tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post8276460926175574388..comments2024-03-28T15:13:08.509-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: "Most mawkish": FRIDAY, Feb. 15, 2008 - Patrick BerryRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger47125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87872912097307142392008-03-28T21:21:00.000-04:002008-03-28T21:21:00.000-04:00To westcoastgal,If you have a Mac computer and REA...To westcoastgal,<BR/><BR/>If you have a Mac computer and REALLY want to know when the comment was posted, do this:<BR/><BR/>Click on the time of the comment, the URL will appear in the address box of the browser. The date on your comment looks so:<BR/><BR/> http://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/2008/02/friday-feb-15-2008-patrick-berry.html?showComment=1206728460000#c6824708813134205192<BR/><BR/>Select the first 10 digits of the number ahead of the #. In your case = 1206728460<BR/><BR/>Open up the Terminal application and execute this command:<BR/><BR/> perl -e 'print scalar localtime 1206728460,"\n"'<BR/><BR/>Note the number is 10 digit number from the URL.<BR/><BR/>This returns the result:<BR/><BR/>Fri Mar 28 13:21:00 2008<BR/>(CDT - if PDT subtract two hours)<BR/><BR/>The 10 digit number is the number of seconds since Jan 1 1970. It is the way Unix type computers keep track of time. <BR/><BR/>Curiously, most unix computers allocate only enough size to the memory slot for this number so that a Y2K type event may occur in the year 2038 when the number of seconds exceeds the maximum.<BR/><BR/>You can google 2038 to learn more about this. Apparently some 30 year mortgage calculations are already failing.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14789929073188605212008-03-28T21:13:00.000-04:002008-03-28T21:13:00.000-04:00If Arturo Toscanini has indeed become an overworke...If Arturo Toscanini has indeed become an overworked 15-letter composer/conducter clue, please get ready in the near future for Niccolo Paganini. Why, you may ask? Because I had anini from crosses up in the New Hampshire region which in my muscleheaded way yielded Niccolo instead of Arturo (hey, I usually punt when it comes to classical music).<BR/><BR/>That messed up the entire Pacific Northwest for me. Oh, well, off to mope with sad eyes...Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22087109609005906132008-03-28T14:42:00.000-04:002008-03-28T14:42:00.000-04:00CAlady said: I'm surprised this blog included a b...CAlady said:<BR/> I'm surprised this blog included a blank square where the finished grid usually sits. Has something been lost between posting and now?<BR/>As for the puzzle, age again plays a part. Easy for me were the clues from yesteryear, Caron, Ninotchka and such. But I've never seen a Pacman except on TV, and clues like 24D (some singer) and 28A (some actress) leave me praying for good crosses. Actually eventually got it all without help, and really enjoyed the challenge the cluer(s?) presented.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68247088131342051922008-03-28T14:21:00.000-04:002008-03-28T14:21:00.000-04:00Thanks, Rex. How can I tell what DAY a comment wa...Thanks, Rex. How can I tell what DAY a comment was posted?<BR/><BR/>Love the blog - had to sign up to chime in after reading it for months.<BR/><BR/>I would't ever share my Friday times. Lost track of TV/movies/musicians and lyrics after my kids were born - but this is the best way to fill in those gaps now I'm an empty nester.<BR/><BR/>I agree with artlvr - Degas/nudes was disappointing. Manet's nudes were more shocking; could have been obscure enough cluing Degas with horses and/or ballet sculptures.westcoastgalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11942502545227670631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74507223107543696912008-03-28T14:03:00.000-04:002008-03-28T14:03:00.000-04:00I get every comment sent to me, no matter when it'...I get every comment sent to me, no matter when it's posted. And at least as many people read the "6-weeks-ago" blog entry as read the current one (if Google searches are any indication).<BR/><BR/>rpRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29246412788527878272008-03-28T13:52:00.000-04:002008-03-28T13:52:00.000-04:00Hey - does anybody still blog when the small-town ...Hey - does anybody still blog when the small-town solvers get the puzzles 6 weeks later? I wanted to Rex he should see "Charly" (movie based on Alglernon). I remember loving it - but I was young and impressionalbe - and I am OLDER than Rex! So... maybe not. I agree with complaints about the Degas nudes. Manet's nudes were more shocking; Degas could have been cleverly clued with horses. But is anybody still listening ...???westcoastgalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11942502545227670631noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-7346223993786106652008-03-28T13:43:00.000-04:002008-03-28T13:43:00.000-04:00Personally, I would have liked to see 49A clued as...Personally, I would have liked to see 49A clued as "Sales imitation winner", instead of "most mawkish."<BR/><BR/>Or, am I dating myself too much?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14528713925834898362008-02-16T00:09:00.000-05:002008-02-16T00:09:00.000-05:00@karmasartre,On pain of abusing this blog I offer ...@karmasartre,<BR/><BR/>On pain of abusing this blog I offer a refinement of a wintery poem:<BR/><BR/>--<BR/><BR/>The Nothing still there<BR/>and a void that won't go away<BR/>despite February's narcissus spray,<BR/>quince blossoms and pink plum trees,<BR/>acacias spewing off their yellow allergies<BR/>and some early signs of crabapple display.<BR/> <BR/>It's still winter in parts that only get a peek<BR/>of distant shagged ice and freezing winds <BR/>that claim a tomb for a man of snow<BR/>who, soulless in his sleek array,<BR/>holds no quest hereafter.fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59145075028290396032008-02-15T23:47:00.000-05:002008-02-15T23:47:00.000-05:00for whatever it's worth to any of you east-coaster...for whatever it's worth to any of you east-coasters still awake, i'm with fergus in being annoyed with the Degas/NUDES pairing, but maybe for different reasoning. it's just too easy. associating [insert name of famous french painter] with NUDES is like shooting fish in a barrel. actually, come to think of it, phrase the clue simply "some paintings", and the first word that comes to mind is <I>still</I> NUDES. on these grounds, i'm inclined to suspect that the use of Degas in this clue is deliberately misleading, as fergus suggests... not so much because it is inaccurate, but because it is way more specific than the answer actually warrants. <BR/><BR/>perhaps the constuctor intended to make the solver fruitlessly hunt around for some detail more particularly germaine to the specific painter mentioned before coming back to the lowest-common-denomenator style answer. if that's the case, then i would observe that it didn't seem to be a very effective ploy, especially with the two other gimmies in the neighborhood (CUTEST and PIANOKEY, which leads to NIKON) furnishing the first two letters right off the bat... arguably, staying away altogether from art references as a clue for NUDES might be a better choice. <BR/><BR/>overall, this was nearly the easiest puzzle of the week for me. too many clues that spawned knee-jerk reactions that turned out to be right. oh well, still much fun... kinda nice to see things fall in to place occasionally.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88285101543097987942008-02-15T21:46:00.000-05:002008-02-15T21:46:00.000-05:00Rick, I definitely agree about PB's puzzles. And ...Rick, I definitely agree about PB's puzzles. And they are satisfyingly clever--tough but great "aha" moments. <BR/><BR/>I know I've been doing Way too many crosswords when Arturo Toscanini is a "gimme." Oh, and Uta, too.<BR/><BR/>Not to post on other puzzles, but I loved the LA Times today.<BR/><BR/>What's with the crabby anonymous posters at night lately? If the blog is condescending, go read something else. Personally, I enjoy espn.com, and it's hardly ever condescending Nobody is forcing you to read it, right? It's the X in the top right corner or you can even use the Back button. You choose.<BR/><BR/>KathyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60800653420445213212008-02-15T21:30:00.000-05:002008-02-15T21:30:00.000-05:00Whew - only 21 black squares! It looked a bit dau...Whew - only 21 black squares! It looked a bit daunting at first, but I was able to pick away until it all came out. Very satisfying...<BR/><BR/>I remembered Albee's "Three TALL Women" first, because the author was so picky about the actresses he'd accept to play those roles that my son-in-law, a Tony Award-winning director, refused to work with him!<BR/><BR/>∑;)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55204251151807840692008-02-15T21:23:00.000-05:002008-02-15T21:23:00.000-05:00Well, "The Rape of Lucrece" is a narrative poem, s...Well, "The Rape of Lucrece" is a narrative poem, so the Clue isn't inaccurate, though it is supremely dull, as stated. I'm just trying to draw out categorical distinctions to see whether there might be a consensus on when and where an acceptable Clue / ANSWER pairing ceases to operate effectively. I would imagine that this imprecisely mapped territory is Will Shortz's favorite vacation destination.fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51186238138060546752008-02-15T20:57:00.000-05:002008-02-15T20:57:00.000-05:00Anonymous 8:43 PM: Are you Uta or just an ass?Anonymous 8:43 PM: Are you Uta or just an ass?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76409774148729836682008-02-15T20:44:00.000-05:002008-02-15T20:44:00.000-05:00I went through this quickly for a Friday, but made...I went through this quickly for a Friday, but made two mistakes. I wrote in "dogpatch" and wondered why someone would be named "nept." A little more thinking would have helped here. But the other mistake I don't think all the time in the world would have helped with (enhalo/hanno last letter). enhalo? I had inhale (which I thought was clever), but then noticed that the i was wrong and wrote in enhale.Michael Chibnikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04700426644898924644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14445062741172202762008-02-15T20:43:00.000-05:002008-02-15T20:43:00.000-05:00This whole blog is condescending.This whole blog is condescending.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-62841534954725595382008-02-15T20:18:00.000-05:002008-02-15T20:18:00.000-05:00I have the PB book also and it has more than one u...I have the PB book also and it has more than one unfinished puzzle in it. <BR/><BR/>He always makes me feel that I'm not stupid, just that he's very tricky. I know that I will eventually finish his puzzles and be impressed by his talent and my solving ability.<BR/><BR/>It's the perfect constructor:solver relationship.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2781387967945745592008-02-15T20:14:00.000-05:002008-02-15T20:14:00.000-05:00Accuracy aside, [Narrative poet] is just a terribl...Accuracy aside, [Narrative poet] is just a terrible clue. Soporific and bland. There are probably hundreds, if not thousands, of narrative poets. You need something pointing a bit more specifically (and interestingly) at your answer when it's a proper noun.Rex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11850863401570881612008-02-15T20:08:00.000-05:002008-02-15T20:08:00.000-05:00Just curious: if the Clue is Narrative poet and t...Just curious: if the Clue is Narrative poet and the answer is SHAKESPEARE, is this a good pairing? At the risk of seeming wishy-washy, I could make an argument either way. <BR/><BR/>A reasonable convention might be that if the ANSWER is pretty obscure, then it's probably not OK to clue the subject for a trait or style that is also obscure. For example, cluing VLAMINCK as a Bicycle enthusiast is probably beyond the pale. It's not untrue, but not exactly germane.fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47770155993529020352008-02-15T19:48:00.000-05:002008-02-15T19:48:00.000-05:00Kathy's right about those great Berry puzzles in h...Kathy's right about those great Berry puzzles in his Dummies book. They're not for dummies!<BR/><BR/>Patrick Berry's deft touch is also evident in the weekly Chronicle of Higher Education crosswords—he edits them rather than constructing, but their quality and smartness is so consistent.<BR/><BR/>Channeling Dave Letterman when he hosted the Oscars some years back: "Uta, okra. Okra, Uta."Orangehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12433254398377357737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52977326471120588862008-02-15T19:11:00.000-05:002008-02-15T19:11:00.000-05:00Real nice puzzle. Dogwatch and hairlines gave me t...Real nice puzzle. Dogwatch and hairlines gave me the most difficulty.<BR/>I would add James M. Cain to the insulted pulp writers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32897048058546322362008-02-15T19:03:00.000-05:002008-02-15T19:03:00.000-05:00@Kathy - You are welcome. Any time you need a litt...@Kathy - You are welcome. Any time you need a little humiliation, I'm always ready with recommendations. Besides Klahn, BW is the toughest constructor out there. Thankfully, both Klahn and BW are not just tough, but masterful. I never (or rarely) resent it when one of them puts me through the wringer.<BR/><BR/>Concur with everything Orange said above about Degas / NUDES. I'm with Fergus, though, on that MIRO clue he mentions. Stretched the meaning of "surrealist" a little far for my tastes. Though there's no denying that Miro has historically been considered a surrealist, his art clearly transcended that category. Here's a snippet of description of Miro I just found at artchive.com:<BR/><BR/>"... associated with the Surrealists but never finally one of them..."<BR/><BR/>rpRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15442994885195474552008-02-15T18:48:00.000-05:002008-02-15T18:48:00.000-05:00Forgive me if I've written this before, but Patric...Forgive me if I've written this before, but Patrick Berry puzzles are terrific--they seem difficult, but they are eminently do-able. I did cheat a bit, but mainly because I had lots of work to do and wanted to read this blog first!<BR/><BR/>Mr. Berry has written a book on puzzling-Crossword Puzzle Challenges for Dummies that's really quite good. There are 70 "previously unpublished" puzzles (how do these guys do it?!) and instructions on constructing puzzles, which I am looking forward to reading (see above reference to work--it interferes, dammit!).<BR/><BR/>Byron Walden kicked my ass today, BTW--thanks, Rex and Orange for forcing me to undergo the humiliation. <BR/><BR/>KathyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66891731770196373192008-02-15T18:35:00.000-05:002008-02-15T18:35:00.000-05:00Hey, I liked "Flowers for Algernon"! But then aga...Hey, I liked "Flowers for Algernon"! But then again, I was a MAWKISH ninth-grader.<BR/>My love for Steely Dan comes through again! Thanks Donald (although the F wouldn't give me FOG IN, had "fly on" in my head for the longest time).<BR/>Fave clue: [32A. More of the same] = CLONES<BR/>Thumbs down to: SOCKEROOAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63116506296673316882008-02-15T18:27:00.000-05:002008-02-15T18:27:00.000-05:00For some reason today there were a lot of long gim...For some reason today there were a lot of long gimmes which made my time today about half of yesterdays (not braggin', my time yesterday was awful).<BR/><BR/>Had the good fortune to do the NYS today and the misfortune to time it. Good but tough puzzle.<BR/><BR/><B>Fergus,</B><BR/><BR/>Liked "Flowers for Algernon" and have read it more than once. The not having and not missing it, then having and losing it aspect is very moving.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78620974428710883042008-02-15T18:24:00.000-05:002008-02-15T18:24:00.000-05:00Let's say that if there was Clue that went Painter...Let's say that if there was Clue that went Painter ____ Mitchell, you would have to go with JOAN on Monday but by Friday JONI would come into play, as well. JONI is, of course, better known for her music, but she's certainly a painter, too. <BR/><BR/>If as stark a Clue as this were presented in a puzzle I would know for sure that the Constructor and Editor were intentionally messing with the solver. But just as when a few weeks ago MIRO was Clued as a Surrealist, their association seemed too vague to qualify as a good pairing. It's funny and quite inconsistent though, that I don't get even slightly irked when regular old nouns get paired in the most loose and remote fashion. It's just a case of stylistic preference after all.fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.com