tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post4376386530655213628..comments2024-03-29T10:10:24.419-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Antares Proxima Centauri / FRI 5-17-13 / NYC 22 replaced it in 2012 / Tree with large seedpods on its trunk / Style of New York's Sony Building / 60s film character wearing one black glove / Literary classic featuring teen Tadzio / Long-running Mell Lazarus comic strip / Focus of stereochemistry / Verano across the PyreneesRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70393508875752028042013-06-22T11:28:10.174-04:002013-06-22T11:28:10.174-04:00Anonymous 1:49, I completely agree that ZUMA (if n...Anonymous 1:49, I completely agree that ZUMA (if nothing else because of his checkered history, multiple wives, etc.) should be known to most folks without having to look up his name. <br /><br />My memory is not so good due to 20+ years of illness. One reason that I do these crosswords is to fight against brain fog. It's strange that my brain can remember things like The Enneads by Plotinus but forget the current president of South Africa.<br /><br />I hope it does not sound like I'm trying to excuse myself. I agree with your main point that US news outlets are pretty bad at covering international news. <br /><br />PS. I got 3 out of 4 on your quiz. I could not remember the former Mexican president, sadly. I kept thinking of Fox but that was much longer ago.Syndi Solvernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64516983733690742892013-06-22T01:49:07.386-04:002013-06-22T01:49:07.386-04:00I am always amazed when travelling in the States -...I am always amazed when travelling in the States - my favorite country by the way - at how most of your daily newspapers have virtually no coverage of international news. Zuma should be a given for anyone with even the slightest knowledge of world affairs. Try these...David ______ (U.K. Prime MInister)...Francois ___________(Pres. of France)....Stephen_________(Prime Minister of Canada) Felipe___________(President of Mexico 2006-12)...Do you really have to Google these guys???Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11037221972615423572013-06-21T20:48:04.326-04:002013-06-21T20:48:04.326-04:00I forgot to mention the 5 Down clue, Member of the...I forgot to mention the 5 Down clue, Member of the Ennead. <br /><br />I only know about the Enneads, the collection of writings by Plotinus. And I know Ennead means nine since they were collected into groups of nine. But that's the extent of my knowledge.<br /><br />I had no idea that the word Ennead was used for a group of nine Egyptian gods. So there's something new that I learned.Syndi Solvernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54299839352892227922013-06-21T20:32:23.151-04:002013-06-21T20:32:23.151-04:00This was a challenge for me. I was completely stuc...This was a challenge for me. I was completely stuck in the upper NW corner. I finally had to google "NYC 22" -- I had no idea there was a TV show called that. I barely know that CSI:MIAMI is (was?) a show. Also had to cheat to get ZUMA. You'd think I would have figured out CRAZIER but I never saw it because I had put in saMBA for 7 Down.<br /><br />At least 34 Across was a gimme for me. That plus 15 Down (SILICON VALLEY) helped me get into the middle and do the rest of the puzzle on my own.<br /><br />Reminder - the ongoing TV show about the time traveller is "Doctor Who" (doctor should be spelled out) and the 1960s classic comedy film is "DR. STRANGELOVE" (doctor is abbreviated). :-)Syndi Solvernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28879263273939779422013-06-21T17:28:27.769-04:002013-06-21T17:28:27.769-04:00I'd say this is almost a terrific puzzle. It ...I'd say this is almost a terrific puzzle. It kept my attention for almost as long as @Spacecraft, but he/she completed it, but I did not. The NW was my undoing, though nothing there was unwieldy or ungettable, but I couldn't wield or get today. Let me say, though, that I learned the Cuban dance as RHUMBA from my Mom, and I could not let go of that. I winced at TOOLCASE, but that's what it had to be, as I accepted MELC, thinking, who would have Melc as a name? <br /><br />I eventually had to swallow ATOMS (you hardly notice them) even though the clue is essentially incorrect as @retired chemist pointed out. I was trying to think of some sort of isomer (enantiomer), or something to do with optical activity, but it had to be ATOMS, even though incorrect, and I will NOT be angry about it. It's a case of the constructor knowing a little about something, and unfortunately showing it off. Had the clue said "focus of Dalton", it would have engendered no objections. It's OK. I expect to DNF on a Friday or Saturday, and I lived up (down) to my expectations today.rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13960464716753316142013-06-21T16:37:35.597-04:002013-06-21T16:37:35.597-04:00Actually, @DMG, your capcha, "was raphopl,&qu...Actually, @DMG, your capcha, "was raphopl," is a little known expression of inner-city musical bliss. I once witnessed raphopl at a LL Cool J recording session.Solving in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04249420848844874936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-79597707399541243582013-06-21T16:22:02.426-04:002013-06-21T16:22:02.426-04:00Didn't enjoy this one at all! Got the NW corn...Didn't enjoy this one at all! Got the NW corner and a bunch of words scattered here and there, but with no idea about the three long crosses, the rest was pretty hopeless. Actually get more pleasure out of @SIS' sharing of captchas! Mine are pretty boring lately, unless today's reflects my feeling about this puzzle: was raphoplDMGrandmanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54092704075064047452013-06-21T15:18:02.487-04:002013-06-21T15:18:02.487-04:00Anyone care to maMbo? No. How about saMbA? No. The...Anyone care to maMbo? No. How about saMbA? No. Then would you care to RUMBA? Finally, a yes SIREE!<br /><br />@spacecraft, LOL when I read your reminder of the DRSTRANGELOVE line. Thanks.<br /><br />Grin at TOPLESS being on the bottom, and next to SECRET and under YOUOWEME. Hmmm, is there a story here. Care to dance?<br /><br />Wasn't AGUSTUS BALBOA Rocky's dad?<br /><br />Good puzzle, Josh.<br /><br />Capcha: longus sphyby. A really bad social disease?Solving in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04249420848844874936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90416230137449219202013-06-21T11:53:16.692-04:002013-06-21T11:53:16.692-04:00Under 9 what? MINUTES??? Liar! No human being coul...Under 9 what? MINUTES??? Liar! No human being could POSSIBLY do this puzzle in under 9 minutes. Took me two hours, and I didn't take a break.<br /><br />Ah, but I got 'er done, I did! Not without some awfully time-consuming missteps--the Much/MOST/DocTor_GELO_E problem. Could we have a rebus center square? STRAN all crowded in there together? But then I saw PRActical (!) at 31d. And that was a whole nother story.<br /><br />In two spots I was able to fill in parts of an answer definitely without knowing the rest of it: the key, which had to be some letter from A to G plus M__OR; also some letter-prefixed _STAR in the SW. But the A's of _STAR and PRActical abutted at 54a, which gave me pause. Then I thought: oh, no: PRAGMATIC is the same length--and starts with the same three letters! Oh man, that's nasty! So, straightened that one out. My entire southwestern quadrant is a mess of overwrites. I should do endweek puzzles in pencil, really I should.<br /><br />Of course, I also made the BaTS error at first. The "literary classic' (?) had me going, even with _EATHIN_E_ICE all in. And my central down had __aICON_AL___. Then the aha! took place, and I could at last tackle the NW and SE corners.<br /><br />I don't know enough about stereochemistry to have been put off by ATOMS; it seemed reasonable to me. (Sometimes ignorance helps!) I did think that nuts rattling around in a TOOLCASE seemed a bit messy, but then, Bob Vila I am NOT.<br /><br />So my grid, albeit untidy, is completed, with no help or errors. But 9 minutes? No way. You'd be callin' Ken Jennings "dummy."<br /><br />I loved it, not only because I felt triumphant at finishing, but for the centerpiece DRSTRANGELOVE, or How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. How could you not love a movie with the line:<br />"Gentlemen! You can't fight in here; this is the War Room!" (Spoken, curiously, by the same actor who played the title role!)spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68515808245151055772013-06-21T11:41:10.208-04:002013-06-21T11:41:10.208-04:00@Anonymous 10.58: Welcome to Syndi-land. The synd...@Anonymous 10.58: Welcome to Syndi-land. The syndicated version of the Mon-to-Sat puzzles run five weeks late, and the Sunday ones one week. So, there's a disconcerting time-warpedness out here. <br /><br />Loved the puzzle, and actually found it easy. Things just kept fitting in. Usually, if I find a Friday even do-able, it's rated Easy by Rex!Red Valerianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04638265039015470938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53016924086311309822013-06-21T10:58:39.769-04:002013-06-21T10:58:39.769-04:00This puzzle appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazett...This puzzle appeared in the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette on June 21 - we're always way behind.<br /><br />Anyway, I don't know how Rex can say he "struggles" with anything when he finishes the puzzles in 8 minutes!<br /><br />I am proud when I finish Fri. or Sat. within an hour (if I Google, I consider that DNF.)<br /><br />Anyway, whoever said "You can hear people yell "Oye" meaning look.....<br /><br />Your high school Spanish is Rusty. Oye means listen. Mira means look.<br /><br />Loved the puzzle in general - agree the ABCs clue was no good.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81157266364392568682013-05-18T19:51:42.958-04:002013-05-18T19:51:42.958-04:00Nope not boring at all! I had angle for the longes...Nope not boring at all! I had angle for the longest time, a better answer than atoms, I thought!<br /><br />--FearlessKimAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61623355165304708982013-05-18T10:05:12.097-04:002013-05-18T10:05:12.097-04:00Both sides of the argument are technically correct...Both sides of the argument are technically correct. A stereochemist would need to focus on the arrangement of the atoms, and also on which atoms were being used in said arrangement. Both are essential to doing any useful analysis.Stereochemistnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84101829887978378832013-05-18T00:21:41.387-04:002013-05-18T00:21:41.387-04:00Thought ISOMERS would have been a better answer th...Thought ISOMERS would have been a better answer than ATOMS but too many letters! (it's not just the atoms it's how they're arranged ..something you could pick up even from the wiki entry.) I'm rather a science dummy myself though, so maybe I shouldn't quibble.Kristinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75919433330935386562013-05-17T23:50:06.497-04:002013-05-17T23:50:06.497-04:00@loren
awww, you just made me cry.
c'mon, you...@loren<br />awww, you just made me cry.<br />c'mon, you're a natural! So glad you followed your heart!acmenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-79060058636404801262013-05-17T23:02:09.630-04:002013-05-17T23:02:09.630-04:00This 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 7:07, 6:14, 1.14, 94%, Challenging<br />Tue 6:14, 8:09, 0.76, 1%, Easy (2nd lowest ratio of 180 Tuesdays)<br />Wed 8:14, 10:03, 0.82, 10%, Easy<br />Thu 16:17, 16:58, 0.96, 39%, Easy-Medium<br />Fri 24:17, 21:35, 1.13, 77%, Medium-Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:55, 3:46, 1.04, 71%, Medium-Challenging<br />Tue 3:48, 4:47, 0.79, 2%, Easy (3rd lowest ratio of 180 Tuesdays)<br />Wed 5:04, 5:54, 0.86, 12%, Easy<br />Thu 9:32, 9:56, 0.96, 38%, Easy-Medium<br />Fri 14:06, 12:19, 1.14, 73%, Medium-Challenging<br /><br />OK OK ... I relent ... after looking at the replay, I have to agree that no foul is warranted. I guess I just <i>really</i> wanted A-minor to be correct.sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12663094174230412402013-05-17T22:59:48.698-04:002013-05-17T22:59:48.698-04:00Squinting my eyes as I read, afraid of Loren/Jeff ...Squinting my eyes as I read, afraid of Loren/Jeff spoilers.<br />But mostly, just needed to check off the mailme box.Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40396846606597882642013-05-17T22:56:33.493-04:002013-05-17T22:56:33.493-04:00The SW SMITEd me.
But was a good Friday - kept at...The SW SMITEd me.<br /><br />But was a good Friday - kept at it on and off, but finally had to get the last coupla letters in there.<br /><br />2 annoyances:<br />I would never ever say "YOUOWEME" if I did someone a genuine favor. I think that is part of the definition of doing a favor.<br />It's called being nice...<br /><br />And, <br /><br />What a gobsmackingly arbitrary clue at 2D. I suppose that it is smeant to conjure up the dark ages when American High Schools taught only those 2 languages, and therefore, it would be only us olderlies who would be RUSTY?<br />My French and Spanish are assex beuno. My German, on the other hand - now THAT is RUSTY (@Ulrich - Oder?)<br /><br />Wow - @RetChem - great points.<br /><br />Off to LALA Land next!Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-670716647735979632013-05-17T22:19:47.935-04:002013-05-17T22:19:47.935-04:00@loren - I join Sandy K in the late crowd. Congra...@loren - I join Sandy K in the late crowd. Congratulations to you and Jeff on the very nifty puzzle. I left one square blank - the spot @Bob Kerfuffle referred to. I like 45D + 23A.Carolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15971759975067250908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50928371740842090152013-05-17T21:29:46.680-04:002013-05-17T21:29:46.680-04:00@Loren
Got to your puzzle a bit late. You and Je...@Loren<br />Got to your puzzle a bit late. You and Jeff Chen did a great job- really clever and enjoyable!<br /><br />Now for the post-Oscar PARTy!!Sandy Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80763955352655615302013-05-17T20:59:54.295-04:002013-05-17T20:59:54.295-04:00Hey – thanks everyone for the comments on Jeff’s a...Hey – thanks everyone for the comments on Jeff’s and my puzzle.<br /><br />John V and I started the whole process, and it was he who introduced me to either “OneLook” or “XWord Info” – I was so pleased with the enormous list he provided with all the PARTs included. I mean, we’re talking pages and pages of possibilities. I’m sure some of the theme entries were a result of @John V’s list. He just got too busy at work and asked to bow out. <br /><br />I filled a grid that Gareth was kind enough to build for me (I don’t have the constructing chops to do one like this without serious experienced muscle), got some advice from Rex and Tyler Hinman that the reveal was too dull (MISSING PARTS), and then Jeff came on board and took it to the next level. <br /><br />This feels like an Oscar acceptance speech, and, well, heck. Sorry. I just wanted @John V and @Jeff to get a lot more credit. I would also like to thank my children and husband. . .Yeah, right. Sorry.<br /><br />At the risk of seriously sounding Oscarish, Oscaristic, Oscaresque, Oscary. . . Thank you, Andrea. You saw something in me I didn’t know about. You have changed my life.Loren Muse Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05308030011870397977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40252573310994030862013-05-17T20:54:07.297-04:002013-05-17T20:54:07.297-04:00@Loren and @Jeff - What happened with 8D and 31A. ...@Loren and @Jeff - What happened with 8D and 31A. Editing error? Nifty puzzle otherwise.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76908778241138291952013-05-17T20:38:39.759-04:002013-05-17T20:38:39.759-04:00@Loren and Jeff -- Fun Fri. Would have made good...@Loren and Jeff -- Fun Fri. Would have made good NYT Thurs.jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58791192425461302172013-05-17T20:23:51.423-04:002013-05-17T20:23:51.423-04:00@loren muse smith - Nice LAT puzzle! I don't ...@loren muse smith - Nice LAT puzzle! I don't think it would be a spoiler to say that I finished with one wrong letter, at the cross of 26 D and 40 A - my answer looked so promising, but just didn't work.Bob Kerfufflehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02615811802419025933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61591022657575279742013-05-17T19:49:43.527-04:002013-05-17T19:49:43.527-04:00I really wanted to enter DEPTH for "Focus of ...I really wanted to enter DEPTH for "Focus of stereochemistry". Stereo = 3D + focus = depth, get it?okanaganerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03082227619755246335noreply@blogger.com