tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post200348539803446099..comments2024-03-28T08:20:54.275-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Soprano role in Il Trovatore / SUN 12-9-12 / Soweto uprising figure / Certain female grouse / acronymic 1970 measure / 1975 TV debut / Country's Acuff Clark / Conniving sergeant of 1950s TVRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger61125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84506411338799606632013-01-02T14:31:20.735-05:002013-01-02T14:31:20.735-05:00when i lesten to biko i always get shiverswhen i lesten to biko i always get shiversAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54450783328680235992012-12-18T15:57:03.964-05:002012-12-18T15:57:03.964-05:00Got stuck because I assumed that prior to being ex...Got stuck because I assumed that prior to being exiled and thus no longer being a frenchman, I said Napoleon was a FRENCH MISTER. For those who don't remember Family Affair, consider yourselves lucky.<br /><br />Outside of that, it was not a challenge.<br />Davenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40279094129809107252012-12-17T12:21:19.715-05:002012-12-17T12:21:19.715-05:00Seemed too easy for a Mr. Berry so I kept looking ...Seemed too easy for a Mr. Berry so I kept looking for another twist, but enjoyable nonetheless. The only 2 I could not get were GSTRING and RICO.<br /><br />@Susan McConnell is correct that the theme answers helped get the rest of the fill. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85766861527847335092012-12-16T18:15:39.378-05:002012-12-16T18:15:39.378-05:00@Diri: you are right on. The gun thing somehow did...@Diri: you are right on. The gun thing somehow didn't resonate at the time of solving, but your mention of it certainly did. How that misfit got his hands on firearms is a situation that cries out for change. And it wouldn't hurt if the creative artists in our society would think twice before continuing to desensitize us all to senseless violence.Spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72464647597359349572012-12-16T13:53:02.316-05:002012-12-16T13:53:02.316-05:00My paper listed the constructor merely as Patrick,...My paper listed the constructor merely as Patrick, so PP and I spent too much time trying to figure out if that played into the theme somehow - any other syndi-solvers have that experience? We finished up in the center of the grid when the almost invisible GSTRING became apparent.<br /><br />@Spacecraft - I would add another example of an occcurence in the puzzle that should spook syndisolvers: Trade magazines? > RELOAD. Note to constructors - can you please find non-firearms related clues for words like that? The frequency with which gun related violence occurs in America makes it almost a certainty that any reference to guns will remind somebody of a recent tragedy.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24293084028530356562012-12-16T12:49:54.848-05:002012-12-16T12:49:54.848-05:00Again, there are times when the syndisolver is rea...Again, there are times when the syndisolver is really spooked--as in today's appearance of RAVI Shankar, who sadly passed just two days ago.<br /><br />Another near-masterpiece from PB. A fun theme expertly executed, and what's really hard to pull off: unstrained J- and X- crossings. Beautiful clean fill, with only a couple of exceptions: AFEARD and DESELECT. I'd buy ASCAIRT.<br /><br />Like OFL, I found the center a little sticky, but the rest of it went down so smooth I'd have to call it easy-medium. Patrick NAILS another one!Spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-4837431328272447352012-12-10T11:35:23.998-05:002012-12-10T11:35:23.998-05:00I knew Mark Cuban from Dancing With the Stars!I knew Mark Cuban from Dancing With the Stars!nurturinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02035395856164817422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-975537079654189252012-12-09T23:40:06.787-05:002012-12-09T23:40:06.787-05:00The NW fell like dominoes, then I came to a screec...The NW fell like dominoes, then I came to a screeching halt at the Equator plus my key board stopped working (or rather, AcrossLite stopped recognizing it). Much cursing ensued, plus closing/reopening AcrossLite, powercycling, slamming iPad on table. Finally got through it but can't tell if the puzzle was hard or just the stupid electronics. Thanks for the link @Carola, but to finish off a day of technical woes, buffering problems ruined LEONORA's aria. Maybe it'll let me listen later. <br /><br />Hand up for knowing what a telex is, but had no clue about JuiceNewton, Victor French, nor Mark Cuban. Lance Bass, I still don't know who he is, but I believe this is his second appearance in a week, so he's on track to be the new Pia Zadora. Oh -- when I typed "Mark" into the Google search box, the first thing that came up was "Mark Cuban." I didn't even have to type the "C". Might that mean a lot of people were looking him up? I had to type further into Juice Newton before she came up. <br /><br />I'm not sure I'm politically allowed to enjoy seeing Sgt. Bilko and Steve Biko in the same puzzle, but I confess every time I read about the martyred South African freedom fighter I have to struggle to read his name right. <br /><br />I always thought an FBI agent was a Feeb, never heard of a Fibbie. Thought for the longest time it was some kind of marble like a taw or an aggie. <br /><br />Hand up for thinking female grouse was a complainer. Xanthippe wouldn't fit, though. (Wikipedia says she was likely 40 years younger than Socrates. Think she might have had cause for grousing?) <br /><br />Thanks for all the alternative puzzle clues, folks. They made me laugh.Ellen Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00473445503706985149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49598046600573506302012-12-09T23:02:27.566-05:002012-12-09T23:02:27.566-05:00Can't believe quite a few people don't kno... Can't believe quite a few people don't know Mark Cuban. Familiar with hi in at least three ways. In business: sold his Broadcast.com to Yahoo and became a billionaire. In sports: owner of the Dallas Mavericks (basketball). On TV: one of the "sharks" in Shark Tank, a reality show partnering investors (the "sharks") with small entrepeneurs. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87605119549739157992012-12-09T21:56:43.667-05:002012-12-09T21:56:43.667-05:00I still don't get why minor suit
is a G-String...I still don't get why minor suit<br />is a G-String.ANON Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38060219411275332102012-12-09T20:10:55.370-05:002012-12-09T20:10:55.370-05:00This 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 6:27, 6:46, 0.95, 32%, Easy-Medium<br />Tue 7:25, 8:57, 0.83, 7%, Easy<br />Wed 10:10, 11:48, 0.86, 20%, Easy-Medium<br />Thu 16:54, 18:43, 0.90, 33%, Easy-Medium<br />Fri 29:34, 24:18, 1.22, 85%, Challenging<br />Sat 25:19, 28:57, 0.87, 25%, Easy-Medium<br />Sun 26:22, 32:36, 0.81, 14%, Easy<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:52, 3:41, 1.05, 79%, Medium-Challenging<br />Tue 4:21, 4:41, 0.93, 33%, Easy-Medium<br />Wed 6:05, 5:57, 1.02, 59%, Medium<br />Thu 10:10, 9:23, 1.08, 73%, Medium-Challenging<br />Fri 15:58, 12:09, 1.31, 91%, Challenging<br />Sat 13:30, 16:27, 0.82, 18%, Easy<br />Sun 16:23, 20:52, 0.79, 19%, Easysanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30582194444011101852012-12-09T19:56:16.774-05:002012-12-09T19:56:16.774-05:00This was another of those puzzles where the theme ...This was another of those puzzles where the theme answers helped you get the fill, instead of the other way around. <br /><br />An enjoyable Sunday...thanks Mr. Berry!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04551716499829677518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28361577733302109382012-12-09T19:37:15.199-05:002012-12-09T19:37:15.199-05:00@syndy - Really laughed at HILL FAITH!@syndy - Really laughed at HILL FAITH!Carolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15971759975067250908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82107937188526519312012-12-09T18:46:12.683-05:002012-12-09T18:46:12.683-05:00@jae: Thank you! Could you say they Fibbie(d) ab...@jae: Thank you! Could you say they Fibbie(d) about holding information on the Petraeus affair?GILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5426809945364155742012-12-09T18:25:40.161-05:002012-12-09T18:25:40.161-05:00Loved the puzzle!
Glass goat? Crystal BillyLoved the puzzle!<br /><br />Glass goat? Crystal BillyVictor Poleshuckhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01611704791999583301noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2989673232275764992012-12-09T17:49:30.735-05:002012-12-09T17:49:30.735-05:00Awesome fun puzzle today but who the heck is Mark ...Awesome fun puzzle today but who the heck is Mark Cuban?<br /><br />More fun:<br /><br />Fruit toss: BERRYCHUCK<br />Reindeer illusion: RUDOLPHMAYA<br />French Hotel: HILTONPARIS<br />Ship's Cat: CRUISETOM<br />Susan Pease Banitt, LCSWhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16523193314207723114noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42766306250890039642012-12-09T17:34:36.860-05:002012-12-09T17:34:36.860-05:00@Gil I.P. -- Fibbie is a somewhat derogatory term...@Gil I.P. -- Fibbie is a somewhat derogatory term for FBI agents used by other law enforcement types. It derives from how trying to pronounce FBI might sound. The DEA agents I used to play golf with were always ragging on the fibbies. jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50569982468821642782012-12-09T16:57:17.011-05:002012-12-09T16:57:17.011-05:00Roasted potato above the fireplace? Mantle Mickey...Roasted potato above the fireplace? Mantle Mickey<br /><br />Stab Mr. Franklin? Pierce Benjamin<br /><br />Famous Firth and Prince Charlie's nickname? Clyde and Bonnie<br /><br />Play joke on the goat? Kid the Billy<br /><br />Filthy Lucre:? Black Jack<br /><br />Adolescent Diamond? Young Neil<br /><br />OK, OK, I got a little carried away here...<br /><br />...but that's because I loved this one. I was traveling for the past couple of weeks and missed the previous two Sunday puzzles, so this was a real treat for me.<br /><br />Thank you, Mr. Berry.Brookboynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20116670048844213412012-12-09T15:32:57.277-05:002012-12-09T15:32:57.277-05:00Never heard of most of these people, but French vi...Never heard of most of these people, but French victor seemed obvious. I've been complaining about the lack of Russian rivers since eugene has been gone, so thanks for 23 down--the first word I filled in. Now I have to go google names like mark Cuban, lance bass and river Phoenix, since I have no idea who they are.Doctor Colonel Markhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03619031081241022181noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65076346641446241212012-12-09T15:14:37.229-05:002012-12-09T15:14:37.229-05:00Cecil Sage Hen is the mascot of Pomona College.Cecil Sage Hen is the mascot of Pomona College.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49721143249230874352012-12-09T14:49:11.015-05:002012-12-09T14:49:11.015-05:00Again we have a puzzle where most of the themed an...Again we have a puzzle where most of the themed answers were gettable just by reading the clues. I read them aloud to hubby, a non-crossword-puzzler, who solved them all as well. Very easy - I finished this puzzle before I finished my decaf venti mocha. The themed answers were fun to figure out but they helped me with the fill instead of the other way around. I agree with Anonymous at 1:25 - clever, not satisfying.LoriSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53387260098505253882012-12-09T14:07:45.167-05:002012-12-09T14:07:45.167-05:00Small nail in Indian print?-Paisley Brad. ...Small nail in Indian print?-Paisley Brad. Keeps the effluvia out of the small waterway? Shields Brook A belief that's not enough to move mountains?-Hill Faith Easy was Okay it gave me plenty of time to admire this beauty! but yeah the title was kinda a g stringsyndyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16814698406887041710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17362321695522805932012-12-09T13:25:53.952-05:002012-12-09T13:25:53.952-05:00This was the fastest I've ever done the puzzle...This was the fastest I've ever done the puzzle and I was having a conversation with my wife and had 5 beers under my belt...nearly did it in under 24 minutes. im sure its poor etiquette to discuss ones times, but its meant only to illustrate that this one was too easy...clever and fun, but not satisfying.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29073423182394749192012-12-09T13:11:09.891-05:002012-12-09T13:11:09.891-05:00Really solid puzzle. My solving experience was ver...Really solid puzzle. My solving experience was very much like Rex — same trouble spots and everything.<br /><br />One thing worth pointing out about the theme: all of the names, first and last, had alternative meanings that allowed for such fun clues. I think that actually adds quite a bit to Pat's cleverness here. It would have been substantially easier to choose people where only the first or the last name had an interesting second meaning, and clue the other name as a name.Davishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15336260911834780345noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40670695260483206692012-12-09T13:08:57.571-05:002012-12-09T13:08:57.571-05:00Did anyone else think that a "Particular fema...Did anyone else think that a "Particular female grouse" would be a complaint instead of a bird? E.G. NOSHOES or SAMEHAT or [toilet] SEATSUP.paulsfohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07721639286466422944noreply@blogger.com