tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post3006204913434083118..comments2024-03-29T03:22:09.826-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Duchamp contemporary / FRI 9-14-18 / Six-time Grammy winner who is half of the group Gnarls Barkley / Novelist Ephron / Reddit Q&A sessions, briefly / "My baby at my breast," to Shakespeare's Cleopatra / 1974 Abba hit / Member of the 1920s Murderers' Row / Sarah who hosted the podcast "Serial"Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger86125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46384951234190812252018-10-19T18:36:38.952-04:002018-10-19T18:36:38.952-04:00The NW and some PPP's there and elsewhere, abs...The NW and some PPP's there and elsewhere, absent helpful crosses, did me in today. So it goes.leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31961855651209102612018-10-19T16:28:20.055-04:002018-10-19T16:28:20.055-04:00PS - @Spacey - Airport hotel and car rental VANS c...PS - @Spacey - Airport hotel and car rental VANS circle about the airport, picking up their customers. <br /><br />@Rainy - that's how I started, and it prompted the "com on in" overpromise... grrr<br /><br />Lady DiDiana, LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81754510189749335392018-10-19T15:56:50.045-04:002018-10-19T15:56:50.045-04:00A fine puzzle which, except for the NW, was easy-m...A fine puzzle which, except for the NW, was easy-medium here. A mighty struggle consumed me at the end, where my success was to LIE WITH the chance that DANGER MOUSE was correct. Funny, I know CeeLo Green, but not that duo name nor the entry.<br /><br />XKES are iconic, and KELLER/ACLU seem to go together as per a previous puzzle, so DAX was a no-brainer, although if a DECIlitre is called for, one would usually use the term 100 ml. <br /><br />49A off the H, and 25D off the SW helped a bunch. To me 6D has always been ENROL, but maybe the shown answer is an Americanism, something I've always had issues with.<br /><br />The only three-letter artist I know is ARP, and with KELLER in place it wasn't that hard to get the NE.<br /><br />I'm sure that @Spacey didn't miss D.O.D. as the clue for NSA.<br /><br />@Lady Di - I hate those "overpromises". My tactic is to say "here's what I want; here's what I'll pay. Call me when you can do that".<br /><br />Really pleased with the puzzle and my solve.rainforestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14823450748408452602018-10-19T14:11:52.110-04:002018-10-19T14:11:52.110-04:00From Syndication Land:
The best thing about this ...From Syndication Land:<br /><br />The best thing about this puzzle was the review by Evan Birnholz! So refreshing to see a professional critique by a constructor with no axe to grind. <br /><br />I know nothing about Reddit, so AMAS was new to me. I googled it after solving, and it means, "ask me anything." So I learned something new today! Nice to see a new clue for the old crosswordese!<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90491676083568116392018-10-19T13:38:16.555-04:002018-10-19T13:38:16.555-04:00I wasn't on a WAVELENGTH for that colorful clu...I wasn't on a WAVELENGTH for that colorful clue! And with our cats on patrol, I never heard of a DANGERMOUSE. <br /><br />But I got 95% of the rest, so a pat on my back for a Friday. <br /> <br />Learned to type in grammar school so I never had to HUNT AND PECK my way through a paper. <br /><br />@Rainy from yesterday - the car saga has to do with buying a car out of-state and getting it plated in my home state. The problems I've had have all been from dealers, not state laws. First salesperson "overpromised" (a word I learned from another salesperson.) IMAGINETHAT. But my WOES should be over soon.<br /><br />Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for CrosswordsDiana, LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91639656578738513052018-10-19T12:43:45.857-04:002018-10-19T12:43:45.857-04:00Knowing of DANGERMOUSE was very helpful since I co...Knowing of DANGERMOUSE was very helpful since I couldn’t fit CeeLo Green in there, IMAGINETHAT. The clue in the St. Paul Pioneer Press for 51d was ???? instead of stars, so that was no help. I see that the Mpls. StarTribune had it right.<br /><br />Lotsa 10s and 11s in the corners, THATSGENIUS.<br /><br />Also lotsa women’s names in the puz today with DELIA, DEIRDRE, KELLER, KOENIG, and BARB, but I’ll stick with the only real answer for ANI – Righteous yeah BABE ANI DiFranco.<br /><br />I FOUND this puz EZ and fun. Well WORTH the time.<br />rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56156262094001681192018-10-19T11:51:30.189-04:002018-10-19T11:51:30.189-04:00HONEY, THAT’SGENIUS!
IT’SAMIRACLE what that HASBE...HONEY, THAT’SGENIUS!<br /><br />IT’SAMIRACLE what that HASBEEN had taught her,<br />ABOVEITALL, they FOUND WORTH in ‘Whitewater’,<br />so she’d LIEWITH that CHEATER,<br />HUNTANDPECK for his peter;<br />I IMAGINETHAT made her seem HOTTER.<br /><br />--- BARB BELL<br />Burma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85054653429454242762018-10-19T11:27:50.781-04:002018-10-19T11:27:50.781-04:00DAX Shepard is a total unknown to me, but thank go...DAX Shepard is a total unknown to me, but thank goodness there's no such thing as a "meciliter." However, I am indebted to him because I have been wanting this long time to pin the DOD sash on the extraordinarily beautiful Terry Farrell, who played Jadzia DAX in STDS9.<br /><br />Neither have I heard of DANGERMOUSE as the name applies to a real (?) person. That was my last entry, and it contained three guesses. I had no idea what 2-down might be, and VANS?? Circling at airports??? Wha??? THAT clue needs some 'splainin.'<br /><br />Leaving me with the Natick at NE_EA. Not up on mythic place names; sorry. But the only other candidate was H, so: NEhEA or NEMEA? yeah, M's gotta be it. -->Oh, just thought of a couple more: -louse? -souse? Nah.<br /><br />@thefogman: I feel your pain on the 5-down clue. For me it went in mostly on crosses, but after seeing the final entry I do recognize the phrase: "Our best chances LIEWITH a surprise attack." It's a helluvan awkward clue, but it'll PASSTHEBAR by a whisker.<br /><br />I think the constructor worked all the way into the SE before he realized his grid had no Scrabble tile WORTH more than 4, so he threw in a couple of K-names and then Scrabbled up that tight corner as best he could. ROTISSERIE may be one of the longest words possible using only one-pointers. Lots of plurals in the middle help soften the job there. And then there's TERSEST. Yawn.<br /><br />Nice misdirect clue on BABERUTH; I was thinking about gangsters. Overall a decently Friday-tough solve; say, medium. Nothing much to pick at in the fill; as EB said, INIT can bail you out. Birdie. spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70203300889718006292018-10-19T09:43:50.880-04:002018-10-19T09:43:50.880-04:00I went with sAm for 45A. DAX is unknown to me and ...I went with sAm for 45A. DAX is unknown to me and so are vintage Jaguars - MKES. So that crossing did me in. I still don't quite understand the cluing for 5D. Overall it was a pretty good puzzle, even though there were a few THUDS for me this time.thefogmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870509029973778266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36472626828447006652018-09-28T23:07:26.681-04:002018-09-28T23:07:26.681-04:00Sure not easy for me. Probably in the % of hardest...Sure not easy for me. Probably in the % of hardest Fridays. I know the other half of Gnars Barkley, but not this one. And XKES/DAX is flat out unfair. On a Friday, on a Saturday, anywhere, anytime. Guessed right, but it was just a guess.kitshefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10014225555838850414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75652703712653403892018-09-15T00:39:30.850-04:002018-09-15T00:39:30.850-04:00Really enjoyed this one and at a surprisingly fast...Really enjoyed this one and at a surprisingly fast clip for me. Smugly threw up CEELOGREEN(E) for 17A until AMAS showed me the error of my ways. Had no idea there were that many Ephrons. Am convinced I’ll never remember SHTETL. Always happy to see GTOS over Aleros, especially if they include a 1969 “The Judge” with a Ram Air IV in Carousel Red.Here Diagonallyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05383650957453209357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50873804626694549982018-09-14T22:32:42.340-04:002018-09-14T22:32:42.340-04:00@Bill T 8:01
I thought it was "Brilliant"...@Bill T 8:01<br />I thought it was "Brilliant".<br /><br />RooMonsterRooMonsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14103892151115549684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86151489654738459992018-09-14T20:01:53.207-04:002018-09-14T20:01:53.207-04:00I think "genius" (as an adjective for an...I think "genius" (as an adjective for an idea or plan - as in "That's genius!") is a British English usage that may be making the leap across the pond.Bill T in WVnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35952955945314898842018-09-14T19:59:40.576-04:002018-09-14T19:59:40.576-04:00Evan seems like a good guy.Evan seems like a good guy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25395886029760894192018-09-14T19:45:51.281-04:002018-09-14T19:45:51.281-04:00I'm always happy when someone else agrees abou...I'm always happy when someone else agrees about the "time" on puzzles (ie, N.G. Haiduck & others). I mean, what's the rush? If you can, just enjoy the experience.....jb129https://www.blogger.com/profile/10135969815748026355noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70633289933414625362018-09-14T19:44:28.749-04:002018-09-14T19:44:28.749-04:001a clue, ugh. It’s correct to say that different c...1a clue, ugh. It’s correct to say that different colors can be represented by different wavelengths, in many cases, so that generalization is fine in PuzzleWorld. But to clue WAVELENGTHS as differences in color is just wrong. The wavelengths aren’t the differences. Ugh. I left that one blank thinking there would be some esoteric answer like metamerism or something. Butnooooo. Ugh. Ugh.When the puzzle editors are all lit majors, can’t they just walk to the science editor’s desk and ask a simple question?<br /><br />Fun puzzle otherwise. Longtime solvers are probably sneering at the grid, but I’m really impressed.BarbieBarbienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56600098207550147492018-09-14T19:24:42.201-04:002018-09-14T19:24:42.201-04:00Good puzzle, good write-up.
But I'm going to...Good puzzle, good write-up. <br /><br />But I'm going to disagree about the clue "Distant stars?" for HAS-BEENS. Presumably "distant" refers to time - they were stars quite a while ago. But "has-been" refers to someone who is still around but whose popularity and reputation have faded; it's quite a negative term. But Caruso and Fred Astaire are distant (in time) stars; so is Shakespeare for that matter. But none of these would be called a "HAS-BEEN".<br /><br />Too many constructors stretch meanings when to try and get those punny "?" clues.Sunnyvale Solvernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10027382152977280502018-09-14T18:36:29.120-04:002018-09-14T18:36:29.120-04:00Evan,
You construct terrific puzzles. And that wou...Evan,<br />You construct terrific puzzles. And that would be awesome enough. But the fact that you've been graciously responding to the commentariat all day, really, is reallly impressive. And obviously above and beyond. Thanks.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36270419738864915802018-09-14T16:48:34.700-04:002018-09-14T16:48:34.700-04:00I finished with a fair amount of help from Mr. Goo...I finished with a fair amount of help from Mr. Google, typical for me with a late-week puzzle.<br /><br />But I filled in XKE right off, since one of my fraternity brothers had one. As I recall, it cost around $6,000 back then, around twice as much as my TR-4a. That XKE truly was a beautiful car.<br /><br />Lots of fun getting the 12 long-fills with 3-5 of the crossed done.Wm. C.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89998007467470378442018-09-14T16:42:19.057-04:002018-09-14T16:42:19.057-04:00@Mr. Benson:
Funny you mention it. That joke occu...@Mr. Benson:<br /><br />Funny you mention it. That joke occurred to me because I used that misdirection in my <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/style/wp/2018/02/02/evan-birnholzs-feb-4-post-magazine-crossword-the-replacements/" rel="nofollow">Feb. 4 puzzle earlier this year</a> called "The Replacements." The clue [Emulate Mercury or Mars] led to SING.Evanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15440942981870183719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26327132764023357572018-09-14T15:42:00.713-04:002018-09-14T15:42:00.713-04:00Great writeup, Evan! It's nice to see the puzz...Great writeup, Evan! It's nice to see the puzzle and its construction constructively analyzed instead of nit-picking every little bit of cluing or fill that doesn't appeal to your sensibilities.<br />Hope we see you more frequently.Doc Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12540112168511893896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37671565677382220632018-09-14T15:26:32.437-04:002018-09-14T15:26:32.437-04:00Thanks @Evan, I will definitely check it and them ...Thanks @Evan, I will definitely check it and them out. I don't have a printer so the browser option is better for me. Congrats on the gig! QuasiMojonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15719496960727745252018-09-14T15:09:08.437-04:002018-09-14T15:09:08.437-04:00Somehow I confused DANGERMOUSE with modestMOUSE, s...Somehow I confused DANGERMOUSE with modestMOUSE, so DNF the NW corner. Apart from that, pretty easy. Kale Ladyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07656173517467958953noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64688892181846484912018-09-14T14:56:25.334-04:002018-09-14T14:56:25.334-04:00@Amy Yanni:
Although I should reiterate that this...@Amy Yanni:<br /><br />Although I should reiterate that this Sunday's puzzle is going to be very unusual compared to what I normally do, so if difficulty is a concern and you want to ease your friend into my puzzles, there are others currently available at <a href="https://www.washingtonpost.com/crossword-puzzles/sunday-evan-birnholz/?utm_term=.d3f5d8200ca6" rel="nofollow">the Post's Sunday puzzle page</a> that will be easier to solve (I'm told that "Misreading" is one of the easiest ones I've ever written).Evanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15440942981870183719noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43069372666594018612018-09-14T14:45:17.764-04:002018-09-14T14:45:17.764-04:00@Amy Yanni:
Not just okay, but encouraged! Thanks...@Amy Yanni:<br /><br />Not just okay, but encouraged! Thanks for spreading the word.Evanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15440942981870183719noreply@blogger.com