tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post2577028144457802689..comments2024-03-29T05:08:37.783-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: English-born cabaret singer / THU 8-18-11 / Bless us and splash us my preciousss / Onetime NASA booster / Epithet for mouse Burns To MouseRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger78125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35601950742434671902011-09-23T14:12:03.191-04:002011-09-23T14:12:03.191-04:00Two pill bugs in marriage counselor's office, ...Two pill bugs in marriage counselor's office, one is rolled tightly. Female bug says "He just won't open up to me."Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68812666847930882512011-09-23T02:27:50.444-04:002011-09-23T02:27:50.444-04:00Spacecraft here. Knew I'd have a long wait at ...Spacecraft here. Knew I'd have a long wait at Dr.'s office today so I tucked puz & pen in pocket. So no reference material, nothin' but mah grey matter. And I got it--before our name was called. Stared at it a lot, took most of a couple of hours, but I prevailed.<br /> Had a lot of trouble at 67a, not because of the obvious reasons, but because for a long time I couldn't figure out what degree a "JD" was. Then the oh-yeah hit me and I was all right. Had CDR and EDASHES when the grid was filled in, and counted only five degrees. Hmmm. I honed in on the SW, where there wasn't one, and finally saw it. I'm not really up on my Morse code. Writeovers: joined a large group with NINA, and guesses INLAID as a way into that brutal NE. Kept trying to work Diane Keaton somehow into 17a, confusing the given movie with the one, in singular form, by Woody Allen. Escaped the potential Natick at NGO/AGENA by remembering the old Atlas-Agena rockets that powered our earliest efforts into space. Excellent puzzle of just the right difficulty. Enjoyed it.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42785268311874821832011-09-22T22:31:40.443-04:002011-09-22T22:31:40.443-04:00Knew a rebus was afoot but alas couldn't see t...Knew a rebus was afoot but alas couldn't see the degrees no matter how hard I looked. I'm especially upset that I stuck with nINa when MAINE might have given me the key to the whole puzzle. <br /><br />@Deb, I had no idea that one could earn a degree in BM!Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53619673336734120892011-09-22T22:19:24.504-04:002011-09-22T22:19:24.504-04:00@Deb: It's so nice to get an acknowledgment fr...@Deb: It's so nice to get an acknowledgment from syndication-land! Being familiar with your comments, I had a feeling you might agree on this.Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02681342234536407419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51731687891269037612011-09-22T19:08:51.856-04:002011-09-22T19:08:51.856-04:00Oops! What? No Ph.D.?Oops! What? No Ph.D.?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84983503221679639232011-09-22T18:48:22.729-04:002011-09-22T18:48:22.729-04:00@Stan - Ha! No kidding about the bad flooring adv...@Stan - Ha! No kidding about the bad flooring advice.<br /><br />I'm sure glad my son's degree wasn't included as it definitely wouldn't have passed the breakfast test. (Bachelor of Music)<br /><br />This one was a big, fat DNF for me. I got the theme quite early on but, like Rex, I still had a hard time dredging up the correct degrees to fit.Debhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16675331024091722316noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-27652889055116879762011-09-22T16:25:20.234-04:002011-09-22T16:25:20.234-04:00I couldn't find all six degrees even after kno...I couldn't find all six degrees even after knowing they should be there. I was happy to see all three of my degrees there: BA, MD, and finally an unmentioned answer: MABEL (Master of Arts in Biblical Exegesis and Linguistics)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17115532089899278102011-09-22T16:01:58.151-04:002011-09-22T16:01:58.151-04:00Like others, once the theme was revealed I was on ...Like others, once the theme was revealed I was on the lookout for PHD - LYMPH DUCT would have a possibility.<br /><br />Puzzle was fun but never having heard of ISOPOD and early commitments to GARMENT, ULAN and KEATON (wrong flick) made it a trudger rather than a treasure...Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46321356263063853662011-09-22T11:46:40.514-04:002011-09-22T11:46:40.514-04:00This puzzle was completely a bust for me. Had no ...This puzzle was completely a bust for me. Had no idea it had a "rebus", whatever that is. When the constructor wants to cram three letters into one square, they should give us some warning or clue. Trying to work this one was a total waste of time.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57900676656497768802011-08-19T15:36:04.443-04:002011-08-19T15:36:04.443-04:00Has anyone actually watched that Beastie Boys vide...Has anyone actually watched that Beastie Boys video that Rex posted? Pretty weird stuff. Specifically the pee-fight that starts at about 22 minutes in.Juicepitnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33406189677999044782011-08-19T14:02:44.549-04:002011-08-19T14:02:44.549-04:00This may be like a tree falling in the forest with...This may be like a tree falling in the forest with noone around, but I wanted to comment because late last night I found myself sipping a gimlet with ice, listening to my icemaker clack away, and befuddled by what could produce ice cubes other than an ice tray. In my defense, my ice maker produces citrus sectional shapes, not cubes.Cheeriohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04919455386774076690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11559419984485688572011-08-19T13:52:04.435-04:002011-08-19T13:52:04.435-04:00Tough bit of a slog, many of the same mistakes (IC...Tough bit of a slog, many of the same mistakes (ICETRAY/NINA/CDR/GARMENT). On the other hand, NGO and NERD and ZI[MBA]LIST and ISOPOD were all gimmes.<br /><br />One sticking point with regard to the CA[BFA]RE: I have zero knowledge of the British sitcom, both before and after finishing the puzzle, and while MFA and CFA came to mind, for some reason, even knowing it <i>had to be CAB</i>, I couldn't come up with BFA. I kept thinking C[AB][FA]RE. (I went to a snob school, that gave out ABs, not BAs.) I'm thus also thinking, so maybe the singer's last name is MABBAL, and MERCER is her first name, or something? It was only getting ICE[MA]KER, turning NINA into [MA]INE that enabled me to finish.<br /><br />I find it a little bit disappointing that so many don't know of NGO Dinh Diem. His assassination was remarkably major news for a third world country, and it had a humongous US repercussion for the next decade (the Vietnam War). It came after the notorious Buddhist protests (including self-immolations), and right before Kennedy's own assassination. By all rights, it should be as well-known as the Cuban Missile Crisis, say.<br /><br />In contrast, I'm amused so many NERDs here aren't NERD enough to be aware of the origin of NERD. Heck, I even suspect some geeks here don't know the original meaning of geek. (Not pretty!)<br /><br />ISOPODs are crustaceans, not insects. The "same-foot" meaning of the name refers to the fact that their legs are all quite similar looking, unlike crabs and lobsters with their diverse assortment of legs.william e embanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52506463451587044142011-08-19T09:35:45.408-04:002011-08-19T09:35:45.408-04:00I like rebuses, and liked the rebus of this one, b...I like rebuses, and liked the rebus of this one, but too many things were obscure to me, resulting in my worst NYT Thursday in ages (DNF).<br /><br />Got hopelessly off track in the SW by crossing MDASHES with ADM. Despite getting ZIMBALIST could not convert<br />S_AMBAN_ to SLAMBANG.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42089501431022861812011-08-19T08:30:08.808-04:002011-08-19T08:30:08.808-04:00Got the rebus with icemaker and emdashes, but alas...Got the rebus with icemaker and emdashes, but alas, only found 3 degrees. Entire east side of the puzzle beat me.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75640535779833492982011-08-18T22:34:24.827-04:002011-08-18T22:34:24.827-04:00Why all the complaining about Mabel Mercer? What w...Why all the complaining about Mabel Mercer? What with the enormous popularity of cabaret in the US today (you can hardly turn on FM radio without hearing, say, Hildegarde belting out "Darling, Je Vous Aime Beaucoup"), I don't see what the problem is.nycscottnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6525626950143629852011-08-18T22:29:41.136-04:002011-08-18T22:29:41.136-04:00As I said yesterday, yesterday's crossword was...As I said yesterday, yesterday's crossword was easy- no Google just to trick me into doing today's which was 9-Googles, DNF.<br /><br />I'm sure Choset is a fine fellow, but apart from Burns, his literature choices are dreck to me. But I'm sure he's a genius, too, also.<br /><br />Didn't get the theme at all. Wanted the shortest distance to be a straight line, Euclidean; but even when I got SIX DEGREES, no go. <br /><br />Thought the violinist might be Zingaro (Italian for gypsy). That's the sort of answer I had. Still had ICEtray when I gave up.Sfingihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06903616949048940858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15107475114119605172011-08-18T22:22:53.616-04:002011-08-18T22:22:53.616-04:00Tough but fair puzzle (in two corners no less -- N...Tough but fair puzzle (in two corners no less -- NE and SW). CABFARE and SLAMBANG were outstanding.<br /><br />Once again we get bad flooring advice from the NYT puzzle. Previously we've been told to use GROUT as a bathroom adhesive -- today our tiles are RELAID: not an easy trick.<br /><br />Have never heard the word 'pill bug', but from the photo it seems I've seen thousands in my woodpile. They look prehistoric, which I'm guessing ties in with ISOPOD (non-segmented bodies?)Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02681342234536407419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84563162638372384542011-08-18T21:17:44.026-04:002011-08-18T21:17:44.026-04:00They rode in on the horse, but don't blame the...They rode in on the horse, but don't blame the mare or stallion or gelding.CoffeeLvrhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16473192190412844538noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26363696212742591172011-08-18T20:54:03.675-04:002011-08-18T20:54:03.675-04:00Fuck rebuses and the horse they road in on.Fuck rebuses and the horse they road in on.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81387009566135573442011-08-18T20:52:38.733-04:002011-08-18T20:52:38.733-04:00Fuck rebuses and the horse they road in on.Fuck rebuses and the horse they road in on.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63571002437225300782011-08-18T20:38:43.598-04:002011-08-18T20:38:43.598-04:00Not ROFLMAO; this puzzle kicked my ass. Just don&...Not ROFLMAO; this puzzle kicked my ass. Just don't think I have a rebus compartment in my brain pan.<br /><br />Among a zillion other issues, I was fixated on Sleeper and remembering the house where it was filmed which is just a bit outside of Denver heading west on I-70 so a big fat DNF.<br /><br />Growing up in Missouri, I do have fond memories of those little BEASTIE roly-poly bugs but they don't seem to inhabit the high desert.santafefrannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84050325471210010002011-08-18T18:25:47.103-04:002011-08-18T18:25:47.103-04:00@joho - your msg received:
This is a test .... do...@joho - your msg received:<br /><br />This is a test .... don't know if it will work, but just in case it does ... I thought today's puzzle was fantastic!retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78450200894363332742011-08-18T18:21:42.711-04:002011-08-18T18:21:42.711-04:00Hard to like this puzzle, because of the endless e...Hard to like this puzzle, because of the endless esoterica, among proper names and regular words. RAIMENT? On a Thursday, when you're trying to suss out rebus squares? C'mon. Vestment, yes. RAIMENT, no.<br /><br />Ahem, excuse me...is this the same crowd so flummoxed by FLEERED they just about imploded?<br /><br />Whatever. Clearly, I'm not well-versed enough at rebus puzzles to walk and chew gum at the same time. This would've been hard for a themeless.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18391847471384798773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46248857381278857472011-08-18T18:03:49.348-04:002011-08-18T18:03:49.348-04:00This is a test .... don't know if it will work...This is a test .... don't know if it will work, but just in case it does ... I thought today's puzzle was fantastic!johohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12708487230515532492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84934103914011092822011-08-18T16:58:03.240-04:002011-08-18T16:58:03.240-04:00Defeat in the SW!
I ran into the same problems as...Defeat in the SW!<br /><br />I ran into the same problems as many others with CMDR, ASTER, EMDASHES. I, too, couldn't release ADM and GARMENT took forever, so finally threw in the towel. <br /><br />However, I loved this puzzle. Made the breakthrough with JDSALINGER and when ABFAB fell, I laughed out loud at the memory of that brilliant show. Thanks, Kevan.Chip Hiltonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11944056030047563287noreply@blogger.com