tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post3667261247795559675..comments2024-03-29T05:08:37.783-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Gaff to fisherman / TUE 12-7-10 / Event that may include blue films / Sock hop locale / Mournful peal / Sheep's accuserRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-39759681464086660732011-01-11T11:00:37.417-05:002011-01-11T11:00:37.417-05:00Coming from syndication-land:
I enjoyed the puzzl...Coming from syndication-land:<br /><br />I enjoyed the puzzle. There was some decent fill and I enjoyed the fluffy entertainment sub-theme. However, I would have clued MCGRAW as the Hanna-Barbara cartoon character, which is far more entertaining to me than being reminded of the existence of Dr. Phil.<br /><br />Plus, I got a bit of local pride by the fact that our home football team, the Chargers, was used as one of the theme answers. :-DNullifidianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15207390447020990907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68660554831734469642010-12-08T02:26:37.324-05:002010-12-08T02:26:37.324-05:00Hey! Thanks for all the nice comments! We made th...Hey! Thanks for all the nice comments! We made this puzzle so long ago, I sat down to solve it last night so I'd know what people were talking about.<br />I put in LOONS for LOCOS... so there!!!!<br /><br />(Which of course gave me ORANGEADE for CHAMPAGNE! Maybe I'll do better on the next one)<br /><br />Yes, this will be my only sports puzzle EVER! The boy across the hall (Kent, now since moved) was sitting around watching football and the rest is...history!<br /><br />Bummed to learn that the theme had been done, (a few times apparently) but we had finished the puzzle before discovering that; but, as @Orange says, fill is everything, so we felt fine about submitting ours which we felt was sufficiently different and I loved that FOOTBALLMATCHUP was both descriptive and had 15 letters!<br /><br />Sometimes my puzzles slip thru pretty much with the theme clues intact, but lots of editing on this one...<br />e.g. we had "George W at one point?" for CHIEFTEXAN and "Boba Fett?" for JETPACKER.<br /><br />(I'd never heard of Boba Fett, but Kent is 33 and assured me that "Star Wars" viewers would love it!<br />I thought that would be really cool to reach out to the young folks!) ;) <br /><br />I'm pretty sure I would have clued 15A IWILL as the Beatles' classic, as it's one of my favorite songs of all time! <br />"Who knows how long I've loved you..."<br />(Must do it for the next First Monday Beatles Karaoke. Last night I did a weak warbling of "It's Only Love" to tepid applause)<br /><br />@sethg<br />you totally crack me up!<br /><br />@Rex<br />Thanks for the funny and thoughtful write up! Fill like the fab STAGPARTY and the ubermale stuff it crossed was all Kent... <br /><br />and so this time, I liked the male energy permeating the puzzle, but mostly bec I like Kent. ;)andrea hij michaelsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25136329167843501792010-12-08T00:03:20.957-05:002010-12-08T00:03:20.957-05:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 7/30/2009 post for an explanation. 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 6:04, 6:55, 0.88, 8%, Easy<br />Tue 7:41, 8:55, 0.86, 12%, Easy<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:18, 3:42, 0.89, 8%, Easy<br />Tue 3:56, 4:35, 0.86, 6%, Easy<br /><br />Two very easy puzzles to start the week. Today's median solve times are the 9th and 5th fastest of the 77 Tuesday puzzles in my database.sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51365694304375549122010-12-07T21:25:12.178-05:002010-12-07T21:25:12.178-05:00@Nate - I'm back - from the Home. I've got...@Nate - I'm back - from the Home. I've got used to people criticizing me for talking about my ancestors. <br />1. I was suggesting that it was neat that Jesser is a descendant of a prez, and it's fun to research. Go back and read it.<br />2. For every Roosevelt you find, there's a Cheney. Take it either way, depending on your politics. <br />3. My maternal grandmother was a professional genealogist, and I've begun to appreciate her work. She also provided us kids with our only vacations - to graveyards out of state. <br />4. Perhaps it's you who have the animus against Mayflower descendants. An eighth of the country is said to be descended from them. That's 38 million. <br />5. Finding your ancestors is a huge hobby and business in this country.It's one of the 4 most popular on the internet. Join the fun!Sfingihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06903616949048940858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67028264944463989712010-12-07T20:52:54.465-05:002010-12-07T20:52:54.465-05:00PS. When I first landed in the US, I found all the...PS. When I first landed in the US, I found all the names of sports teams truly bewildering. I tried to see if I could discover a pattern, but sometimes they were named after people (CHIEF) animals (RAM) qualities (GIANT) or actions (CHARGER, PACKER). And of course, articles of clothing- Sox.. And what the heck is a "boilermaker" I thought? It was hopeless. <br /><br />So, I wonder if Andrea and Kent had similar feelings about the craziness of the names...foodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13052189131129098616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71851362284680026572010-12-07T20:42:53.485-05:002010-12-07T20:42:53.485-05:00I solved this puzzle late last night and did not p...I solved this puzzle late last night and did not pay attention to the name of the constructor(s) prior to solving. As I was finishing it off, I was thinking: "wow, it takes real talent to make me enjoy solving a sports-related theme!". Needless to say, the light went on when I saw that Andrea was one of the co-constructors. She's not only a great talent in her own right, but has the best taste in collaborators (and vice versa)! <br /><br />I imagine the secret to good collaboration in puzzle construction is the same as it is in science-- respect of each other's talents, and enough confidence and commitment to the common goal to dampen one's own voice so the voice of the partner can be heard. Whenever I solve an ACME collaboration, I can see how the smoothness and elegance are preserved but the content is enriched by the interaction. <br /><br />All this makes me want to go to dinner with Andrea, her collaborators and the people she mentors in puzzling- I know it would be a blast!foodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13052189131129098616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-27484417244771852292010-12-07T17:43:24.283-05:002010-12-07T17:43:24.283-05:00@JESSER
My error. My criticism should have been ...@JESSER<br /><br /> My error. My criticism should have been directed at SFINGI>NATEnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70466625322281345412010-12-07T17:36:41.695-05:002010-12-07T17:36:41.695-05:00@JESSER
I don't follow your logic(?)/
sarca...@JESSER<br /><br /> I don't follow your logic(?)/<br />sarcasm. I hate to treat your<br />comment with some reasoning, but<br />this country is populated with <br />millions of people not descended from the Mayflower passengers.NATEnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-323583698666480592010-12-07T15:35:46.361-05:002010-12-07T15:35:46.361-05:00Didn't even know it was football, but figured ...Didn't even know it was football, but figured it was sports. Finished with a little hesitation at PIX. Guessed all the unknown guys.<br /><br />@Jesser - that's great! The Bushes, The Roosevelts, and I are all descended from one prolific Mayflower couple; Obama, Cheney and I are related. I missed being descended from John Adams since my ancestor, later to write the first American Comedy, was rejected for being a ne'er do well. Its a lot of fun. <br /><br />Now I need to hit that Science Times I haven't opened.Sfingihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06903616949048940858noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72336127024129529332010-12-07T15:34:07.575-05:002010-12-07T15:34:07.575-05:00@Jim: 22A is mulish, not mulosh. That was my onl...@Jim: 22A is mulish, not mulosh. That was my only sticking poing, having had 4D as unknot, while correct answer is unknit.John Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557037910799243636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45258245706317190382010-12-07T15:23:51.106-05:002010-12-07T15:23:51.106-05:00Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 7/30/...Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 7/30/2009 post for an explanation of my method):<br /><br />All solvers (median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Tue 7:35, 8:55, 0.85, 9%, Easy<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Tue 4:01, 4:35, 0.88, 8%, Easysanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47313665002010573752010-12-07T14:27:06.232-05:002010-12-07T14:27:06.232-05:00Andrea and Kent, I loved it. Fun and zippy, and y...Andrea and Kent, I loved it. Fun and zippy, and you all thought I hated football.<br /><br />GO PACK!!!chefwenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03999206352243329280noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-4964944789258661772010-12-07T14:25:15.515-05:002010-12-07T14:25:15.515-05:00I loved this puzzle. I'm not at all surprised ...I loved this puzzle. I'm not at all surprised this theme has been done before but all the same it was a blast to do! The NE corner especially with KNELL and NASAL, which are awesome fills! <br /><br />My only writeover was different than anyone else that I've noticed at 14A where I had NANo. That was pretty quickly fixed and caused no problems.<br /><br />I LAUD the authors for their effort on this... my Tuesday was better because of you!Kendallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04176353196193935474noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71787494053775829232010-12-07T13:50:10.162-05:002010-12-07T13:50:10.162-05:00I didn't notice the authors of the puzzle unti...I didn't notice the authors of the puzzle until I was filling in Florida. (Why did I look? I think it was EFG -- Who dares to put in the three-letter sequence? -- Ah, ACME, then it's ok :) ) Nice and smooth, like pouring oil into the NW and watching it spread throughout the puzzle. <br /><br />@Steve J helped me identify something I liked about the puzzle. He takes the singular team names to be a negative; I think they make the puzzle work. A little ironic distance from the absurd world of professional sports.Clarknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-62840720111328499712010-12-07T13:48:25.483-05:002010-12-07T13:48:25.483-05:00Oops. That should be ETA / TEAS. ETE /TEES was a...Oops. That should be ETA / TEAS. ETE /TEES was another.D_Blackwellhttp://www.dbwebdesign.com/crossword-puzzles/index.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77909286158111241082010-12-07T13:43:13.587-05:002010-12-07T13:43:13.587-05:00Woo hoo! A record time for the third straight day...Woo hoo! A record time for the third straight day. Is it Brown week again?<br />.............................<br /><br />@chefbea @joho<br /><br />Not a pangram, but it should be. There are several options in the SE.<br /><br />Most Tuesdaylike:<br />Across: ONTV TEAS<br />Down: PEROT ETE RVSD_Blackwellhttp://www.dbwebdesign.com/crossword-puzzles/index.htmlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47625632639346012542010-12-07T13:40:00.452-05:002010-12-07T13:40:00.452-05:00To a longshoreman, a GAFF is a bailing hook with a...To a longshoreman, a GAFF is a bailing hook with a handle.<br /><br />As in "A View From the Bridge" or "On The Waterfront."<br /><br />Or ask Artie Lange.Joehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17857747515877769718noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48771967840033030322010-12-07T13:26:27.153-05:002010-12-07T13:26:27.153-05:00Just want to say "Bored to Death" is a f...Just want to say "Bored to Death" is a fun, quirky show that we happened upon mostly because it follows "Boardwalk Empire". What is so remarkable about it to me is that it has really made me appreciate just how good of an actor Ted Danson is.Doc Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12540112168511893896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47263385664037391222010-12-07T12:59:29.222-05:002010-12-07T12:59:29.222-05:00Liked this overall, but I admit the singular team ...Liked this overall, but I admit the singular team names bothered me. The singular form of the teams is rarely - very rarely used, even in references to individual players (e.g., the common usage would be something like "Adrian Peterson, the Minnesota Vikings running back ..."). Certainly, in discussing FOOTBALLMATCHUPs, the plural team names are used (it's a Jets-Packers game, typically). <br /><br />Maybe I'm being too nitpicky, but it dulled the shine of this one a little for me. <br /><br />Thankfully, there was a lot of shine, particularly in the downs. And nice cluing throughout. Only non-theme nits I had were LOCOS and RBIS. Pluralizing RBI (runs batted in) is as redundant as "ATM machine" or "PIN number"; but I grudgingly accept that RBIs is common enough (mis)usage that it's fair puzzle game. <br /><br />Minor niggles aside, it was an entertaining early-week puzzle.<br /><br />(@william e emba: thanks for the link to DARE. I know how my evening is going to be spent tonight.)Steve Jhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15185067739452052656noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47419220238599318392010-12-07T11:50:46.914-05:002010-12-07T11:50:46.914-05:00Just did the Science Times puzzle. Now THAT was f...Just did the Science Times puzzle. Now THAT was fun! Great theme and lively fill. In the article, the writer references that Will suggests it's a Wed puzzle level. Mmmm...sounds about right. Just checked the answers. I said to myself, "What the hell is a MULOSH?" I guess it's nothing.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18391847471384798773noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82307451171463220042010-12-07T11:31:51.504-05:002010-12-07T11:31:51.504-05:00Please don't insult all of us East Coasters wi...Please don't insult all of us East Coasters with such charges of illiteracy. To wit: "on line" instead of "in line" is not an "East Coast" usage. It's a NYC, northern NJ usage, according to <a href="http://dare.wisc.edu" rel="nofollow">DARE</a>. (Unfortunately, very few entries are on-line [haha] yet. This was something I remember looking up years ago, and have just reconfirmed: it's volume III, entry "on", subentry B11.)<br /><br />I will personally confirm that in the Philadelphia area I have always heard "in line", never "on line", for that state of waiting with others. In fact, I first learned of this idiom from a Stephen Jay Gould essay, where Bostonian Gould used it, and pointedly explained that because he was referring to a NYC experience of his, he used the NYC language.<br /><br />But seriously, if you are a hardcore word LOCO, then you absolutely <i>must</i> check out DARE. Ownage is optional--unfortunately, the last volume (V) is still a long ways off.<br /><br />(While I normally don't comment on my captcha, "abaxljee" made me think of a recent Slovenian clue that bollixed up a number of solvers.)william e embanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75578554637500041702010-12-07T11:25:55.613-05:002010-12-07T11:25:55.613-05:00Reading this blog increased my enjoyment of this p...Reading this blog increased my enjoyment of this puzzle since many of Andrea's postings hint at a lack of interest in sports. So this felt like an inside joke to me.<br /><br />It really was packed with sports references. The CHAMPAGNE (there is no I in champagne!) that flows in locker rooms of winning teams; the ghost written BIOs of sports stars; the ROAR of the crowd; BLOCK; TIER (as in nosebleed section); hockey RINK; MISDEAL (isn't poker a sport?); OILing baseball gloves; a track MEET in a GYM; a manager ARRANG[E]ing his outfielder; RBIS; Super Bowl PIX; a ZACK fly; DENY (as in 'I thought those were vitamins'); a STAGE of the Tour de France; SONAR is a reference to the Seattle Supersonics; the chiseled APSE of a body builder; Willie Mays great KEACH in the 1954 World Series; a baseball MITT; a javelin is a SPEAR. And many more that you would have to be a Merle Reagle to catch.r.alphbunkernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35790769176979036152010-12-07T11:20:56.715-05:002010-12-07T11:20:56.715-05:00Andrea playing football--a sight to behold!
What ...Andrea playing football--a sight to behold!<br /><br />What I find most fascinating about the Dan Feyer story (I've met him once and can confirm everything the article says about him as a person) is that he is a newcomer to puzzledom. This confirms what I have been discussing with foodie for a while--championship solvers have cognitive capabilities that cannot be explained just by a memory for trivia, a broad vocabulary, even pattern recognition in general (I think I'm very good at recognizing visual patterns, which helps me very little in doing crosswords)...<br /><br />@Tinbeni: Be forewarned--from all I know, Oman is a dry country (and no, I do not mean the desert). Do you really want to do this to yourself for 6 months?Ulrichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02086202853174403008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9453571228248570752010-12-07T11:20:52.788-05:002010-12-07T11:20:52.788-05:00I was going to skip reading here and posting for a...I was going to skip reading here and posting for a few days because I'm at a giant conference for work, and time is at a premium. Then the Times gives us a puzzle from Andrea Colossal Talent Michaels and she was already on my mind because I'm in San Francisco. How could I fail to ROAR a few RAH RAHs and LAUD this delightful effort here? <br /><br />Rex's raunchy video had me snorting tea out my nose (TMI, right?), with the added pleasure of seeing Jessalyn Gilsig, whose Glee character pretended to be pregnant thinking she could fool her husband (?!?!?), once again pretending to be pregnant. <br /><br />Plus, that Times article was worth being late to my meeting (which I now am). Okay, I take a whole order of magnitude longer than Dan Feyer to solve a puzzle, but I fully identify with the description "Before he knew it, he had become one with the puzzle people." That's us, right? And anyone (Denise Grady in this case) who can write this way is an author to watch, not least for my favorite phrase "the myriad other bevoweled wraiths that haunt the minds of crossword constructors." She used the word bevoweled! <br /><br />Back to the puzzle, I loathe football but all of the clues were completely accessible and gave me the illusion of sports knowledge. Having CHAMPAGNE opposite STAG PARTY is fun. It really feels like there's something for everyone here. You've got architecture (I.M. PEI), science (SONAR), history (WHIGS and BRYAN), and fresh words like MISDEAL. And of course it's almost a pangram. Hooray! I feel almost like a proud friend, though we've never met. Congratulations to you, ACME, and to Mr. Clayton! JaxInL.A.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13792405579998093081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90327972159252261222010-12-07T11:03:10.026-05:002010-12-07T11:03:10.026-05:00Grid was so ugliness-free, I thought it couldn'...Grid was so ugliness-free, I thought it couldn't possibly be a Tuesday. Had fun. <br /><br />That being said, TEXAN is the last team one should try to pun; there's no alternative meaning. It's someone from Texas, so I say boo-urns. Granted, constructors used the principal definition of the team's name (i.e., the context in which the team named itself), such as that for JET and RAM, but alternative meanings exist. So, TEXAN's no good. It's like trying to pun LJUBLJANA...you can poke fun at it, but it's got only one meaning, so it's not a pun.Jimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18391847471384798773noreply@blogger.com