tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post1184773981172751286..comments2024-03-28T10:22:54.898-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Military aviators collectively / TUE 6-28-11 / Moonmate of Buzz / 6.022 x 10ˆ23 / Pollster's worry / Explorer of kiddie TV / Former NFL great JuniorRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger95125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2543291307187832092011-08-04T20:46:15.173-04:002011-08-04T20:46:15.173-04:00Somewhere around 1995 a group of college students ...Somewhere around 1995 a group of college students successfully sued a professor or their college over being forced to use Avogadro's number in an assignment. There was a Wall street Journal article which I can't seem to pull up.<br /><br /> The number also comes up in discussions about homeopathic medicines (diluted until no molecule of the medication remains?)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55112583938392217802011-08-03T00:41:05.523-04:002011-08-03T00:41:05.523-04:00A moonmate would be someone with whom one is joine...A moonmate would be someone with whom one is joined at the hip.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53774560117941386862011-08-02T20:13:36.658-04:002011-08-02T20:13:36.658-04:00RP dismisses "Moonmate" as a non-word, b...RP dismisses "Moonmate" as a non-word, but I think it is a fine word, or at least it should be, with the definition as suggested by the unanswered question asked by @anony 12:16 am (the very first comment). <br /><br />@Waxy - my paper did likewise but I'm pretty sure I would still have needed all of the crosses even if it had been clued correctly. Pretty astute of you to point it out, though.<br /><br />unmeater - anyone?Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34137470724989849102011-08-02T20:06:40.015-04:002011-08-02T20:06:40.015-04:00Checking in from Syndi land - breezed through this...Checking in from Syndi land - breezed through this one except never heard of AVOGRADOSNUMBER. Was just lucky enough to get all crosses. Pretty typical Tuesday puzzleEast sac girlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85243260310005411922011-08-02T17:29:38.096-04:002011-08-02T17:29:38.096-04:00My local newspaper printed the clue for AVOGADRO&#...My local newspaper printed the clue for AVOGADRO'S NUMBER simply as 6.022 x 1023, thus reducing the number of molecules in a mole in one fell swoop from 602,214,152,700,000,000,000,000 to 6,160.51. Approximately.Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11684626241374960232011-08-02T16:47:44.820-04:002011-08-02T16:47:44.820-04:0017a = MIKE MARSHALL ERA...almost.17a = <a href="http://espn.go.com/blog/statsinfo/post/_/id/805/the-irrational-brilliance-of-mike-marshall" rel="nofollow">MIKE MARSHALL ERA</a>...almost.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80404834688236671642011-08-02T16:11:48.607-04:002011-08-02T16:11:48.607-04:00Hand up here for the PRIME/PRIMO error.
AVOGADR...Hand up here for the PRIME/PRIMO error. <br /><br />AVOGADRO'S NUMBER was a gimme, but only because of the restaurant by that name that's been a Fort Collins mainstay for the college crowd for over thirty years. I only recently learned that it was a mathematical term. (And I'm pretty sure I learned that as a result of googling something obscure from a NYT crossword puzzle.)<br /><br />I had a heck of time in the dead center where VEG, MEDI, and VEXED just didn't want to reveal themselves to me. <br /><br />captcha=botleds: cute little robotic LED lights that hustle themselves to where ever you need a little extra illumination. (Someone really needs to get to work on this invention.)Debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16675331024091722316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49541677552968695872011-08-02T15:30:20.617-04:002011-08-02T15:30:20.617-04:00In from syndication-land:
I have a complaint to l...In from syndication-land:<br /><br />I have a complaint to lodge about this crossword. Josep Maria SERT is <i>Catalan</i>, not Spanish, and this sort of distinction is important to Catalan people. Their culture was largely suppressed during the Franco years, since Catalunya was one of the main centers of resistance against the fascists in the Spanish Civil War, and IMO that entitles them to recognition of their specific cultural history, rather than having it disappear under the generic term "Spanish".<br /><br />The theme was weak, as you note, but on the other hand there's not much wacky cluing one can do with AVOGADRO'S NUMBER. Incidentally, not only did I know how to spell it, but I was able to fill it in right off the bat just by recognizing the number. That's one of the rare times it has served me to be a science nerd while solving the NYT crosswords.<br /><br />Bad crossing where AIRE intersects with AIR ARM. Very clunky. VEG out kept me confused for longer than I'd like to admit.<br /><br />Lastly, LAS Cruces made me smile because of a mental association to an acquaintance's website. It had an ad bar at top advertising things to do in Las Cruces, NM. The only two things advertised on the front page of the website that I was redirected to were mall shopping and its golf courses. Now, ever since the Las Cruces airport stopped being a passenger airport, the closest city one can fly to is El Paso, TX—which, if one is so inclined, has its own malls and golf courses, so there is no need to rent a car to drive 40 minutes to Las Cruces for these amenities.Nullifidianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15207390447020990907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1591553663440035442011-08-02T13:45:10.001-04:002011-08-02T13:45:10.001-04:00Love the blog today!
Am with @Vincent L. and @thu...Love the blog today!<br /><br />Am with @Vincent L. and @thurdaysd on Prime before PRIMO and with @thursdaysd, @chefwen et al about AVOGADROS. I kept wondering what a TEP SCORE was....<br /><br />@glimmerglass, @retired_chemist and @jackj - thanks for the laughs!<br /><br />@Howard B - agree with your definition. Homemade guacamole is the best.<br /><br />Only took one semester of Chemistry - back in the dark ages I could take Latin and 2 other Sciences instead of Grade 13 (Canada) Math and Chemistry (I did say back in the dark ages!)as requirements for University, but got all the references from crosses.<br /><br />I liked the puzzle - seemed like a Monday to me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68807778399401144042011-06-29T01:46:09.820-04:002011-06-29T01:46:09.820-04:00This 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 7:18, 6:52, 1.06, 76%, Medium-Challenging<br />Tue 8:40, 8:55, 0.97, 49%, Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:48, 3:40, 1.04, 67%, Medium-Challenging<br />Tue 4:28, 4:35, 0.97, 48%, Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72603880739962006682011-06-28T23:54:39.861-04:002011-06-28T23:54:39.861-04:00@andrea - ha ha a skin cancer joke.@andrea - ha ha a skin cancer joke.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13505919417133416602011-06-28T23:48:06.660-04:002011-06-28T23:48:06.660-04:00Wow - have so many people not heard of Avogadros n...Wow - have so many people not heard of Avogadros number? Interesting. It seems much less obscure to me then lots of typical trivia in NYT crosswords. And I did not take to chemistry, to say the least.Cheeriohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04919455386774076690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20622142553844727572011-06-28T23:45:44.284-04:002011-06-28T23:45:44.284-04:00@ret_chem: Are you holding out with the puppy pic...@ret_chem: Are you holding out with the puppy pics or what??? Hope the A/C is fixed - brutally hot here.PKnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14619155898478193392011-06-28T22:08:42.584-04:002011-06-28T22:08:42.584-04:00Haha! Have been with my preschool grandkids for f...Haha! Have been with my preschool grandkids for five days and read "Moonmate of Buzz" and could not get past Buzz Lightyear.Suzannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01499863067746514533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48643311654595436632011-06-28T22:03:51.960-04:002011-06-28T22:03:51.960-04:00As a physicist this was very easy. Got all the num...As a physicist this was very easy. Got all the numbers instantly (although I work with units where c=1) and this was the fastest Tuesday in ages.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6591324308124459802011-06-28T18:54:28.205-04:002011-06-28T18:54:28.205-04:00Andrea, I think that is actually a really cool ide...Andrea, I think that is actually a really cool idea for a puzzle. I hope you take a crack at it.Tobias Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14828873893205954337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68143036602402228072011-06-28T18:34:49.699-04:002011-06-28T18:34:49.699-04:00Ooops I'm wrong about Seau. Say Ow, as everyon...Ooops I'm wrong about Seau. Say Ow, as everyone said.Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02681342234536407419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10301709974281375232011-06-28T17:53:03.857-04:002011-06-28T17:53:03.857-04:00I'm with chefwen and thursdayd and others. Yes...I'm with chefwen and thursdayd and others. Yesterday's puzzle felt easy, and this one took me what felt like forever... needed lots of crosses for AVOGADRONUMBER, for example. I'm not a mathematician, and I do know pi, but didn't get the 'approximation' part until I had crosses. In any case, I enjoyed the challenge.Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18350571589422693875noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80762629450643565732011-06-28T17:45:06.041-04:002011-06-28T17:45:06.041-04:00@Andrea, don't forget the spy.
xo,
Deborah Say...@Andrea, don't forget the spy.<br />xo,<br />Deborah Say,"Ow!"fikinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06324570637549775751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-79686576845148944102011-06-28T17:43:45.913-04:002011-06-28T17:43:45.913-04:00Andrea -- re: MOLE. There's also that meaning ...Andrea -- re: MOLE. There's also that meaning popularized by John LeCarre: highly placed double-agent who has wormed into the other side's intelligence structure. You might have a Sunday there! <br /><br />It's 'Say Oh' (like the actress).<br /><br />@RMS: Yes, you're right. Scholars actually use MS and MSS (no periods) all the time. The funny thing is, MSS clues often refer to the publishing industry. As if some editor would tell you "Hey, could you grab some MSS from the slush pile and take them home over the weekend?"Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02681342234536407419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66329035313220859972011-06-28T17:41:03.572-04:002011-06-28T17:41:03.572-04:00As a mathematician, I blazed through this one and ...As a mathematician, I blazed through this one and got my second-fastest Tuesday ever. Well, actually, it's mostly physics, but I almost double-majored in math and physics.<br /><br />Data!Badirnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12467513847747873242011-06-28T17:12:22.400-04:002011-06-28T17:12:22.400-04:00I thankfully remembered Avogadro's number from...I thankfully remembered Avogadro's number from high-school Chem.<br /><br />I understand Avocado's number as an approximation of how many chips full of good, homemade guacamole one can eat before regret (or indigestion) sets in.Howard Bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00766792795622192271noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61039643225928782272011-06-28T17:07:42.296-04:002011-06-28T17:07:42.296-04:00@andrea carla molecules -
Best moniker and commen...@andrea carla molecules -<br /><br />Best moniker and comment of the day.<br /><br />Get your puzzle in the pipeline now, and it will be ready for National Mole Day on October 23rd!nanpillahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05548473809500612699noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14151445224472647572011-06-28T17:00:47.609-04:002011-06-28T17:00:47.609-04:00@Anonymous 12:42
Seau is pronounced "say ow&q...@Anonymous 12:42<br />Seau is pronounced "say ow", really?! Wow, that takes the cake (pi?) in bad anglicization...now my ears are bleeding along with my brain from the math-talkl.<br /><br />Hmmm, now I'm contemplating making one of those definitions-in-the- grid puzzles I don't even like, just to get all the weird meanings of MOLE in there:<br />The chemistry term, the animal, the chocolate sauce and that thing on my face that I really should see a doctor about!andrea carla moleculesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89430975525674641982011-06-28T17:00:38.579-04:002011-06-28T17:00:38.579-04:00I took HS Chem in 1980 and remember Avo's #, p...I took HS Chem in 1980 and remember Avo's #, pv=nrt and that's about it. Oh, and the teacher spit when he talked.<br /><br />My cucumber is PRIMO. No, not that cucumber you gutter-heads.<br /><br />Agree with @Anon 1:49 - Mr. Shortz should accept puzzles with real answers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com