tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post5084891749004889669..comments2024-03-29T08:53:09.581-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Comeuppance for package thief / TUE 2-11-20 / Ballet position on tiptoe / Actress Merrill of "BUtterfield 8"Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger104125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68969822121789335672020-03-17T16:20:54.313-04:002020-03-17T16:20:54.313-04:00@rainy - you beat me to the 4 corners, but you are...@rainy - you beat me to the 4 corners, but you are oh so correct.<br /><br />That movie could also star Jack Oakey and Warren Oates, theme sung by John Oates.<br /><br />This working from home isn't all bad, but I miss my dual monitors, especially the 40 incher.<br /><br />Didn't have to EDIT anything with a write-over. Decent Tues-puz.rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21422155205790257202020-03-17T16:13:36.897-04:002020-03-17T16:13:36.897-04:00IDIOTS' AYES
I'LLBET those FRATS' APO...IDIOTS' AYES<br /><br />I'LLBET those FRATS' APOSTLES on Greek ROW<br />have an ALIBI to LEER<br />and INSULT girls as IF IT'SABIG SHOW,<br />when IT'S only SEENAS ARREAR.<br /><br />--- DINA LIU MUIRBurma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59769288182538326612020-03-17T15:06:36.436-04:002020-03-17T15:06:36.436-04:00Took me a little rest time, then - success.
Hey @...Took me a little rest time, then - success.<br /><br />Hey @Spacey - I'd like to watch an Oater about the Old Oaken Oaten Bucket, starring Annie Oakley of course.<br /><br />Happy St Pat's day. Don't go to a parade.<br /><br />Diana, the stay-at-home Lady in Waiting for CrosswordsDiana, LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64162930206070922762020-03-17T15:01:28.569-04:002020-03-17T15:01:28.569-04:00A fine entry in the occasionally troubled Tuesday ...A fine entry in the occasionally troubled Tuesday slot, and I did not come to GRIEF, although I had a write-over of SEEmed because I didn't read the clue carefully. I liked the theme unsure as I was about 46A (must look up the YouTube), and thought the fill had no problems.<br /><br />Note @rondo: the four corners spell out FRAT, RAFT,or FART.rainforestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87130115224204998152020-03-17T14:43:11.088-04:002020-03-17T14:43:11.088-04:00Fun, clever, well-made, medium-challenging Tuesday...Fun, clever, well-made, medium-challenging Tuesday puzzle.<br /><br />Nice surprise was the BIDEN/VPS combination after some on-and-off staring at the "#2 for #44" clue. [And in syndie time he has definitely come into his own during the last couple of weeks.] Also glad to get spelling of RIYADH with crosses.<br /><br />An especially bright theme and revealer created by Neil and Jeff. [Provides a momentary break from reaction to the current crisis.]<br /><br />leftcoasternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70741711918824671442020-03-17T11:49:12.631-04:002020-03-17T11:49:12.631-04:00Nice Tuesday offering, with a nod to the LGBTQ com...Nice Tuesday offering, with a nod to the LGBTQ community. Theme is solid; as to the clue for 46a, I didn't know there was such a thing anyway, so cluing it that way made no difference to me. I got it on crosses. While I agree that OATEN is not the best (Is a used wood container full of grain an OLD OAKEN OATEN BUCKET??) and had to trip through a couple of AP's (LEERAT, SEENAS), the fill was comparatively clean.<br /><br />Add to that a first-class DOD in Lucy LIU, and the AYES have it. Birdie.spacecrafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09125304293611865503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81687376231051404972020-02-13T12:09:35.410-05:002020-02-13T12:09:35.410-05:00I’ve seen the YT package thief/glitter bomb videos...I’ve seen the YT package thief/glitter bomb videos and barely got that one. There are plenty of other clues that could’ve been used there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-39012273035932787982020-02-12T12:24:55.766-05:002020-02-12T12:24:55.766-05:00Glad to hear the constructors tried the suggestion...Glad to hear the constructors tried the suggestion I wrote above:) it’s too bad that the editor disagreedtoddhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02374537754204865789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90802041386489068692020-02-12T11:19:25.918-05:002020-02-12T11:19:25.918-05:00Co-constructor follow-up comments enhance the theo...Co-constructor follow-up comments enhance the theory that Will can make any puzzle worsexyzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08287781952915413013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90926986178445799882020-02-11T22:07:26.310-05:002020-02-11T22:07:26.310-05:00@ Rastaman Vibration, re: DEBIT, our original clue...@ Rastaman Vibration, re: DEBIT, our original clue was "Entry of interest for an auditor." I'm no CPA, so I won't speak to whether the changed cluing is technically accurate or not.<br /><br />~<br /><br />And to be fair, I suppose Rex did manage to slip in a few semi-positive comments in his review. Though the overall vibe is negative. While I am not a frequent reader here (in large part because of the negativity), I do think Rex has valid opinions about construction to offer. So I will continue using the website as a resource (when I see puzzles or grids where some additional insight might be nice), but with a grain of salt.Jellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01828310841691899055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77281550547508694162020-02-11T21:41:54.985-05:002020-02-11T21:41:54.985-05:00@anoymous 934am asks who is LEE RAT?
Known also as...@anoymous 934am asks who is LEE RAT?<br />Known also as "the dook", he was the the least famous, but eponymous member of a group with with Sammy, Dean, and Frank.albatross shellhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04076278220407657633noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2092667290262470322020-02-11T19:12:14.324-05:002020-02-11T19:12:14.324-05:00Rex: "I've been in universities, and Engl...Rex: "I've been in universities, and English departments specifically, for my whole adult life."<br /><br />Well that certainly explains the hyper-"woke" liberal tirades and virulent intolerance for the inclusion of anything conservative in a crossword.Jasonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02937553813776684022noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67048330718306833792020-02-11T19:09:59.810-05:002020-02-11T19:09:59.810-05:00@NPW-
I do crosswords for enjoyment, and I enjoye...@NPW-<br /><br />I do crosswords for enjoyment, and I enjoyed yours. If there's some crosswordese that's necessary glue, I count that as part of doing crosswords. I've been doing these things for (coughs) years and even the very best ones seem to have a clunker here and there. So what? The good puzzles are always more memorable for the fun, and today's is a good example of that.<br /><br />Also, it's good to remember that for some folks, being unhappy is what makes them happy.<br /><br />Thanks again for a fun Tuesday, and stop by any time.pabloinnhhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04967477079504866917noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-868397828111690992020-02-11T19:09:27.781-05:002020-02-11T19:09:27.781-05:00@NPW Thanks for stopping by. I really liked the pu...@NPW Thanks for stopping by. I really liked the puzzle, not bothered at all by LIT CRIT or THATS A BIG IF. I'm not much of a nitpicker when it comes to puzzles. They are clues, not precise definitions or synonyms; wobbliness is okay with me. And the theme was a needed brightener in these grim days, metaphorically and meteorologically. Ignore Rex.Malsdemarehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05375476737540476148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32290929305382078562020-02-11T18:20:05.101-05:002020-02-11T18:20:05.101-05:00NPW,
Wow!!!!! Not only did you co-construct a very...NPW,<br />Wow!!!!! Not only did you co-construct a very fine puzzle, you explained all the bits ubder discussion with grace.<br />Not sure which of those two things is more impressive.<br />Anyway, color me impressed. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86420442718881672962020-02-11T17:36:57.233-05:002020-02-11T17:36:57.233-05:00CRIT is also frequently used by docs. It's a s...CRIT is also frequently used by docs. It's a shortening of hematocrit, a very common and useful part of a Complete Blood Count test.Doc Johnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12540112168511893896noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83603479265840237652020-02-11T17:23:46.418-05:002020-02-11T17:23:46.418-05:00@NPW - To @Kitshef’s quote I would also add...
“...@NPW - To @Kitshef’s quote I would also add... <br /><br />“The long Downs give the grid much needed pizzazz.”<br /><br />Not exactly high praise but not bad for Rex.jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47760197216310276252020-02-11T17:17:13.607-05:002020-02-11T17:17:13.607-05:00@NPW - Not that I would read Rex if I had a puzzle...@NPW - Not that I would read Rex if I had a puzzle published, but, “ the theme is actually very inventive,” “The long Downs give the grid much needed pizzazz,” and “I like what that answer was trying to do,” are all positive. The problem is that negative comments get full explications while the compliments are practically toss-offs. Also, at least two of Rex’s plaints are actually directed at Shortz, not you (although that may not be obvious if you don’t read Rex daily).<br /><br />@Canon Chasuble - In the clue the initial symbol in “Homer’s” and the symbol “H” are meant to be understood as different letters. Imagine instead that the clue read “Homer’s Φ.” The answer would then be “phi.” This misdirection is actually available for several other Greek letters, but I only recall seeing it used for ETA. Again, just explaining, not defending, the clue. I liked it the first time I saw it, but now this letter from a different alphabet that looks like a letter in the English alphabet misdirection needs to be set aside for a few years. <br /><br />Interesting BIDEN takes. There’s no real way of knowing, but I think the overall response to him is eerily similar to Jeb, just with the parties reversed. Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13072112628779122072020-02-11T16:51:29.565-05:002020-02-11T16:51:29.565-05:00@NPW I really enjoyed this one. IMFREE/ABSENT was...@NPW I really enjoyed this one. IMFREE/ABSENT was really brilliant, along with IRAISE/ILLBET. Really enjoyable stuff!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08441006305138022810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68329808775728538232020-02-11T16:47:29.407-05:002020-02-11T16:47:29.407-05:00I'll say that I think this was an especially e...I'll say that I think this was an especially enjoyable fill for a tuesday. We don't often get puzzles that avoid ALL silly crossword-ese like Oaten, but I don't really expect beauty and perfection in a Tuesday. Compared to how rough yesterday's puzzle was, I really enjoyed this one. Plus, any puzzle that invokes JOHNMUIR is a win in my book!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08441006305138022810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-4818446858977560002020-02-11T16:20:04.475-05:002020-02-11T16:20:04.475-05:00Thank you. It was an enjoyable puzzle. I just t...Thank you. It was an enjoyable puzzle. I just thought that paintball is more of a game than a sport? But it was easy to suss out. A fun Tuesday. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10844225131692863282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23887760282585896172020-02-11T16:18:26.659-05:002020-02-11T16:18:26.659-05:00@NPW - I don't know if you are a regular Rex r...@NPW - I don't know if you are a regular Rex reader, but for him, "Ultimately, this one is wobbly, but it holds up" is pretty high praise.kitshefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10014225555838850414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65843073265366351172020-02-11T16:06:00.067-05:002020-02-11T16:06:00.067-05:00Big ditto.Big ditto.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10844225131692863282noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61957745191918629902020-02-11T15:50:39.040-05:002020-02-11T15:50:39.040-05:00I heard a lot of references to "LIT CRIT"...I heard a lot of references to "LIT CRIT" when I was in college, but I was a chemistry major, so what do I know. If crossword constructors really want to include 'CRIT' as an answer, perhaps they should borrow into the world of bike racing. A road race on a short circuit is called a criterium, 'crit' for short. Perryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09041738770359978139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72760025026397646602020-02-11T15:22:17.472-05:002020-02-11T15:22:17.472-05:00Greetings @NPW - it’s always nice when a construct...Greetings @NPW - it’s always nice when a constructor stops by to provide a different perspective on things. Don’t let Rex’s whining bother you at all - if you ever try to squeeze the word CURMUDGEON into one of your puzzles, you could clue it as “Rex Parker, for example”.<br /><br />I’m wondering if you have any thoughts on the clue for DEBIT (which is not technically correct). The word appears frequently enough in puzzles that one would think that constructors would be aware and able to avoid that pitfall. Did you just misfire on that one, or did the editors change it up on you? Rastaman Vibrationhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11025943553836399778noreply@blogger.com