tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post2098445914739268081..comments2024-03-28T20:49:13.267-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Pompous pronoun / MON 10-3-11 / So-called white magic / Vacation resort policy perhaps / Two-front as Coast Guard rescueRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74012955072455001332011-11-11T14:56:19.531-05:002011-11-11T14:56:19.531-05:00I only knew of "Pitching Woo" from a MAS...I only knew of "Pitching Woo" from a MASH episode. Father Mulcahey said the phrase, and Hawkeye made a jocke about it being the Korean baseball player.Del Tacohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13653618594123844131noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80101736768486896772011-11-07T20:24:43.248-05:002011-11-07T20:24:43.248-05:00Syndicated solver here.
I agree with the medium-c...Syndicated solver here.<br /><br />I agree with the medium-challenging rating. I know EDUCE is a bit of standard crosswordese but I get thrown by seeing it on a Monday, particularly when it's paired with FIT UP, something I have never done to anything. My only experience with the phrase is, thanks to the Rumpole stories, as British slang for being framed for a crime.<br /><br />I have heard of PITCHING WOO, and that actually helped me solve a stupid mistake. For no reason I can think of, I put NAS for OAS, which prevented me from getting WBA and solving the puzzle (I was assuming it was either the International Boxing Association or the National Boxing Association). Suddenly PITCHING WOO came to mind, and I had the puzzle solved.<br /><br />TRIOXIDE is <i>very</i> poorly clued. Trioxide is not a "compound containing O3" but a compound <i>consisting of</i> O3. A "compound containing O3" would be something like sulfur trioxide, the primary component (in its gaseous form) of acid rain.<br /><br />"Yonder yacht" to clue HER also annoyed me and slowed me down in the SE corner. The convention of referring to ships by a female pronoun applies to them all, not just to ships that fall into the class of yachts.<br /><br />WICCA was familiar to me if only because I used to have members of a coven for neighbors, and on certain no doubt very meaningful days their fellow Wiccans would come down and fill up the street with cars while they chanted and played bongo drums late into the night.<br /><br />This puzzle gets an overall minus rating from me.Nullifidianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15207390447020990907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53795605648879327222011-11-07T16:09:33.314-05:002011-11-07T16:09:33.314-05:00@Z - well, that's all the encouragement I need...@Z - well, that's all the encouragement I need to bring you this from 11-7-2006:<br /><br />- "Solving time: 8:39 (details below)"<br />- "Solved this puzzle on the Applet (is that what you call it? when you play against the clock at the NYT site and then your time is posted against everyone else's?) for the first time last night, and it was a bit ugly. There's only one answer on the entire grid that was unknown to me, and yet I was still slow."<br />- "PS, I am happy to be corrected, but only by professionals. As many of you know, I don't take correction easy, and often enjoy persisting in my wrongness; but when the Brooklyn Botanic Garden says you're wrong about a plant, you'd probably better listen."<br />- "I'm telling you, this is the best puzzle-related evidence of liberal bias in the Times since the infamous 1996 puzzle that installed Clinton as president before all the votes had been cast and counted."<br />- "Jeez, the ASPS are like Norm on Cheers. They practically live here. "Ssss, don't tread on us! Hey, you guys seen ASTA anywhere?""<br />- "Lesson: Don't #$@# with female relatives of the Emperor."<br />- "Democrats: Soft on Queers, Soft on Crime. They also apparently don't want you to laugh. Ever."<br />- There were 10 comments, including this from @Orange: "Sheesh, you write a lot. Yes, that's the applet. The dexterity gets much better with practice. Excellent liberal conspiracy-theorizin'." And this from RP in response to another commenter: "You, Sir Anonymous, are my new best friend, and I am going to use your positive review in all my promotional material."Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2028926350707156332011-11-07T15:38:49.905-05:002011-11-07T15:38:49.905-05:00@Dirigonzo - I enjoy your flashbacks, though I don...@Dirigonzo - I enjoy your flashbacks, though I don't comment often because I'm sure I'm near my three limit most days.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35970561143915463932011-11-07T15:26:32.754-05:002011-11-07T15:26:32.754-05:00@DJ Stone - your post appeared while I was composi...@DJ Stone - your post appeared while I was composing mine. Rex did indeed scoop me on the flashback feature today and since he was writing on 10/3 I think I stole his idea (unknowingly), not the other way around. I could say something about "great minds thinking alike" but I don't want to add insult to injury.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57539798307602136072011-11-07T15:17:14.121-05:002011-11-07T15:17:14.121-05:00Chiming in from syndiland, my "Unemotional&qu...Chiming in from syndiland, my "Unemotional" response at 44d was STeely>STOney>STOLID. These things would not happen if I would just wait for the crosses to sort things out before I put pen to paper.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61699350476689505242011-11-07T14:46:07.864-05:002011-11-07T14:46:07.864-05:00Everytime I see a bumper sticker (often on a truck...Everytime I see a bumper sticker (often on a truck) reading "Real Men Love Jesus", I think to myself that I too could be a real man if I only had a Mexican boyfriend.<br /><br />And could lose my taste for quiche.<br /><br />P.S. Dirigonzo, is Rex stealing your daily 5-year flashback?DJ Stonenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21119749736585698372011-11-07T12:03:16.813-05:002011-11-07T12:03:16.813-05:00I'm giving the JESUS-UFO crossing an A PLUS.I'm giving the JESUS-UFO crossing an A PLUS.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48312433460468647342011-10-04T02:03:55.001-04:002011-10-04T02:03:55.001-04:00Speaking of crosses, what if Ninja Jesus was an AR...Speaking of crosses, what if Ninja Jesus was an ARIES instead of a Capricorn?+wordphanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05693465770426693314noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32484535245864809182011-10-04T01:57:53.191-04:002011-10-04T01:57:53.191-04:00This 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 7:43, 6:51, 1.13, 94%, Challenging (8th highest median solve time of 119 Monday puzzles)<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 4:17, 3:40, 1.17, 95%, Challenging (7th highest median solve time of 119 Monday puzzles)sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10343705432903741512011-10-04T00:06:23.627-04:002011-10-04T00:06:23.627-04:00Thanks @miriam b, I was wracking my brain trying t...Thanks @miriam b, I was wracking my brain trying to come up with the look alike hairdo of Joon's competitor. Justin Beeber, no, Donald Trump, no, Ah yes the Blagojevich guy, now I can stop struggling.chefwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03999206352243329280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44267729374374084442011-10-03T23:16:06.597-04:002011-10-03T23:16:06.597-04:00First verse after the bridge-I'd like to coo w...First verse after the bridge-I'd like to coo with my baby tonight,Pitch some woo with my baby tonight;but sister you fight my baby tonight 'cause it's too darn hotsyndyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16814698406887041710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35008283930793078752011-10-03T22:33:30.659-04:002011-10-03T22:33:30.659-04:00Joon did great!
One of the answer/questions was po...Joon did great!<br />One of the answer/questions was pork pie hat! Didn't we have that last week?<br />Yeah for the crossword crowd.Two Ponieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06896743444873087885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13520841788232132011-10-03T21:56:00.485-04:002011-10-03T21:56:00.485-04:00I saw JESUS in a puzzle recently, Must have been U...I saw JESUS in a puzzle recently, Must have been USA TODAY (9D) or one such puzzle Rex doesn't do. <br /><br />But, Rex, you really don't know Wicca? Maybe it's just as well. Kind of creepy. I had an ancestor hanged as a witch, but she'd never claim to be one. <br /><br />Saw Joon on Jeopardy. Nice-looking fellow. I always watch it at The Home if I'm there at dinner time. He won really big, too. Mazel Tov! Buona fortuna!<br /><br />@Miriam - You probably read Ken Jennings book. He described how he practiced ringing in by standing behind a chair and hitting a pseudo beeper. Being the first to ring in appears to be very important. When Jennings played Watson, the IBM computer won only because it could chime in fastest. A friend of mine won 3x many years ago. He said he got a bunch of products when he lost. His losing answer was about Delaware. Ken's was about H & R Block.Sfingihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06903616949048940858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26350831242871964442011-10-03T21:24:08.503-04:002011-10-03T21:24:08.503-04:00That should be SMUG character. Typos R US.That should be SMUG character. Typos R US.miriam bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03506593846362044050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91016410680607427302011-10-03T21:21:12.003-04:002011-10-03T21:21:12.003-04:00Looking forward to successive shows, Joon! I'm...Looking forward to successive shows, Joon! I'm so glad you beat that snug character with the Blagojevich haircut. I saw you offer your hand to him after being declared the winner, but the camera panned away, and I DON'T THINK HE SHOOK IT! <br /><br />I was on Jeopardy! in the long-ago Art Fleming era - won four games, narrowly losing the fifth to a nice dentist who went on to the the Tournament of Champions. In those days one was allowed to ring in as soon as a clue was revealed. Thus, as a fast reader, I had an advantage going in. I did encounter a sore loser after one game. I unseated a woman who had won one game, and when I extended my hand she merely gave me the stink-eye. I was non-plussed. This was caught on tape for all to see. Unfortunately no recordings were available for posterity. The technology just wasn't there, I suppose.<br /><br />captha: UNREV - to deceleratemiriam bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03506593846362044050noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80084831514045932372011-10-03T20:47:00.466-04:002011-10-03T20:47:00.466-04:00Good going Joon!!!Good going Joon!!!chefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22781033237222478842011-10-03T20:36:08.732-04:002011-10-03T20:36:08.732-04:00@Chip ... I echo Two Ponies ... but I was actually...@Chip ... I echo Two Ponies ... but I was actually looking forward to watching it tonight. I will still watch, but now some of the suspense will be gone. At least give a spoiler alert at the top of your message. Sheesh!sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6353317035437877572011-10-03T20:22:35.152-04:002011-10-03T20:22:35.152-04:00@ Chip Hilton, While I really appreciated @ nanpil...@ Chip Hilton, While I really appreciated @ nanpilla's "heads up" re: Our pal Joon being on Jeopardy (I would have watched it anyway) I did not appreciate you spoiling the fun for those of us on Pacific time!Two Ponieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06896743444873087885noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60664814594790860282011-10-03T20:11:27.041-04:002011-10-03T20:11:27.041-04:00This son and cousin of chemistry professors (Corne...This son and cousin of chemistry professors (Cornell, Harvard) can't let the definition of 38D go by without complaining that "Compound containing O3" literally means a compound containing ozone (O3). A better definition could have been "Compound with three Os"--three atoms of oxygen. For example, SO3, sulfur trioxide, does not contain an ozone molecule.<br />Put that in your pipette and smoke it.The Ravennoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56405830208751467932011-10-03T19:29:59.457-04:002011-10-03T19:29:59.457-04:00make that Joon Pahk...sorry.make that Joon Pahk...sorry.Chip Hiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944056030047563287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83772385963109140172011-10-03T19:26:56.687-04:002011-10-03T19:26:56.687-04:00Here's to our friend and constructor Joon Pak ...Here's to our friend and constructor Joon Pak who just beat a really strong champion on Jeopardy.Chip Hiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944056030047563287noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78013296844232755802011-10-03T18:27:20.216-04:002011-10-03T18:27:20.216-04:00This theme reminded me of Arnie "Woo-Woo"...This theme reminded me of Arnie "Woo-Woo" Ginsburg, Greater Boston's version of NYC's Cousin Brucie or SoCal's Wolfman Jack.<br /><br />Thanks to Rex for the flashback. It would be interesting to do some of those puzzles now, then read the blog...Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02681342234536407419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48238187209823451952011-10-03T18:25:01.596-04:002011-10-03T18:25:01.596-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02681342234536407419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63347761759189824742011-10-03T17:28:29.434-04:002011-10-03T17:28:29.434-04:00@Sparky - Piece of cake, had them both done. Firs...@Sparky - Piece of cake, had them both done. First one a few years ago and the second about a year later. Was as nervous as you and insisted on an extra strength "calm yourself pill". Wanted a pain pill for after surgery, just in case, Dr. said I wouldn't need one and he was right. You will be fine.chefwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03999206352243329280noreply@blogger.com