tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post1732662842239847004..comments2024-03-28T20:49:13.267-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: R&B pioneer Johnny / WED 8-29-12 / Belgium-based imaging company / Mischievous Norse god / Hot-coals walker / Gear with docking stations / Born from jets automakerRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78315178900054853862012-10-03T18:02:18.164-04:002012-10-03T18:02:18.164-04:00@DMG -ALTERON has to be taken with a grain of salt...@DMG -ALTERON has to be taken with a grain of salt (what does that mean, anyway?) but it's theme counterpart "later on" is definitely a common enough phrase.<br /><br />@Rain Forest - If we don't "get it right" I'm starting a campaign to get Maine to become part of Canada. I've always thought that we should be in the Atlantic Time Zone anyway.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50118785780923713482012-10-03T15:36:34.569-04:002012-10-03T15:36:34.569-04:00Really enjoyed this one. "Alter on!"--a...Really enjoyed this one. "Alter on!"--actually laughed. Had Tony made the clue for 23A "yodeling tribute band's finest repertoire", it might have been more palatable, but it was fine as is. Though I was never stumped at any section, this took me awhile, but was still fun.<br /><br />As a Canadian, I shouldn't comment on the RNC which of course now is long over, but thinking of the bimbo from Alaska fofur years ago, and now Mitt Romney, I pray Americans get it right.rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41974914999794218222012-10-03T15:05:31.854-04:002012-10-03T15:05:31.854-04:00Even tho I had PALINSAINDIAN the la/al switch did...Even tho I had PALINSAINDIAN the la/al switch didn't register with me until I realized that PSATS, which didn't exist in my school days, must be taken by Juniors, not Seniors. Once Peter's garb was uncovered, the rest fell into place. Some of the material was a a bit strained for me. Has anyone ever told a taylor to ALTERON?<br /><br />Coming off a major heat wave here, wish all my West Coast syndies a happy breathing spell!<br /><br />DMGrandmanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47543676014722484002012-10-03T14:40:11.487-04:002012-10-03T14:40:11.487-04:00My underwatered plants were wilting for quite a wh...My underwatered plants were wilting for quite a while, and as usual I needed all of the crosses for a couple of short answers - today it was LEES and ALBS (and EHS, but that's not even a word). When the clue is Mauna ____, I always wait for the crosses to produce the right choice. Loved ALTERON as an answer but totally missed the theme connection until I got there.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55846773052015969062012-10-03T14:34:54.161-04:002012-10-03T14:34:54.161-04:00Oh how I wish I could spell better. My only write...Oh how I wish I could spell better. My only write over was Basm for BSMT, that said, this puzz was plenty crunchy. I was held up for a while with the theme entries that crossed TORT. Got myself another cuppa and then it fell in.<br /><br />PALINSINDIAN reminds us here in syndiland, that the first debate is tonite. Important time in the history of our country.<br /><br />Gingernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34013700682972517042012-10-03T14:33:19.530-04:002012-10-03T14:33:19.530-04:00We need a new reality show: "So You Think You...We need a new reality show: "So You Think You Can Yodel".connie in seattlenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64828749988948673872012-10-03T13:18:54.355-04:002012-10-03T13:18:54.355-04:00Same here mac. I finished it but didn't get it...Same here mac. I finished it but didn't get it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29279746167419749272012-10-03T12:23:20.147-04:002012-10-03T12:23:20.147-04:00Well, I am astounded. Following the end of last we...Well, I am astounded. Following the end of last week when I went 0-for-3 and was ready to don the duncecap, here comes one rated m-c that I thought was a walk in the park!<br /><br />And not only easy, but fun to do. There was plenty of fresh stuff and scrabbly letters--enough to overcome the occasional bad fill.<br /><br />PALINSINDIAN: it's almost too easy to get a laugh with just her name; still this was pretty funny.<br /><br />Mystery Theater had me glued to the chair every third week; never liked the Weaver or Hudson vehicles, but oh, man, when Columbo came on I was there! Maybe it was the scripts, I don't know, but every episode was great! Thanks for that memory!<br /><br />Best fun was trying to predict what the theme title would be. I thought maybe: To Live and Die in AL.Spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18844487447795855632012-09-15T06:17:50.369-04:002012-09-15T06:17:50.369-04:00Commenting so late that I trail in after the spam ...Commenting so late that I trail in after the spam ...<br /><br />Thoroughly enjoyed this as one of my occasional forays into NYT puzzles.<br /><br />Solved correctly without too much of a struggle once I corrected GOOSEBUMPS, and the theme was one I could share with the non-xwd friends who happened to be on the same train.xwd_fiendhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01290578300623523697noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21176388912533460122012-09-03T18:03:37.262-04:002012-09-03T18:03:37.262-04:00Play Free Online Games, fun games, puzzle games, a...Play Free Online Games, fun games, puzzle games, action games, sports games, flash games, adventure games, multiplayer games and more.<br /><a href="http://goo.gl/GaF3h" rel="nofollow">puzzle</a><br /><a href="http://goo.gl/GaF3h" rel="nofollow">toddler puzzle</a><br /><a href="http://goo.gl/GaF3h" rel="nofollow">child puzzle</a><br /><a href="http://goo.gl/GaF3h" rel="nofollow">toddler games</a><br /><a href="http://goo.gl/GaF3h" rel="nofollow">child games</a><br />child puzzlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12303292534421762823noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14545179321625556172012-08-29T22:50:44.189-04:002012-08-29T22:50:44.189-04:00@sanfranman, @hazel...don't mention it! My ph...@sanfranman, @hazel...don't mention it! My philosophy - "Blessed are the lazy, for they shall find the easiest way."<br />(btw, I was doubting whether those blessed capchas had started requiring an accurate number to be entered, but no...you can still totally ignore the number, but either they have truly gotten harder, or we have all somehow been replaced by robot versions of ourselves. I'd better go ask puzzle husband if I've been acting strange...)<br /><br />Oh - and of course we all love your stats - we just don't say it enough.<br /><br />@lms- great stories lately.<br /><br />@Evan - congratulations!Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88981477514878284112012-08-29T22:21:46.678-04:002012-08-29T22:21:46.678-04:00Don't pick, Rex. You'll bleed.Don't pick, Rex. You'll bleed.luisa massimnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86986092831775144362012-08-29T22:02:38.664-04:002012-08-29T22:02:38.664-04:00This 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 6:02, 6:49, 0.89, 7%, Easy<br />Tue 7:16, 8:56, 0.81, 5%, Easy (8th lowest median solve time of 166 Tuesdays)<br />Wed 12:56, 11:48, 1.10, 75%, Medium-Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:32, 3:41, 0.96, 32%, Easy-Medium<br />Tue 3:58, 4:39, 0.85, 7%, Easy<br />Wed 6:54, 5:55, 1.17, 88%, Challengingsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12076408484996958432012-08-29T21:14:35.615-04:002012-08-29T21:14:35.615-04:00Tony O. checked in over at the crossword fiend sit...Tony O. checked in over at the crossword fiend site - PALINSINDIAN was the seed. Who'd a thunk?<br /><br />Also - @tita - i echo @sfman's thanks for that captcha hint re lowere/uppercase.hazelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04627015904603641109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-79020253795615858592012-08-29T20:58:15.646-04:002012-08-29T20:58:15.646-04:00Did anyone else notice that 10D can be parsed AL ...Did anyone else notice that 10D can be parsed AL LOVER, which defines someone who loves the theme.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74893679434240066702012-08-29T19:48:34.812-04:002012-08-29T19:48:34.812-04:00@Anon 7:34pm -At work, I had typed "goatherd&...@Anon 7:34pm -At work, I had typed "goatherd" but my laptop at work wanted <i>The Lonely Goat</i>. So I changed it. <br /><br />Here at home, my laptop likes <i>The Lonely Goatherd.</i> <br /><br /> Either way, I still sound like Julie Andrews. Seriously. ;-)Loren Muse Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05308030011870397977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61706404724905813912012-08-29T19:34:42.348-04:002012-08-29T19:34:42.348-04:00Sound of Music song-
"The Lonely Goatherd&quo...Sound of Music song-<br />"The Lonely Goatherd"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28715913648777932452012-08-29T18:56:08.083-04:002012-08-29T18:56:08.083-04:00Wow, did not get this. Wow, did not get this. Bob Sneadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17688287859857550232012-08-29T16:31:29.018-04:002012-08-29T16:31:29.018-04:00Because of the AGFA/FAKIR cross, this was a dnf fo...Because of the AGFA/FAKIR cross, this was a dnf for me. Great puzzle, though, and I really liked the wacky theme entries. Scrabbly, too – one Q and mom could have talked about this one over her bridge game.<br /><br />I noticed, as did @jackj, ALBS and ALLOVER and thought, hmmm, what if. . .?<br /><br />My THIRSTY plant was underwater, too, and I just shrugged it off, thinking yet again that I know nothing about gardening and plants. LOAM. Right.<br /><br />I’m NO dummy and get GOOSE bumps, but I buy both those entries.<br /><br />I keep rounding the corner in the southwest and seeing MIRACLE BRAY and wondering what that would sound like.<br /><br />When I’m alone in the car and singing to the soundtrack from <i>The Sound of Music,</i> I sound just like Julie Andrews in “One Little Goat” – yodeling and all. Seriously.<br /><br />And speaking of Austria. . .PARLOR – I had a friend who had an Austrian woman living with her family for a while, and this woman’s English wasn’t that great. Apparently she was afraid and jumpy when left alone at night, and several times she called 911 to whisper, “There’s a PARLOR in my living room.” She was wanting to say “prowler.” I don’t know why I’ve always remembered that.<br /><br />Thanks, Mr. Orbach. Fun one.Loren Muse Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05308030011870397977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63111405750362709462012-08-29T15:58:36.812-04:002012-08-29T15:58:36.812-04:00Midday 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 />Wed 13:00, 11:48, 1.10, 75%, Medium-Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Wed 7:02, 5:55, 1.19, 90%, Challenging<br /><br />@Tita ... thanks for the tip about the captchas not being case-sensitive. I didn't know that.sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37384784876750793732012-08-29T15:35:41.942-04:002012-08-29T15:35:41.942-04:00@jberg - only in OH & FL@jberg - only in OH & FLB.H.O.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24130592532861504642012-08-29T15:25:07.019-04:002012-08-29T15:25:07.019-04:00Now that they've found the Higgs boson, the AL...Now that they've found the Higgs boson, the ALTERON is the next target for the subatomic physics community - even though it's already the name of some weird imported car.<br /><br />Seriously though, for me it worked as a revealer - with ALTER right there in the center I realized that I had to alter something, after which I was in LA-LA land, and solved the puzzle ALLA breve.<br /><br />As for NO DOPE, I don't get the griping - if you're NO DOPE, then you're a real smarty! Or was that only true in the Midwest? I do think I've heard it since I moved to Boston.<br /><br />Judging from the comments, Barack Obama should try to make crossword-solving a qualification for the right to vote. Then he'd win in a landslide.jberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02169065390875378077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57226146077634077192012-08-29T14:14:26.291-04:002012-08-29T14:14:26.291-04:00Tough, but fun. Alteron made me grit my teeth, th...Tough, but fun. Alteron made me grit my teeth, though.edmcanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18432176765106022049noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49527854426066545552012-08-29T14:06:38.889-04:002012-08-29T14:06:38.889-04:00I found this one tough for a Wednesday. Didn't...I found this one tough for a Wednesday. Didn't follow how "plains" indian can be substituted for "wooden" indian - which is what I always thought those cigar store statues were called.<br /><br />Never heard of AGFA and was iffy on FAKIR, so that took a while to fill in.<br /><br />@exaudio - ditto on the kids going off to college and the RNC being too much to take!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00908435585355038973noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9688392439713704982012-08-29T14:03:15.197-04:002012-08-29T14:03:15.197-04:00Cue Mick Jagger saying to Dan Aykroyd as Tom Snyde...Cue Mick Jagger saying to Dan Aykroyd as Tom Snyder, "push. up. B-ra."<br />That is all.Doc Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12540112168511893896noreply@blogger.com