tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post4629020711423471510..comments2024-03-29T03:22:09.826-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Classical guitarist Segovia / SUN 12-8-13 / Actor Jack of oaters / English film festival city / Political title of 1930s-40s / Biblical priest of Shiloh / Youngest of Chekhov's Three SistersRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37869358003692523912014-01-13T21:32:19.183-05:002014-01-13T21:32:19.183-05:00I found the middle and NW difficult. I did enjoy...I found the middle and NW difficult. I did enjoy 37a TONELESS crossing 23d TiNEARS.RonLhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05092416733312309064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2124043952259075232013-12-16T05:08:46.496-05:002013-12-16T05:08:46.496-05:00@Cary in Boulder - "They'd" is a con...@Cary in Boulder - "They'd" is a contraction of "they would", so the completed quote in the clue could read, "I thought they would never leave" which is often said when party guests overstayed their welcome.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3388730131212444842013-12-16T00:58:39.299-05:002013-12-16T00:58:39.299-05:00Not easy for me but not surprised the superstars f...Not easy for me but not surprised the superstars found it so. Didn't take me all that long to figure out the trick once I got some squares filled in. But something about the cluing made me have to really reach for almost every answer. <br /><br />Still I finished it and I liked it and glad I didn't just give up and turn my full attention to football.<br /><br />Still don't get what THEYD is about.Cary in Bouldernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-62279470376374056792013-12-15T19:30:05.352-05:002013-12-15T19:30:05.352-05:00Is it "HAPPENING HAPPY ENDING" or "...Is it "HAPPENING HAPPY ENDING" or "HAPPY ENDING HAPPENING"? Either way, Patrick Berry delivered one with this puzzle - loved it!Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1247642315050918492013-12-15T13:14:17.155-05:002013-12-15T13:14:17.155-05:00Nope, it's ANDRES. A beautiful man. A master c...Nope, it's ANDRES. A beautiful man. A master craftsman. Sorta like today's author. It's all been said. This guy is the Lawrence Taylor of crosswords: he changed the way the game is played. Both ears and the tail, as usual, Mr. B!spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45461847574039997892013-12-12T10:19:21.396-05:002013-12-12T10:19:21.396-05:00Isn't it Andrei Segovia?Isn't it Andrei Segovia?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68580705199936598002013-12-08T22:29:25.926-05:002013-12-08T22:29:25.926-05:00Thank you for counter formations! I guess I haven&...Thank you for counter formations! I guess I haven't stood in a deli line for a long, long time. <br />I too had LEIS before UKES.Carole Shmurakhttp://carole-books.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38030670570093197722013-12-08T22:11:51.719-05:002013-12-08T22:11:51.719-05:00This 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 5:43, 6:07, 0.93, 19%, Easy<br />Tue 8:18, 8:12, 1.01, 57%, Medium<br />Wed 10:50, 9:52, 1.10, 73%, Medium-Challenging<br />Thu 19:17, 17:47, 1.08, 66%, Medium-Challenging<br />Fri 13:44, 19:17, 0.71, 7%, Easy<br />Sat 23:22, 26:56, 0.87, 22%, Easy-Medium<br />Sun 28:29, 30:01, 0.95, 38%, Easy-Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:40, 3:46, 0.97, 31%, Easy-Medium<br />Tue 4:46, 5:01, 0.95, 31%, Easy-Medium<br />Wed 6:26, 5:49, 1.11, 76%, Medium-Challenging<br />Thu 10:32, 10:07, 1.04, 57%, Medium<br />Fri 7:50, 11:12, 0.70, 7%, Easy<br />Sat 13:21, 17:17, 0.77, 9%, Easy<br />Sun 18:05, 20:29, 0.88, 24%, Easy-Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57093001705825027402013-12-08T19:43:14.226-05:002013-12-08T19:43:14.226-05:00In my earlier post I said "At 33A, I'm no...In my earlier post I said "At 33A, I'm not sure I've ever heard the word willowy for SLENDER"<br /><br />Just asked my 12yo daughter what willowy meant and she said SLENDER without much thought. Humbling. I get some credit for that though, right?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09567874862630285191noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17719191011604178072013-12-08T18:31:49.172-05:002013-12-08T18:31:49.172-05:00Pleasant Sunday slog whilst taking in the NFL. Nev...Pleasant Sunday slog whilst taking in the NFL. Never caught the two- out device, but paid no mind to the circles. A couple of mistakes: ADENaID, KLUTc, and was slowed down by first using leis instead of UKES. Thanks Mr. Berry!LaneBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70230588890749405382013-12-08T17:05:54.997-05:002013-12-08T17:05:54.997-05:00Good not great because robots speak in monotone (n...Good not great because robots speak in monotone (not TONELESS) and SOY is not savory.<br /><br />Love the theme.Namelessnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60177728999663106092013-12-08T16:21:47.278-05:002013-12-08T16:21:47.278-05:00Yep, I was wrong about Jack Elam; he was not in Bl...Yep, I was wrong about Jack Elam; he was not in Blazing Saddles. It was not the actors that I got mixed up, it was the movie. The role I was thinking of was in "Support your local sheriff." OISKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16808675378318214461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57566718815151226162013-12-08T15:27:01.241-05:002013-12-08T15:27:01.241-05:00@Gill I.P. & Sandy K. - Me too for LEIS. I...@Gill I.P. & Sandy K. - Me too for LEIS. I'd forgotten that erasure until I read your post.<br /><br />The HBO film "The Girl" is a fascinating look and the relationship between Hitchcock and Hedren and the effect it had on her movie career.jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82322418070307867812013-12-08T14:52:53.292-05:002013-12-08T14:52:53.292-05:00A perfect puzzle! Fun to do, fun to savor the word...A perfect puzzle! Fun to do, fun to savor the word overtones. I guess there is a satisfaction to being the fastest this or that, but the loss of the recollections and passing notes in the chords is lost to the the speed solver watching the clock.<br /><br />I don't go to a concert or performance to see how fast I can see it. I don't go to an art show to see how quickly I can walk the show and tick off the catalogue.<br /><br />Words have nuance, words trigger individual reminiscence. Words are a performance. And crosswords a very particular art form to be enjoyed in a sensuous span of time.Dick Swartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48642405871623881862013-12-08T14:46:58.347-05:002013-12-08T14:46:58.347-05:00ps- my other rewrite:
ThE rAMones before
TEE NA...ps- my other rewrite:<br /><br />ThE rAMones before<br />TEE NAMARIESandy Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37508080249319647862013-12-08T14:34:15.265-05:002013-12-08T14:34:15.265-05:00@Gill I. P
You're not the only one who had LE...@Gill I. P<br /><br />You're not the only one who had LEIS before UKES. I think PB threw us a CURVE BALL...which had a HAPPY ENDING if KIA or ELL were REALized. ; )Sandy Knoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26480601581500627322013-12-08T14:13:34.006-05:002013-12-08T14:13:34.006-05:00Ingenious. I'm amazed at how many of theses p...Ingenious. I'm amazed at how many of theses pairs PB came up with - that even fit together as phrases, if sometimes ZANILY. I caught on at LIB(E)R(T)ARIAN, went back and finished S(H)ANGRI(L)A and then had fun anticipating and savoring the remaining ones. <br /><br />Pure pleasure throughout the grid. I don't even MIND my DNF (I also accepted "MooNIE" with a "Huh, never heard of that one").Carolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15971759975067250908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81075865787824965542013-12-08T14:07:48.040-05:002013-12-08T14:07:48.040-05:00I love Patrick Berry.
Ever since his Meta/Mega Pu...I love Patrick Berry.<br /><br />Ever since his Meta/Mega Puzzle masterpiece, my heart races when I read he's the constructor. He resides in that sweet spot of my brain that challenges just enough and rewards magnificently when one gets the trick. While I admire you speedsolvers, I pity @Rex in this case for his 11 minute finish. How can one savor this filet mignon while wolfing it down like a Big Mac? My regret is that it took me 45 mins which is a fast Sunday for me.<br /><br />Thank you, Patrick BerryNorth Beachnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-69409088599884902112013-12-08T13:51:42.552-05:002013-12-08T13:51:42.552-05:00[time killer] I see no Jack Elam in the full cast ...[time killer] I see no Jack Elam in <a href="http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0071230/fullcredits" rel="nofollow">the full cast of Blazing Saddles</a>. Slim Pickens indeed played Taggart. [/time killer]<br /><br />Hey, the ice in Dallas is gonna start melting and I have to go scrape off a car. I'm looking for ways to delay the inevitable, OK?retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76085923340825088962013-12-08T13:40:31.090-05:002013-12-08T13:40:31.090-05:00Silly me, thinking that the theme applied to Down ...Silly me, thinking that the theme applied to Down answers, as well, until I reread that titular Rule of Two (and 'til I realized that 7D had no conceivable connection to little Ronny Howard). Still, a beautifully enjoyable solve after a somewhat disappointing run of Sundays - and a welcome diversion from all the yuletide chores I should be doing. Thank you, Mr. Berry, and happy holidays to all.Tomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08483931872667768620noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14092903307555904122013-12-08T13:39:56.371-05:002013-12-08T13:39:56.371-05:00I guess I was the only one who opted for LEIS inst...I guess I was the only one who opted for LEIS instead of the plucky UKES.<br />Got the "trick" at SHANGRILA/SANGRIA<br />and thought ok, that's cute. LITTERMATE made me bang my head and wonder how in the world did PB come up with this idea.<br />Brilliant puzzle.GILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78666704471437447642013-12-08T13:39:14.914-05:002013-12-08T13:39:14.914-05:00One of the most enjoyable Sunday puzzles in a long...One of the most enjoyable Sunday puzzles in a long time. Unfortunately I realized after reading the comments that I had two wrong squares: the bra/Elam area.<br /><br />I enjoyed figuring these words out, and libertarian was a great one to find it out! It is a fact, Patrick Berry is one of the top.<br /><br />Feel better, @quilter 1. Now I have to do a little Christmas shopping, hopefully returning before the snow starts.<br />machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66683693453327811452013-12-08T13:15:24.117-05:002013-12-08T13:15:24.117-05:00@ OISK. you may be mixing up Jack Elam with Slim P...@ OISK. you may be mixing up Jack Elam with Slim Pickens. Don't recall the former in Blazing Saddles.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91940599459084708002013-12-08T12:53:36.303-05:002013-12-08T12:53:36.303-05:00I beg to differ with Rex on just one point. He sa...I beg to differ with Rex on just one point. He says that "There's just nothing...nutso about this grid." Everything about the theme is nutso. Delightfully so. lawprofnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50045258258917028222013-12-08T12:47:18.764-05:002013-12-08T12:47:18.764-05:00Easy, fast, fun. Man, he good.
Chrissy Hynde and...Easy, fast, fun. Man, he good. <br /><br /><a href="http://youtu.be/7YFm7SqARrk" rel="nofollow">Chrissy Hynde and friends roll Dylan's "I Shall Be Released."</a><br /><br />Enjoy!August Westhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09919963003128838777noreply@blogger.com