tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post1899579452189693857..comments2024-03-28T08:31:55.513-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: 1970s rock band that launched the career of Sammy Hagar / FRI 6-19-20 / Kazakh capital renamed Nur-Sultan in 2019 / Rocky's best friend in Rocky films / Craps throw called Little Joe / Measure equal to about 57º / Ad campaign featuring mustachesRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger115125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8603697932428690602021-01-27T18:24:30.502-05:002021-01-27T18:24:30.502-05:00@lefrcoaster I’m on the left coast too and I had t...@lefrcoaster I’m on the left coast too and I had the same same experience as younrotahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02940969432977344871noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-62308492533341835202020-07-25T20:12:10.981-04:002020-07-25T20:12:10.981-04:00Just ugh. Got ROASTPIG. Secondguessed it because o...Just ugh. Got ROASTPIG. Secondguessed it because of 7D/9D (thought it could be "WHO ISIT") but eventually got there. Natick'd at 25A/3D with the foreign capitol / French word. I know the name Gilda Ratner. I've watched many Three Stooges films. But when your clues involve actors who haven't been on SNL since 1980 you maybe need to freshen them up a little. <br />The stuff that wasn't prehistoric lacked pizazz. As Rex says, too many "oh, okays" and not enough "oh, I get its". Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44686426438381346662020-07-24T19:36:08.620-04:002020-07-24T19:36:08.620-04:00"Space Station #5" is one of my favourit..."Space Station #5" is one of my favourite tracks, so MONTROSE was easy. Best song that was never used in "Guardians of the Galaxy" - it would be a perfect fit.<br /><br />Never heard of PAULIE though, so I suppose that evens things out. Tough but fair.straylinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13536180563789923012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41447778089992281742020-07-24T18:02:53.466-04:002020-07-24T18:02:53.466-04:00Medium for a Friday, but not without troubles.
Le...Medium for a Friday, but not without troubles.<br /><br />Lead-off troubler is ASTANA, distantly followed up by loans before LENDS, Axel ROSE before MONTROSE, golfers before PGA TOUR, and ane not parsed as AN E.<br /><br />Most prominent and nostalgic is Gilda Radner's ROSEANNa before ROSEANNE (Adana).<br /><br />Enjoyed it, despite all.leftcoasternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-7929883347845347982020-07-24T16:56:41.034-04:002020-07-24T16:56:41.034-04:00I entered vaNhalen, knowing full well that it was ...I entered vaNhalen, knowing full well that it was wrong, but being unable to remember the correct band name. It took getting GOTMILK, for me to finally conjure up MONTROSE. And I believe I saw them as an opening act for some concert I went to in the 70's.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17100908631665546112020-07-24T16:02:06.704-04:002020-07-24T16:02:06.704-04:00Hated ANE and GENUS and LBO, but otherwise IMO not...Hated ANE and GENUS and LBO, but otherwise IMO not bad. <br /><br />Now I think I'll go out and ROAST a PIG, and then WAX my back yard.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8249823958841215772020-07-24T15:20:08.831-04:002020-07-24T15:20:08.831-04:00@bauskern(09:20am):
As regarding Rex, I think you ...@bauskern(09:20am):<br />As regarding Rex, I think you nailed it on the head. LAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40563877393631060952020-07-24T15:15:07.663-04:002020-07-24T15:15:07.663-04:00@Teedmn(09:17am):
The only ground inside a buildin...@Teedmn(09:17am):<br />The only ground inside a building, usually, is in a multistory one, and it's called the ground floor. Unless, of course, the building has some kind of open-air atrium with real ground inside, but you don't wax that. @Nancy(09:03am) had a much better clue. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60553390879875398752020-07-24T14:25:02.550-04:002020-07-24T14:25:02.550-04:00Hey @Rondo - Mr. W guessed VANHALEN before MONTROS...Hey @Rondo - Mr. W guessed VANHALEN before MONTROSE, too. That was my only help - finally, a decent puzzle and Friday!<br /><br />Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for CrosswordsDiana, LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85007622753724512392020-07-24T12:47:47.544-04:002020-07-24T12:47:47.544-04:00SNO PANTS
The ICEMEN will FREEZE ON a STAGESET so...SNO PANTS<br /><br />The ICEMEN will FREEZE ON a STAGESET so glamorous,<br />there’s SIGNS that they SEIZE when ERIN’S ONCAMERA.<br /><br />--- ROSEANNE ROSSINI<br />Burma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35736227112435302692020-07-24T12:02:50.502-04:002020-07-24T12:02:50.502-04:00Easy peasy here, I'm puzzled at OFC's rati...Easy peasy here, I'm puzzled at OFC's rating. Also the content: I compared this to the New Yorker one and I just don't get the huge difference. They're both 15x15 themelesses. Okay, TRUSTNOONE is a pretty cool entry--but depressing as a concept. The rest of his commentary is so purely subjective...does our constructor have the abject misfortune to have been born male? Too bad for him.<br /><br />Either of the named ERINS could be DOD; I'll go with Bridget Moynihan, ERIN Reagan on "Blue Bloods." Not that many triumph points today, so, par.spacecrafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09125304293611865503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48298427154326321152020-07-24T11:07:33.395-04:002020-07-24T11:07:33.395-04:00Agree with all those above wondering about FLOORWA...Agree with all those above wondering about FLOORWAX on the ground; I guess there’s not a lot of ground to be found in NYC. A real inkfest having vaNhalen in there before MONTROSE, who I vaguely remember existed. And I first had iVs going down the tubes.<br /><br /> I’ve had the opportunity to BETATEST a couple of different engineering design software programs over my career; gotta be an expert to BETATEST. <br /><br />A pair of yeah babies with those particular ERINS. <br /><br />I kept it mostly on an EVENKEEL.<br />rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46699149839694591832020-07-24T10:14:53.182-04:002020-07-24T10:14:53.182-04:00Rex is right about the New Yorker magazine’s puzzl...Rex is right about the New Yorker magazine’s puzzles being consistently better than the NYT. Click on the link he posted in his review and check them out, They let you play four puzzles for free before you hit the paywall, Not to be confused with the New Yorker, there’s New York Magazine which also has some great puzzles, some of which are themers. Cut and paste the following into your address bar to try then out: https://nymag.com/crossword/thefogmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870509029973778266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10184654749730310652020-06-19T23:24:53.968-04:002020-06-19T23:24:53.968-04:00@Z 548am No argument from me - all the good Z'...@Z 548am No argument from me - all the <b>good</b> Z's on ya! <br /><br />@GILL I. 614am & 1051am I thought <i>my</i> confession was embarrassing, but your Frozen affliction leaves it in the dust...er, drift. Fun fact: ICEMEN was one of my toeholds. Or is that a Moehold?<br />Thank you! Now I can be bilingual on my b-day! 😉 How did I know you'd appreciate the glamor shots? Har!<br /><br />@Petsounds 717am Thank you and I agree that the current cast is very talented and we always DVR the new episodes. There are, have always been, and will always be skits that are flops, but I think the occasional gem makes it all worthwhile. During college (1975 -9) we never missed it.<br /><br />@pabloinnh 859am Thank you - and you got it right!<br /><br />@Kathy 912am "Will your celebration be frantic or slothful?" Yes. Thank you. <br /><br />@Nancy 929am Thank you! House still standing, but the neighbor <i>did</i> call the fire department at the sight of the flames.<br /><br />@Quasi 1012am Thank you! <i>So</i> agree with you on WoF. Snob that I am, I always felt like contestants were Jeopardy! rejects. <br /><br />@Barbara S. 1037am You so sneaky tryin' to get me to divulge my decade! I'm not coy - I'm 63, but don't look a day over 62. And (you might have noticed) I definitely don't act my age.<br />@Whatsername 1043am Thank you and so true! And I <i><b>LOVE</b></i> Kate McKinnon!<br /><br />@Joe D 1045 pm Thank you and diggin' the nickname!<br /><br />@JC66 1045 Thank you! Can you send the emoji hoarder over to me for the italics sale I'm <i>always</i> (see?) having?<br />@Lorelei 1048 am Yes!! Your description of all things Stooge is precisely what my experience was like - complete with astigmatism and <i>not laughing.</i> Your theory on our species seems legit, too. And thank you! <br /><br />@CDilly52 136pm Thank you. You are absolutely right. And I'm so happy you made it through your ordeal so you can grace us with your wonderful stories, etc!<br /><br />@jae 407pm Thank you for the extra effort! I really do appreciate your return just for moi! 😉<br /><br />@Roo I'm 649pm You made it! Thank you, I Agree With Everything You Said About Birthdays Guy!<br /><br />Didn't some people declare racism a "thing of the past" on election night 2008? <br /><br />Regarding Juneteenth: I'm actually in the @Lorelei 657pm One-of-those-things-I-know-but-don't-know-why-I-know-it camp. Many apologies if my earlier (now deleted because it was overly masturbatory) post stirred up (unfounded) feelings of inadequacy in some of you. It just never occurred to me that I would know <i>anything</i> the legitimately brilliant people on here might not. <br />Seriously. I spend half of my time being in awe of things some of you know or have done and the other half having my foot for lunch or freeing my candle of stupidity from under a bushel.<br /><br />Today is a case in point. <br /><br />Grateful for this blog and all of you!Frantic Slothhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02614296873700797321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41177262276409432020-06-19T22:41:22.865-04:002020-06-19T22:41:22.865-04:00@Qasi
Wheel of Fortune contestants are making mone...@Qasi<br />Wheel of Fortune contestants are making money by choosing more letters rather than solving the puzzle. They are also risking spinning a "lose turn" and thus giving away a solved puzzle. So not with zero strategic interest. I usually catch about 2 shows a year. Measured by references in popular culture and longevity certainly a crossword worthy game show.<br /><br />Not a flashy puzzle, but solid with a nice collection of decent words: MONTROSE COYOTE FESSED OSOLEMIO TURRET RADIAN REMEDY. Plus a plethora of word pairs and paired words: ROASTPIG UNDEREAT OVERTURE ROSINI EVENKEEL ROPESOFF OPTFOR ANWERTO ENROLL PUMPIRON.<br /><br />Plus several interesting questions are raised:<br />Is the MELEE among royalty or BOORISH RABBLE?<br /><br />Can you OUTLIE the PRES? Is that FLOOR WAX on his TETE holding his non-curls in place?<br /><br />Did Eugene have Moe in mind for the ICEMaN?albatross shellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04076278220407657633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64957583106734796542020-06-19T21:32:29.293-04:002020-06-19T21:32:29.293-04:00@Anon7:06 - Surprisingly, more an excuse to barbec...@Anon7:06 - Surprisingly, more an excuse to barbecue than to be angry in my experience. But my experience is pretty limited in this area. I did look up last years events in Detroit out of curiosity; a march, a fund raiser to send some kids to Ghana, a tour of underground railroad sites, a couple of happy hours, lots of use of the word “celebration.”<br /><br />@bauskern - Well actually... <a href="https://crosswordfiend.com/2020/06/18/friday-june-19-2020/" rel="nofollow">Diary of a Crossword Fiend allows ratings and the New Yorker puzzle is rated higher than today’s NYTX.</a> Considering that this is an easy themeless that’s a remarkably high rating. The write-up points to several strong entries, but what stands out to me is an especially timely clue (37A), people eating vegetarian Chinese food and salsa, and everyone’s favorite garden clued accurately. It wasn’t the best puzzle I did today (that was the Inkubator “Themeless” puzzle), but definitely better than the T-W offerings from the NYTX. There were more moldy oldies than usual, but it still manages to be fresh, acknowledges a world exists after 1996. Since these puzzles have started they are consistently better than the comparable NYTX puzzles. Personally, I think if they are going to publish puzzles this easy on Fridays they should be themed, but we will see. Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75176542720991402142020-06-19T19:13:19.591-04:002020-06-19T19:13:19.591-04:00Fun fun fun. Montrose was my Natick experience, th...Fun fun fun. Montrose was my Natick experience, though. Anyone else have crossbow before OVERTURE?TinPThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01991423700666447838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58584066956208853662020-06-19T19:06:37.152-04:002020-06-19T19:06:37.152-04:00not being black, but married to one, the idea behi...not being black, but married to one, the idea behind Juneteenth is, in large part, venom. it was, after all, not *the first* emancipation state, which would be cause for celebration, but the last, which would be cause for anger. dontcha think? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60995903655655694072020-06-19T18:57:18.893-04:002020-06-19T18:57:18.893-04:00@Nancy, It's been around a while and it's ...@Nancy, It's been around a while and it's one of those things that I know and don't know why. It should have been declared a national holiday the day the emancipation proclamation was signed. But these things take time. This is the first year I recall it being discussed nationally.Lorelei Leenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-39702931333526561942020-06-19T18:49:12.000-04:002020-06-19T18:49:12.000-04:00Forgot to wish @Frantic Sloth a Happy Birthday!
Y...Forgot to wish @Frantic Sloth a Happy Birthday! <br />You've melded right in here with this bunch of Loonies (thanks, Monty Python!). You haven't even been here long.<br />But, your posts are always thoughtful, educational, and funny! Keep it up!<br /><br />RooMonster Birthdays Are Great, But They Need To Slow Down A Bit GuyRooMonsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14103892151115549684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54105438999465079082020-06-19T18:20:10.108-04:002020-06-19T18:20:10.108-04:00A show of hands by anyone who thought that today&#...A show of hands by anyone who thought that today's New Yorker puzzle was levels above the NYT puzzles? Anyone? Hello?bauskernhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15979676241424709077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75357685313887110862020-06-19T18:12:17.948-04:002020-06-19T18:12:17.948-04:00@Barbara S - You are hardly alone. I was listening...@Barbara S - You are hardly alone. I was listening yesterday to an African-American figure who speaks frequently, eloquently, and knowledgeably on the topic of race in America. He said it wasn’t until his family moved to Texas as a pre-teen that he heard of Juneteenth and it confused him because the dates didn’t line up with things he did know like the Emancipation Proclamation (September 22) and 13th Amendment ratification (December 6). By the time I moved to metro Detroit in the mid 90’s Juneteenth had reached the African-American community there but even then, 25 years ago, it wasn’t a huge thing. It really seems to me that recognition of it in the broader cultural consciousness is a phenomenon of the past decade. It should also be noted that slavery in the US wasn’t fully abolished for another 6 months after Juneteenth since the Emancipation Proclamation didn’t outlaw slavery in states that hadn’t seceded. It wasn’t until the 13th Amendment passed enough states that slavery was fully abolished. If you want to be really shocked, Kentucky didn’t get around to ratifying the 13th Amendment until 1976 (Happy USA Bicentennial). Even worse, Kentucky wasn’t even the last state to ratify the 13th Amendment. <a href="https://abcnews.go.com/blogs/headlines/2013/02/mississippi-officially-abolishes-slavery-ratifies-13th-amendment/" rel="nofollow">Mississippi didn’t get around to completing the ratification process until <b>2013</b></a>. Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5589661015656564312020-06-19T18:02:29.150-04:002020-06-19T18:02:29.150-04:00The strange vagueness of "Juneteenth", a...The strange vagueness of "Juneteenth", a word which I heard for the first time early this month, bothered me. Because, when I first heard it, I had no idea <i>what</i> date was being referred to. Was it June thirTEENTH? June fourTEENTH? June fifTEENTH? June sixTEENTH? June sevenTEENTH? June eightEENTH? Or June nineTEENTH? Worse, several newspaper articles assumed one's knowledge of the date and never specified it. Probably I should have had this knowledge, but I didn't. I can't believe I'm alone in this.<br /><br />If I were giving a name to an epochal date, I'd sort of want to choose something where everyone would know exactly what the date is. What's most interesting to me about the matter is that <i>absolutely no one has mentioned the potential for confusion.</i> Not on this site. Not on any site. Does anyone else find it strange? Was anyone else initially in the dark? Or is this knowledge that absolutely everyone who's not named Nancy already has?Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16737377749030219974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51522610223055469982020-06-19T17:52:51.175-04:002020-06-19T17:52:51.175-04:00*groan* seriously? *groan* seriously? agarlockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06531948987659084748noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51651164818875264802020-06-19T17:41:39.593-04:002020-06-19T17:41:39.593-04:00I haven’t done today’s New Yorker yet but I will p...I haven’t done today’s <i>New Yorker</i> yet but I will point out that Monday is challenging and Friday is easier. I believe the intent is that the Wednesday puzzle will be in between. BEQ also makes Monday the more challenging puzzle. This seems like a reasonable marketing ploy. There’s a challenging puzzle space early in the week so it makes sense to publish your challenging puzzles early in the week. <br />...<br />Yep - Monday’s Natan Last puzzle is labeled “challenging, Wednesday’s Berry is labeled “moderately challenging,” and today’s Weintraub puzzle is labeled “lightly challenging.”<br /><br />@True Grits - I agree. NYTX quality has been lacking recently. Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.com