tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post5220933877724388987..comments2024-03-28T11:03:28.890-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Building toy brand / THU 11-3-11 / Monarch moniker for short / Wood used in Voldemort's wand / Apt name for crime bossRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger100125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88499260506477270772020-12-19T08:51:37.535-05:002020-12-19T08:51:37.535-05:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.kitchentalehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02745641842769981579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10175785606125413912020-09-14T02:38:51.887-04:002020-09-14T02:38:51.887-04:00Yeah what did that mean?Yeah what did that mean?絹スミレhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170517237815596417noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6883680400016104072020-08-07T16:03:02.125-04:002020-08-07T16:03:02.125-04:00Rexville has amazing sandwiches. Try the Italian. ...Rexville has amazing sandwiches. Try the Italian. Nice laid back atmosphere. R. Bryn Nolanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17849307369900109468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64481253257011878452020-08-07T15:49:07.983-04:002020-08-07T15:49:07.983-04:00Love the Rexville for their sandwiches. Love the Rexville for their sandwiches. R. Bryn Nolanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17849307369900109468noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28740065665743069192011-12-08T19:18:34.341-05:002011-12-08T19:18:34.341-05:00More split words, as Aaron mentioned above. Monda...More <b>split</b> words, as Aaron mentioned above. Monday also loosely fit the meta-theme given that the familiar phrase was <b>split</b> among four theme answers.<br /><br />Picked up a hint of this theme with just the second H in 46a. Clearly that was going to have something to do with a BULL IN CHINA S<b>H</b>OP, but the phrase didn't fit. I had EDLES in 20a at that point and was thinking something-less something. But once EONS gave me that second E I could see NEEDLE and STACK with room for HAY at the front. Clever. The rest of the theme answers fell in rapid succession after that.<br /><br />Only problem areas were NW (where the clue for VERY was a bit of a stretch, and I've heard of <i>getting</i> a leg up but not <i>giving</i> a leg up) and SE (where I first wanted A-ONE at 61a--as in a-one and a-two--and after I changed that to ANTE I was stuck with the LoNA/KNoX natick).<br /><br />Thought the clue for EARS was lame until I came here and read it correctly ("ring or have rings" as opposed to what I thought was "have a ring or rings"). Apparently the ringing in my ears also affects my eyes. Must be time for an EXAM.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31515453851474640842011-12-08T16:07:09.201-05:002011-12-08T16:07:09.201-05:00Wow, another puzzle to SAVOR, and if a few more sy...Wow, another puzzle to SAVOR, and if a few more syndisolvers chime in we'll hit the 100 comment mark @ACM was hoping for (or, "for which @ACM was hoping" according to some grammarians here yesterday).<br /><br />From RPDTNYTCP 5 years ago:<br />- "Solving time: about 22 min.***"<br />- "Looking at that last sentence, I have to say that that's a long parenthetical comment to interpose between the penultimate and ultimate word, but I'm just that excited. Stylistic elegance be damned."<br />- "But the little answers were like a swarm of gnats that at times kept me from fully enjoying an otherwise delicious picnic."<br />- "I have two words to say to these intersecting answers: the first is profane, and the second is "you." [Now I cross my fingers and hope that Mr. RYUN is not the one faithful reader I appear to have somewhere inside the US House of Representatives. If so, I'm just kidding sir. Good luck with that fence-along-the-Mexican-border thing ... sir.]"<br />- "I'm spending time I don't have bitching about tiny stuff. Fifteen minutes left - what to do?"<br />- "I guess that AH is the sound you make when you make love to your morning cup of coffee (see yesterday's puzzle) and AAH is the awkward bestial sound you make for your doctor. Amazing what a difference one little letter can make."<br />- "I'm liking this assortment of biblically-oriented answers. O GOD, I HOPE you will welcome me into heaven but I FEAR that when you return, all mad-as-hell in the Days of Wrath (IRAE), you will put me in hell - which will make me UPSET (46D), as surely you will mete out some Dantesque punishment that involves my being roasted on a SPIT (24D), then covered with AIOLI (15A) and served to a pack of ravenous PLATINUM BLONDES (53A). I would have noticed none of this biblicality, in all probability, if 28D had been clued "Exclamation in a porn movie," or better yet, "Sexclamation!""<br />- This, from @GCF, was one of five comments: "I'm not Congressman Ryun, but you should know that (assuming staffers count), you do have a faithful reader from somewhere inside the House of Representatives..."Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-92053566603291172282011-12-08T14:19:39.014-05:002011-12-08T14:19:39.014-05:00Spacecraft here...thanks to MaharajaMack for the &...Spacecraft here...thanks to MaharajaMack for the 'splainin' on VERY. Has me scratching bigtime.<br /> One writeover: I jumped the gun on LEGO but had to discard: LGNA Olin just won't work.<br /> Liked BESTBUDS and LONGMECK; winced at DOREMI, UNS and the horrid partial ASLOW.<br /> Agreed that this is a VERY Wedensdayish Thursday puzzle. It's OK though. Once I tumbled to the "IN A" trick things smoothed out nicely.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35380034355876392132011-11-04T00:46:13.561-04:002011-11-04T00:46:13.561-04:00M and A and all - haha agreed
Foodie - I knew it!...M and A and all - haha agreed<br /><br />Foodie - I knew it! I was thinking it was pretty recent too. Does that mean that there is another Oct. 6 puzzle that I didn't do? I don't recall doing one that was a Jobs tribute...williahkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02573783822213322036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43290508643460790932011-11-04T00:24:33.189-04:002011-11-04T00:24:33.189-04:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 8/1/2009 post for an explanation. 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 6:23, 6:50, 0.93, 25%, Easy-Medium<br />Tue 7:24, 8:51, 0.84, 8%, Easy (10th lowest median solve time of 124 Tuesdays)<br />Wed 11:18, 11:49, 0.96, 43%, Medium<br />Thu 13:42, 19:02, 0.72, 7%, Easy (9th lowest median solve time of 125 Thursdays)<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:16, 3:40, 0.89, 7%, Easy (8th lowest median solve time of 123 Mondays)<br />Tue 3:50, 4:34, 0.84, 6%, Easy (7th lowest median solve time of 124 Tuesdays)<br />Wed 5:34, 5:50, 0.95, 40%, Medium<br />Thu 6:44, 9:17, 0.72, 10%, Easysanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47532392757128674772011-11-03T23:43:40.446-04:002011-11-03T23:43:40.446-04:00@williahk-- Yes, it looked a bit familiar, like I ...@williahk-- Yes, it looked a bit familiar, like I had seen it but not done it. So, poking around, I see this note from Amy's Blog (Diary of a Crossword Fiend): <br /><br /> This is the puzzle that spent several hours in the NYT’s applet before Kevin Der’s Steve Jobs tribute puzzle replaced it there, so I wrote this post back on October 6.)foodiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13052189131129098616noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82642322866283162372011-11-03T23:40:29.176-04:002011-11-03T23:40:29.176-04:00@williahk -- Looks OK to me. Wish the first clue ...@williahk -- Looks OK to me. Wish the first clue had been "Leave the dinner table early, say", tho. Then the answer coulda been SPLITSUP. [Meta!]M and A and all innoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61374393539221260052011-11-03T23:29:49.594-04:002011-11-03T23:29:49.594-04:00Has anyone done Friday's (11/4) yet? Is it jus...Has anyone done Friday's (11/4) yet? Is it just me or is it not a new puzzle? I'm having some serious déjà vu over here.williahkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02573783822213322036noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15064242005114989472011-11-03T22:32:55.225-04:002011-11-03T22:32:55.225-04:00@audience conan member--Darn!@audience conan member--Darn!600https://www.blogger.com/profile/14501483791122854785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55571262124995613812011-11-03T22:14:44.198-04:002011-11-03T22:14:44.198-04:00Thank you so much @EvilDoug, Sanfranman and JenCt....Thank you so much @EvilDoug, Sanfranman and JenCt. Now I get it. After looking at the picture carefully I see there are envelopes under the windshields of the cars parked. Duh. @Joho, ditto. I love this blog.Sparkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11149915526159432838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91245128128756975942011-11-03T21:29:48.856-04:002011-11-03T21:29:48.856-04:00@Martin - Thanks. Way too many troglodytes getting...@Martin - Thanks. Way too many troglodytes getting way too much airtime these days. I knew it was "newspeak," but didn't realize just how far from reality the debate had been reframed.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56742136709780566262011-11-03T20:51:04.185-04:002011-11-03T20:51:04.185-04:00@mac ... you didn't blow it! What fun it was t...@mac ... you didn't blow it! What fun it was today for everybody to get involved with creating the theme. This was interactive puzzle solving at it's best.<br /><br />I've said it before, and I'll say it now: love this blog!johohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12708487230515532492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17832360228012769552011-11-03T20:49:16.172-04:002011-11-03T20:49:16.172-04:00@Sparky: @Sanfranman59 is correct - those are par...@Sparky: @Sanfranman59 is correct - those are parking tickets, relating to the recent ticket-fixing scandal.<br /><br />Great puzzle, and thanks for stopping by to explain things, @Paka.JenCThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18290169184354765840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61160368804759156672011-11-03T20:18:29.745-04:002011-11-03T20:18:29.745-04:00that was good @acmethat was good @acmechefbeahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15195945085405126511noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88698951752138710682011-11-03T20:07:30.531-04:002011-11-03T20:07:30.531-04:00@600
No no no...I'M not on Conan! He was tapi...@600<br />No no no...I'M not on Conan! He was taping shows in NY while I was there and I was in right place right time and given a ticket to WATCH!<br />The closest I've been to being on Conan is Row N Seat 22 ;)<br /><br />@Lewis<br />You're right...I was winging it and should not have gone with a "the" not an "a", etc...I wa sjust trying to show how hard it was to have had ones the right length and how smooth and wonderful Parker's puzzle was.<br />I did find our original back and forth last June and thought it was a "Jem" then too! (Actually I talked him out of JEw/wINK and I didn't understand the VERY then and then didn't get it AGAIN today!)<br /><br />@JohnV<br />Actually one of the choices WAS JEf/fINK. But he made a good one.<br />and @FedererFan, if it makes you feel any better, we did discuss the two UPs, but, whatever! They are at least used (up) in wildly different contexts!<br /><br />The constructor's name, in addition to being in the title of a TV show (Parker Lewis Can't Lose) seems to be the answer to one of those old jokes "If so and so married such and such, she'd be..." <br /> Rex Parker Lewis<br /><br />ANyway, I hope the discussion hits 100 comments all in praise of this wonderful little puzzle without getting too derailed by a notonthisblog political kerfuffle!<br /><br />OK, I'll try one more:<br />I couldn't make a Saturday puzzle...THOUSANDNOTYEARS.<br />Lame :(audience conan membernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36745081787756627632011-11-03T19:30:16.353-04:002011-11-03T19:30:16.353-04:00Very cute puzzle. But did anyone else have issues...Very cute puzzle. But did anyone else have issues with "USED UP" and "ONE UP" in the same grid?FedererFannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70375871914847565112011-11-03T19:27:16.517-04:002011-11-03T19:27:16.517-04:00@joho: thanks. Can't believe I blew that.....@joho: thanks. Can't believe I blew that.....machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20919746171347278482011-11-03T19:15:58.823-04:002011-11-03T19:15:58.823-04:00@mac ... BLUEONCEMOON
Have a good evening everyon...@mac ... BLUEONCEMOON<br /><br />Have a good evening everyone.johohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12708487230515532492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22180692443780606742011-11-03T18:46:38.885-04:002011-11-03T18:46:38.885-04:00BlueMoonOnce??
Wonderful puzzle which I was almos...BlueMoonOnce??<br /><br />Wonderful puzzle which I was almost too tired to do. Got it with the needle, then it was smooth.<br /><br />Thought there was a beer theme going on with best buds, lite and longnecks (cheers, @Stan!).machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24661432534026064472011-11-03T18:43:42.356-04:002011-11-03T18:43:42.356-04:00There are two minks, the eurasian mink and the nor...There are two minks, the eurasian mink and the north american mink.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14272219240623806122011-11-03T18:34:41.482-04:002011-11-03T18:34:41.482-04:00As the DIL of a man who raised mink, not minks, I ...As the DIL of a man who raised mink, not minks, I say mink can be a plural, just like moose. Ran that by my spouse and he said we always bought mink, not minks. Just sayin'.quilter1https://www.blogger.com/profile/09569747169212018177noreply@blogger.com