tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post916083831395676597..comments2024-03-29T05:08:37.783-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Hoosier university / MON 6-13-11 / Man in Iron Mask role Jeremy Irons / City midway between Dallas Austin / Tribe allied with Missouri onceRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger79125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63088149269066966652011-07-18T22:32:23.782-04:002011-07-18T22:32:23.782-04:00Butterfly = chrysalid and moth = cocoonButterfly = chrysalid and moth = cocoonTetatangonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53838818247361938082011-07-18T16:00:13.493-04:002011-07-18T16:00:13.493-04:00@Deb - The Very Hungry Caterpillar as a science te...@Deb - The Very Hungry Caterpillar as a science textbook makes me think of another certain volume that is being touted as the source of material that should be taught in science class. Reminds me of a comic strip I saw recently where a science teacher was explaining to the class how Noah had forgotten the dinosuars when he loaded the Ark, but somehow he managed to get all the microbes. Funny stuff.<br /><br /><br />Beam me up, Scotty!Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57049116437827997962011-07-18T15:31:14.771-04:002011-07-18T15:31:14.771-04:00How fun to see Will Shortz pop in! And use the te...How fun to see Will Shortz pop in! And use the term "ping-pong!" <br /><br />I see what Rex is saying re SEXIST, but I think he's being overly nit-picky. If clue and answer meet the basic x=x, where the = equates to IS, it's good enough for me. Putting women down IS sexist, and the moon IS spherical, and Rex IS curmudgeonly. :) <br /><br />As to the cocoon/chrysalis question, perhaps Alex V got The Very Hungry Caterpillar confused with his grade school science textbook. I hold Eric Carle and the many people who vet each puzzle before publication more responsible for that error though.Debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16675331024091722316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10989536131396978182011-07-18T15:26:48.599-04:002011-07-18T15:26:48.599-04:00Wow, the posts (five weeks ago) today cover a litt...Wow, the posts (five weeks ago) today cover a little of everything - science, philosophy, grammar, doggie syllogisms, and Will chimed in, too!<br /><br />My favorite clue/answer was 58a, because Rex and some other prime-timers solve at WARP speed, while we in syndicationland solve in a time WARP, so it was a shout out to both groups.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19416426244066848882011-07-18T13:53:12.786-04:002011-07-18T13:53:12.786-04:00Hello from syndication land. I think cocoons prote...Hello from syndication land. I think cocoons protect moths and a chrysalis would protect a butterfly, no?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9706984528984618312011-06-14T09:15:57.214-04:002011-06-14T09:15:57.214-04:00I was at the Boston Early Music Festival most of y...I was at the Boston Early Music Festival most of yesterday, solved this fun puzzle on the way in, but had no computer access until just now. I had OAT before SEXIST, so that didn't bother me; writeover for TABLE CLOTH > LINEN, and also PUFF for WISP, which doesn't seem to have occurred to anyone else.<br /><br />I don't think I'll jump into the controversies over predicate adjectives or what Wittgenstein really said - just observe that it seemed to me Rex was saying that it was a good puzzle objectively, but the theme grated for him personally. Nice work, Alex, keep it up!jberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02169065390875378077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83771178188721143592011-06-14T00:22:18.483-04:002011-06-14T00:22:18.483-04:00Did anybody else really want NES for "Wizards...Did anybody else really want NES for "Wizards and Warriors Org"??Jonathanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02381473011583593043noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8857996146809892872011-06-13T22:00:22.352-04:002011-06-13T22:00:22.352-04:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 7/30/2009 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 7:23, 6:52, 1.07, 78%, Medium-Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 4:08, 3:40, 1.13, 90%, Challengingsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32724844781458503382011-06-13T20:39:17.927-04:002011-06-13T20:39:17.927-04:00@Stan, @retired_chemist -- Agreeing with r_c here,...@Stan, @retired_chemist -- Agreeing with r_c here, "John is putting women down" uses a present (tense) progressive (aspect) form of the verb "to put". This is not an adjectival form.Clarknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65599298076265674792011-06-13T20:33:38.606-04:002011-06-13T20:33:38.606-04:00Found this hard for a Monday (but still easy of co...Found this hard for a Monday (but still easy of course). Agree with Will on the sexist controversy. Rex is unusually (even for Rex) cranky today.michaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12712191000255890762011-06-13T20:17:13.831-04:002011-06-13T20:17:13.831-04:00Will - thanks for coming by. You should do it more...Will - thanks for coming by. You should do it more often!!!chefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10480178702658838032011-06-13T19:27:44.899-04:002011-06-13T19:27:44.899-04:00I was okay with the sexist clue.
I think it's ...I was okay with the sexist clue.<br />I think it's very cool than Will chimed in. Thanks.Two Ponieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06896743444873087885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10350401106672877642011-06-13T19:15:41.434-04:002011-06-13T19:15:41.434-04:00As I said this morning, nothing's going to cha...As I said this morning, nothing's going to change the mind of those upset that the answer that fit the grid was SEXIST not their first choice, SEXISM ;)<br /><br />P>G>male chauvinistnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15908179393917578102011-06-13T18:28:31.022-04:002011-06-13T18:28:31.022-04:00@retired chemist: I think it's a 'predicat...@retired chemist: I think it's a 'predicate adjective' -- a special case requiring a linking verb like 'is'. (Or more precisely a verbal phrase functioning as a predicate adjective). But in any case, it works as a substitution in Will's example. I hope I'm being sufficiently ass-kissy here!<br /><br />The Ball State stuff is too funny...Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02681342234536407419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91663867663935130382011-06-13T18:13:10.609-04:002011-06-13T18:13:10.609-04:00Since @quilter1 and @retired_chemist have broached...Since @quilter1 and @retired_chemist have broached this line of thinking, I'll mention that when I was in school at IU, BALL STATE was (affectionately) referred to as "Testicle Tech."GLRnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18929321270984965722011-06-13T18:05:25.860-04:002011-06-13T18:05:25.860-04:00No, Will. In "John is always putting women do...No, Will. In "John is always putting women down," it is the present participial form of the verb "to put." It is the predicate, not an adjective.<br /><br />captcha rundr - what @Ulrich takes at a spa.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57205024028726103022011-06-13T17:49:51.136-04:002011-06-13T17:49:51.136-04:00Regarding today's clue for SEXIST, which I'...Regarding today's clue for SEXIST, which I'll take credit for, I think it's fine. The phrase "putting women down" can be either nounal or adjectival, depending on its usage.<br /><br />If you say, for example, "Putting women down is boorish behavior," then it's being used as a noun, equating the two halves of the sentence.<br /><br />But if you say, for example, "John is always putting women down," you're not saying that John is the same thing as putting women down. In this case "putting women down" works adjectivally, modifying John, just as "John is smart" or "John is ridiculous" ends in an adjective.<br /><br />So I stand by the clue.<br /><br />Also, for the record, Alex says he thought of this puzzle's theme when he joined his high school's ping-pong team. I don't think he was aware of my interest in the game when he submitted the puzzle, and my interest in the game had nothing to do with my accepting it. It's a good puzzle, period.Will Shortz (yes, it's really me)noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80560573516283065202011-06-13T17:38:17.359-04:002011-06-13T17:38:17.359-04:00@Quilter1 and @Retired chemist LOL@Quilter1 and @Retired chemist LOLchefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8267125055731943582011-06-13T17:27:41.414-04:002011-06-13T17:27:41.414-04:00"when the founding family donated some art to..."when the founding family donated some art to the college gallery it was labeled 'hung by the Balls.'"<br /><br />Now, that's just nuts.<br /><br />And here I thought that Ball State had to do with Hoosier basketball mania, and the reason for it being in the puzzle today was that the NBA championship was decided last night. Did I mention that Dirk Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks are the 2011 NBA champs?<br /><br />captcha nogrande - a phrase I sometimes use, followed by "venti, please."retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23941331196993964402011-06-13T17:00:49.490-04:002011-06-13T17:00:49.490-04:00I wasn't going to tell this story but I must. ...I wasn't going to tell this story but I must. One of my Drake professors, Bud Fanning, had taught at Ball State. He said when the founding family donated some art to the college gallery it was labeled "hung by the Balls."<br /><br />I think women can be as SEXIST as men can be, so I don't think of the word as gender specific in meaning.quilter1https://www.blogger.com/profile/09569747169212018177noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22004275998359925742011-06-13T16:29:55.579-04:002011-06-13T16:29:55.579-04:00Definitely not with Rex on this one.
Now to the p...Definitely not with Rex on this one.<br /><br />Now to the puzzle - very well done, as many have mentioned. <br /><br />Alex, keep on constructing, don't move on just because you got the first one in. The next few are more fun!XWDernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43854605674610025082011-06-13T15:48:19.863-04:002011-06-13T15:48:19.863-04:00Midday 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 />Mon 7:21, 6:52, 1.07, 78%, Medium-Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 4:09, 3:40, 1.13, 90%, Challengingsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25387219878640778472011-06-13T15:12:55.060-04:002011-06-13T15:12:55.060-04:00@REX: Speaking of both hemispheres of the grid, th...@REX: Speaking of both hemispheres of the grid, the grid is flat and rectangular and has no hemispheres.ksquarehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06181873595483296089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72073053849929169682011-06-13T14:52:34.476-04:002011-06-13T14:52:34.476-04:00@Rex - Puzzle could be your excuse for getting awa...@Rex - Puzzle could be your excuse for getting away from said house guest.<br /><br />SEXIST - I don't always use same part of speech to test the validity of crossword answer. Replacing both in some same sentence often works, as Masked and Anonymous said. They're putting women down? They're sexist.Sfingihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06903616949048940858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13274200476722029242011-06-13T14:23:02.319-04:002011-06-13T14:23:02.319-04:00@ M&ASLSB - bad of the guests. Most dogs ought...@ M&ASLSB - bad of the guests. Most dogs ought not to be (short term) house guests for this reason. Canine syllogism:<br /><br />I may not pee in my house.<br />This is not my house.<br /><i>Ergo</i>, the prohibition against peeing is null and (so to speak) void.<br /><br />It doesn't take long to re-housebreak, but I'd bet more than a weekend.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.com