tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post3495914291381947846..comments2024-03-29T09:57:04.522-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Baseball great Buck / THU 6-30-16 / 1956 jazz/blues album with exclamation point / Heavy drinkers informally / Caligula's love / Tout's stock in trade Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger94125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49952347982232375592016-08-10T22:14:47.858-04:002016-08-10T22:14:47.858-04:00So how are epee electrified?
So how are epee electrified?<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89986767408592290902016-08-04T19:28:40.964-04:002016-08-04T19:28:40.964-04:00@rondo, sadly you would have to include me with th...@rondo, sadly you would have to include me with those ignorant about ELIZA Gilkyson. I will agree it's a good song. I listened to a few more of hers, nice voice, laid back vibe. Not very many YouTube viewings though :-(.<br /><br />Is her work played on The Current?Teedmnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12832353448839187816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13906734074247139452016-08-04T16:18:25.100-04:002016-08-04T16:18:25.100-04:00As I wandered around the grid I got the TOP OFF cl...As I wandered around the grid I got the TOP OFF clue. I immediately, I kid you not, thought of cutting off the tops of those letters/numbers. The tippy top. Not the top half. If the clue was "half off" I would've been there in a nanosecond. This may be a first for me - to be in the "I get it (almost)" crowd.<br /><br />But, like others, I got the puzzle anyway, for the most part. Darn those Quidditches. Am I correct in assuming this has something to do with Harry P? Lost my "magical thinking" a while ago; however, I'd probably still clap for Tinkerbell. <br /><br />And then, to come here and see how close I was to the correct revealer. <br /><br />Boy - ya learn something new about EPEEs every day, doncha?<br /><br />Where did the "talk to the hand" phrase come from. I've wondered for some time. As I wander. Through the puzzle. My face does care.<br /><br />Diana, Lady-in-Waiting, not SASSYDiana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36341577269038626612016-08-04T16:14:06.785-04:002016-08-04T16:14:06.785-04:00I wasted a lot of time trying to decipher the them...I wasted a lot of time trying to decipher the theme clues as 'l33tspeak' before the light dawned about 2/3 of the way down the grid.Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05185068601066087185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12916855610025405382016-08-04T13:21:46.050-04:002016-08-04T13:21:46.050-04:00Assume that like many, solved it without making se...Assume that like many, solved it without making sense of connection between TOP_OFF and theme clues. Actually, revealer and clues slowed down the solving as distractions. <br /><br />Don't like the gimmick very much, but hope to remember it the next time it or something like it next appears.<br /><br />leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58778576048520960602016-08-04T12:56:27.894-04:002016-08-04T12:56:27.894-04:00Loved it, even tho I DNFed at the IDcO/cOP cross. ...Loved it, even tho I DNFed at the IDcO/cOP cross. Duh.<br /><br />To make sense, DEFECTIVEBULLET requires accepting the common, but imprecise, usage of "bullet" to mean the entire cartridge or round. I'm willing to do that today for the sake of the entertaining theme.<br /><br />8-)<br /><br />Technically, however, the bullet is the projectile. The bullet, powder charge, primer, wadding (if any) and casing together make up the cartridge. If the either the powder or primer are defective, you have a dud round.Sailorhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05185068601066087185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87843335890686159282016-08-04T12:31:22.996-04:002016-08-04T12:31:22.996-04:00I actually wrote a piece about ELIZA Gilkyson and ...I actually wrote a piece about ELIZA Gilkyson and Slaid Cleeves back in 2004, but damned if I can find it for your edification. You'll have to do your own research on those two musicians.rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20770186234373962892016-08-04T12:19:00.227-04:002016-08-04T12:19:00.227-04:00Had no idea, even with TOP OFF as revealer. And a ...Had no idea, even with TOP OFF as revealer. And a slowdown with the popular coP for NAP. When I was in the carpet-laying game, the NAP hadn’t anything to do with fuzz, but more with the weave and which direction the fibers would LIE(LOW). I solved it as themeless since I didn’t get the gimmick on my own. SILLYME. What a SAP.<br /><br />A local sportswriter calls Steffi GRAF the Homely Hun, but when you look like THAT in the SI swimsuit edition, yeah baby. ERIKA for nowadays and I suppose DINAH back in those days. One I’ll bet nobody else knows (maybe @teedMN does) is singer/songwriter ELIZA Gilkyson, who I’ve had the pleasure of meeting; if you don’t like this song, THEN something’s wrong: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7uluecFJ8yI<br /><br />So I finished it correctly, but those answers sure looked like they CAME from Wheel of Fortune, they were so green-paintish. I dislike gimmick Thursdays anyway, so this was a kind of BORE.<br />rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-62079664098176856872016-08-04T12:01:54.933-04:002016-08-04T12:01:54.933-04:00After an hour and a half of brain triathlon, I act...After an hour and a half of brain triathlon, I actually got this. Even the TOP OFF part. "Wow," I was thinking, "If OFL rates it anything other than challenging I'm gonna be pissed." He rates it medium; I'm...yeah, for sure. I HATE it when he does that!<br /><br />Not only the theme, but the clues to ordinary fill--right down to "Showed" (not "showed UP") for CAME. Thank goodness for ELIZA--in the person of DOD Audrey Hepburn, of COURSE!--or I might never have got in.<br /><br />Naturally, the NW brought up the rear yet again; I almost quit. Racking my brain trying to think of a three-letter fruit for the 1-across jam; wrong again. Electrified sports equipment? Had me scratching the old noggin for quite a while before I realized that they do that in fencing so that people don't really get hurt. What the H-E-double hockey sticks is a DEFECTIVEBULLET? What, they didn't pour any gunpowder into that one?? Yikes, what an entry--and he calls this "medium." Grrrrr! However, that could only be a DUD, so at the last gasp I was forced into grokking the theme.<br /><br />Triumph factor for this one starts us out at double-eagle, but that literal DUD at 17-across costs a stroke. Eagle.spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18571885392583917342016-08-04T11:57:37.550-04:002016-08-04T11:57:37.550-04:00I enjoyed this puzzle. Here in Chicago, we get th...I enjoyed this puzzle. Here in Chicago, we get the puzzle approximately on month after the original run in the NYT. It runs in the Chicago Sun Times.Luker2453https://www.blogger.com/profile/17337463354753932391noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25617981201416935542016-08-04T11:37:55.293-04:002016-08-04T11:37:55.293-04:00TAT SEEKERS
ERIKA and DINAH ride ALONG in CARS,
E...TAT SEEKERS<br /><br />ERIKA and DINAH ride ALONG in CARS,<br />ETHER ONE decides what EVER to doff,<br />THEN our SASSY yet ADOREDSUPERSTARS<br />take their BRIGHTLYCOLORED TOPs OFF.<br /><br />--- EDNA TARDE, RETD.<br />Burma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-4719684508523659542016-07-01T15:11:11.686-04:002016-07-01T15:11:11.686-04:00Sheryl, Believe me, it was completely inadvertent,...Sheryl, Believe me, it was completely inadvertent, as I certainly didn't mean to be a spoil sport for Friday's puzzle! Oh! and it's Warren "Howie" Hughes, thank you very much.Warren Howie Hughesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67147342831447030102016-07-01T15:06:28.450-04:002016-07-01T15:06:28.450-04:00A day late getting to this, should have saved my t...A day late getting to this, should have saved my time. Plu.Perfectly.In.Sane. As is often the case on Thursdays, not a crossword puzzle at all.Blue Staternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89645560135597445792016-07-01T13:04:39.155-04:002016-07-01T13:04:39.155-04:00@NCAPres - love your TAiLESs birds reasoning!!
And...<br />@NCAPres - love your TAiLESs birds reasoning!!<br />And agree that DEFECTIVEBULLET is a stretch.<br /><br />Loved the idea!!! The first two answers were a bit dull, but the concept delighted me.<br />I do my best to avoid the revealer until I guess it on my own, or am desperate. Today it was the latter. I finally gave in, read the revealer, and got it lickety-split.<br />I was so positive that it was license plates that I was never going to figure it out on my own. This was bolstered by the -V8- portion of 8V8TB could kinda sound like the -vate- of -ovate- - really had me racking my noggin.<br /><br />I love clever license plates, and secretly feel really bad when I can't figure them out in the wild. I can figure out "IXLR8". Any cleverer than that, and I probably won't grok it.<br /><br /><br />@Mohair, @Nancy... my husband grew up in cryptography and communications. He keeps a POTS (Plain Old Telephone Service) telephone so that he can connect it to the wall as a troubleshooting aid.<br />If that phone works, then we know the problem is with our new-fangled cordless phones. If it DOESN'T work, then he can confidently call our ISP and tell them yes, it IS your problem - you can't blame my equipment.<br />It also comes in handy for blackouts when your cordless or mobile phone battery dies.<br /><br />THanks for a really clever Thursday, Mr. Kaye!Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55486454720785157902016-07-01T11:42:31.604-04:002016-07-01T11:42:31.604-04:00Rex, Warren Bowie Hughes posted a comment with spo...Rex, Warren Bowie Hughes posted a comment with spoilers for Friday's puzzle on the Thursday thread. Please delete (or move, if you can). If I'd seen this before doing Fridays puzzle, I'd be upset!<br />Sherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03541441427243883835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35644973090119989862016-07-01T10:26:55.088-04:002016-07-01T10:26:55.088-04:00LOOKOUT World! This NewsFLASHers just in, that too...LOOKOUT World! This NewsFLASHers just in, that took their TOLL on me! Today, Friday MORN, James Mulhern, is the latest TATTLE of the town with this BOSS Xword offering! It left me in a complete STUPA, simply because, STUPA is as STUPA does! I say it LAUD and clear and no one can DOUBTIT because it ISO! The SKA is the Limit and nothing can be more TRU, I RECON I CANtBERRA it any longer that ONEMAN can hold this much SWAY...HO HO HO!Warren Howie Hughesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-92002500066187448622016-06-30T22:05:43.021-04:002016-06-30T22:05:43.021-04:00Got the puzzle in the am over coffee and a chocola...Got the puzzle in the am over coffee and a chocolate croissant. Couldn't get the theme. Figured they were of the LOL/ Letters standing for words shortcuts that I am too far out of it to get,<br /><br />Back tonight to find out. Quite visual!<br /><br />Dick Swarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05916582540029654250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78618481262247760742016-06-30T21:27:49.917-04:002016-06-30T21:27:49.917-04:00I did not get the theme until OFL told me it but, ...I did not get the theme until OFL told me it but, the problem is I just don't care. In order to make these sorts of things doable, you need to construct a puzzle with many easy and uninteresting clues as was done here. I filled in all the correct answers but nearly fell asleep doing so. Mr. Kaye is a talented constructor but you can't please all the people all the time. I couldn't quite figure whether Rex liked it or not. It was a dullard for me.Andrew Heinegghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18101651673327984167noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10351819895368294882016-06-30T20:55:40.774-04:002016-06-30T20:55:40.774-04:00I really liked this one. Got three of the theme an...I really liked this one. Got three of the theme answers (all but defective bullet) before figuring out the gimmick and had defective b___ . Then I saw dud and got bullet. But even after I figured out what was going on, I still couldn't go from VMB to vivid. But now I see itMichaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75244847358800844652016-06-30T20:19:26.714-04:002016-06-30T20:19:26.714-04:00Add me to the list of people who finished the puzz...Add me to the list of people who finished the puzzle but still couldn't figure out the theme. Yeesh. I'll remember this trick for the future, though.<br />Sherylhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03541441427243883835noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2186706932648678432016-06-30T19:49:30.557-04:002016-06-30T19:49:30.557-04:00To all you SEEKERS of Wisdom and Truth, Jonathan K...To all you SEEKERS of Wisdom and Truth, Jonathan Kaye CAME ALONG, he Saw, and did he EVER conquer! TOP OFF the Heap, A number ONE! We are greatly in his DEBT for this splendid debut in the NYT's! I absolutely ADORED it!Warren Howie Hughesnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-69510911102571030342016-06-30T19:08:41.200-04:002016-06-30T19:08:41.200-04:00As soon as I saw the first theme clue I knew somet...As soon as I saw the first theme clue I knew something like this was afoot. I actually worked from the NW down to the middle so I got the revealer well before and of the the mets were filled. The revealer sealed it for me although parsing out the actual answers was a bit trickier (see Rex description above). Fun though, relatively easy for a Thu but still with enough bite to wreak a little havocJon Alexanderhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00371422712392204912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87657535255369221382016-06-30T18:17:23.324-04:002016-06-30T18:17:23.324-04:00@Mohair (11:46 a.m.)-- I treat my phones better th...@Mohair (11:46 a.m.)-- I treat my phones better than I would treat my kids, if I had any. No wonder you can't get them on Amazon -- I bought the last 6? 7? available in the U.S. about (I don't know) 8 years ago? Nor do I remember from whom I bought them or how I found that company, whatever company it was. I know that the phones had been "reconstituted" -- so that at one time, they obviously didn't work. Two have since died, so I'm down to...I don't know; I would have to go to my closet to count what's left. I offered the quite ridiculous price of $100 per phone (and, no, I'm not swimming in money), but the nice man I dealt with said: No, $25 per phone would be quite acceptable. A veritable bargain, I say. Let's see if I really have a "lifetime supply", which is what I was aiming for when my original AT&T 100s died after a long and happy life in my care. Whether I do or not depends on both the phones' longevity, as well as my own, of course. Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16737377749030219974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11884975683995016042016-06-30T17:18:08.274-04:002016-06-30T17:18:08.274-04:00Got through the whole puzzle completely baffled by...Got through the whole puzzle completely baffled by the theme. Went to blog and in that instant translated shaped like an egg to ovoid after wondering why all CAPS were used. Clicked in a nanosecond after hours of...whiskey tango foxtrot. Theme was anything but vivid. More Whithttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17910097625705823800noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19388848181143526322016-06-30T17:13:39.597-04:002016-06-30T17:13:39.597-04:00I figured out the theme only after getting three o...I figured out the theme only after getting three of the answers. Defective bullet was the last, tough because of a Harry Potter clue (STOP IT!!) and some actress I have never heard of named Erika. But only the letter "K" made any sense there, which I consider good construction. Have no idea what the "Sex Pistols" were, (just another in a long line of meaningless (to me) rock names) but like others, just wrote EMI anyway. <br /><br />I think this was a well constructed, original, apt Thursday puzzle. OISKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16808675378318214461noreply@blogger.com