tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post2312933027875607586..comments2024-03-29T00:28:40.417-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: 1957 hit for Perry Como / SAT 3-24-12 / Oyster Bay hamlet / Melodic passages / Jerboa's home / Volstead Act opponents / NYC commuting debut of 1904Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger84125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22087002763775756012012-04-29T14:17:36.711-04:002012-04-29T14:17:36.711-04:00Missed this in a 7th grade spelling bee, never wil...Missed this in a 7th grade spelling bee, never will again: some people say EEEK in a cEmEtEry, cemetery!!!marymotohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03671427444041092005noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20526646374266814582012-04-29T06:50:14.250-04:002012-04-29T06:50:14.250-04:00First time poster here from Syndiland. I have bee...First time poster here from Syndiland. I have been reading this blog for about 2 years now and never felt the need to post before. I absolutely loved this puzzle. Finished relatively easy for a Saturday without google. Started in the north and plopped down excitement, noisemaker and abpositive with no crosses. Was off and running from there. <br /><br />Regarding Syosset, never heard of it before today being that I'm a born and raised Cali girl that has only been to New York once. I was able to get Syosset from the crosses with no problem so I agree with Rex whole heartedly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71048156762342389552012-04-28T21:10:27.430-04:002012-04-28T21:10:27.430-04:00@Spacecraft - re: ACETATE as a collectible record,...@Spacecraft - re: ACETATE as a collectible record, see if this helps: http://www.madonnacatalog.com/guides/acetate.htm (you'll have to copy and paste - I don't do links), especially the last paragraph. Obscure for sure, but it is Saturday after all.<br /><br />Happy weekend.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14670725582301001022012-04-28T14:54:10.019-04:002012-04-28T14:54:10.019-04:00@jackj: You threw the baby out with the bathwater ...@jackj: You threw the baby out with the bathwater if you forswore Mr. King on the strength of one "distasteful" novel. There's LOTS since then you would like. I'm guessing stories of decay, one of his major themes, distress you, so I'd skip Desperation and The Dark Half (Bachman pseudonym). But have you ever tried any of the Dark Tower series? The Stand? Come on back, you'll be glad you did.<br /><br />King and Asimov: two of my mostest FAVORITEST authors: there together in a Times crossword! Oh joy! Plus: A really tough-looking Saturday that I thought for SURE I'd have to use Google to finish--but didn't! Made a couple of guesses that turned out to be right, but finished with no help and no errors. Just one question: how is ACETATE a "collectible record?" That one totally mystifies me.<br /><br />Great puzzle; almost WHELMed me. (Actually, to WHELM means to inundate with water.) Thanks, Barry!Spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17270107440176469452012-04-28T13:41:45.727-04:002012-04-28T13:41:45.727-04:00Not so easy for me, but I did finish with no error...Not so easy for me, but I did finish with no errors, Mr. Silk. I had several wrong assumptions which made things more difficult: wREST for wHELM, REELS for DAZES, and abnegaTIVE for abPOSItive. Loved that my pure guess NEWFANGLED turned out to be correct! <br /><br />Have only lived on the East coast, Piedmont region, for a few years, decades ago, yet Syosset was not unfamiliar to me. Don't know why.<br /><br />Agree with other posters, WHELM is never used alone; rather with under- or over- as a prefix.Lola505https://www.blogger.com/profile/09249427833942985450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59242504849423641372012-03-27T14:54:21.116-04:002012-03-27T14:54:21.116-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-69639002856156736682012-03-25T14:10:42.614-04:002012-03-25T14:10:42.614-04:00@bayonne
I was bothered by TES too, i wanted Toi, ...@bayonne<br />I was bothered by TES too, i wanted Toi, but i looked it up and it's considered a possessive pronoun. I would have just said it's a possessive, but technically it is a possessive...pronoun.Andree Carlee Michauxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29354752665331877102012-03-25T07:34:11.348-04:002012-03-25T07:34:11.348-04:00Couldn't get the paper till midnight Sat, so j...Couldn't get the paper till midnight Sat, so just coming here now. I think SYOSSET is gettable - as someone said, it's either RYE or NY-- or SY--- if you know NY placename styles. Really enjoyed the puzzle.jberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02169065390875378077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55258465181219503622012-03-25T02:03:17.575-04:002012-03-25T02:03:17.575-04:00...in *spite* of......in *spite* of...Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58277131560042767742012-03-25T01:17:04.093-04:002012-03-25T01:17:04.093-04:00WHELM?
Stands to reason if one can be over- and un...WHELM?<br />Stands to reason if one can be over- and under-WHELMed, that one should be WHELMable too.<br /><br />Clueing for SYOSSET was evil...I mighta stood a chance had it not been clued as a hamlet of some other place. Didn't help that I had just read something about an Oyster Bay in Australia, so was expecting it to be a down-under place.<br />Plus, being ABnegaTIVE from the start meant that my hamlet ended in -gET.<br /><br />Drove past Natick on the way to Cohasset today. I say we all meet at the I90 Natick Plaza one of these days...<br /><br />Just had a SAMOSA for lunch - yum!<br /><br />@Rex - before the Times is a national paper, it's a NY paper...know how I know that? I'm not tellin'...<br /><br />Thanks Barry - liked it lots, in spute of ARIOSI.Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61993162216474182752012-03-24T23:00:06.733-04:002012-03-24T23:00:06.733-04:00Just listened to Adele again. What a voice.Just listened to Adele again. What a voice.machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33536028024790343952012-03-24T20:54:21.757-04:002012-03-24T20:54:21.757-04:00@chefbea and anon 5:39pm - if you're talking a...@chefbea and anon 5:39pm - if you're talking about about me - a pedestrian limerick does not a poet make.Loren Muse Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05308030011870397977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82452636079101864212012-03-24T19:42:23.276-04:002012-03-24T19:42:23.276-04:00This 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 6:15, 6:49, 0.92, 17%, Easy<br />Tue 10:29, 8:51, 1.18, 90%, Challenging<br />Wed 14:31, 11:51, 1.23, 91%, Challenging<br />Thu 17:04, 18:55, 0.90, 34%, Easy-Medium<br />Fri 17:07, 25:04, 0.68, 5%, Easy (7th lowest median solve time of 144 Fridays)<br />Sat 24:26, 29:39, 0.82, 11%, Easy<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:30, 3:40, 0.96, 31%, Easy-Medium<br />Tue 5:12, 4:35, 1.14, 88%, Challenging<br />Wed 7:14, 5:53, 1.23, 92%, Challenging<br />Thu 7:57, 9:16, 0.86, 27%, Easy-Medium<br />Fri 8:22, 12:24, 0.67, 6%, Easy (8th lowest median solve time of 143 Fridays)<br />Sat 12:24, 16:51, 0.74, 8%, Easysanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38980715706775323442012-03-24T19:31:06.489-04:002012-03-24T19:31:06.489-04:00Syosset should be famous for being Natalie Portman...Syosset should be famous for being Natalie Portman's hometown but it isn't. <br /><br />I confess to being the one who used TRURO in a puzzle - Rex will you ever get over your disgust?NancyKavhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04637414752565739717noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5213552454473669192012-03-24T19:16:10.872-04:002012-03-24T19:16:10.872-04:00I'm no poet, so I'll just say I thought th...I'm no poet, so I'll just say I thought the Perry Como hit might be "o mY papa" so that hid the deli staple and writer from me for a long time. It's a good thing the Y was coincidentally correct or I would still be sitting and staring at that corner. The rest of the puzzle was, well you know...Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5993399305229579462012-03-24T18:58:09.894-04:002012-03-24T18:58:09.894-04:00Agree w the comment about "tes" not bein...Agree w the comment about "tes" not being a pronoun (zut alors). Never heard "Ivy Rose" but recall earworm of Perry's "there's a wheel and it goes round, round, round" while standing on the Fulton St. platform of the IRT in about '57.bayonnenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29975815863783111952012-03-24T18:27:07.634-04:002012-03-24T18:27:07.634-04:00I grew up in St. Louis
In the show me state
I may ...I grew up in St. Louis<br />In the show me state<br />I may not be a poet<br />But with Loren I might rate.chefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31649287435971686082012-03-24T18:14:06.613-04:002012-03-24T18:14:06.613-04:00First time here, interesting analysis by blogger a...First time here, interesting analysis by blogger and good comments from posters. The comments regarding the difficulty of Oder Neisse are interesting in that it was one of the easier ones for me due to how I make living--professor with an interest in the area--but some of the others I found to be difficult. Different people bring different knowledge; good arguement for teamwork.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20819683333763152252012-03-24T17:40:39.906-04:002012-03-24T17:40:39.906-04:00@Lewis
I take that as quite a compliment
But Lore...@Lewis<br /><br />I take that as quite a compliment<br />But Loren's not to blame<br />Tho' in times gone by, I used to sign<br />You will not recall my name..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8339438875867851562012-03-24T17:39:45.543-04:002012-03-24T17:39:45.543-04:00@Lewis
I take that as quite a compliment
But Lore...@Lewis<br /><br />I take that as quite a compliment<br />But Loren's not to blame<br />Tho' in times gone by, I used to sign<br />You will not recall my name..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46595083186069840442012-03-24T16:33:32.567-04:002012-03-24T16:33:32.567-04:00@John V: Just got back from "playing" 2 ...@John V: Just got back from "playing" 2 hours of singles tennis, in the early PM sun (85 deg.) As bright ideas go, I'd rate that one about a 10-watt-er.<br /><br />Noticed I left the "z" out of Shortzmeister in my earlier comment. Didn't mean at all to create an extra (Var.)mint. Just didn't hit the key hard enough, I guess.<br /><br />Got a big Romney rally comin' to town soon. Gotta go out and buy our Etcha-Sketch, so we can show our support.Masked and Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66455628578833062092012-03-24T16:05:56.554-04:002012-03-24T16:05:56.554-04:00I'm thinking Loren is the poetess...I'm thinking Loren is the poetess...Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09709142959535977331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25937156469426411322012-03-24T15:40:38.941-04:002012-03-24T15:40:38.941-04:00I recalled Syosset from some story or novel... Ode...I recalled Syosset from some story or novel... Oder-Neisse was a gimme for me... I guess I paid attention in history class long long ago...I got stuck in the upper left and asked my dear spouse to google Perry Como in wiki... He got bored reading and looked up Rex instead, which is a last ditch only option around here...grrrrr... So I was able to finish in no time flat after filling in Isaac Asimov off the v in Ivy Rose.... Nice puzzle... I always get tickled reading Rex: what he considers gimmes I usually don't know, and he gets bent out of shape over the ones I think are gimmes.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71267494584977030192012-03-24T15:40:03.925-04:002012-03-24T15:40:03.925-04:00The worse part, in regards to the Syosset answer i...The worse part, in regards to the Syosset answer is that it is not even on Oyster Bay. It is in Oyster Bay Township, Nassau County, LI, NY.<br /><br />http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:unofficial&client=firefox-a&q=syosset+ny&um=1&ie=UTF-8&hq=&hnear=0x89c2823048424f79:0xd664337ce3794078,Syosset,+NY&gl=us&ei=TiJuT4CGO4PksQLar5HrBQ&sa=X&oi=geocode_result&ct=title&resnum=2&ved=0CDoQ8gEwAQ<br /><br />I only got it, because I grew up on LI and "Y" was the second letter for a town near Oyster Bay.nmetronoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44005284997688568142012-03-24T14:59:23.559-04:002012-03-24T14:59:23.559-04:00Thanx so much @acme!
But isn't it more fun to ...Thanx so much @acme!<br />But isn't it more fun to guess?<br />We've got THE BARD on the blog<br />Me?--I'm just sort of a poetess...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com