHUM and Edmond Rostand), so I was pretty much sunk. So NAHUM is his first name, eh? Got ITUNES and A SHARP easily enough and finally TEARed up but DEMODE and SONYS just would not come. I was thinking "solos" for [Some speakers]. Even though I thought of SONYS and even own a Sony sound system I just would not let myself admit that Sonys would be the answer (Boses came to mind before SONYS until I got STAID). It really felt like a stretch (and still does- Sony is far more famous for TVs, Walkmans (Walkmen?) or even Blu-ray players). I'm not happy about it but I'll accept it and remember it the next time I see a DQ puzzle. And even though DE MODE seemed to be the only word that made sense, I wouldn't let myself fill that one in, either. Darn it- if I had, I would have at least gotten CYRANO!<BR/><BR/>So, bottom line- I had to come here to finish it off. Blecch! Not a great way to start a weekend. Next time I'll trust my instincts more.<BR/><BR/>And, more kudos to Steely Dan. There's a song on Katy Lied called "Daddy Don't Live in that New York City No More" in which Avenue D is mentioned. True, it's not AVENUE C but because of that song, I know that there are AVENUE x's in NYC.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12778396214859205862008-01-25T15:17:00.000-05:002008-01-25T15:17:00.000-05:00It's embarrassing to me how often the answers remi...It's embarrassing to me how often the answers remind me of Barry Manilow. Couldn't AVENUE C just remind me of NYPD Blue? No, no, no, it has to remind me of the Barry Manilow song. The only reason I'm even admitting this to you is that I feel like we've bonded.<BR/><BR/>One day I was walkin'<BR/>And finally came upon a series<BR/> of alphabet streets<BR/>A, B, C and D<BR/>But I went for C<BR/>The most of the hard-to-forget<BR/> streets<BR/>It's really and truly the dilly<BR/> of all my pet streets....PuzzleGirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06835502266781516627noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54002726544157249362008-01-25T14:09:00.000-05:002008-01-25T14:09:00.000-05:00This one was a struggle, though in the end very en...This one was a struggle, though in the end very enjoyable...after a strong start in the SE, I needed help at various other points. I appreciate the greater emphasis on current events (KIM JONG IL, SADR CITY) relative to pop culture trivia (sorry, Rex, I'm one of those who complains about that stuff). As a news junkie I eat up those current events clues. But I had never heard of Reinhold, EC Segar, Atalanta, Nis, or Edmond Rostand, though I got a couple of those from crosses.<BR/><BR/>Here's an interesting tie-in with the Bruce Boxleitner clue. A few years back, Matt Gaffney wrote an article in Slate entitled "The Ultimate Crossword Smackdown" (adapted from his Gridiron book), in which he and Byron Walden and two computer programs each constructed a puzzle, with the theme answers already in place, and an all-star cast of solvers (Hinman, Payne, Ripstein, & Delfin--doesn't get much more elite than that) solves 'em and rates them for elegance, etc., without knowing who constructed which puzzle. The point was to see how Gaffney and Walden stacked up against the computers. Anyway, the theme was people with the initials BB, and Bruce Boxleitner was there, along with Boris Berezovsky and Benjamin Britten (all 15 letters total!). For some reason, I was just re-reading that article last night, and there today in the puzzle is Boxleitner (had really never heard of him either).<BR/><BR/>Oh, Walden won the smackdown, while Gaffney came in behind him and the two computers...but it was close.<BR/><BR/>The Slate article is at http://www.slate.com/id/2145623/Mohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16478162256075160101noreply@blogger.com