tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post1877072926175713743..comments2024-03-28T08:20:54.275-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Comics hero with magic ring / TUE 7-17-18 / Annual internet awards / Part of mosque from which call to prayer is made / Smartphone predecessor for short / Cartoon boy who makes many prank calls / Product label looked for by lactose intolerantRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29320563183782981962018-08-21T16:00:05.644-04:002018-08-21T16:00:05.644-04:00Compared to most Tuesdays this was pretty good. In...Compared to most Tuesdays this was pretty good. In fact it passes with FLYING COLORS. Yeah baby Jessica BIEL was filled in long before it was a GOLDEN anything; the old eyeballs seem to gravitate to clues with words like Jessica or Jennifer. <br /><br />I’ve seen REDBARON Pizza in the markets, but can’t recall ever buying one.<br /><br />@spacey – I knew where your BLUEBIRD was headed. They made school buses back when we were kids, too.<br /><br />Gotta say this puz was NOTBAD.<br />rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70745698535142757682018-08-21T14:49:33.986-04:002018-08-21T14:49:33.986-04:00No wonder I have never read a Harry Potter book. ...No wonder I have never read a Harry Potter book. GOLDEN SNITCH indeed.<br /><br />Not up on my GREEN superheroes, but I do know that the GREEN Hornet didn't fly. How does one get the name GREEN LANTERN, especially since it seems it is a ring that enables him to fly?<br /><br />I don't know how AUTO is the opposite of manual. I guess it is a reference to vehicle transmissions, where if manual, used to be three on the tree, or four on the floor. If not manual, then it is an automatic transmission which is just another way of shifting gears, but hardly the "opposite" of manual. Hey, I picked a nit. I'll just shut up about aunt(taunt) vs aunt(ant), never mind aunt(ahnt). Now, uncle...<br /><br />This was an easy if curiously endearing puzzle. Well done.rainforestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73448786108796401822018-08-21T14:01:52.777-04:002018-08-21T14:01:52.777-04:00Smooth, easy, and better than NOTBAD.
Good theme ...Smooth, easy, and better than NOTBAD.<br /><br />Good theme entries, though BLUEBIRD doesn't have the zip of the others. <br /><br />Hadn't heard of the WEBBYS, a COINED internet awards title that reveals itself. Another vaguely known, but obviously apt, name is AERIE of the American Eagle brand.<br /><br />A fine Tuesday.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br />leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48407454379231746572018-08-21T11:25:03.716-04:002018-08-21T11:25:03.716-04:00I bet you see BLUE BIRD every day but can't re...I bet you see BLUE BIRD every day but can't remember where.* My own precious memory is of Jan Peerce's wonderful performance of that song ("BLUEBIRD of Happiness," of course), which my second Mom--can't bring myself to call her "stepmom"--adored. One year for Christmas I actually took a trip to NYC (from central PA) to search for that rare recording, and found it. Seeing her tears of joy made the trip easily worth it.<br /><br />This puzzle played easy and smooth, despite requiring a decent vocabulary. It would've played even easier if I'd been a Potter fan. No matter; the snitch/snatch deal was no problem at all for me, thanks to DOD Jessica BIEL. Weirdly, there's also a Jessica BeaL--also a fitting sash-wearer. But DETOO sealed the deal, though I agree seeing that without Artoo is a minus.<br /><br />OKSURE, there's stuff like TTOP and ALII, but considering the fairly hefty theme density, definitely NOTBAD. It wouldn't matter anyway:<br /><br />The beggar man and the mighty king<br />Are only different in name:<br />For they are treated just the same by fate!<br /><br />--"BLUEBIRD of Happiness" opening lyric<br /><br />This was never going to be worse than a par, and in fact is a {BLUE) birdie.<br /><br />*BLUE BIRD is a leading manufacturer of: school buses.spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24816089927211121532018-08-21T10:19:46.693-04:002018-08-21T10:19:46.693-04:00OUTDO HIM
The REDBARON had ALSO COINED a phrase
f...OUTDO HIM<br /><br />The REDBARON had ALSO COINED a phrase<br />for a COMMANDO with IDEAs to switch<br />his COLORS, and SCHEME WHILE the enemy pays.<br />It’s NOTBAD: “He’s a GOLDENSNITCH.”<br /><br />--- AUNT ALTHEA LIN LOUPES<br />Burma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-62369607670211975162018-08-21T07:57:46.008-04:002018-08-21T07:57:46.008-04:00Nice one. OKSURE, it's not as nice as the June...Nice one. OKSURE, it's not as nice as the June 21st offering* by Milo Beckman and David Steinberg, but NOTBAD at all. Bravo Amanda Chung and Karl Ni!<br /><br />*Rainbow flag puzzle: http://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/2018/06/lgbt-activist-savage-thu-6-21-18-dc.htmlthefogmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870509029973778266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-219335891884642332018-07-18T12:53:12.774-04:002018-07-18T12:53:12.774-04:00I didn't know ALTHEA ALII or NADIR so that sec...I didn't know ALTHEA ALII or NADIR so that section screwed me up, and the crosses weren't the kind of letters you can just guess. Ugh.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55858375829209234412018-07-18T07:08:40.761-04:002018-07-18T07:08:40.761-04:00In the Star Wars books, the names are spelled out ...In the Star Wars books, the names are spelled out (Artoo Detoo and See Threepio)Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13401081058944038062noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63950978645016716222018-07-18T01:06:29.389-04:002018-07-18T01:06:29.389-04:00I, too, confuse the GREEN LANTERN with the Green H...I, too, confuse the GREEN LANTERN with the Green Hornet. The latter had a TV show in the mid 60s, when I was very very young, and I remember something about a car. As for the former there's this: http://greenlantern.wikia.com/wiki/Flight<br /><br />But really, I came here to post about the Wednesday puzzle, for which I have more than a few critiques.TomAznoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2799818961900152172018-07-17T20:46:12.441-04:002018-07-17T20:46:12.441-04:00From my grandfather “not bad” was high praise for ...From my grandfather “not bad” was high praise for a meal. A really supreme effort was “not bad at all.”Ritahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04761075296383117600noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89917979134146368522018-07-17T20:36:45.377-04:002018-07-17T20:36:45.377-04:00Most references, even official ones, refer to Arto...Most references, even official ones, refer to Artoo-Detoo (R2-D2) so there is no reason to complain unless complaining is your thing.newspaperguyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15329198124066157486noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28042007213458026212018-07-17T17:54:31.880-04:002018-07-17T17:54:31.880-04:00You could have knocked me over with a feather, as ...You could have knocked me over with a feather, as the expression goes. It's like reading a whodunit in which the least likely person does it. Your first reaction is exactly the surprise you want from a whodunit. But when you look a little more closely you say: "Nah. Too <br />improbable. Not really credible. The psychological profile is off."<br /><br />Thanks to @CaliMarie and @GILL for their staunch defense and lovely comments. And, @GILL, I owe you additional thanks for <i>another</i> lovely comment you made yesterday or the day before. If I've been remiss in acknowledging it, it's because I was caught up with having the "bubbles" stretched out of two wall-to-wall carpets. The workmen were very professional, but it's still a major procedure. There were a lot of bubbles. Don't ask :)Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16737377749030219974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87396106943957013032018-07-17T17:45:44.725-04:002018-07-17T17:45:44.725-04:00In Hawaii ANTS are those pesky little things invad...In Hawaii ANTS are those pesky little things invading your pantry and kitchen. Moms sister and an older woman are referred to as AUNT or AUNTIE, more often than not a younger clerk in a store will say “thank you, AUNTIE”, it’s a term of respect.<br /><br />I used to work for a company called BLUEBIRD Systems, their motto was “We make software fly”. They had what they called the High Flyers Club. Every year all the sales people who made their quota got to go on a all expense paid trip and they could choose another employee to go with. The year I got selected we went to Ireland for a week and stayed in a gorgeous castle hotel. Great times!<br /><br />I keep trying to get my kitty hooked on CATNIP, but she’ll have to part of it. She gets her kicks as the Great Gecko Stalker, we have a lot of tailless geckos running around here,.chefwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03999206352243329280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18337675944550893592018-07-17T17:39:05.923-04:002018-07-17T17:39:05.923-04:00Trump - n:
1) A buffoonish contradictory rich pers...Trump - n:<br />1) A buffoonish contradictory rich person <br />2) Fake hair, fake policy, fake President<br /><br />Yarghnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58448262391009344902018-07-17T17:22:43.714-04:002018-07-17T17:22:43.714-04:00@Jim Lemire
Also, true to my New England roots, I ...@Jim Lemire<br />Also, true to my New England roots, I fully believe that everyone else says it wrong!<br /><br />of course that's true. the real dictionary, Merriam-Webster is made in Spfld. and always has been. which is also to say, Boston isn't standard American, Western MA is. take that Brahmins. Banana Diaquirinoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74845045414404931912018-07-17T16:56:57.395-04:002018-07-17T16:56:57.395-04:00@Joanne R. You were charming until you no longer ...@Joanne R. You were charming until you no longer were. <br />You remind me of a clown hired for a children's party who offers a scrumptious looking lollipop laced with pepper.<br />Does that make you happy?<br />GILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12136442228692692262018-07-17T16:20:28.837-04:002018-07-17T16:20:28.837-04:00Nancy is a doll. If some of you can't understa...Nancy is a doll. If some of you can't understand the appeal of good old-fashioned conversation, rather than endless googling, go find someone else to pick on. CaliMarienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59056198183285944452018-07-17T16:08:29.025-04:002018-07-17T16:08:29.025-04:00@Bob Mills
Not sure AHNT is just for high society....@Bob Mills<br />Not sure AHNT is just for high society. Seems to me I know many a “low society” folk who say it this way, myself included. I always assumed it was a British/New England thing. Also, true to my New England roots, I fully believe that everyone else says it wrong!Jim Lemirehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14000051293978203511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19775816998961289172018-07-17T15:47:52.822-04:002018-07-17T15:47:52.822-04:00For sanfranman59: It's pronounced "AHNT&q...For sanfranman59: It's pronounced "AHNT" in high society, "ANT" everywhere else. "AUNT" as in "TAUNT" is wrong everywhere.Bob Millsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22489461720643283892018-07-17T15:42:13.703-04:002018-07-17T15:42:13.703-04:00@Kendall (10:25-ish)
Nadar was a 19c French Photo...@Kendall (10:25-ish)<br /><br />Nadar was a 19c French Photographer <br /><br />(I too had aliA crossed with nadAr)Cluelessnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65060908609168601062018-07-17T15:11:36.704-04:002018-07-17T15:11:36.704-04:00it’s pretty simple, cow’s milk is for baby cows, n...it’s pretty simple, cow’s milk is for baby cows, not for people. Take 5 minutes and check out this video:<br /><br />https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=UcN7SGGoCNI<br />Pdxrainshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08226235855539945980noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68800842938522486752018-07-17T14:46:32.926-04:002018-07-17T14:46:32.926-04:00I don't understand the objections to GREEN LAN...I don't understand the objections to GREEN LANTERN. He's a long-time comics superhero whose magic ring gives him the ability to fly.<br /><br />I was born and raised in NE Ohio and have also lived in Connecticut, Massachusetts, Northern Virginia and San Francisco. I'm rather inconsistent in my pronunciation of 'aunt' who never really encountered the rhymes-with-taunt version until I moved to Connecticut. Based on the spelling, that pronunciation makes the most sense to me and am surprised that <a href="http://www.nydailynews.com/life-style/heat-maps-linguistic-trends-nation-article-1.1366388" rel="nofollow">the 'ant' pronunciation is apparently so much more common.</a>sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53774316435995683742018-07-17T14:10:00.521-04:002018-07-17T14:10:00.521-04:00@Nancy - No on you would recognize, just a long ag...@Nancy - No on you would recognize, just a long ago commenter popping up now and then to puncture pomposity, gently I hope. Of course, how gentle that is depends upon whether or not you're the target. Yesterday I was A Millennial.Joanne Rnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77852521204592795902018-07-17T13:59:30.183-04:002018-07-17T13:59:30.183-04:00This 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. Your results may vary.<br /><br />(Day, Solve time, 26-wk Median, Ratio, %, Rating)<br /><br />Mon 4:54 4:30 1.09 71.5% Medium-Challenging<br />Tue 3:40 5:14 0.70 1.8% Very Easy<br /><br />I was just four seconds off my all-time fastest NYT Tuesday solve time and just 22 seconds (!!!) slower than Rex. I don't know much Harry Potter, so GOLDEN SNITCH (27A) was not familiar, but I didn't need to know it. AERIE (53D) was another unknown for me that needed all of the crosses. Though this probably should have been a Monday, I thought it was an excellent early-week puzzle without much junk and a wide cultural range (GREEN LANTERN, RED BARON, ALTHEA Gibson and ENID Bagnold to Star Wars, CYBORG and PDA to Harry Potter, Jeremy LIN and WEBBYS). Well done.sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29878777105857709722018-07-17T13:53:18.190-04:002018-07-17T13:53:18.190-04:00Yep, FLYING is easy for the BLUEBIRD, it's a b...Yep, FLYING is easy for the BLUEBIRD, it's a bird after all, and it is named for its predominant COLOR. The others don't fit the bill quite so nicely for me. RED BARON has got the COLOR for sure but needs some assistance to go FLYING. Never heard of the GOLDEN SNATCH and have no idea of how or if it can go FLYING, and like M&A sez, GOLDEN is COLOR related but not a stand alone COLOR. And the GREEN LANTERN (I tried HORNET at first) nails the COLOR part but how does it FLY? Arm flapping? Vigorous leg kicking? Inhaling enormous volumes of helium? Sheesh.<br /><br />Some other naturally FLYING, stand alone COLORed candidates that come to mind include the Yellow Jacket (pictured in the blog), Purple Martin, Pink Flamingo, Blackbird, White-winged dove, Red Robin, Ivory-billed Woodpecker, Scarlet Tanager and Puce Peewit. Okay, I made that last one up. <br /><br /> Anoa Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16185183023273883700noreply@blogger.com