tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post4137106490539481357..comments2024-03-29T01:22:33.864-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Zigzag ribbon / SAT 7-26-14 / Resort town near Piz Bernina / Airline relaunched in 2009 / Material also known as cat-gold glimmer / Dutch queen until 1980 / Cousin of goldeneyeRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42262715779652541672014-08-30T21:45:56.695-04:002014-08-30T21:45:56.695-04:00Just dropped in 5 weeks later to read the syndi-co...Just dropped in 5 weeks later to read the syndi-comments and check my capcha. It appears 105 may be good for the gold?<br /><br />(Still struggling with David Steinberg's offering in real time.)Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77131321251682690742014-08-30T21:21:41.064-04:002014-08-30T21:21:41.064-04:00This one was just way too easy! This one was just way too easy! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90673767729574508212014-08-30T16:04:05.193-04:002014-08-30T16:04:05.193-04:00@maleska's comment about being arcane and @r.r...@maleska's comment about being arcane and @r.ralph...'s quiz aptly demonstrate why I had such a struggle with this one. Fortunately, I somehow started with GETREAL, and knew JULIANNA. But that's not much to build a solution on. Particularly as my Scylla was originally an "enchantress". A real mess to sort out! However I eventually mostly got there, tripped up only where a rap group and a chess move crossed old time music. Finally threw in ocTET, circling the "oc" because it had to be wrong, and called it quits! Pretty good for me for a Saturday. Not so good is the Captcha ...<br /><br />1355. Only 1point above above @spacey and @SIS, and surely not good enough to survive!<br /><br />1:03pm PDTDMGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80314310309396500602014-08-30T14:45:08.740-04:002014-08-30T14:45:08.740-04:00I dropped in TOYOTA at 24A and was off and running...I dropped in TOYOTA at 24A and was off and running. Was I the only one who had toreRO before ELTORO?<br /><br />Wanted sawbucks for 49A. Liked the clue "Follow to closedly" for STALK.<br /><br />My raised eyebrows came on ASCETICAL, RICRAC, EARING and the MULATTO entry. Nowadays, people are either black or white. Back then there were definitions like Octoroon. And, of course, we have the continuing "Redskin" issue. Julian threw a little WASABI into the discussion.<br /><br />@Z, the Oberon was quite good. Thanks again. <br /><br />1093 ain't gonna win butkis.<br /><br />Solving in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04249420848844874936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25056603692237703852014-08-30T12:20:50.152-04:002014-08-30T12:20:50.152-04:00I don't know which surprises me more: that I d...I don't know which surprises me more: that I did this with no cheating or that OFL would DARE to call it "easy-medium." I sat and stared at it for who knows how long, and all I knew for sure was O-O-O. Amost gave up.<br /><br />You might not believe what got me kick-started: "Cry to a tickler." STOP! That was enough for JOEPESCI, and the rest is history.<br /><br />One lone w/o was lENO. Surely Jay has benn at least as popular an impression victim as our distaff AG Janet. Neither RICLAC nor RICRAC made a lot of sense to me, but at least RICRAC sounds like RICKRACK, which I believe is a kind of decoration, so I went with it. Never saw it sans K's.<br /><br />Many more never-saws here. EARING and COSSET just on one line. Too many more to list.<br /><br />UBER-challenging, and yet I somehow pulled it off! I live for these moments! Gotta be an A!<br /><br />931. This is why I don't gamble much.spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63553746611843287532014-08-30T12:01:46.683-04:002014-08-30T12:01:46.683-04:00I don't know how I finished this in less than ...I don't know how I finished this in less than an hour, but I did. And, with only one google - rundmc. Sign me in as hating "Rap" but if that is your preference so be it. I consider it child-like and neither poetical or musical. So there. As far as mulatto is concerned, it's a perfectly correct historical term and has never been associated with the "N" word.<br />Of course I'm an old geezer and don't agree with all the political correctness in today's society, which, to me, is nothing more than avoiding the truth.<br /><br />Thank you Mr. Lim for a great puzzle. <br /><br />Ron Diego 9:AM PDT 8/30Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10484380056357058982014-08-04T11:28:42.180-04:002014-08-04T11:28:42.180-04:00Tough one for me, especially because my first entr...Tough one for me, especially because my first entry was at 2D, TORERO! (Hi, @jberg, @bomaka!)Bob Kerfufflehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02615811802419025933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54649330994013995722014-07-27T15:49:30.477-04:002014-07-27T15:49:30.477-04:00Hey, Rex.
Love your tirades. But I gotta disagree...Hey, Rex. <br />Love your tirades. But I gotta disagree today (July 27). The problem is not that the fill is old, but that it's old ephemera. Seems like you want to replace old ephemera with new ephemera. That's no improvement. I say just get rid of the ephemera entirely. <br />Keep up the good work. I wish I could do the puzzle as fast as you can, but I'm just not that smart!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71811148128914156702014-07-27T11:31:45.316-04:002014-07-27T11:31:45.316-04:00The N-word is in a category of its own and will ne...The N-word is in a category of its own and will never appear in a NYTimes crossword puzzle no matter how artfully clued (though I bet NWA could appear--hmmm). I'm a historian of Brazil, where the term "mulato/a" is still used pretty frequently (anyone who is a fan of Brazilian music knows that "mulata" is regularly used to refer to an attractive woman of mixed race). But in Brazil as in the US, it's loaded with all sorts of questionable or offensive racial and gender implications (e.g., a mulata is always presumed to be sexy and more attractive because not "too" black). But as a historian, the question for me is whether something like mulatto could be clued as an archaic term that we wouldn't use now, but exists as a historically significant word. For example, Like Rebecca in Ivanhoe? Answer: Jewess. If somebody calls me that, they'd better be twice my size, but it's the appropriate word for the literary context. Still, there's the cringe factor (which I guess is the opposite of the wow factor).bswein99https://www.blogger.com/profile/17695650849084225055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68266688299978717452014-07-27T10:31:13.837-04:002014-07-27T10:31:13.837-04:00That should read aitchThat should read aitchDebby Weinsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09697339459488288520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89646194866916187782014-07-27T10:29:50.409-04:002014-07-27T10:29:50.409-04:00Aspiration is the letting out of breath, which you...Aspiration is the letting out of breath, which you have to do to pronounce the letter switch.Debby Weinsteinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09697339459488288520noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-39658129035876935702014-07-27T09:14:47.570-04:002014-07-27T09:14:47.570-04:00I promised myself I would never read this blog aga...I promised myself I would never read this blog again if I opened it and discovered that the Saturday puzzle was "Easy." I got the NW and SE pretty easily, and sea creature, but for some reason I took forever to get Jersey Shore even though I HAD the shore part (I guess I don't think of it as a program or as anything really). I finally broke down and googled the mica clue in the NE, and after that, the rest fell into place. But EASY???!!!bswein99https://www.blogger.com/profile/17695650849084225055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51179112262918783262014-07-27T05:31:53.376-04:002014-07-27T05:31:53.376-04:00Really, really did not like the use of the word &#...Really, really did not like the use of the word 'mulatto' in 36A. Strikes me as a highly racist, inflammatory word which has also been out of use for years. Deservedly so.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18172244883841717342014-07-26T22:51:18.981-04:002014-07-26T22:51:18.981-04:00It's almost Sunday, so I better get in my Satu...It's almost Sunday, so I better get in my Saturday puzzle comment ASAP! I did the puzzle, Googled to get through it - and agree with everyone's comments. It was not easy for me. <br />And just to note that I always spelled it RICKRACK - and I've actually used the stuff!Arlenehttp://www.listeningclosely.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12270942410146559482014-07-26T21:29:58.481-04:002014-07-26T21:29:58.481-04:00****LAT spoiler alert****
Once upon a time there ...****LAT spoiler alert****<br /> Once upon a time there was a bit of an ongoing kerfuffle about putting self-referential answers in the puzzle. Mr Lim pushed it today, but the LAT constructor managed to put his unaltered name at 1A. Personally, I thought the criticism was overblown before, but today's doubling up is too much in my opinionZhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61719632248926634832014-07-26T21:21:33.384-04:002014-07-26T21:21:33.384-04:00@600 - (from yesterday) your comment made my day. ...@600 - (from yesterday) your comment made my day. <br /><br />Regarding MULATTO, I'm with OISK, it is historically relevant and clued in that context. Yet, cluing "nigger" with a Huck Finn reference wouldn't work, and MULATTO is but one or two steps shy of "nigger." Perhaps the difference to me is that MULATTO doesn't carry the same power and isn't a word with much currency. <br /><br />I'm also with @OISK on rappers in puzzles - get out your 26-sided die and give it a roll, because if you don't know the artist or the work you have a 1 in 26 chance of getting it right.<br /><br />Isn't ASCETIC the noun form and only the noun form? I guess I will have to look it up.<br /><br />In Chess notation, O-O represents castling on the King side and O-O-O represents castling on the Queen side. Why? Because that is the sound a new player makes when they learn about castling.<br /><br />Forgot ERL, never knew RICRAC or rickrack, and the SE was a total fail. Wanting twenties or Jacksons for change didn't help, nor did COddle. Not my favorite. Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59292945740787709022014-07-26T20:50:33.178-04:002014-07-26T20:50:33.178-04:00@OISK & @Moly Shu: A welcome class act!
OK @MS...@OISK & @Moly Shu: A welcome class act!<br />OK @MS you mean to tell me you can't spell Tchaikovsy?GILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34721387729033799312014-07-26T20:07:03.861-04:002014-07-26T20:07:03.861-04:00@Oisk, wasn't looking for an apology, but I...@Oisk, wasn't looking for an apology, but I'll accept it, was just trying to convey how I perceive your comments. Sorry if I sounded preachy. You say whatever you want, I'm grateful for your insight. <br /><br />@Gil I.P., you're %100 right. The same could be said for names of operas and classical music composers, no? Well, at least to me. <br /><br />@Jae, thx for the info on Rev Run (still can't get used to referring to him that way). He is still outspoken. Kudos to him. Moly Shuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08469710317471610093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26008737555316541622014-07-26T19:33:39.728-04:002014-07-26T19:33:39.728-04:00@Gil I.P. and @ Molyshu - thanks, Gil for agreeing...@Gil I.P. and @ Molyshu - thanks, Gil for agreeing with me about rap names, but Moly Shu makes a valid point as well. I should not refer to rap (or any other pop culture) as "slop," because it demeans those who enjoy it. I AM intolerant of rap, and don't see why I should tolerate it, but that is not an excuse for referring to it as slop, garbage, or noise, even if that is how it seems to me. So this is an apology. <br /><br />I have no problem with mulatto. That is the word used in the book, and it is not used in any objectionable way. Yes, usages change, but I don't see why using that word in a puzzle is in any way offensive, when the original source is included.OISKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16808675378318214461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29216448365761716702014-07-26T19:23:00.872-04:002014-07-26T19:23:00.872-04:00Hey there @Frank Buxton.
Mr. Pibb is a cola, compa...Hey there @Frank Buxton.<br />Mr. Pibb is a cola, comparable to Dr. Pepper. I personaaly think it's better, but that's just me. Scroll back and see @wrecks comment, 5 comments ago.<br /><br />RooMonster<br />DarrinVRooMonsternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57288619599015217352014-07-26T19:04:09.843-04:002014-07-26T19:04:09.843-04:00I give up. What, or who, is Mr. Pibb ?I give up. What, or who, is Mr. Pibb ?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05728563577234608448noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71942682445859611972014-07-26T17:23:14.390-04:002014-07-26T17:23:14.390-04:00xxx <a href="xxx <a href="Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37094087574765792702014-07-26T16:34:32.478-04:002014-07-26T16:34:32.478-04:00@Moly Shu - There's an interview with Joseph S...@Moly Shu - There's an interview with Joseph Simmons, who now goes by Rev. Run, in the LAT today. He is becoming a spokesman for preventing type 2 diabetes.jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68843125527372757112014-07-26T16:32:29.414-04:002014-07-26T16:32:29.414-04:00POST PUZZLE PUZZLE solution:
The group these word...POST PUZZLE PUZZLE solution:<br /><br />The group these words belong to is "answers whose clue begins with a vowel". The missing one is UHURU.Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09709142959535977331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14739285857087524932014-07-26T16:16:32.145-04:002014-07-26T16:16:32.145-04:001:05. Eight googles. No cheats. No errors. Googles...1:05. Eight googles. No cheats. No errors. Googles for JERSEYSHORE, SEACREATURE, OPRAH (Anika Noni Rose deserves the shoutout, not O), STMORITZ, ELTORO, MICA, ONUS and NOVO, after which the other clues were gettable, but sadly no before. Granted my patience was thin, and I didn't want to go much over an hour. <br /><br />restING for PAUSING was a false anchor. macauley for JOEPESCI was another false anchor. Wanted aCcute migraine for OCULAR. All responsive answers, all marching quietly to oblivion. So you see. I needed the damned googles. Badly. Good for you guys for avoiding these traps. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07107804787389636647noreply@blogger.com