tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post4732216289693006681..comments2024-03-29T10:48:14.820-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Plant protrusion / THU 12-4-14 / Woman's name with ring to it / Singer on Canada's Walk of Fame since 2005 / 1977 horror film set at sea / Car that famously debuted on E Day / Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger123125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6653485718339880362022-12-01T17:52:55.653-05:002022-12-01T17:52:55.653-05:00Rex has said "Just because something can be d...Rex has said "Just because something can be done, doesn't mean that it should be done."<br /><br />For me, this puzzle was very much a counter-example, a "should be done". The SCRABBLE gimme led to working the theme entires with bated bertha, each ambiguity adding a tad more fun to the emit I spent on it.<br /><br />Nicely played M's Walker & Quarfoot! I had this puzzle instead of cookies for dessert.Prunehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00224476641730508311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20579917193303467322015-01-08T23:36:20.615-05:002015-01-08T23:36:20.615-05:00Put me in the "impressive construction not th...Put me in the "impressive construction not that fun to solve" camp. Still, kudos to KW and DQ.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04164515132852116955noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10354814279792889182015-01-08T21:48:50.863-05:002015-01-08T21:48:50.863-05:00Yay!!!! Fun to solve even though I was stuck on An...Yay!!!! Fun to solve even though I was stuck on Anka Siri! A bit crunchy for me but doable! : )KariSeattlehttp://yahoo.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81984016740214165152015-01-08T20:57:10.424-05:002015-01-08T20:57:10.424-05:00Very impressive construction and fun to solve as w...Very impressive construction and fun to solve as well. Ashamed as a Canuck that I had ENYA before ANKA for far too long.<br /><br />Interesting that there is no single-word anagram for ANAGRAM (or ANAGRAMS), Sorta like the word PALINDROME not being a palindrome.<br /><br />My fav anagram trio: SINATRA, ARTISAN, TSARINA.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42556349588723086022015-01-08T15:44:47.190-05:002015-01-08T15:44:47.190-05:00I thought it was fairly easy at first, except for ...I thought it was fairly easy at first, except for the ROTARY, AKIMBO section, and I had put in <br />WORRIED, DERIDES, DANGERS in the themers. Then I read the revealer clue, and so went back to figure out the other possible answers. <br /><br />However, I didn't put two letters per square where required--I just wrote the alternative answers at the side of the puzzle. Does that count, or is that a DNF? Regardless, I'm in agreement that the construction is impressive, though not mind-blowing, but as a solve--enjoyable.rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78992302893390269882015-01-08T15:17:09.429-05:002015-01-08T15:17:09.429-05:00Simplistic Sal here just took the ANAGRAM thing to...Simplistic Sal here just took the ANAGRAM thing to mean that the "theme" words could be parsed 3 different ways and you had to find the one that fit the down clues. So, that's what I did. Had the most trouble with 36A, Toyed with ROE vs DOE played with SLED vs SKID, And kept toying with the possible permutations until suddenly Mr. ANKA, came to my rescue. Thus I ended with DERIDES, and a smile! Never thought to look for the other ANAGRAM"sets". So goes Thursday.<br /><br />265 I think. Not that great!DMGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10579309390153680742015-01-08T14:09:44.758-05:002015-01-08T14:09:44.758-05:00Oops too many Os
LEE, BABBLE NO BIASOops too many Os<br />LEE, BABBLE NO BIASrondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44305014239743741542015-01-08T13:46:53.770-05:002015-01-08T13:46:53.770-05:00BTW for the anagram crowd NOBLE BABE ISABEL = BABB...BTW for the anagram crowd NOBLE BABE ISABEL = BABBOON BILE SALE. Don't buy it.rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87094080486517620202015-01-08T13:30:40.082-05:002015-01-08T13:30:40.082-05:00First of all, I didn't mind this puz at all, e...First of all, I didn't mind this puz at all, even kinda admire the construction.<br />Secondly, all of the pseudo-intellects that complained so bitterly about DS's puzzles becoming Trivial Pursuit-like are falling all over themselves in near orgasmic throes whan the puz combines Word Jumble, Anagram Solver, and SCRABBLE. Either you know stuff, or you don't. Must be that these brainiacs can shuffle around letters until something fits, but they know nothing of sports, or entertainment, nor what an aglet is! I don't care about a SCRABBLEy puzzle; just a degree of difficulty with an iota of intrest. Enough vitriol from me.<br />There wasn't much to dislike here. Might not be a sparkler, but just fine in my mind.(Tho it's time to retire EEL and ETES and EPEE.) Especially with that NOBLE BABE ISABEL. <br /><br />Okay BUD, what are the ODDS that I'll get a number to play:<br />nonerondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14095548431143406052015-01-08T12:49:11.959-05:002015-01-08T12:49:11.959-05:00Spacy, spacey, spacey......how I laughed my ess of...Spacy, spacey, spacey......how I laughed my ess off reading your last remark. Amen, brother!!!<br /><br />I must remain anon. I'm reading this from Sydney Aus.<br /><br />RDAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31622813934135450602015-01-08T11:01:27.664-05:002015-01-08T11:01:27.664-05:00Hey Stacy: we got it the FIRST THREE TIMES! So shu...Hey Stacy: we got it the FIRST THREE TIMES! So shut up already!<br /><br />Wait: that's the racket! Never mind lost spouses and all that crap. Dear spellcaster: can you please help me? I keep running into these testimonials. Can't you make them go away? I'll do ANYTHING! I'll PAY ANYTHING!<br /><br />THAT's how they make their money!<br /><br />On to today's multi-puzz. Pretty much what OFL said: gimmes at 7 and 63a; no fill of interest other than AKIMBO (I don't know that it means simply legs spread and hands on hips, as superheroes are wont to stand; the word evokes in me much less balance--but it's still a GREAT word); and a sticky spot that takes it out of the "easy" column.<br /><br />Though my sticky is not his. Originating in northeast PA, I know what a SKID is. I had trouble more north. My REVUE started out, paradoxically, as a RErUn. Didn't see what 6d was "aiming" for till I had everything else in the NW filled in, and STRORE made no sense. Then I sensed--DETECTed--STROVE. and ergo, REVUE. That was quite the aha! moment. It also took me forever to get the BY part of BYCAB.<br /><br />But again, poor Rex is saddled with another hate: SCRABBLE. If I had the time, I'd feel sorry for the guy.spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87198273400640211972014-12-29T15:55:59.480-05:002014-12-29T15:55:59.480-05:00How I Got My Lover Back {eboehispellcaster@gmail.c...How I Got My Lover Back {eboehispellcaster@gmail.com}...<br /><br />What a wonderful and a straight forward spell caster that has brought back joy and happiness into my life after i saw a post on how he helped a lady called Nicole Morgan; i decided to contact him for help, when i told this God sent man Dr Eboehi on how my lover left me for 2 years without calling nor texting me, When i shared this my sad experience with Dr Eboehi he said everything would be okay within 3 days i was like am i sure what this man is saying is real, So i decided to give him a try and at first i was thinking he was a scam and i taught he was like other spell casters who come online to add pain to people's life not knowing there feelings but to make money, this great man Dr Eboehi is never like that because he is for good and to make people happy with the one they love, am just so happy, Even before the 3 days i just got a call from a man who has left me for 2 years saying that he his sorry and that he wants me back to his life i was so happy, He invited me for a dinner which i met with him there and we both talked, he said he wants to prove that he would never leave me for any other lady he engaged me and also made me had access to all his account am so happy all thanks goes to this great man Dr Eboehi a man who has brought back joy to my life, friends that need help in getting their lover's back i would advice you contact Dr Eboehi via email: eboehispellcaster@gmail.com because he is the right man to help you get your problem solved.<br /><br />Thanks... Stacy DonaldAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40561099117790845012014-12-05T04:10:56.774-05:002014-12-05T04:10:56.774-05:00On top of it all, scrabble was at 7 across for the...On top of it all, scrabble was at 7 across for the seven letters of the full rack anagramsPaulnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85371390000943573562014-12-04T23:57:36.533-05:002014-12-04T23:57:36.533-05:00Really clever and a hella hard construct, I can im...Really clever and a hella hard construct, I can imagine. HOORAYED had me stymied for what seemed like forever.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81563245985810327282014-12-04T19:56:39.318-05:002014-12-04T19:56:39.318-05:00Fantastic puzzle. Knew Rex wouldn't care much ...Fantastic puzzle. Knew Rex wouldn't care much for it. I see it as a tour de force.Genehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17061491158278453862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47139514776630270002014-12-04T19:11:51.218-05:002014-12-04T19:11:51.218-05:00@r.alphbunker: 0) The translation from .puz to ipu...@r.alphbunker: 0) The translation from .puz to ipuz is done on the fly in the app after the .puz file is downloaded from the NYT web site. Some Puzzazz features, including supporting multiple answer words, require more than just ipuz. If you want to look at an ipuz example, check out last week's AVCX puzzle by Francis Heaney. AVCX mailed out an ipuz file that supported that puzzle since .puz couldn't even come close.<br /><br />1) The bookshelf isn't skeuomorphic. We got rid of that in 3.0 a year ago. If you don't like the category organization, you can switch to all books by release date or books by author. Is there something else that is bothering you?<br /><br />2) Interesting suggestion. I worked on a product in 1992 that had that feature (Perspective for PenPoint). It wasn't that great because printed text is actually easier to read than your own handwriting (even for people with great handwriting), plus you wouldn't know things when something had been mis-recognized. That said, TouchWrite is a lot better than the handwriting recognition back then. I will put this on our suggestion list.Roy Lebanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16120240595362341255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76152285347749519172014-12-04T18:34:21.138-05:002014-12-04T18:34:21.138-05:00I. Did. Not. Read. The. Clue. For. 63A!!!! (FYI @...I. Did. Not. Read. The. Clue. For. 63A!!!! (FYI @Mathguy :-) )<br /><br />I was going along thinking three anagrams were a pretty easy Thursday theme. Had ANAG in 63A, looked at the first part of the clue, "What the three...", filled in the rest of the puzzle and wondered why Mr. Happy Pencil was smirking at me. checked all my answers, no typos. Hit the check all button (had WORRIED, DERIDES, GARDENS @Casco) and GARDENS had four Xes in it. Changed it to DANGERS, was impressed the downs worked and saw Xes in WORRIED and DERIDES now. <br /><br />You would think I might now go back to the reveal and read, but you would think wrong. So now I had RESIDES and ROWDIER (wow, the downs still work!) but I had one X over the W in ROWDIER. Flummoxed at what could possibly be changed, I came to the blog. Now I'm left kicking myself at not having the full solving experience.<br /><br />What a great accomplishment, KW and DQ!!Teedmnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12832353448839187816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-79095798053152250072014-12-04T18:12:48.392-05:002014-12-04T18:12:48.392-05:00SCRABBLE fan here, so no problem on that front.
N...SCRABBLE fan here, so no problem on that front.<br /><br />Nice to see my home town, Port ISABEL, TX, get some grid time.<br /><br />Also nice to see in the comments that one or two other people on this planet are still followers of Freud. I've been in strict Freudian psychoanalysis for 37 years. I'll give it three more years and if we haven't made a breakthrough in decoding the underlying dynamics of why I'm simultaneously both anal retentive & anal expulsive, I'm taking my business down the street to our local phrenologist. Anoa Bobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16185183023273883700noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17702705800394011132014-12-04T18:12:34.910-05:002014-12-04T18:12:34.910-05:00Not everyone loves the Myers-Briggs. Maybe we shou...<a href="http://www.vox.com/2014/7/15/5881947/myers-briggs-personality-test-meaningless" rel="nofollow">Not everyone loves the Myers-Briggs.</a> Maybe we should replace with the Casco-Kid Test.Outlaw Znoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9797316516909906902014-12-04T18:10:05.737-05:002014-12-04T18:10:05.737-05:00@r.alph bunker - Will the cat be alive or dead whe...@r.alph bunker - Will the cat be alive or dead when we finish?Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76149577347502496842014-12-04T17:49:14.098-05:002014-12-04T17:49:14.098-05:00@ralph bunker, count me in but I can only do the f...@ralph bunker, count me in but I can only do the first 203,268,260,658,146,231,467,800,709,255,289 or so.Questiniahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06225633428852696530noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32766710490339926862014-12-04T17:41:09.178-05:002014-12-04T17:41:09.178-05:00@Roy Leban
Thanks for the correction. I won't...@Roy Leban<br /><br />Thanks for the correction. I won't need as many testers!<br /><br />Since the ipuz format is non-proprietary could you publish the ipuz representation that you used for today's puzzle?<br /><br />Also, while I have your ear here are two suggestions about Puzzazz<br /><br />1. Could you provide a non-skeuomorphic option for the bookshelf<br /><br />2. Could you implement an option that would keep my handwritten letters in the grid and use OCR only when you are checking the solution?<br /><br />@Moly Shu<br />Given how busy everybody is nowadays, there probably won't be enough time. :-)<br />r.alphbunkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00657275501845781384noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67305447684116020002014-12-04T17:25:32.888-05:002014-12-04T17:25:32.888-05:00@R.alph, count me in. Do you have a rough estimate...@R.alph, count me in. Do you have a rough estimate of how long you think it will take to, say, solve 1/3 of the permutations? Moly Shuhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08469710317471610093noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22701481665537906572014-12-04T17:21:25.971-05:002014-12-04T17:21:25.971-05:00@RooMonster: I think my favorite word is WOWDIER, ...@RooMonster: I think my favorite word is WOWDIER, as in this puzzle is WOWDIER than the CLINTON/BOBDOLE one.<br /><br />@r.alphbunker: If you can pull that off, you will be famous! But, you are off on your total. Since the Across and Downs interlock, they are not independent. Assuming you had 39 Across words and 39 Down words, you would have <i>only</i> 3^39 or 4,052,555,153,018,980,000 different solutions -- 4 quintillion instead of 16 undecillion. Still impressive, and Puzzazz can handle it.Roy Lebanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16120240595362341255noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25233170163414554592014-12-04T17:16:12.895-05:002014-12-04T17:16:12.895-05:00Ignored the anagrams and was stymied with sled and...Ignored the anagrams and was stymied with sled and thus siri and anka. Glad I did because don't think it would have been worth the extra time and effort to make a complete 3 way solve.anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04653839074645843721noreply@blogger.com