tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post3778786127418169255..comments2024-03-28T14:57:33.856-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Mother of Peer Gynt — WEDNESDAY, Dec. 2 2009 — Back to the Future bully / Banshees boast / Irish-themed Vegas casinoRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger87125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40895513909408875342010-01-07T03:22:59.785-05:002010-01-07T03:22:59.785-05:00From syndication-land:
This was a godawful puzzle...From syndication-land:<br /><br />This was a godawful puzzle. I started it while watching Mission Impossible at 3 p.m., and only just got finished with it slightly before midnight. It wasn't the difficulty so much as the fact that I'd hit another piece of outright crosswordese or a ridiculously contrived answer and throw it down in disgust.<br /><br />Seriously, LIEUT? I thought it might be Det. Lt. Kojak (Detective Lieutenant), but LEI put paid to that guess. What's the idea? A word is 'abbreviated' if one starts writing it down and runs out of available spaces? Can I write an NYT crossword that uses LIEUTENA as an 'abbreviation'? If the crossword creators are to use abbreviations, they should only be commonly used abbreviations, not whatever the hell they want to call an abbreviation when they need some filler.<br /><br />GELT (27D) is <b>not</b> "Hanukkah goodies". It's Yiddish for money. When was the last time you used a plural construction for the word "money"? Secondly and more importantly, though money is often given in Hanukkah celebrations, it is not a catch-all word for all that might be given during Hanukkah. This clumsy cluing, on top of the already clumsy fill, aggravated me intensely.Nullifidianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15207390447020990907noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-7655698707617674662010-01-06T16:30:00.547-05:002010-01-06T16:30:00.547-05:00I just found out that Mona Simpson, Steve Jobs'...I just found out that Mona Simpson, Steve Jobs' sister, happens to be married to a man with the surname Appel! He happens to be a writer for Rex's favorite, The Simpsons. Which is why Homer's mother's name happens to be Mona Simpson. Strange happenings.syndakatenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71734916010877722412010-01-06T13:37:19.015-05:002010-01-06T13:37:19.015-05:00I didn't think this puzzle was as lame as some...I didn't think this puzzle was as lame as some. I agree that there was a lot of short fill, and some was less than inspired, but there were four 15's, which has an impact on that. Many of the short words on the @#$% list are pretty commonly used, and not dissed in other puzzles. I particularly don't understand the negativity to ASE since Ase's Death is a very well known movement in one of the Peer Gynt Suites, and would be familiar to most of you if you listened to it. It therefore isn't all that arcane, and it is reasonably fresh as I haven't seen it used in a puzzle for some time. <br /><br />I did think that OF LA was a stretch as fill goes, and don't particularly like LA LA either. <br /><br />I wanted A-Bomb for 58A. N-Test isn't all that common a term.Singernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5436921584209541992009-12-03T04:34:47.294-05:002009-12-03T04:34:47.294-05:00Don't know why exactly, but this one threw me ...Don't know why exactly, but this one threw me -- SELIG elocution?fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19616730664907021922009-12-03T00:16:44.025-05:002009-12-03T00:16:44.025-05:00all's well...thanks for some of the offline en...all's well...thanks for some of the offline encouragement...I'd never brought it up at all had it not been for ILEA and a wild desire for an ice cream sandwich.<br /><br />Bottom line, four 15s that are coherent is super hard to do...and sadly many didn't even notice them bec the fill could have been a lot better.<br /><br />@chefwen<br />on the chance you were not just asking about Jobs' adoption rhetorically, I'll answer why some people had some idea.<br />There was a very public thing about his being given away and the mom keeping the daughter who grew up to be the writer Mona Simpson and they found each other after both had become famous (actually the timing I'm not positive about)<br />It's straight out of that new ABC show "Find My Family" which has me sobbing uncontrollably from beginning to end.<br />But that's another topic!<br /><br />What would have been cool if instead of Moses it had been Job who had been found in the reeds...<br />Then it would have been what Job and Jobs had in common.<br /><br />But I love those kinds of definitions, ie words that can preceed this and this...<br />or anything where you have to link two seemingly wildly disparate (?) things...to me, that is what solving puzzles (and matchmaking!) and synapse-connecting is all about!<br />I mean, find the link between a colonscopy and getting an ice cream sandwich by FedEx!<br /><br />(From now on, I'm going to shout at people "Go to Well!")andrea tied(one)on michaelsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33434831969653248592009-12-02T23:12:26.808-05:002009-12-02T23:12:26.808-05:00Just repeating what I said before: I enjoyed this ...Just repeating what I said before: I enjoyed this "crud" (Rex Parker), this "total stinker of a puzzle" (Charles Bogle). Guess there's no accounting for taste.Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02681342234536407419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28312277904752363812009-12-02T22:29:52.368-05:002009-12-02T22:29:52.368-05:00total stinker of a puzzle...this constructor must ...total stinker of a puzzle...this constructor must be in LALA Land--thank goodness RP's write-up made attempting the slog, and giving up in dislike, well worth the tripCharles Boglenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47279625776869289052009-12-02T22:08:34.564-05:002009-12-02T22:08:34.564-05:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my <a href="https://www.blogger.com/comment.g?blogID=35115061&postID=3588389571383499624&isPopup=true" rel="nofollow">7/30/2009 post</a> 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 7:41, 6:57, 1.11, 76%, Medium-Challenging<br />Tue 7:43, 8:38, 0.89, 23%, Easy-Medium<br />Wed 14:43, 11:49, 1.25, 94%, Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:48, 3:41, 1.03, 66%, Medium-Challenging<br />Tue 4:06, 4:26, 0.93, 29%, Easy-Medium<br />Wed 7:08, 5:49, 1.23, 91%, Challenging<br /><br />In the 27 weeks I've been tracking solve times, this one rates as the second most challenging Wednesday puzzle for all solvers (10th most challenging overall) and the third most challenging for the top 100 (14th overall).sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76944983235344594852009-12-02T21:55:55.587-05:002009-12-02T21:55:55.587-05:00@Sfingi: Yes, for your Thursday attempt, and here...@Sfingi: Yes, for your Thursday attempt, and here's a link about the Kookabura dispute.<br /><br />http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120984958PlantieBeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01960277851368508036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44545654253143653702009-12-02T21:43:55.637-05:002009-12-02T21:43:55.637-05:00MataHari in Miniature
Had a hard time with this...<a href="http://matahari.fantaseert.nl/homepage/show/877011.jpg" rel="nofollow"><br /><br />MataHari in Miniature<br /><br /></a><br /><br />Had a hard time with this. Didn't know OSHEAS SYD RATT BIFF SKAT SON SELIG because I don't have much truck with the subjects. But then, I also didn't know pikake, though I guessed it must be a LEI. Didn't know the f/64, but Googled and found it very interesting. This is the plus today - and everyone's comments.<br /><br />Ase's Death is a very nice dirge (oxymoron?). I once read the Ibsen play. Very impressed with the Boyg and the Button-Maker. Very deep and philosophical. A must read.<br /><br />My grandmother use to say, when we got gas for the Nash - "Esso? I guess so."<br /><br />@PlantieB - I thought Kookaburra sits in the old gum tree was a kid's song.<br /><br />@Campsite - could be dangerous, people trying to open airplane windows to throw it the hell out.<br /><br />@Darkman - As Liberace said, he can cry all the way to the bank.<br /><br />This codgeress had her nap 5:30 - 7. It helped.<br /><br />Should I try Thurs?Sfinginoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56723988815837197552009-12-02T21:37:05.238-05:002009-12-02T21:37:05.238-05:00OK. I retract my spoon gag. The theme actually doe...OK. I retract my spoon gag. The theme actually does make more sense than I thought. I finally understood PICTURE OF HEALTH.<br /><br />I'm usually put in a bad mood whenever I have to hear people say anything the least bit respectful of Mr. Gates.Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911901473993027184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11101910689841492952009-12-02T21:30:41.338-05:002009-12-02T21:30:41.338-05:00I quickly put down PROPHET for Jobs and Moses, and...I quickly put down PROPHET for Jobs and Moses, and it not only fit it even had two correct crosses. I thought it was such a clever clue until I discovered it was actually much more clever than that.Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911901473993027184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81932744045351779622009-12-02T21:27:11.343-05:002009-12-02T21:27:11.343-05:00I fell for LOT instead of TON, and LOAN instead of...I fell for LOT instead of TON, and LOAN instead of LIEN too.<br /><br />Some of this was clever. Bread in a jar, in an ark, raw material, blotter abbr, approach shot, spinners, mushroom maker, salt (got me going on biblical dead ends), get out into the open, storytelling dance, primary strategy, ADOPTED!, Nina companion.<br /><br />But the theme was sadly lame. And if we did all this just to make a play on BASEHIT, well... gag me with a spoon.Stephenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16911901473993027184noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-949808914831773102009-12-02T21:14:58.491-05:002009-12-02T21:14:58.491-05:00I too am very late. Found the puzzle difficult and...I too am very late. Found the puzzle difficult and couldnt finish til I came here. Too late to google. Did this while watching the tree lighting ceremony which was much more enjoyable than the puzzlechefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53006470837268639062009-12-02T20:28:04.058-05:002009-12-02T20:28:04.058-05:00*groan*
(I got here late today. No need to say mu...*groan*<br /><br />(I got here late today. No need to say much else.)jeff in chicagohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10492964479021891094noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64161662973440994782009-12-02T17:45:24.686-05:002009-12-02T17:45:24.686-05:00@Martin - No, actually it's Stan. Just a litt...@Martin - No, actually it's Stan. Just a little (perhaps childish) retribution I pull out once in a while after a childhood of taunting.<br /><br />And ENO driven by the leading E in the Scrabletastic JAZZERCISE as part of stacked 10s will allways be 100 times as acceptable as ENO driven by the WOF HASTEM... stack of 6s.Stanley Thomas Funoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28823322566717042322009-12-02T17:14:59.697-05:002009-12-02T17:14:59.697-05:00Really enjoying all of the Foghorn Leghorn bits. ...Really enjoying all of the Foghorn Leghorn bits. I loved the tough-guy little chicken hawk, too. <br /><br />@Anonymous 2:33<br />I think the point to be taken from the discussion today would be that all of us have lacunae when it comes to personal knowledge base. Even so, one soldiers on and often solves despite these gaps. I fail to detect any snobby commentary, but you certainly seem determined to be cranky about practically everything. Perhaps a nap?Old Codgernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2766805869528237152009-12-02T17:00:33.065-05:002009-12-02T17:00:33.065-05:00Martin, are you kidding w/ that list. The followin...Martin, are you kidding w/ that list. The following simply aren't bad at all:<br /><br />JOG<br />ZEB<br />WEI<br />LIAM<br />PEE<br />ERGO<br />ANEW<br />GNU<br />STY<br />SECT<br />KRIS<br />CUED<br />CEOS<br /><br />ZEB is admittedly odd, but your list just isn't in the same league as today's. And STFU (for all his/her lack of tact) is right about stacked longs making bad short fill more forgivable. As I said, there's very, very little payoff for the crud today. You must be able to see the difference, as you seem a generally smart, observant, even-headed person.<br /><br />Also, a "fine outing" isn't exactly a rave :)Rex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8853478813250691552009-12-02T16:59:16.405-05:002009-12-02T16:59:16.405-05:00Amen, brother anon 2:33. I grit my teeth every ti...Amen, brother anon 2:33. I grit my teeth every time I hear "that was before my time." By that logic, everything pre-1900 is before everybody's time. And it truly amazes me when I hear the "I was too young" excuse trotted out to cover ignorance about Wategate.<br /><br />I remember watching "Wiseguy" in the late 80s. It was one of the first programs to present story arcs where a guest actor was featured in a multipart series of episodes. Ray Sharkey, a fine actor who succumbed to drug addiction in his 40s, and Kevin Spacey, who played the seriously strange Mel Proffit, were two actors who were featured in "Wiseguy."<br /><br />I agree with @rex about the fill and I found myself tiptoeing thru all the slush and arriving at the theme answers that way. I enjoyed this one in an odd sort of way.edith bhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12048817959846956992noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76453153661433893282009-12-02T16:52:48.209-05:002009-12-02T16:52:48.209-05:00@Martin 4:32: OK, I will play compare and contrast...@Martin 4:32: OK, I will play compare and contrast.<br /><br />The Friday 11/20 puzzle had JAZZERCISE crossing ZOLAESQUE, with some clean stacked triple-10-ers. This stacking will lead to some of the three letter words you mention.<br /><br />Today's puzzle had four 15-letter theme entries with fairly standard fill. If a solver didn't care for the theme fill, s/he will not care for the entire puzzle and the rest of the fill will get more prominence.<br /><br />And when I said "I will play", here's what I meant. I quickly tried a grid on CCW and came up with this for an alternate view of what this themed puzzle could look like:<br /><br />CARDSHARP.TAUPE<br />OVERTOYOU.IMSET<br />PICTUREOFWEALTH<br />ESA.....FAR.TRE<br />SOPROUDLYWEWAIL<br />...ARRID.ADE...<br />CARDINALS..TARA<br />ORC.SSN.MRS.PED<br />STAB..ELIOTNESS<br />...AON.STLEO...<br />HEADFORTHEWILLS<br />ORS.FRI.....YEE<br />HASTEMAKESWASTE<br />USAIR.LENDANEAR<br />MEMOS.SATIRISTS<br /><br />The above fill has tons of crosswordese, but would you excuse this fill in view of the stacked 9-letter words? <br /><br />OVER TO YOU :-)AVhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07795340199306866533noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45439858270570388282009-12-02T16:48:08.726-05:002009-12-02T16:48:08.726-05:00It's the end of the semester here, and today i...It's the end of the semester here, and today is the first day this week I've had time for the puzzle. So I enjoyed this one, if only because it wasn't a student's paper.archaeoprofhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17956231727789223463noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-62105803834550208042009-12-02T16:32:44.260-05:002009-12-02T16:32:44.260-05:00@STFU (May I call you Shut?)
I think your point i...@STFU (May I call you Shut?)<br /><br />I think your point is that the flaw is a larger number of threes and fours than the three fifteens justify. That's a different topic than the quality of the threes and fours (and fives).<br /><br />Is there a reason to expect less sparkle from the crossing fills of stacked 10s than stacked fours? If the underlying assumption is that fours are easier to redo until the crosses are better, you might be underestimating the constraints that three 15s impose, even though they're not stacked.Martinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23581410483548202232009-12-02T15:48:23.263-05:002009-12-02T15:48:23.263-05:00I also wanted to ask Martin's question: why i...I also wanted to ask Martin's question: why is ILEA automatically yucky? Seems anytime anyone mentions anything even remotely gastrointestinal on this blog it gets a "yuck" from somebody. Y'all are a bunch of weenies!<br />And they DO often get to the ileum with a colonoscopy--frequently they are able to pass the scope through the ileocecal valve and a few inches up the ileum. Just to set the record straight!<br />Now, me: I hate anything to do with mucus. Yuck. Maybe I'm a weenie too.Ruthnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12054500899975514732009-12-02T15:36:06.586-05:002009-12-02T15:36:06.586-05:00@Martin - Let's see - Stacked 10s vs Stacked 4...@Martin - Let's see - Stacked 10s vs Stacked 4s as cause for suspect 3 letter words. Yup, you're right, they're the same.STFUnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48934462023830301212009-12-02T15:27:38.809-05:002009-12-02T15:27:38.809-05:00@William EE, I used to live near the arroyo in Pa...@William EE, I used to live near the arroyo in Pasadena upon which "Wayne Manor" was perched and saw it everyday. Your comments on Batman and @CLark's back story on Foghorn (I say, I say, boy...) Leghorn (the only cartoon cel I own) are part of what makes this blog a joy.<br /><br />Not to mention Andrea's narcoleptic pre-op rambling.<br /><br />@pix, don't be sendin my girl ice cream :):), she prefers diamonds: <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7g3zioB3X2E" rel="nofollow">Some Fun</a>dkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17317008233459295376noreply@blogger.com