tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post3557294767961174606..comments2024-03-28T18:52:07.432-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Band with 2007 #1 album We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank / TUE 12-10-13 / 1978 Bob Fosse musical / Annual Vicksburg pageant / Aperitif with white wineRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85302234769948024822014-01-14T22:52:09.702-05:002014-01-14T22:52:09.702-05:00NSFW generates almost 20 million hits on the Googl...NSFW generates almost 20 million hits on the Google machine, so, yeah, pretty common parlance. Outlaw Syndy Znoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83293011676329877302014-01-14T20:56:27.739-05:002014-01-14T20:56:27.739-05:00OK, that didn't take long. After all the rap a...OK, that didn't take long. After all the rap and crap "musicians" I've endured in these puzzles, it gave me immense pleasure to see SAM Cooke, one of the great voices of the 20th century. While he had lots of pop hits, not everyone knows that he was also one of the greatest gospel singers ever. Check this one out if you don't know or don't believe: [URL=http://youtu.be/uPvL-n6KG8k]ANGELIC VOICE[/URL]<br /><br />Is NSFW common parlance? Not by me, but then I spent most of my work life toiling from home, where anything goes.<br /><br />Enjoyed the puzzle, but blitzed right through it and totally missed the theme.Cary in Bouldernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85793137551063241652014-01-14T20:11:12.909-05:002014-01-14T20:11:12.909-05:00Posting before I even looked at the blog because ....Posting before I even looked at the blog because ... I just got done with Sunday's puzzle. Too much football, must-see TV and other distractions. Got a DNF because I was naticked at the AKELA-NALA crossing. Do I REALLY have to rent a copy of "Lion King" if I want to get ahead in X-word world? I was a Cub Scout once upon a time and AKELA means nothing to me. And how is URN a "makeshift ballot box"? OK, on to today's puzzle.<br /><br />Go BRONCOS!!!Cary in Bouldernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43426295823894301462014-01-14T19:26:08.089-05:002014-01-14T19:26:08.089-05:00Didn't see the progression, didn't know Al...Didn't see the progression, didn't know Algren (but WBA seemed reasonable enough), and (I don't know whether to be proud or embarrassed) had never heard NSFW. But I'm an academic. It's all SFW. ha ha.<br /><br />Vaguely troubled by 1A. Clue: "Czech or Pole" Answer: SLAV. Google's not helping much, but isn't "Slav" some sort of ethno/genetic/linguistic category? And "Czech" or "Pole" a political one? Can't there be Czech citizens of recent Chinese descent? Who don't speak Czech? <br /><br />For you Canucks in the crowd, reminds me a bit of "Québécois"= "pure laine"<br /><br />Okay--enough deep thought. Fun puzzle.Red Valerianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04638265039015470938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38786475673211685052014-01-14T19:17:53.348-05:002014-01-14T19:17:53.348-05:00Enjoyable, right up until I had to admit I'd h...Enjoyable, right up until I had to admit I'd heard of Modest Mouse.straylinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13536180563789923012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41754027448049788322014-01-14T19:14:37.823-05:002014-01-14T19:14:37.823-05:00cANCan, MOcSTrOUSE, UPHiRE, uncorrected wrong answ...cANCan, MOcSTrOUSE, UPHiRE, uncorrected wrong answers and I didn't even get close to finishing this Tuesday??? puzzle! That said, I think this vowel progression is clever, just not for Tuesday. <br /><br />Cycled through five captchas, if you read this, 6th one is the charm. Bring back the jokebook.. Gingerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07156872089175084024noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1140603423524355922014-01-14T16:30:10.880-05:002014-01-14T16:30:10.880-05:00From the controversy at the time, knew CANCAN date...From the controversy at the time, knew CANCAN dated from Krushchev's 1959 US visit but hoped (in vain) that Bob Fosse had remade it in 1977. As for many, MODESTMOUSE, CGI, DANCIN, and NSFW caused me MAjor MAyhem. And still prefer SPHERE to UPHERE.<br /><br />Great to have started the week with Monday & Tuesday C-rated puzzles. Only hope the rest of the week remains as MEmorably MEaningful.Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46035061278016895842014-01-14T16:28:11.604-05:002014-01-14T16:28:11.604-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85664498345417850912014-01-14T15:44:15.453-05:002014-01-14T15:44:15.453-05:00He's in so many xwpuzs I'm gonna have to Y...He's in so many xwpuzs I'm gonna have to YouTube Dr DRE and listen to his rap.<br /><br />Love the word SERPENTINE.<br /><br />Got Mr. Thompson's clever theme on the ME..ME, although I had MEDICINEMaN at first.<br /><br />Truth be known, I've never heard of MODESTMOUSE until today and had to google to finish this Tuesday puz. That cleared up cANCaN and sPHERE.<br /><br />Go Hawks!<br /><br />Read em and weep, folks, four nines. Nice to take your money, @Z. Welcome to the table. Solving in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04249420848844874936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59992933751208753202014-01-14T15:17:42.797-05:002014-01-14T15:17:42.797-05:00Dam, I should have googled Modest Mouse. The only ...Dam, I should have googled Modest Mouse. The only thing I got wrong. Shame on me. I was quite certain I had aced this one. Humble Pie is best eaten alone.<br /><br />Ron Diego 12:15 PM PST 1/14Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59700862436073212392014-01-14T15:16:04.343-05:002014-01-14T15:16:04.343-05:00Hand up for the SurE/SOME confusion complicating t...Hand up for the SurE/SOME confusion complicating that whole area, and got UPHERE only by running the alphabet. Nice to see KIR back for an appearance after learning about it just afew days ago.<br /><br />My house if full but nines over eights beats it.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83986440407332878762014-01-14T13:53:31.714-05:002014-01-14T13:53:31.714-05:00Never heard of MODESTMOUSE and had cANCaN so, clea...Never heard of MODESTMOUSE and had cANCaN so, clearly a DNF! Thanks to @Z for explaining DSFW and to all who unraveled FX. did catch the vowel progression, but missed the double M words thing. Can't have it all!<br /><br />Captcha : a full house 9's and 8's, DMGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6718546624308261802014-01-14T13:35:19.932-05:002014-01-14T13:35:19.932-05:00I thought that jealosy was the green-eyed monster,...I thought that jealosy was the green-eyed monster, not ENVY.Riconoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20484731150834552402014-01-14T13:19:22.464-05:002014-01-14T13:19:22.464-05:00Here's an example where certain/some are inter...Here's an example where certain/some are interchangeable:<br /><br />The first Noel the angel did say <br />Was to certain poor shepards in fields as they layAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18208355403393785104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24733803191231650332014-01-14T12:25:09.247-05:002014-01-14T12:25:09.247-05:00I hate it when I don't notice things like the ...I hate it when I don't notice things like the vowel progression, or the almost revealer. <br />I do love Modest Mouse and a favorite line is, 'Their ideas held no water, but they used them like a dam'.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90366223007008354712014-01-14T11:40:14.563-05:002014-01-14T11:40:14.563-05:00Not Safe For Work
Nines over Eights.<b>N</b>ot <b>S</b>afe <b>F</b>or <b>W</b>ork<br /><br /><br />Nines over Eights. Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48158707901407203782014-01-14T11:32:36.229-05:002014-01-14T11:32:36.229-05:00@Milford said "The NSFW clue for PORN was a g...@Milford said "The NSFW clue for PORN was a good one..." I'm mystified. Never heard of...what, Not-So-Fat Women?? Had POR_ and was surprised when SERPENTINE completed the word.<br /><br />Unfortunately, this was not my only mystery today--and the other one was fatal. By any but the most restrictive standard, MODESTMOUSE is uber-obscure. Like OFL I too had SPHERE, but left it because UPHERE just didn't OCCUR to me, and because for all I knew, MODESTMOSSE could be right. Thus DNF. On a Tuesday.<br /><br />I need not rant about M&M, which is the only way I will type it. As a revealer, I thought it unusual to have a clue independent of any reference to the theme--the vowel progression of which I didn't notice till I came here.<br /><br />Also, I was SurE of the answer to "Certain," giving me big problems in that area. CANOF took a while to parse, and got no love from me when I finally sussed it out. Perhaps it was these "distractions," rather than the atrocity at 55a, that made me miss UPTHERE.<br /><br />Add to all this a Romanumeral, and KIR and KYL, and I'll just say, tomorrow is another day.<br /><br />Yuck, 2 pair, 6's up! I fold.spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71513249497606439972013-12-13T00:00:57.403-05:002013-12-13T00:00:57.403-05:00@acme, a Sunday event in Boston could be MASSACHUS...@acme, a Sunday event in Boston could be MASSACHUSETTS MASS<br /><br />A statistician could work on MODE MODELING <br /><br />A MEDIEVAL MEDIC matches the first four, but isn't quite right.<br />Mike who solves days laternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17337457987987723602013-12-11T01:31:11.736-05:002013-12-11T01:31:11.736-05:00@retired_chemist: Both FX and - especially - CGI a...@retired_chemist: Both FX and - especially - CGI are common terms in articles, reviews, etc. about movies. For people who pay attention to that genre of entertainment, it's common enough terminology. Since movies are pretty mainstream, I think it's in the same acceptable level of jargon as, say, sports jargon. <br /><br />@Sfingi: There's no restriction on driving down Lombard Street. You'll cause significant problems if you drive up it, however. Steve Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15185067739452052656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29217386253383385752013-12-10T22:58:55.483-05:002013-12-10T22:58:55.483-05:00Difficult for a Tues. for me. Eventually got it.
...Difficult for a Tues. for me. Eventually got it.<br /><br />Had: excOn before MINOR, cANcaN before DANCIN, sPHERE before UPHERE.<br /><br />Still don't know the band or the senator, but I think some more Tuesdayish cluing would have helped. I would have seen sooner what a tight puzzle it was. <br /><br />I drove "down" Lombard St. in the '70s (in a Superbeetle), but I hear it's not allowed anymore. <br /><br />@Carola - Pediporn - haha. I had a friend who met a fellow on a train who claimed to be a designer of her Papagallos. He proceeded to oil the shoes, massage her feet, and finally drink out of one of the shoes. Now, is that molestation?Sfingihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06903616949048940858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45991804242706360912013-12-10T22:14:36.630-05:002013-12-10T22:14:36.630-05:00This 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 7:35, 6:07, 1.24, 98%, Challenging (5th highest ratio of 207 Mondays)<br />Tue 9:34, 8:12, 1.17, 87%, Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 4:41, 3:46, 1.24, 99%, Challenging (3rd highest ratio of 207 Mondays)<br />Tue 5:24, 5:09, 1.05, 63%, Medium-Challengingsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2780391092613160482013-12-10T21:20:28.733-05:002013-12-10T21:20:28.733-05:00@retired_chemist - Sorry I missed @Questinia's...@retired_chemist - Sorry I missed @Questinia's post. But, I disagree. CGI usage is not as limited as you might think - lots of movies have at least some computerized special effects and lots of talk about them.<br /><br />And it's not that bad of fill either.George Lucasnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9993048337147842732013-12-10T20:28:04.074-05:002013-12-10T20:28:04.074-05:00Wasn't there an M&M puzzle not long ago, e...Wasn't there an M&M puzzle not long ago, earlier this year? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49171447159450862982013-12-10T20:24:17.145-05:002013-12-10T20:24:17.145-05:00@jana: the snow looked so much better from the 17t...@jana: the snow looked so much better from the 17th floor! When I got outside I had to go back to get an umbrella, it was mostly sleet and rain….machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87565536404736808042013-12-10T20:15:31.498-05:002013-12-10T20:15:31.498-05:00@ George Lucas - I got that from @Questinia 1:38. ...@ George Lucas - I got that from @Questinia 1:38. I just meant that both acronyms are in-group jargon the I doubt many knew. FX is a type of lens or a TV network to me. CGI seems to be an acronym for several other things as well.<br /><br />I could conjure up a bunch of chemical jargon, very much in the language if you are a chemist, but it would not be good fill. Neither is this.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.com