tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post4053032021878672050..comments2024-03-29T08:06:21.039-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Group with five #1 R&B hits in 1990s / THU 11-23-17 / Bringer of light in myth / Declaration at end of chess game / Smallpox victims of 1500s / Higher priced burger meat / 1971 double-platinum album for Doors / Bit of doctoral graduation regaliaRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger108125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26456347809523673432021-01-17T13:16:41.891-05:002021-01-17T13:16:41.891-05:00Complete surprise that OFL actually liked this puz...Complete surprise that OFL actually liked this puzzle! One of my favorite games upon completion is to try and predict exactly what Rex will think about it. I was waaaaaaaaaaay off on this one!<br /><br />The theme is an absolute train wreck--one of the most obtuse and indecipherable I have come across in a long time.<br /><br />THE OFFICE is undoubtedly BRITISH while BRITCOM appears to a made-up term, and thus ineligible. <br /><br />The only plays that come closes to 5 acts are Shakespeare's and those are so 450 years ago. And unless you are a true thespian, you would have no way of knowing that. <br /><br />THREEOAKS is a riddle wrapped in an enigma and is a far reach even for them.<br /><br />ACIDY and ACRID, both plays on "sharp" seems redundant somehow for one puzzle.<br /><br />In doing this puzzle over 3 years from its original publish date, METOO, of course, becomes anything but ASAMI lol.<br /><br />The themer is total buzzkill and Naticked me from the jump.Barry J. Williamshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04467216844440012012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21034053681518149892017-12-28T19:09:46.163-05:002017-12-28T19:09:46.163-05:00@Rondo - I, too, had an 8-track - why did they all...@Rondo - I, too, had an 8-track - why did they all need a matchbook or other shim to keep it from adding its own "drumbeat." And I meant to mention - thanks for yesterday's korsordslexikon - had no idea where to find one.<br /><br />Lady DiDiana, LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38030988292531635852017-12-28T18:54:27.931-05:002017-12-28T18:54:27.931-05:00Britcom was one of the toughest. And yes the numer...Britcom was one of the toughest. And yes the numerical theme was not used in a consistent manner. Still not a bad puzzle. Solved it without hints or errors. <br /><br />Mark Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78019655779318557792017-12-28T18:01:47.313-05:002017-12-28T18:01:47.313-05:00I had minor issues with ESE/iSm/ESE and pIS before...I had minor issues with ESE/iSm/ESE and pIS before XIS. The pis do follow the nus, just further down the list than the XIS. Took a while to get the gimmick and THREEOAKS fell in there without my knowing what it was. <br /><br />Back in the day I had L.A.WOMAN on both 8-track STEREO and vinyl. The 8-track STEREO player eventually ATE the tape, even with that matchbook holding it firmly in place. NOTOK.<br /><br />Vaguely remember the name JODECI and couldn’t pick a BRUNO Mars tune out of a lineup. Chris ISAAK and Motley CRUE I could. So, just as much music in this puz as film stuff.<br /><br />I guess MERYL gets the yeah baby by default.<br /><br />Oddly interesting puz, at least that’s the TAKEI have.<br />rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8723277854461733112017-12-28T15:32:56.978-05:002017-12-28T15:32:56.978-05:00Switching from multiplication to division was a bi...Switching from multiplication to division was a bit sneaky, and throwing in "Uno" for the 19A clue (answer: DECK) added a bit more confusion, which made the NE corner tougher. <br /><br />Didn't get the XIS in its crossing with RICHARD, but got THREEOAKS without realizing that "fourth" was a multiplier.<br /><br />All in all, clever and on the challenging side of medium, but a rather messy and irritating dnf.<br /><br />leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73488618935163285942017-12-28T13:26:05.427-05:002017-12-28T13:26:05.427-05:00very, very clever Th puz. Lots of fun this week s...very, very clever Th puz. Lots of fun this week so far.<br /><br />One-letter dnf - didn't clearly suss the theme, and didn't know what follows nus, so the X was elusive. Poor Richard. <br /><br />Loved the answer THEJACKSONONE. <br /><br />Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for CrosswordsDiana, LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56006817143900279032017-12-28T12:21:18.383-05:002017-12-28T12:21:18.383-05:00MERYL ETTU, TAM NADA
That POOR L.A.WOMAN could be...MERYL ETTU, TAM NADA<br /><br />That POOR L.A.WOMAN could be SOKIND,<br />an ARTISTE who’ll RESHOOT ORALs within limits,<br />“But for this JIVE BRITCOM MOVIE, IRESIGN,<br />I can’t do SIXAMIGOS in THIRTYMINUTES.”<br /><br />--- SEN. BRUNO ISAAK EBERT, PHD<br />Burma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33978800323944358882017-12-28T12:06:33.393-05:002017-12-28T12:06:33.393-05:00I finished but not without a struggle. JODECI is n...I finished but not without a struggle. JODECI is not on my radar at all so the NE corner was a nasty one. I didn't like BRITCOM which held me up for quite a while since I had BRITish before I finally made the switch. Plenty of other misdirects made the task of completing an arduous one with very few fun moments.thefogmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870509029973778266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54712625032200671512017-12-28T10:10:17.095-05:002017-12-28T10:10:17.095-05:00Roared through the NW and N and thought, this is a...Roared through the NW and N and thought, this is a Thursday??<br /><br />One hour later: Oooh yeah, at LEAST. More like Saturday. In fact I fell on the same sword as @teedm did: mImE. This is a classic double-Natick. MAC and VAC are equally legit closet items, while mImE and JIVE are both "phony" talk, in a sense. Certainly in no more obscure of a sense than many other clues here. That brings us to square 10, which clearly must provide a preference for J over M. It does not for the great majority of us. I cry NOTOK.<br /><br />It was interesting working out the themers; at the start I thought it was all about the film industry (WRAP, MOVIE, RESHOOT, EBERT). But some more NOTOK fill plus the NE debacle makes this an epic fail. RANAT: this I've seen before--and once was too often. Nobody actually SAYS "RANAT," which makes it an uber-awkward partial. I'm no fighter, but if you simply "run at" me you're gonna be getting up off the floor and asking "Wha hoppen?" HEA, even as a lyric from the genius of Paul Simon, is another OMG partial. Shoulda been torn up and RESHO(O)T. Let's put the DOD sash on the superbly talented MERYL today. No score for a DNF, but at least a bogey, I would think. spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78030234010674808872017-11-24T09:45:50.279-05:002017-11-24T09:45:50.279-05:00Acidy is coming very close to deerlot - a word I m...Acidy is coming very close to deerlot - a word I made up in Scrabble. It means a place where deer congregate. My wife and kids vetoed it. I swear some of today's crossword clues and in that genre.pdplothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18445279770600961565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86893996071482684442017-11-24T08:29:37.270-05:002017-11-24T08:29:37.270-05:00@Evil - Based on my reading of the men’s character...@Evil - Based on my reading of the men’s character, I’d guess Al. Conyers (who has been my rep), while very different from Donnie politically, strikes me as all too similar in many other ways. The funny thing is that his district is so gerrymandered that there’s no hope of it ever going Republican, so he’ll have to be primaried to get him out. <br /><br /><b>potential spoiler alert</b><br />@kitshef - It would require changing the Spider-man clue. And did I say “better?” “Sophomoricer” would be more accurate. <br /><br />@Anon - I don’t think anyone thought of you as engaging in zealotry. Your suggestion may even be technically more accurate. Just don’t get your hopes up.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88095539402372001042017-11-24T04:05:26.246-05:002017-11-24T04:05:26.246-05:00Of course, this has nothing to do with crosswords
...Of course, this has nothing to do with crosswords<br />(my apologies in advance,) but what's The Donald's favorite cartoon character? Tweetie Bird .Girishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06905274808378712801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68417888387546607752017-11-24T04:02:10.076-05:002017-11-24T04:02:10.076-05:00@Rex Parker Whar a terrific puzzle for dessert at...@Rex Parker Whar a terrific puzzle for dessert at Thanksgiving although the vowel crossing of Spider-man foe and comic book sound caused a one-square DNF. Thanks so much for the ten years of great memories, amusement, and encouragement. I also very much appreciate the way you encourage the next generation. I'm tempted to send you my Roger Maris baseball card in support of your blog next year should you choose to continue. He hit a few dingers that year. We won the pennant that year in Little League, too. ��Girishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06905274808378712801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26580046879368961292017-11-24T01:26:49.357-05:002017-11-24T01:26:49.357-05:00Not bad, not great.
Fill: Eh. It wasn't "...Not bad, not great.<br /><br /><i>Fill:</i> Eh. It wasn't "I want to gouge my eyes out" bad, but it was not fresh at all. I get how there were a lot of constraints imposed by the theme/grid, but it could have at least thrown some interesting stuff at us instead of, say JODECI. 11/25<br /><br /><i>Theme/long answers:</i> Not my cup of tea. I get the idea, I get the effort so I'm not going to tarnish it, but as it has been mentioned in other reviews, the "Fourth" and "Fifth" transition didn't stick. It wasn't a stale theme so it is not necessarily below average, but it is just that. 13/25<br /><br /><i>Clues:</i> Nothing too fancy, but I'd rather have this than a set of clues trying too hard to be funny/smart on a Thursday. 17/25<br /><br /><i>Pleaasurability:</i> When I figured out the theme I got an "aha" moment. But then the aforementioned fourth and fifth clues took away from that. Combine this with a meh fill, and it becomes a very average puzzle. At least it was easy, which didn't turn trying to finish it into torture. The roughest patch was the NE region. 15/25.<br /><br /><b>TOTAL:</b> 56/100, C+, 3/5 stars.semioticus (shelbyl)https://www.blogger.com/profile/16204028248874222567noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43798930394287934382017-11-23T21:55:40.905-05:002017-11-23T21:55:40.905-05:00This was a struggle for me because I couldn't ...This was a struggle for me because I couldn't get past the fourth estate. All I could think of was the press or the media, something I was a proud member of for nearly 30 years.<br />And I'm terrible at math.<br />Monahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03691617526426314811noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6477805508433789442017-11-23T21:20:52.575-05:002017-11-23T21:20:52.575-05:00I purchased my own academic costume when I recieve...I purchased my own academic costume when I recieved my Ph.D., but still ended up with a lousy mortar board. I never knew that I could have worn a tam instead. I thought it depended on the university that bestowed the degree. I’m a retired professor now so I don’t need to wear the cap, gown, and cape anymore, but I still have them in a closet.Hungry Motherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13465905817770134952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74918811949182066722017-11-23T20:36:05.647-05:002017-11-23T20:36:05.647-05:00Great bonus puzzle, Rex. At least two major editin...Great bonus puzzle, Rex. At least two major editing errors in the clues (19 Across & 39 Across) but I'm very thankful. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07771075444963690841noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-4321902975860822272017-11-23T17:30:15.986-05:002017-11-23T17:30:15.986-05:00Feigned outrage is best left to Rex and then ignor...Feigned outrage is best left to Rex and then ignored. That said, a Thanksgiving theme on Thanksgiving Day would be welcomed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16664405358511018902017-11-23T15:55:53.909-05:002017-11-23T15:55:53.909-05:00OMG did I find this hard - and loved it when I fig...OMG did I find this hard - and loved it when I figured it out, at 12/4 = THREE OAKS.<br />One of these years I'll remember L.A. WOMAN and not struggle with LAW O' MAN.<br /><br />Happy Thanksgiving to all commenting AMIGOS and thank you,@Rex, for the daily pleasure of coming here.Carolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15971759975067250908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58198370186109074662017-11-23T15:53:55.741-05:002017-11-23T15:53:55.741-05:00@kitshef - My experience in the JODECI, TAM, ACIDY...@kitshef - My experience in the JODECI, TAM, ACIDY area was very similar to yours.jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29003526326777618912017-11-23T15:49:53.319-05:002017-11-23T15:49:53.319-05:00This comment has been removed by the author.jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75268845632875612032017-11-23T15:09:01.616-05:002017-11-23T15:09:01.616-05:00I’m prancing!I’m prancing!Fey Fopnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42185318724328156982017-11-23T15:07:53.443-05:002017-11-23T15:07:53.443-05:00*strained whisper* the horror, the horror!*strained whisper* the horror, the horror!Kurtz Brandonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34595437507901646202017-11-23T15:05:55.739-05:002017-11-23T15:05:55.739-05:00OMG, the vapidity.OMG, the vapidity.Churlish Nabobnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50282727806116431042017-11-23T14:54:29.138-05:002017-11-23T14:54:29.138-05:00Inconsistency led to awkwardness and difficulty wh...Inconsistency led to awkwardness and difficulty which was really not too pleasurable. Huge parts of the puzzle very easy and the hard parts were very very dense, or maybe I am. <br /><br />Happy Thanksgiving,Y'all. I guess we'll have a Turkey twice today. xyzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08287781952915413013noreply@blogger.com