tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post1692239743124581967..comments2024-03-29T08:00:02.522-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Meiji prime minister / FRI 5-27-11 / Player stoic crew member / Currency dropped during French Revolution / Trump jack e.g. / Bygone European capitalRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61978501632520786172011-07-02T16:10:31.878-04:002011-07-02T16:10:31.878-04:00Thanks, Red. I was getting my Spoonerisms mixed u...Thanks, Red. I was getting my Spoonerisms mixed up with my malapropisms; even though I saw that the latter would fit early on, I kept rejecting it.Debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16675331024091722316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35980064144103644842011-07-02T13:35:14.353-04:002011-07-02T13:35:14.353-04:00@Deb: "trump the jack" is a spoonerism f...@Deb: "trump the jack" is a spoonerism for "jump the track," though, out of context, there's no reason to see it as one. I didn't get the answer until I had quite a view of the letters from crosses.Red Valerianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04638265039015470938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87620803023511700932011-07-01T20:04:41.186-04:002011-07-01T20:04:41.186-04:00I didn't find this nearly as easy as everyone ...I didn't find this nearly as easy as everyone else. I finished the entire puzzle fairly quickly save the top three answers in the northeast. My first thought for 10A was "CAN I" and I just couldn't let loose of it, and I am still baffled as to why "trump the jack" is a Spoonerism. Like others, I had no idea an epee could be electrified, and "dole" is always a word I think of in less than charitable terms. Like another poster, I really wanted something along the lines of a slap in the face for "wooer's surprise," though I could see how it could be read the other way when I finally SNuCK A PEEK to finally finish the dastardly puzzle. On the other hand, I don't think most wooees are terribly "surprised" by roses, whether singly or by the dozen.<br /><br />captcha=feraffac - compendium of frequently asked questions about the late Ms. FawcettDebhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16675331024091722316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65124201188220971072011-07-01T19:58:18.723-04:002011-07-01T19:58:18.723-04:00Thanks for the kind words re Canada, @Dirigonzo. I...Thanks for the kind words re Canada, @Dirigonzo. I notice there's a shoutout to you, sorta, at 26D.<br /><br />Late posting cuz was at a Canada Day celebration watching my oldest granddaughter do Highland Dancing. Trumps solving the NYT puzzle everytime.<br /><br />And as @Rex mentioned 5 weeks back, plain vanilla puzzle today, especially compared with yesterday's beaut.<br /><br />Captcha=wormsil. Whatever product it is, it's repugnant!Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37745479979275262512011-07-01T13:28:25.590-04:002011-07-01T13:28:25.590-04:00@Rex.....Loved the Cannonball track...you should p...@Rex.....Loved the Cannonball track...you should post a 10 minute jazz track every single day...all the better to have a GREAT soundtrack while I read the blog.<br /><br />I liked puzzle today ALOT more than many of you. EXIGENT, MINUTIA, GESTALT, DILATED, MAXIMUM, along with the compound QUICKSTUDY, ITSONME, NOCANDO, SEEMSTO, SNEAKAPEEK, ONTRACK, TEAROUT, TATTLETALE, UPTOPAR....I liked them all. And it goes withhout saying that I really like ALTOSAX. <br /><br />@Princess Kosmonopolis - re. intits - THATS why it is clued with underwear in the first place.....can't believe that Evil Doug didn't make that comment 5 weeks ago.Lurking, Just Behind Younoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51012008864699593862011-07-01T12:47:21.013-04:002011-07-01T12:47:21.013-04:00@Dirigonzo: Thanks!!! And a happy birthday to y’a...@Dirigonzo: Thanks!!! And a happy birthday to y’all “down there” (not to exclude Alaska, of course)!!! I’d defer the birthday greeting until Monday, but we leave for holidays in Turkey on Tuesday, and I’m worried that I’ll be too discombobulated to remember. Anyhow, best wishes! <br /><br />Liked the puzzle well enough, but it really was far too easy for a Friday. But some good words/clues, as noted above (exigent, spoonerism, Nimoy…) And, as noted by @David L, a whole new word!: gounder!, as in “epic gounder,” “I gound(er?)ed that class, “:-)<br /><br />@NotalwaysrightBill: LOL at "so help me me"<br /><br />Happy holiday weekend, folks from either the US or Canada…Red Valerianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04638265039015470938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44034400700805532652011-07-01T10:45:52.402-04:002011-07-01T10:45:52.402-04:00Syndi-late.
Better than a fourth (at least 16 of ...Syndi-late.<br /><br />Better than a fourth (at least 16 of 62) of the answers were compound words or multiple word phrases. Few phrases in the vernacular use sixty cent words and I think this contributed to an unusually easy Fripuz.<br /><br />Appreciate the explanation for the competition EPEEs. Was afraid that computer jerks had developed a new nastiness to foist on poor unsuspecting non-nerds like me.<br /><br />How does that work: do they hold Gods court alongside the river STYX and have Minerva or whoever stick her right hand in the water and swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, so help me me?<br /><br />Excellent Miles music.<br /><br />If [31D Senate censure=ETTU] refers to Caesar's last-gasp "ET TU Brute," the clue seems a little remote, reaching. If it's part of the back story to the famous line (i.e. ET TU was a regular procedural utterance of the Roman Senate, used especially during censure), I'm unfamiliar with that bit of history and anyway there surely must be more context to it. Never heard of it used in connection to any American legislative procedure or in reference to any other modern Senate either. So WTF?<br /><br />Not a waste of time: how often do you hear EXIGENT?NotalwaysrightBillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21626376975922774022011-07-01T09:45:03.897-04:002011-07-01T09:45:03.897-04:00Puz paper is delivered in the PM for me, so no com...Puz paper is delivered in the PM for me, so no comments on that count yet (although I did notice RP rated it "Challenging" so I'm getting mentally prepped for that). I came here early today to wish @Waxy in Montreal, @Red Valerian and all the other solvers in that part of syndicationland that lies "north of the border" a happy Canada Day - 144 years of self-governing and going strong!<br />Congratulations and many happy returns!<br /><br />Back later (possibly much later) to see how the puzzle went for everybody.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60735192036685858642011-05-28T19:37:53.948-04:002011-05-28T19:37:53.948-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02681342234536407419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54494141226345373242011-05-27T20:22:58.504-04:002011-05-27T20:22:58.504-04:00@ Clark and @ Wm E emba - thanks. May we all never...@ Clark and @ Wm E emba - thanks. May we all never stop using this blog as a vehicle for our own learning.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61262896859856865522011-05-27T19:43:01.897-04:002011-05-27T19:43:01.897-04:00So many interesting theories about the etymology o...So many interesting theories about the etymology of OBITER DICTA. When I took Constitutional law, I was told it meant "other words" - other than the decision, that is. But I suddently realized that I have a Latin dictionary right here, and it turns out that the ob + iter explanation is correct. Colloquially, "along the way," or "in passing."jberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02169065390875378077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32718041574023653642011-05-27T18:21:18.501-04:002011-05-27T18:21:18.501-04:00Two bumps in a fast track Friday: 32D make a gone...Two bumps in a fast track Friday: 32D make a goner seems too colloquial for DOOM so I stuck with DOin for quite a while; then, as others have mentioned, I found fOUNDER for GOUNDER. Along with flOUNDER, these synonyms with visually deceptive non-rhymes are just what this bland puzzle needed.Alanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11883088018327082889noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11110084309170751842011-05-27T16:13:55.529-04:002011-05-27T16:13:55.529-04:00@Andrew: If Bonn stopped being Germany's capit...@Andrew: If Bonn stopped being Germany's capital when you were 2, I'm surprised your Western Civ days aren't still ahead of you.<br /><br />Didn't find this as easy as most people seem to have. WOTD would have been VELUM. That is all.Jennynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88580443753560111842011-05-27T16:12:04.709-04:002011-05-27T16:12:04.709-04:00RC: ob is the Latin preposition that's the opp...RC: <i>ob</i> is the Latin preposition that's the opposite of <i>ab</i>. So <i>obiter</i> literally means "towards the road", in other words, "headed off from where we are right now".<br /><br />A better-known WWII Ito was Seiichi Itō, an admiral who went down with his battleship <i>Yamato</i> during the battle of Okinawa.william e embanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25786505637784162592011-05-27T15:40:43.114-04:002011-05-27T15:40:43.114-04:00@retired_chemist. Close. 'ob' means '...@retired_chemist. Close. 'ob' means 'to' or 'toward'. So 'ob' + 'iter' is something like 'to the road'. I get my hat and coat, I pause at the door on my way out, and I say, "By the way . . ." Or something like that. Of course, that is just when the most important things are sometimes said.Clarknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31084842788048780892011-05-27T15:29:56.876-04:002011-05-27T15:29:56.876-04:00I guess I liked this one better than most of you, ...I guess I liked this one better than most of you, maybe because I liked a lot of the vocabulary.<br /><br />For 10A I had "rise" for a while (as in "all rise" for the judge to come in and tell the jury to give their decision). I know, too convoluted.<br /><br />Saw Leonard Nimoy at the Book of Mormon theater.machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36054836219802373852011-05-27T15:21:16.860-04:002011-05-27T15:21:16.860-04:00Midday 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 />Fri 17:03, 25:49, 0.66, 4%, Easy<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Fri 9:18, 12:42, 0.76, 13%, Easysanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35787497124276887542011-05-27T14:30:00.218-04:002011-05-27T14:30:00.218-04:00Figured out obiter dictum from iter (road), dictum...Figured out <i>obiter dictum</i> from iter (road), dictum (something said), and the assumption that <i>ob</i> was a Latin pronoun meaning away from, <i>cf. ab</i>. Wonder if I was right on the latter?retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-92078227057911847232011-05-27T13:51:47.916-04:002011-05-27T13:51:47.916-04:00Very easy, with four writeovers: ium->IDE, dogn...Very easy, with four writeovers: ium->IDE, dogname->POPSTAR, doin->DOOM, tangent->EXIGENT.<br /><br />Although I'm a fan (like everybody else, of Curious George) I really remember the author's name from his <i>Find the Constellations</i> (for children) and his <i>The Stars: A New Way to See Them</i> (for adults), both of which I pored through at a young age. H. A. REY introduced new, far superior ways to picture the constellations so that they actually looked like their names, along with some of the most engaging elementary science writing anyone has ever written and illustrated. As one back cover quoted reviewer said, "Hoo-REY". I've remembered <i>that</i> for forty years now. Unfortunately, his versions are copyrighted, so no other astronomy book uses them. Even more unfortunately, with light pollution today so bad, I can rarely see the constellations anyway anymore.<br /><br />Obiter dictum made me think of footnotes, since that's where many of them end up. I needed the crosses.<br /><br />I too thought wooer's surprise was something that surprised the wooer (like saying no to a marriage proposal), not the wooee. (Yes, I know, the word is "wooed".)<br /><br />With "trumping the jack" and "foursome starts" I kept thinking of bridge.<br /><br />I think I must have been half asleep though, since I did not get APSE until I had some crosses, and it did not even occur to me think of currency for the bygone European capital like I was supposed to. I actually thought, hmm, European country that disappeared, not Belgrade, Yugoslavia, must be East Germany, wait, not Berlin either. Well, OK, I'll wait until I get some crosses.<br /><br />Am I the only person who has never ever even heard of <i>Cinema Paradiso</i>? I looked it up on Wikipedia, and was surprised something that apparently famous could draw such a complete blank. I've seen very few foreign films, but I certainly recognize a good number of the more famous titles, even if rather vaguely.william e embanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83286417747774697732011-05-27T13:29:46.218-04:002011-05-27T13:29:46.218-04:00After yesterday's DNF slogfest, I was all too ...After yesterday's DNF slogfest, I was all too happy to have a relatively easy Friday puzzle. I didn't catch on to APSE or SPOONERISM for far too long and didn't know ECUS. Liked the grid shape and the general high-quality fill. Fun clues for NIMOY, SPOONERISM, and ETTU, and I don't mind phrases in my puzzles, to TAKETEN, SNEAKAPEEK, and NOCANDO were just fine by me.efrexnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46128023135768584842011-05-27T13:11:08.506-04:002011-05-27T13:11:08.506-04:00OK puzzle I guess, had a bit of trouble in Georgia...OK puzzle I guess, had a bit of trouble in Georgia for no apparent reason.<br /><br />Not sure "large load" clue crossing an underwear clue passes my breakfast test. Fortunately I finished breakfast awhile ago.Ross G-Whizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10683375689024190242noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88672236843038757042011-05-27T13:08:29.633-04:002011-05-27T13:08:29.633-04:00@JenCT said...
Only knew VELUM as a tracing p...@JenCT said...<br /><br /> Only knew VELUM as a tracing paper; learned a new definition today.<br /><br />---<br /><br />Um, that's VELLUM.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-4648269628913101982011-05-27T13:04:29.317-04:002011-05-27T13:04:29.317-04:00Thanks to all who explained the electric EPEE. Bu...Thanks to all who explained the electric EPEE. But also agree with NitPicker that it's not exactly correct.<br />Had the same thought re MINUTIA, and glad to learn something new thanks to fellow bloggers.<br />My solve time seemed pretty average for me, but what I did notice is that all the lightly filled answers turned out to be correct today. I guess that tips this puzzle to the Easy side. Only potential write over was DOin for DOOM, but the terminal I seemed problematic.PuzzleNuthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11692561989793396552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60336879324014970502011-05-27T12:54:30.333-04:002011-05-27T12:54:30.333-04:00This puzzle was remarkably free of crap filler, an...This puzzle was remarkably free of crap filler, and that means a lot to me. There are some short words in the grid, but they are jammed together (UPTOPAR, I won't create a list.)<br /><br />I found the proper names the hardest part (MEESE & PEETE in particular.) I did (finally) remember REYS off the RE; I could see the cover of the book, but not the name. <br /><br />Really like GESTALT, had a nice aha moment when I saw it. <br /><br />I could write you a true story about the bratty little TATTLETALE brother who just had to SNEAKAPEEK. I just don't feel clever enough this morning to make it entertaining.CoffeeLvrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16473192190412844538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49018310863855759122011-05-27T12:50:51.887-04:002011-05-27T12:50:51.887-04:00@Nitpicker: same thought here re EPEE. They were ...@Nitpicker: same thought here re EPEE. They were not electrified at gym classes either. @td: I was thinking a big kiss or something. @CY has a good point. @Two Ponies: Though I got GO UNDER when solving, as it catches my eye here I keep saying Huh? Looks funny. <br /><br />Happy to solve today. Yesterday shamed me. Weekend on the way. Yay (which is not how I would spell it.)Sparkynoreply@blogger.com