tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post3020768427351861392..comments2024-03-28T04:40:27.172-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Novelist Leverson / SAT 1-5-13 / City of 750,000 SW of Warsaw / Shrimp protrusion / 1998-2007 Lebanese president Lahoud / Self-titled debut album of 1991 / Writer Wilkinson of New Yorker / Constellation that looks like bent coat hanger / Graceful genie of myth / Where Wyatt Earp operated Dexter SaloonRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger73125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45520789561234576472013-02-10T16:54:51.689-05:002013-02-10T16:54:51.689-05:00I had BRIDETOBE pencilled in for "Miss in an ...I had BRIDETOBE pencilled in for "Miss in an aisle," and I still think it's a more clever answer than USHERETTE (she'll only be a bride once she's done walking that aisle).<br /><br />Also had NAIR written in where NEET belonged.<br /><br />bananfishnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63089431214762179252013-02-09T19:23:14.264-05:002013-02-09T19:23:14.264-05:00Crystal-blue skies post-blizzard, about 18", ...Crystal-blue skies post-blizzard, about 18", but hard to tell with all the drifting.<br />Power is still on, and as I said in real time, a path to the hot tub has been cleared.<br />Hope everyone in Auckland... wow...swype auto-suggestion for Syndiland!... has power and heat!Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8793474344853173642013-02-09T19:16:12.876-05:002013-02-09T19:16:12.876-05:00@Waxy - It's true I go over to the other side ...@Waxy - It's true I go over to the other side on Saturdays but I always check in on the Syndi comments 5 weeks later, too. The blizzard conditions that I said were missing yesterday materialized overnight. The snow has now tapered off but the winds continue unabated - much drifting to ensue. I hope you and everyone else in NE syndiland are warm and safe.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83383813503731959872013-02-09T17:46:53.135-05:002013-02-09T17:46:53.135-05:00Apparent syndi-shoutout at 24D to all of those in ...Apparent syndi-shoutout at 24D to all of those in the NE battling the megablizzard. Trust it isn't too much of an ISSUE for any regulars including @Diri, who usually hangs out with the A-team on Saturday. <br /><br />@Space, our fearless leader was probably thinking of the Czech city of Brno.<br /><br />HAPPYDAYS! An easy Saturday - guess many names in a puzzle puts it in my wheelhouse. Would have added one more at 16A with a clue referencing the late actor/author Tom TRYON instead of the awkward test for a tailor. Only real misdirection came from originally conflating novelists IRA LEVIN and ADA LEVERSON at 7D. Oh, yeah, briefly had EMINEM at 2D crossing MENDFENCE at 1A as well. <br /><br />Never too old to learn something new - always have thought SIC was an acronym for Same In Copy but turns out that it actually references the Latin adverb sic (abbreviated from sic erat scriptum, "thus was it written"). Thus, I stand corrected.<br /><br /><br />Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-69366224331136969552013-02-09T14:58:52.944-05:002013-02-09T14:58:52.944-05:00So many specific names! I counted 14. ACME said 1...So many specific names! I counted 14. ACME said 15, and I defer to her. Either way, this appeared to be the kind of puzzle I cited yesterday as my bugaboo. But then working my way down with only a single word or letter here and there, I easily solved the SE. Maybe because I can remember when movies had USHERETTES, lots of ...ettes in those days. At any rate, this gave me hope, and I was able to work out most of the names. But sadly, like others, I spelled PATBENeTAR incorrectly. Combined with not knowing the civil rights name, I ended up two letters short of the finish. For me that's a success on a Saturday name dropper.DMGrandmanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5429140839726164402013-02-09T13:03:24.681-05:002013-02-09T13:03:24.681-05:00@Rex: the BROZ you mentioned is not a city, it'...@Rex: the BROZ you mentioned is not a city, it's a dude. Josip Broz, AKA Tito. Was in a puzzle just this week, I think.<br /><br />Hand up for KEPTon, my only writeover.<br /><br />This one produced a strange sensation. When I first scanned the clues, I thought: there's NOCHANCE I'm gonna get this. Then I noticed the Presley hit--my personal favorite of them all--and knew at once it was the tune of OSOLEMIO. And then the Mork clue. Well do I recall the epic "holitacker," the test of thumb power between him and Fonzie. Great stuff.<br /><br />From there on, it just seemed to open up, getting easier as I went along. By the time I was finished I was almost ready to but OFL's "easy" rating.<br /><br />Almost. Silk-y smooth as always, but that doesn't mean easy. Calling Woody a "drummer" was a major misdirect; if this hadn't been his full 15-letter name which forces out the answer, I might have considered it close to unfair. I mean, after Gene Krupa and Buddy Rich, I kinda go blank...<br /><br />Thanks for the LLOYD Price song; that and the follow-up "Personality" made him a rare bird: a TWO-hit wonder.<br /><br />Hmm. PATBENATAR and GIRLGROUP. "We belong we belong we belong together."<br /><br />My holitacker thumbs are up!Spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53415265412836986082013-01-10T19:34:36.480-05:002013-01-10T19:34:36.480-05:00@retired_chemist -- haha! you are not just talking...@retired_chemist -- haha! you are not just talking to yourself. I had the comments on this mailed to me, ensuring I will never get any work done. I liked it too.Ellen Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00473445503706985149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17529673454918909102013-01-09T21:05:29.577-05:002013-01-09T21:05:29.577-05:00four days late so nobody will see this, but I LOVE...four days late so nobody will see this, but I LOVED it!retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12703091057702903552013-01-06T11:36:21.149-05:002013-01-06T11:36:21.149-05:00@bubbleburster
And before the days of Google. I...@bubbleburster<br /><br /> And before the days of Google. I have been doing puzzles for over<br />50 myears. 29 ANON Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53912256288991255782013-01-05T21:49:17.834-05:002013-01-05T21:49:17.834-05:00I was doing a crossword the other day and one of t...I was doing a crossword the other day and one of the fills was reminiscent of BENATAR and I wondered if Ms. Pat had ever been in a crossword. Synchronicity!Doc Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12540112168511893896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-27915730128600386062013-01-05T21:02:26.371-05:002013-01-05T21:02:26.371-05:00@mac send me what u posted and I will copy and pa...@mac send me what u posted and I will copy and paste it to rexvillechefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36301652360841268742013-01-05T20:53:06.743-05:002013-01-05T20:53:06.743-05:00@Sparky - @Mac has a cookie problem apparently. @Sparky - @Mac has a cookie problem apparently. Not the Cookie Monsternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11168877729493992632013-01-05T20:41:37.011-05:002013-01-05T20:41:37.011-05:00I thought Merry-ANDREW was just another one of the...I thought Merry-ANDREW was just another one of the numerous proper names of a specific person in the grid until a post-solve google told me it's a term that literally means "clown". Am I the only one who did not know this?<br /><br />Barry Silk's puzzles always produce a number of aha! moments for me and this one was no exception. Sadly, I needed to google to obtain Nome, which let me finish the SW corner where I had stalled.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23874586655504862312013-01-05T20:36:03.236-05:002013-01-05T20:36:03.236-05:00MAC is having trouble with posting to the blog. I...MAC is having trouble with posting to the blog. It takes her post and she can see it but when she logs off and then goes back it has disappeared. Can someone help? It's late now so I'll probably post again tomorrow AM. Thank you.Sparkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11149915526159432838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68646454941625213522013-01-05T20:03:21.366-05:002013-01-05T20:03:21.366-05:00Thanks @wordie. I translate sic as "thus sai...Thanks @wordie. I translate sic as "thus said" and, since it can appear in the middle of a quote, I was reading some mysterious meaning to "close." Over thinking again. Close but no cigar.Sparkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11149915526159432838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33950363199455293772013-01-05T19:07:30.276-05:002013-01-05T19:07:30.276-05:00@Nate (ANON B) - Loathe as I am to add to your dis...@Nate (ANON B) - Loathe as I am to add to your disillusionment with life, but I'm pretty sure that constructors, when looking for new clues for common words, simply go to Wikipedia and find the most arcane fact available.<br /><br />So, for NOME, one just reads the entry for NOME and comes up with the Wyatt Earp fact.Bubble Bursternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80385217262060015812013-01-05T19:03:29.669-05:002013-01-05T19:03:29.669-05:00Even though I know just about every answer Rex had...Even though I know just about every answer Rex had minor trouble with, I still didn't find this puzzle quite as easy as most of you. Maybe medium-easy for me. I did get the whole thing, which I don't also do on Saturday. Still, definitely a lot easier than last Thursday with that memorably obscure se corner.michaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1918042353177329912013-01-05T19:00:29.248-05:002013-01-05T19:00:29.248-05:00After the week of puzzles we've had I wasn'...After the week of puzzles we've had I wasn't expecting to enjoy this one this much. No complaints. PELOTA was new to me. Most of the rest fel easily enough. Loved the long answers. WOODYWOODPECKER was slow in coming, as, like others, I was trying t think of human drummer. Fun Saturday...yay!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04551716499829677518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73955852069145683882013-01-05T18:07:14.775-05:002013-01-05T18:07:14.775-05:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 8/1/2009 post for an explanation and my 10/15/2012 post for an explanation of a tweak I've made to my method. 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 5:45, 6:12, 0.93, 18%, Easy<br />Tue 7:31, 8:37, 0.87, 14%, Easy<br />Wed 14:17, 11:52, 1.20, 87%, Challenging<br />Thu 22:43, 17:05, 1.33, 91%, Challenging<br />Fri 19:54, 20:49, 0.96, 43%, Medium<br />Sat 18:13, 24:28, 0.74, 7%, Easy<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:43, 3:39, 1.02, 58%, Medium<br />Tue 4:33, 4:57, 0.92, 18%, Easy<br />Wed 7:54, 6:34, 1.20, 90%, Challenging<br />Thu 13:38, 9:27, 1.44, 91%, Challenging<br />Fri 10:47, 11:47, 0.92, 29%, Easy-Medium<br />Sat 10:20, 14:32, 0.71, 5%, Easy (8th lowest ratio of 152 Saturdays)sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38355136169522312972013-01-05T16:50:09.191-05:002013-01-05T16:50:09.191-05:00PATBENATAR, OSOLEMIO, and HAPPYDAYS were all gimme...PATBENATAR, OSOLEMIO, and HAPPYDAYS were all gimmes, which got me off to quick start, but I penciled in MITCHELL in the SW, which left me stuck for quite a while.<br /><br />Alas, I blew it at the ALDO/LODZ cross, guessing T instead of D. (Should have gone through the alphabet, as ALDO would have rung a bell.) <br /><br />Oh well, better luck tomorrow.Joseph Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24900521310598250592013-01-05T16:14:51.013-05:002013-01-05T16:14:51.013-05:00What @joho said.
Welcome @unknown!
I love how th...What @joho said.<br /><br />Welcome @unknown!<br /><br />I love how this puzzle opened up. I love Barry's cluing.Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09709142959535977331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6874429849229230342013-01-05T14:52:34.214-05:002013-01-05T14:52:34.214-05:00Nice Barry Silk puzzle w/ nice comments by Rex. ...<br /><br />Nice Barry Silk puzzle w/ nice comments by Rex. <br /><br />Rex alludes to but doesn't directly address the in-groupy "Pelosi daughter..." and "New Yorker writer" clues for ALEXANDRA and ALEC, so MetaRex will. <br /><br />The Democratic Party and the New Yorker are connected to the NYT and to its readership in a way that the Republican Party and the National Review, say, aren't.<br /><br />Given that, I'm fine with a modest blue state/blue people/NY/CA tilt in the puzzle clues. At the same time, I trust Will and/or the constructors will occasionally give us a MEGAN McCain or a JONAH Goldberg, even if those references are rarer than the shout-outs to the blue side. Maybe they in fact have been doing that...haven't noticed one way or the other.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.valuecompetition.typepad.com/metarex/2013/01/thackeray.html" rel="nofollow">Thackeray</a><br />MetaRexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01697113550216241303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6600262628261528302013-01-05T14:35:26.802-05:002013-01-05T14:35:26.802-05:00I am constantly amazed by how the
constructors thi...I am constantly amazed by how the<br />constructors think up clues to<br />the words which are in the puzzle.<br />How many people,when confronted with Nome,would come up with<br />"where Wyatt Earp operated the<br />Dexter Saloon?ANON Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75625194453168751682013-01-05T14:26:36.799-05:002013-01-05T14:26:36.799-05:00lottsa proper nouns= lottsa problems & little ...lottsa proper nouns= lottsa problems & little fun...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6197023464008562732013-01-05T14:07:07.873-05:002013-01-05T14:07:07.873-05:00@Alexandra - Possible spoiler alert to puzzlers -L...@Alexandra - Possible spoiler alert to puzzlers -Listening to Met Opera on the radio today while working on Sunday puzzle - just coincidence in 9D answer?Richard Wnoreply@blogger.com