tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post1532144571101086877..comments2024-03-29T01:22:33.864-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Eric of old CBS news / WED 1-10-18 / Bowery boozer / Beauty product line with slogan Ageless / Site of 1955 pact / Punta del Uruguayan resort / Filler ads in brief Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger106125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55528669859774880022018-02-19T12:47:39.683-05:002018-02-19T12:47:39.683-05:00I just got to this puzzle and I am grateful you we...I just got to this puzzle and I am grateful you were here to say what I was thinking! And to help me finish it. Thanks!Shelby Colemanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03441354162799176125noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9431298584188888272018-02-14T20:00:08.132-05:002018-02-14T20:00:08.132-05:00SkipperSkipper 6:12 AM, who asked "How did pe...SkipperSkipper 6:12 AM, who asked "How did people know to expect a basketball theme, as a couple of commenters have implied or outright said? I had to infer it from the puzzle." M&A quoted part of the intro. Here is the whole thing, which took up more than half the length of the first column:<br /><br />"This puzzle is a collaboration by the basketball-loving senator Joe Donnelly of Indiana, working together with longtime crossword contributor Michael S. (Mickey) Maurer, the owner of the Indianapolis Business Journal. This is Mickey's 25th crossword for The Times. More information about the making of today's puzzle appears in the Times's daily crossword column (nytimes.com/column/wordplay)."<br /><br />Just to counter Barry Frain's comment, M&S's postings are among the ones I particularly look for every day. I recently even got excited to see a puzzle with so many U's.<br /><br />wcutlerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08615799228069705972noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82672385335497308072018-02-14T17:50:26.317-05:002018-02-14T17:50:26.317-05:00Ah yes, EZED. To go along with that Canadian dime ...Ah yes, EZED. To go along with that Canadian dime I got in change yesterday. Hard to actually use.<br /><br />BTW - are those cows down in that grassy area LEA FED?rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67858296846305559212018-02-14T17:40:38.170-05:002018-02-14T17:40:38.170-05:00@rondo - that would be EZED PZED, of course.
I li...@rondo - that would be EZED PZED, of course.<br /><br />I liked this one, even with the slightly off themer clues.<br /><br />I think that the ALLEY OOP was first a football term, and has been co-opted by basketball. I know basketball, I played basketball. But, I hate watching basketball, at least the NBA variety, especially since Steve Nash left the Suns.<br /><br />Though not GRAND, this was just fine.rainforestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-62763034197310738102018-02-14T15:43:53.542-05:002018-02-14T15:43:53.542-05:00This CAKE says Happy Birthday. Literally...
https...This CAKE says Happy Birthday. Literally...<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S6M7i2mfMlUthefogmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870509029973778266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55016952592774471912018-02-14T14:23:47.199-05:002018-02-14T14:23:47.199-05:00EZ PZ after reading the dead giveaway note about t...EZ PZ after reading the dead giveaway note about the “basketball-loving senator”. Mighta been a record Wednesday time if I kept track. FASTBREAK was in way before getting to the CAKE clue, so no issue there. Speaking of that CAKE and its clue, and because others are so nit picky on usage lately, neither the CAKE nor the CArd *says* Happy Birthday. Either one would *read* Happy Birthday. A person might *say* it, or a recording might *say* it, but any printed matter will *read* it. Ask any editor except, apparently, at the NYTXword. Sad. (dang, now I’m doing it)<br /><br />Yup. The yeah baby circle went around the JLO as SELENA clue.<br /><br />BasketBALL stuff right up my ALLEY. OOPS, gotta go.<br />rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58310872064043773542018-02-14T14:22:32.290-05:002018-02-14T14:22:32.290-05:00Up above, @muse says That cake might say some pre...Up above, @muse says <i> That cake might say some pretty funny things. My favorite is ----- </i>. The trouble is that link has a whole bunch of CAKES with funny things written on them. I am wondering which one @muse liked best... Any guesses?thefogmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870509029973778266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45919671766621642492018-02-14T13:59:02.761-05:002018-02-14T13:59:02.761-05:00This simple basketball theme with some fill like W...This simple basketball theme with some fill like WISEASS, ARSE, HOOKSUP to maybe pep it up doesn't quite cut it for a Wednesday. On the other hand, if you know little about basketball the puzzle could be a bit daunting. So, each to his/her/their own.<br /><br />P.S. The "British monarchy" clues are awkward at best.leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73598793336419009452018-02-14T13:09:47.213-05:002018-02-14T13:09:47.213-05:00If that's really true about the Dean Smith Sta...If that's really true about the Dean Smith Stall Tactic, @muse, then either it's a mind-blowing coincidence or I have to withdraw my original impression--which was MEH. That would make an elegant icing on this CAKE, especially since the four-corners placement DENOTES the player position for said tactic.<br /><br />I have to laugh: I am so out of touch that I was surprised to see this characterized as a "celebrity plus constructor" puzzle. I have NO IDEA which of these two names is a "celebrity." But then again, I have never heard of "APPLETV," either.<br /><br />The theme took me quite a while to discern; as OFL said, it's kind of buried. Didn't cop to it until FOULLINE. I agree that the clue for BANKSHOT is strange. I thought, "Hey guys, the depression hit hard here: this BANK is SHOT." Finished with no writeovers--not even CArd. Yeah, I had the CA, but just didn't trust the obvious yet. So am I AHEADOF the curve?<br /><br />What does "monarchy" have to do with those twin entries? Why wasn't the clue simply "British ends?"? That was a THROW--and it wasn't FREE. I, MALONE, will now bestow the DOD sash on SELENA star Jennifer Lopez. And I don't think IMALONE in that. Birdie.spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51194373910412874822018-02-14T11:49:58.246-05:002018-02-14T11:49:58.246-05:00How sweet, bout whiskey, the house Well, Valley Gr...How sweet, bout whiskey, the house Well, Valley Grande<br /><br />So much for dictation. Type it in.<br /><br />I thought of music,<br />Thou sweet thou pretty, thou swell, thou grand<br /><br />Aphid Laruehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18041821842082372654noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61852542767289390682018-02-14T11:10:35.317-05:002018-02-14T11:10:35.317-05:00@Foggy. Cheeky. Turn the other one. En...@Foggy. Cheeky. Turn the other one. End.<br /><br />Lady DiDiana, LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19447714950681095752018-02-14T10:39:49.475-05:002018-02-14T10:39:49.475-05:00PPS: Do erotic dancers get paid ASSUAGES?PPS: Do erotic dancers get paid ASSUAGES?thefogmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870509029973778266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-4164676097991792572018-02-14T10:35:37.231-05:002018-02-14T10:35:37.231-05:00I'll admit I am no WISEASS or even a KGB. But ...I'll admit I am no WISEASS or even a KGB. But I thought for sure it would be APPLEdj and not APPLETV. Alas, APPLETV HOOKSUP with ENT and SEVAREID which were both unknowns to me. That SEALed my fate. No OLAYs. I feel like IMALONE, but I see many others crossed this FOULLINE. <br /><br />PS - Loved the cheeky 52D <i>End of the British Monarchy?</i> ARSE.thefogmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870509029973778266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2000804535299175402018-02-14T10:17:36.016-05:002018-02-14T10:17:36.016-05:00TEA BALL
I’MALONE INN the SHOWERS which DENOTES I...TEA BALL<br /><br />I’MALONE INN the SHOWERS which DENOTES I could not<br />make a FREETHROW from the FOULLINE, not even a BANKSHOT.<br /><br />--- SOL SEVAREID<br />Burma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74741935631298396562018-01-11T10:42:56.826-05:002018-01-11T10:42:56.826-05:00@malsdemar pointed to a recommended puzzle, but go...@malsdemar pointed to a recommended puzzle, but got the year wrong. May 26 2009 is an unremarkable Tuesday. The recommended puzzle is Thursday 5/26/2011.Ritahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04761075296383117600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11358016762425947362018-01-11T10:40:39.470-05:002018-01-11T10:40:39.470-05:00@Z, of course I understand that the ‘British Monar...@Z, of course I understand that the ‘British Monarchy’ bit of the clue is to signify that the answer is British English, I’ve done a crossword or two in my life, but the clue needs to hold together grammatically, and these don’t. Show me a British monarchy’s ARSE. You can’t. A monarch has an ARSE. A monarchy does not.ColoradoCoghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13693437307303188333noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75614428680989983922018-01-11T01:20:12.017-05:002018-01-11T01:20:12.017-05:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.1-888-867-9209, QuickBooks Technical Support Phone Numberhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16608357296528262618noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66758262997643192212018-01-10T22:53:24.090-05:002018-01-10T22:53:24.090-05:00card...care...cake...fastbreakcard...care...cake...fastbreaknick strausshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01613006291726011494noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56868803172979079682018-01-10T20:51:03.077-05:002018-01-10T20:51:03.077-05:00@dfan - No No No. There are no ALLEYs to be plural...@dfan - No No No. There are no ALLEYs to be pluralized. And OOP is clearly Greek, so ALLEY OOPopode is obviously and inarguably correct. <br /><br />@Joe Welling and @Colorado Cog - The British Monarchy is used here to indicate that the answers will be in British English (as opposed to the original American version). That the signifier of a foreign language can be misunderstood as something other than just a signifier of a foreign language is just a puzzle bonus. <br /><br />@Moly Shu - If House Republicans weren’t more loyal to party than country I’d have won already. I’m sure you agree. <br /><br />@Abu - three fathers? Anyway, yes a month of fasting from sunrise to sunset. This means Ramadan in December is less challenging than Ramadan in June. Nevertheless Eid al-Fitr still celebrates a FAST BREAK. I didn’t even consider putting in Eid al-Fitr as that would not be nearly right-wing reactionary enough for the NYTX. <br /><br />This was my least favorite of the celebrity puzzles pretty much for the reasons Rex articulated here and on Twitter. It also ranked behind the AVCX and Fireball puzzles I did today. Decent but not great.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10120316875823208742018-01-10T20:49:08.062-05:002018-01-10T20:49:08.062-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68313071629545468882018-01-10T20:32:13.385-05:002018-01-10T20:32:13.385-05:00@poggius, your thoughts on Sevareid, Cronkite, and...@poggius, your thoughts on Sevareid, Cronkite, and the WaPo much appreciated.Stanley Hudsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13032219256198215942018-01-10T19:16:49.662-05:002018-01-10T19:16:49.662-05:00O wad some Power the giftie gie us
To see oursels...O wad some Power the giftie gie us <br />To see oursels as ithers see us!retired guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12194488804819021233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34021698734458705782018-01-10T17:40:48.807-05:002018-01-10T17:40:48.807-05:00I don’t give a hoot if Rex hates every puzzle in t...I don’t give a hoot if Rex hates every puzzle in the universe. His comments are consistently entertaining.andyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16047351931439313996noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14696452517281622242018-01-10T17:16:35.113-05:002018-01-10T17:16:35.113-05:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 1/2/2018 post for an explanation of my method. In a nutshell, the higher the ratio & percentage, the higher my solve time was relative to my norm for that day of the week.<br /><br />(Day, Solve time, 26-wk Median, Ratio, %, Rating)<br /><br />Mon 4:48 4:08 1.16 83.3% Challenging<br />Tue 4:53 5:35 0.88 23.2% Easy-Medium<br />Wed 5:57 5:54 1.01 59.4% Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/05380217499603083348noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43595435265043758402018-01-10T16:46:23.275-05:002018-01-10T16:46:23.275-05:00@semioticus
Sorry, bad assumption on my part.@semioticus <br /><br />Sorry, bad assumption on my part.JC66https://www.blogger.com/profile/05324615675333287919noreply@blogger.com