tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post8306582033944465182..comments2024-03-28T15:13:08.509-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Architect Louis / THU 5-5-11 / Only bird with nostrils on tip beak / Theme for Julio Iglesias / Nonrectangular part of skyline / Series grisly casesRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54070879071155428572011-06-09T20:31:57.016-04:002011-06-09T20:31:57.016-04:00Count me in the camp of those who didn't recog...Count me in the camp of those who didn't recognize the r image so this puzzle became far more difficult than yesterday's. Thought the note hinted at JJ so began by (unsuccessfully) trying to fit JANISJOPLIN somewhere into the grid. Thereafter, went from bad to worse...Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89509837545840687852011-06-09T16:54:07.804-04:002011-06-09T16:54:07.804-04:00OK, now I see it (the "r" that is), and ...OK, now I see it (the "r" that is), and it's MOVING - groovy, man! <br /><br />@Red Valerian - that's a really cool dog! And you are right, the syndication "time warp" can be very strange indeed. Safe travels to Turkey - my son went there a few years ago and loved it.<br /><br />CAPTCHA is kaboopti which seems ripe with possibilities but in my present state of mind I can't see any of them. @NarB, any suggestions?Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45701208558758253162011-06-09T15:41:15.126-04:002011-06-09T15:41:15.126-04:00I enjoyed the puzzle. The ‘r’ does look a little ...I enjoyed the puzzle. The ‘r’ does look a little less r-ish than the ‘J’ does J-ish, but they are utterly symmetrical. Didn’t know Ken Griffey.<br /><br />@William e emba—I had Betty too!<br /><br />@quilter1—Turkey decided to revaluate their currency in 2003 by stripping off six zeroes. The “new Turkish Lira” came out in 2005. As of 2009, it is no longer officially designated as “new.” One of your dollars (USD) is currently worth 1.57 TRY. (I’m Canadian.) We are going there for holidays in July. The “Arab Spring” hadn’t really started when we made our plans, but things look fine in Turkey, and we won’t be going close to any borders.<br /><br />@archaeoprof- hope things have been going well. It’s a bit strange being here in syndi-land, sort of stuck in the past.Red Valerianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04638265039015470938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11849298670918760972011-06-09T15:03:50.309-04:002011-06-09T15:03:50.309-04:00From syndicationland.
That's an "r&quo...From syndicationland. <br /><br />That's an "r" - really? I was in the J C camp until Rex explained the lower case thingie and I still don't think it looks like an "r" - lack of imagination on my part, I guess. <br /><br />Except for not getting the whole Jr. concept I thought this was pretty easy for a Thursday - finished with only a few writeovers and one blank square at #23.<br /><br />Who knew there were so many stoners in Rexville?Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14100107692876416332011-06-09T12:16:19.708-04:002011-06-09T12:16:19.708-04:00Noted the J in the grid, immediately wanted Derek ...Noted the J in the grid, immediately wanted Derek Jeter as the ballplayer. That stalled me for a bit, but when I eventually got SAMMYDAVIS the r became apparent and GRIFFEY, CONNICK & DOWNY fell into place.<br /><br />"no apt cross" for Sammy Davis? Maybe not, but SWING runs between the columns that contain HARRYCONNICK and SAMMYDAVIS. <br /><br />12d: so close to ToKE.<br /><br />note that Griffey Jr & Griffey Sr were both All-Star Game MVPSAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68371202815686643592011-05-05T22:09:30.876-04:002011-05-05T22:09:30.876-04:00Tobias Duncan can tell a story. Some day it will b...Tobias Duncan can tell a story. Some day it will be as legal as carob and less barfy.<br /><br />Found this difficult - so different from yesterday's. Didn't see the Jr, Googled 4 times (TAMPA, WIL, KAHN, REOS) changed antz to CARS, aLSo to ELSE, anger to IMMAD, IwONAROLL before IMONAROLL, MaRGinS before MERGERS. African river could have been Congo, until it was NIGER, ODO could have been DAX. Learned about KIWI and SDAK. I'm such a Wednesday person. Will I ever get past it?<br /><br />@Glimmerglass - the r is lower case, though as big as the J.<br /><br />@Noam - like your definition of USOFA.<br /><br />HARRY CONNICK Sr. is definitely a sleezy D.A. I do like the Jr.<br /><br />@Anon109 - For real? Why don't you come out?<br /><br />Plural of LIRA is LIRE. At least in Italy.<br /><br />When I taught in prison, there was a gay inmate who wore his hair in a pony tail on top of his head - and was called PEBBLES.Sfingihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06903616949048940858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71068871582814427042011-05-05T21:16:30.475-04:002011-05-05T21:16:30.475-04:00LOVED Tobias' comment (#1 on this thread).
Fir...LOVED Tobias' comment (#1 on this thread).<br />First theme answer I got was Robert Downey, and since it's unusual for the theme answers to be "downs" I thought maybe they'd all be some reference to "down," so a little disappointed by the "Jr" theme, though I kept trying to figure out why there were J's on the board. Still, a fun and original Thursday puzzle.Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17025994484782527098noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9088299813275663892011-05-05T19:41:51.302-04:002011-05-05T19:41:51.302-04:00@ NDE - no need to explain lime any further than C...@ NDE - no need to explain lime any further than CaO. You did good, as our Aggies here say.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70726301952692328332011-05-05T19:22:28.384-04:002011-05-05T19:22:28.384-04:00@Bob Kerf: indeed I saw J Γ too. Didn't check...@Bob Kerf: indeed I saw J Γ too. Didn't check in here until now because I was in transit (solved the puzzle on the airplane). Puzzle didn't do much for me — it's a creative use of the grid to be sure, but all that comes out of it is four theme answers each of which is a celebrity 39A:NAME that happens to end with Jr. — ahimeh.<br /><br />NW corner delayed by wrong turn at 17A: even with 7D/8D filled in I came up with I WON IT ALL, which is right in more letters than it's wrong but not good enough.<br /><br />@Tobias Duncan: thanks for the hilarious 20A/27A: REEFER/CAROB tale!<br /><br />Favorite clue: "Lime" as a kind of 33A:OXIDE. CaO, as I'm sure ret.chem. can explain further.<br /><br />57A:USOFA — contents of a U-Haul?<br /><br />NDENoam D. Elkiesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74581121103421625962011-05-05T18:35:11.017-04:002011-05-05T18:35:11.017-04:00I had "looker" in first at 20A, glad it ...I had "looker" in first at 20A, glad it was wrong.<br /><br />@archaeoprof - Have a safe and wonderful trip, will look forward to your return.chefwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03999206352243329280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71199237441136012502011-05-05T17:53:04.238-04:002011-05-05T17:53:04.238-04:00@archeoprof ... Godspeed!
@Andrea & @dk ... y...@archeoprof ... Godspeed!<br /><br />@Andrea & @dk ... you kids have fun!johonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33550517833323168532011-05-05T17:49:46.857-04:002011-05-05T17:49:46.857-04:00Comments section cracking me up today. Just the im...Comments section cracking me up today. Just the image of PurpleGuy sucking down Panama Red alone...then vegans with whippits and a rabbi and a duck walking into a bar smoking a reefer.<br />@Jesser , Sally Howell is sorely missed here in Taos, glad you got to spend time with her.<br />@dk I think the statute if limitations ran out long ago on the carob caper.<br />@anon at 10:01 you are far too funny to remain anonymous.Please please please create a profile!<br />I am feeling a bit jealous that dk gets to take Andrea out to dinner.<br /><br />I am off to make some kefir and listen to the deep timbred musical stylings of Helen Hayes...Tobias Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14828873893205954337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-79387952648881860392011-05-05T17:18:37.011-04:002011-05-05T17:18:37.011-04:00@DK: Sent you an email. For anyone else who is w...@DK: Sent you an email. For anyone else who is wondering, the app I use to solve on the iPad is the app "Crosswords" (that's its full name) developed by Stand Alone Inc. It's a universal app, meaning that for the cost of one download you can use it on both the iPad and an iPhone. Also, I recently discovered that you can import .puz files into it from an email. So if you subscribe to, say, Fireball Crosswords or Matt Gaffney's Weekly Crossword Contest, you can click on their emails in your iPad or iPhone and jump straight to solving.<br /><br />@Greg Costello: That's tripped me up several times now. Now, when I see a clue that clearly calls for GAIA/GAEA, I leave the third square blank and resign myself to getting it from crosses.Matthew G.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07957320012395569238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80888481080521557162011-05-05T17:16:07.829-04:002011-05-05T17:16:07.829-04:00@Anonymous 10:01: That is too funny! I believe y...@Anonymous 10:01: That is too funny! I believe you're asolutely correct...JenCThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18290169184354765840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87070315897886522722011-05-05T17:05:06.372-04:002011-05-05T17:05:06.372-04:00@ Andrea, I had know idea that you and dk knew eac...@ Andrea, I had know idea that you and dk knew each other beyond the blog. Have a great time.<br />@ archaeoprof, Hope it's a safe and successful trip.Two Ponieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06896743444873087885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10210792147903625982011-05-05T16:26:36.094-04:002011-05-05T16:26:36.094-04:00I've never seen Gaia spelled "Gaea."...I've never seen Gaia spelled "Gaea." That one really screwed up my time, as the mergers clue was making no sense with a GIR in there.greg Costellonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14552708399289415262011-05-05T16:19:03.217-04:002011-05-05T16:19:03.217-04:00@ Doc John - there was a notepad? Oh. Now I see it...@ Doc John - there was a notepad? Oh. Now I see it.<br /><br />@ Matthew G. - the above rationalizes my inability to use the theme. Clearly, my bad.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-69319602538730801462011-05-05T15:55:16.990-04:002011-05-05T15:55:16.990-04:00Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 7/30/...Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 7/30/2009 post for an explanation of my method):<br /><br />All solvers (median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Thu 14:52, 18:58, 0.78, 17%, Easy<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Thu 7:05, 9:09, 0.77, 17%, Easysanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14209163256738904212011-05-05T15:05:56.834-04:002011-05-05T15:05:56.834-04:00Sammy Davis Sr. was a member of The Will Mastin Tr...Sammy Davis Sr. was a member of The Will Mastin Trio who appeared on Ed Sullivan's Toast of the Town show as THE WILL MASTIN TRIO with SAMMY DAVIS JR.ksquarehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06181873595483296089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29210956117337049762011-05-05T14:39:50.547-04:002011-05-05T14:39:50.547-04:00@anon 1:09 pm
WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW
Loving how this puz...@anon 1:09 pm<br />WOWWWWWWWWWWWWWW<br />Loving how this puzzle is bringing out these fabulous stories!!!!<br /><br />@joho<br />Yeah, I don't know ODO from Star Trek or whatever that was, but I know Greek!<br />So it's either Greek or Geek to get that crossing!<br /><br />@peter<br />Yes, THAT Arthur Phillips (childhood friend whom I've known since he was 3 and already a genius) THAT Arthur, who named his son Felix after his very much alive father Felix! I will exact my seven cents residual when I see him next week! I haven't even bought the book yet, but c'mon, the man is a genius! And they will stage a reading of the play at the Public in NYC May 16th.<br />Yes, everybody, go buy "The Tragedy of Arthur"! Come see the play!<br /><br />@Two ponies<br />Wish you were here to join us!<br />It's not really a date, we are just going to hang out today. <br />@dk and I have already met with the fabulous @sethg years ago for a long lunch in Mpls. Usually we only communicate thru the blog as a sort of an inside joke.<br />So today, worlds collide, but no details will be coming forth if I can help it! ;)andrea carla michaels, jrnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48507991709633655992011-05-05T14:24:19.947-04:002011-05-05T14:24:19.947-04:00Don't know how to imbed...but for all us foodi...Don't know how to imbed...but for all us foodies, here's a new game and @Andrea..even though you can't boil water, you will like the game<br /><br />http://www.usaopoly.com/cooking/chefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80919450377186566362011-05-05T14:24:19.221-04:002011-05-05T14:24:19.221-04:00@Jesser hit it- seven mini-puzzles, all but NW and...@Jesser hit it- seven mini-puzzles, all but NW and SE with only a 1-square link to the rest. It was still relatively easy, but I couldn't get ON A ROLL, but had to start anew with eachsection.<br /><br />I didn't figure out the theme until coming here - like many, I could see the J but not the R. I agree that the 5 black squares in the S look more like an R, except for that one after CSI, which messes it up - and it would mean going down diagonally from J to r, and then horizontally to the period - so I don't think that's it.<br /><br />Hand up for DeNiro and pinata; also had ROAM at 50D, but not for very long.<br /><br />The Missouri goes through 3 states with 4-letter abbreviations, MONT, NDAK, and SDAK, but SDAK is the only one it actually bisects.<br /><br />@Tobias, great story! <br /><br />Oh yeah, I guess there had to be mostly men because women don't usually use Jr., right?jberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02169065390875378077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46018151138105751062011-05-05T14:12:59.585-04:002011-05-05T14:12:59.585-04:00Really enjoyed this one despite the need for a cou...Really enjoyed this one despite the need for a couple of googles. I had just enough letters of MERGERS to come up first with MARGINS and figured the 17A gambler's cry would start with I WON... so had a tough time up top. Moved down a bit and got more traction. Saw the emoticon clue and entered FROWN without anything around it to indicate it was totally wrong.<br /><br />Another side by side pair, MVPS and YEAH, is a shout-out, I'm sure, to Derrick Rose of the NBA's Chicago Bulls. Well deserved.shrub5https://www.blogger.com/profile/09466867716773759568noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90226348061955215982011-05-05T14:08:23.589-04:002011-05-05T14:08:23.589-04:00(Back from my annual Cinco de Mayo lunch . . .)
A...(Back from my annual Cinco de Mayo lunch . . .)<br /><br />As did @santafefran, on first looking at the grid, I thought I saw "J C."<br /><br />But at second look, I thought I saw "J {capital Greek gamma}."<br /><br />Anyone else? Surely @Noam D. Elkies?<br /><br />But I did catch on fairly quickly once I started solving.Bob Kerfufflehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02615811802419025933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84434607899379046362011-05-05T14:03:33.642-04:002011-05-05T14:03:33.642-04:00I'm in the camp of finding this puzzle much ha...I'm in the camp of finding this puzzle much harder than yesterday's which seemed breezy with all the famous palindromes. <br /><br />Never heard of Ken Griffey. Have heard of Sammy Davis, of course, but he's way older than I am. Harry Connick? Well, I've heard the name, but could not have told you what he did for a living, how old he was, or what he looked like. And thought I was good with Robert Duvall.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com