tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post8755953975644517421..comments2024-03-18T22:08:40.448-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: 1970 Freda Payne hit / TUE 11-20-12 / 51 ufologist's interest / Weekend publication since 1941 / Sampson of the 1980s-'90s NBA / Deputy Terrytoons character / Cannonball of jazz fameRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63883492779454354482012-12-26T06:14:31.854-05:002012-12-26T06:14:31.854-05:00Got CBGB off the first B. Guess it helps to be an ...Got CBGB off the first B. Guess it helps to be an old punker rather than an old hippie. Had no idea about Freda Payne/Band Of Gold - never heard it or heard of it. Needed pretty much every cross.Anonyratnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15052504090593241542012-12-26T00:58:05.907-05:002012-12-26T00:58:05.907-05:00Folks have gone, wrappings are picked up, tummy is...Folks have gone, wrappings are picked up, tummy is full, and I finally have a few moments for the puz., then maybe another piece of pumpkin pie.<br /><br />My first entry was ADDERLEY, and worked around and up from there. Rigger for ROADIE slowed me up a bit. The NW was last to fall. Got CBGB from the crosses, but I don't get it, even tho someone already answered the question. <br /><br />Gingernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55085029522410307332012-12-25T18:49:33.349-05:002012-12-25T18:49:33.349-05:00@Anony 6:15 - Loo-ra, 2 syllables.@Anony 6:15 - Loo-ra, 2 syllables.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33974665072554804542012-12-25T18:15:08.233-05:002012-12-25T18:15:08.233-05:00Doesn't the clue "Irish lullaby syllables...Doesn't the clue "Irish lullaby syllables" require a plural answer...as in: looras rather than just loora?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20065141673507189442012-12-25T17:47:56.957-05:002012-12-25T17:47:56.957-05:00Getting older meaning having time to do the puzzle...Getting older meaning having time to do the puzzle on Christmas morning while someone else tussles with the wrapping paper mess! And a holiday puzzle at that-even if it is a different holiday. The best of the season to everyone!<br />DMGDMGrandmanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54851043722398712912012-12-25T14:24:02.865-05:002012-12-25T14:24:02.865-05:00Back atcha all, Syndilanders! Rejoice! And now to ...Back atcha all, Syndilanders! Rejoice! And now to puzz.<br /><br />1d filled in CBGB on crosses. OK, if you say so. Ne. Vah. Heardofit.<br /><br />Also NHOI: FLOATPLANE. It's a seaplane, folks. FLOATplane, what an awkward-sounding moniker. Whoever would even dream up such a name is beyond me.<br /><br />The rest of it is serviceable; not gimme-easy, just about medium as OFL said. I like that the revealer is contained in the final long theme answer. Scrabbly crosses are relatively painless--even to the Q in the SW corner!<br /><br />I was surprised that I was able to pull BANDOFGOLD out of the air just by seeing Freida Payne's name. Guess it helped that it was a one-hit wonder.<br /><br />I assume ____platter refers to some kind of food; if it's really PUPU--and it's to be eaten--I think I'd opt for a renaming. Bigtime.<br /><br />Gotta go help fix holiday dinner; we're having neighbors over. Once again, merry and happy times to all!Spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77051091762230522412012-12-25T12:23:11.885-05:002012-12-25T12:23:11.885-05:00@Ginger: Same to you. You got the holiday greetin...@Ginger: Same to you. You got the holiday greetings in before I could. I read all the posts first.<br /><br />Everything I did not know I got from crosses. A good puzzle.NM Robinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14920756034993068695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21059473727467005332012-12-25T12:09:50.380-05:002012-12-25T12:09:50.380-05:00CB_B could have been any random letter as far PP a...CB_B could have been any random letter as far PP and I know, but I finally dredged GELID up from the deep recesses of my mind and the day was saved. <br /><br />@Ginger - right back at you, and to everyone else, too. I just came from a Christmas Day parade of sorts so the theme still applies (there were BALLOONS but no BANDS or FLOATS).Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53138166412574424772012-12-25T08:51:03.491-05:002012-12-25T08:51:03.491-05:00Today I'm breaking a personal rule not to blog...Today I'm breaking a personal rule not to blog until puzzle is done, and all posts have been read. However, this syndiland community is important to me and I want to wish you all the Best of Holidays however you celebrate. So...Merry Christmas, Happy Hanukkah, Happy Kwanza. <br /><br />See ya laterGingernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60824228268731732252012-11-20T23:16:30.227-05:002012-11-20T23:16:30.227-05:00@huh?
Best to ignore...
@EllenS
I stand corrected...@huh?<br />Best to ignore...<br /><br />@EllenS<br />I stand corrected!!! How bizarre to once again learn something i thought I knew my whole life! I didn't even google Benchley and his relationship to Nathaniel! So sure was I! <br />Strange, makes me wonder about all the things i "know". What next? Will I find out Tom Cruise marriages weren't contractual?Apexnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83005249271326170332012-11-20T22:58:52.191-05:002012-11-20T22:58:52.191-05:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 8/1/2009 post for an explanation. In a nutshell, the higher the ratio, the higher this week's median solve time is relative to the average for the corresponding day of the week.<br /><br />All solvers (this week's median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Mon 7:08, 6:46, 1.05, 76%, Medium-Challenging<br />Tue 8:18, 8:57, 0.93, 37%, Easy-Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 4:09, 3:41, 1.13, 91%, Challenging<br />Tue 4:41, 4:41, 1.00, 56%, Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64565679669597675432012-11-20T18:40:27.017-05:002012-11-20T18:40:27.017-05:00@Anon5:08 - What are you talking about? Be specifi...@Anon5:08 - What are you talking about? Be specific.Huh?noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77967943834635034622012-11-20T17:08:41.924-05:002012-11-20T17:08:41.924-05:00I love it when someone references something and te...I love it when someone references something and ten minutes later someone else comes in and does a repeat. Is that called douche et vous?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17541248895098114732012-11-20T16:32:41.465-05:002012-11-20T16:32:41.465-05:00"When I consider life, 'tis all a cheat,
..."When I consider life, 'tis all a cheat,<br />Yet fool'd with hope, men favour the deceit;<br />Trust on, and think to-morrow will repay;<br />To-morrow's falser than the former day;<br />Lies worse; and while it says we shall be blest<br />With some new joys, cuts off what we possest.<br />Strange <b>cozen</b>age! none would live past years again;<br />Yet all hope pleasure in what yet remain;<br />And from the dregs of life think to receive,<br />What the first sprightly running could not give."<br /><br />-DrydenR. McGeddonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48538583442998105002012-11-20T16:25:50.257-05:002012-11-20T16:25:50.257-05:00Man, the dialog in the Wild at Heart clip is god-a...Man, the dialog in the Wild at Heart clip is god-awful. Inchoate thought verbalized, pregnant pause, second unrelated inchoate thought, ...<br /><br />Did David Lynch outsource that scene to a NYY "Intro to script writing" class?Petenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89669714953223593942012-11-20T15:55:57.319-05:002012-11-20T15:55:57.319-05:00@Anon3:03 - There is also the debacle of a Sunday ...@Anon3:03 - There is also the debacle of a Sunday puzzle with all French running through the whole damn thing.Ferme ta bouchenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21428666405052404492012-11-20T15:52:10.551-05:002012-11-20T15:52:10.551-05:00@Anon 3:03 - The paper is called the New York Time...@Anon 3:03 - The paper is called the <b>New York</b> Times, not the <b>World</b> Times.Quit your complainingnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-69688786391532550732012-11-20T15:51:01.681-05:002012-11-20T15:51:01.681-05:00@Anonymous 3:03, one of the very best puzzle in re...@Anonymous 3:03, one of the very best puzzle in recent times was Gareth Bain's Thursday 1/12/12 puzzlewhere the rebus answers were the two letter postal codes of the Canadian provinces. A spectacular one!John Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557037910799243636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12075236354240507772012-11-20T15:44:08.395-05:002012-11-20T15:44:08.395-05:00Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 8/1/2...Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 8/1/2009 post for an explanation of my method):<br /><br />All solvers (median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Tue 8:07, 8:57, 0.91, 26%, Easy-Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Tue 4:49, 4:41, 1.03, 62%, Medium-Challenging<br /><br />Using just the previous 13 weeks median as the standard, this puzzle rates Easy (17%) and Easy-Medium (24%) in the two groups. The relatively large difference in the Top 100 group is because the median median solve time for the past 13 Tuesdays is 5:06 (i.e. quite a bit higher than that for all 166 Tuesdays in my database).sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28565365005922219632012-11-20T15:39:28.089-05:002012-11-20T15:39:28.089-05:00I have a quick Chris Isaak story.
There is probabl...I have a quick Chris Isaak story.<br />There is probably an entire generation that had some really great foreplay/sex to Chris Isaak songs. Or used it to get going ... like Johnny Mathis or Frank Sinatra of generations before. The souful beat, the videos, the wailing voice.<br />But I can't use Chris Isaak for sensual/nefarious purposes ... Why. Not? You ask.<br />Because my girlfriend, now wife used to date a guy in his band!! We also couldn't watch his show. So I'm denied access to one of the greatest aural (!) aphrodisiacs of all time. <br />We've been making out, and had I had to change the radio station, in mid-smooch. Hint:extract tongue first.<br />We were just laughing about this, because our good friend Katie used to date a guy in Foghat. Who my wife saw many years ago at a county fair for $5.<br />Moral: be glad your significant other didn't date someone in the #1 sexy songs list.<br />captch "droouhl"<br />BigSteveSFnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50554466666635423402012-11-20T15:28:34.456-05:002012-11-20T15:28:34.456-05:00@Anonymous 3:03. Actually, there have been severa...@Anonymous 3:03. Actually, there have been several puzzles that weren't USA specific.<br />One I remember was by Randolph Ross. It was a Sunday and it was A Trip Around the World type theme. I really remember that one because I don't think even Mister @Rex was able to solve it?? Another one that had everyone crying "Cockamamie" was about Canadian Provinces. <br />Anyhoo, they do pop up and we learn words like PUPU and LOORA....GILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5302846831080064702012-11-20T15:03:01.216-05:002012-11-20T15:03:01.216-05:00Unfortunately I'm in the same camp as Boo Hiss...Unfortunately I'm in the same camp as Boo Hiss regarding this Tuesday's offering. The plethora of proper names and obscure references to "things-that-only-an-American-would-know", made this puzzle no fun for me; a person who is of a nationality other than Amerikan and has never lived in the good ole US of A.<br />T'would be nice if the NYT would someday consider publishing puzzles that are not so USA content specific. ie. in order to appeal to their wider global audience. :-)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41392955028095947072012-11-20T14:56:45.307-05:002012-11-20T14:56:45.307-05:00@Evan...thanks for the clarification on the Cartoo...@Evan...thanks for the clarification on the Cartoon Dog - you are quite right!<br /><br />Though I will argue back that I have never studied law, or been sued, but could suss out the terms in that legal puzzle. I never had a balloon mortgage, but they were among the many culprits referencd over and over as examples of how banks would convince susceptible buyers to buy overpriced homes they couldn't afford.<br /><br />There is of course an endless supply of topics where my cluelessness will stymie others, so while I remain agog that this one stymied anyone, I know that I will be humbled on a regular basis by the collective knowledge in this community! <br /><br />C'mon - Rex tells us all the time about all the stuff that should be a given for any sentient being. Oh wait - I know - I'm no Rex Parker...!<br />Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33308911073340495572012-11-20T14:40:42.399-05:002012-11-20T14:40:42.399-05:00Meh. This puzzle does nothing special for me. And ...Meh. This puzzle does nothing special for me. And it was a near DNF as the west side was the last to fall. I do not know who ADDERLEY is and TOO RA resisted change. I don’t consider FONDUES as dishes, as in lasagna or a casserole. Yes, you dip your food in the melted cheese and place it on a dish, but I still don’t consider FONDUE a dish. Surprised they let PARADE MAGAZINE in the grid as it is published by a rival newspaper. Too bad ACME didn’t make it to the party.<br /><br />Write-overs at 1A (CARGO), 60A (COIL) and 29D (BULLS).<br /><br />How is Freda Payne contemporary?<br /><br />I still don’t understand how a puzzle can be offensive. And how would you ask for an apology?<br /><br />Evil Doug makes a cameo!<br /><br />@Evan, @Tita – Sports teams also make BALLOON PAYMENTS (at least they did until union contracts got renegotiated) to certain athletes. As a NY Knicks fan, I remember Patrick Ewing receiving an $18 million dollar check at the end of a contract.<br /><br />Cheers!Birdnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61791249499087176012012-11-20T14:15:31.867-05:002012-11-20T14:15:31.867-05:00@Tita:
C'mon. That's like saying, "Y...@Tita:<br /><br />C'mon. That's like saying, "You've never heard of the Consumer Price Index? Where were you during the fiscal cliff negotiations?" As someone who has never owned a home nor dealt with a mortgage of his own, BALLOON PAYMENT is an incredibly specific term that I don't recall reading before, and I read about politics all the time during 2008. Even if I had heard of it, BALLOON PAYMENT would definitely not be the first term that comes to mind when I recall the mortgage crisis. Foreclosures, housing bubble, credit crisis, stock market crash, and even sub-prime lending are far more more memorable terms to me.<br /><br />And I think Joe Lieberman was parodied on The Daily Show as Droopy -- though I can see how one could mix him up with Deputy Dawg. <a href="http://www.dailymotion.com/video/x4616h_mgm-cartoon-deputy-droopy-1955_shortfilms" rel="nofollow">Droopy often played a western deputy</a> in some cartoons.<br /><br />My first pants were CARGO. In the puzzle, that is.Evanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15440942981870183719noreply@blogger.com