tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post5249152259685616356..comments2024-03-28T18:52:07.432-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Noted elephant designer / SAT 4-30-11 / Summer of Love prelude / "Grace Before Meat" pen name / Chef Ducasse / Toward der OrientRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger57125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47337214761936908182011-06-04T23:52:23.976-04:002011-06-04T23:52:23.976-04:00What about paperback for "bit of pulp"?What about paperback for "bit of pulp"?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77439271079218502572011-06-04T17:01:36.656-04:002011-06-04T17:01:36.656-04:00Gorges are glens?Gorges are glens?MShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13616371046892071310noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77818149269370791782011-06-04T14:18:36.709-04:002011-06-04T14:18:36.709-04:00See post @Anonymous 8:01AMSee post @Anonymous 8:01AMbonigregnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68022750497381968452011-06-04T13:11:06.073-04:002011-06-04T13:11:06.073-04:00From Syndication Land
I'm still flummoxed abo...From Syndication Land<br /><br />I'm still flummoxed about how "steamroller" can be "overwhelm". Will someone please write a sentence where the word steamroller can be replaced with the word overwhelm?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57402299657241049032011-05-05T23:46:11.553-04:002011-05-05T23:46:11.553-04:00Rarely do I have something to add to all this erud...Rarely do I have something to add to all this erudition/intuition, but I can't go away without adding that Oliver J. Dragon was Ollie's full name. No one mentions this, I think.<br />KateNYKateNYnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56786729737927159502011-05-01T17:15:37.051-04:002011-05-01T17:15:37.051-04:00"NAST" was actually the first thing I th..."NAST" was actually the first thing I thought of for "elephant designer" (I used to be a cartoonist) but I knew it couldn't be right because I also had "DOG" as the answer for "Checkers, e.g." It's very disappointing when your mistaken answer to a clue is much better than the correct one.timhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00149897512395950733noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9323693806217556972011-05-01T13:36:21.582-04:002011-05-01T13:36:21.582-04:00DNF - I just couldn't let go of Nixon's &q...DNF - I just couldn't let go of Nixon's "little dog CHECKERS," and so figured the elephant designer must be some famous jewelery maker. I tried KUKLA, too, but the crosses caught that pretty quickly.jberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02169065390875378077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15542213148401048602011-04-30T20:33:18.824-04:002011-04-30T20:33:18.824-04:00Couldn't shake "WALT" as the answer ...Couldn't shake "WALT" as the answer for "Noted elephant designer," which kept me from seeing both "ODDS" & "ENDS." Also instead of "ZANE..." I had "ZONE..." which had me looking in the direction of trailblazing Western pioneers or something. Did OK for a Saturday otherwise.COIXT RECORDShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06471607923683058246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21635152624324014192011-04-30T19:51:42.244-04:002011-04-30T19:51:42.244-04:00@Lindsay: good point.@Lindsay: good point.JenCThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18290169184354765840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81489461695832001242011-04-30T18:00:48.739-04:002011-04-30T18:00:48.739-04:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 7/30/2009 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 6:33, 6:53, 0.95, 30%, Easy-Medium<br />Tue 9:29, 8:56, 1.06, 69%, Medium-Challenging<br />Wed 9:05, 11:43, 0.77, 6%, Easy (6th lowest median solve time of 95 Wednesdays)<br />Thu 10:21, 19:00, 0.54, 1%, Easy (lowest median solve time of 98 Thursdays ... by far)<br />Fri 19:05, 26:06, 0.73, 8%, Easy (8th lowest median solve time of 99 Fridays)<br />Sat 30:31, 30:29, 1.00, 53%, Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:26, 3:40, 0.94, 27%, Easy-Medium<br />Tue 4:54, 4:35, 1.07, 74%, Medium-Challenging<br />Wed 4:40, 5:46, 0.81, 7%, Easy (7th lowest median solve time of 95 Wednesdays)<br />Thu 5:27, 9:10, 0.59, 1%, Easy (also the lowest median solve time of 98 Thursdays ... also by far)<br />Fri 8:45, 12:50, 0.68, 7%, Easy (7th lowest median solve time of 98 Fridays)<br />Sat 16:59, 17:21, 0.98, 46%, Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49140766067364350002011-04-30T17:09:36.850-04:002011-04-30T17:09:36.850-04:00@ACME,
Hands up for Kukla. I think I as too old to...@ACME,<br />Hands up for Kukla. I think I as too old to pay much attention to this, but after kula jad ot go tried Ollie, and then seemed to remember. Knew it wasn't Fran.I skip M-Wnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32554223259333851732011-04-30T16:47:32.029-04:002011-04-30T16:47:32.029-04:00Isn't that a good cartoon name, Bill Beltbuckl...Isn't that a good cartoon name, Bill Beltbuckle?machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23008971615831066992011-04-30T16:29:39.073-04:002011-04-30T16:29:39.073-04:00Nast was a cartoonist who invented the GOP elephan...Nast was a cartoonist who invented the GOP elephant.pjsimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18004143887986455410noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47433560125557514182011-04-30T16:14:57.720-04:002011-04-30T16:14:57.720-04:00Almost finished. Except for the little box in Sou...Almost finished. Except for the little box in South middle. Even had NOTSOHOT and HAVEITMADE, but elephant designer had me off in Barbnum & Bailey land with George Balenchine or Babar. Took a while. Yelled DOJO out loud and thought of Rex and recent discussion. ENOS and ALICE's my first entries. Had Nell before EMLY. <br /><br />Thanks @trunorth. Like @poc I thought Alan Cumming as a knight sounded wrong. <br /><br />Nice write up Puzzle Girl. Good luck in the new house.Sparkynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21028825941505171622011-04-30T14:30:30.199-04:002011-04-30T14:30:30.199-04:00Musketeer, cannoneer, pistoleer .... one needn'...Musketeer, cannoneer, pistoleer .... one needn't take "weapon" quite so literally.Lindsaynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61759453679265560852011-04-30T14:19:25.049-04:002011-04-30T14:19:25.049-04:00For the second straight day, the only part of the ...For the second straight day, the only part of the puzzle that felt like its day of the week to me was the northeast, which took up about 40% of my total solving time for the puzzle. EER gave me pretty much the most trouble I've ever had from a three-letter word -- I've never seen the word "weaponeer" before and it still looks made up even after Googling it. OLLIE the Dragon was also unfamiliar to me. Oddly enough, BUCKAROO and BELT BUCKLE came easy and it was QUILL and QUAVER that gave me the most trouble.<br /><br />Finished with one error: STYES/ELYA instead of STIES/ELIA. Sincerely believed "sty" was an irregular plural that kept its Y, and had no idea what "Grace Before Meat" was about.<br /><br />Everything else was a breeze. I got BELUGA from the crosses and thought it couldn't possibly be right because Belugas are whales ... But apparently they're a kind of sturgeon, too.<br /><br />Educational puzzle, this one.Matthew G.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07957320012395569238noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47428000460627730002011-04-30T14:16:47.930-04:002011-04-30T14:16:47.930-04:00@Rex,
Ow! Ow!
(sound of my arm being twisted!)
...@Rex, <br />Ow! Ow!<br />(sound of my arm being twisted!) <br /><br />Yes, of course, to Monday co-blog,<br />just for the "Emly is barfy" comment alone!<br /><br />Oh, and I meant to mention I had KUKLA in for OLLIE for a LONG time, bec of the Ks and also KUKLA means "Doll" in Greek and is a term of endearment. And of course I am too young (ahem) to clearly remember the show...<br />(or too old and have forgotten...same difference, right?)andrea kukla michaelsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34412154594902872982011-04-30T14:00:20.035-04:002011-04-30T14:00:20.035-04:00@Andrea Carla Michaels & @Rex ... wish I could...@Andrea Carla Michaels & @Rex ... wish I could be with you at the tournament. I'm wearing my California (HEART)XWORDS T-shirt in support of everybody there. Report back to us if you can.johonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65628894255968128032011-04-30T13:37:29.729-04:002011-04-30T13:37:29.729-04:00@Truenorth: I also thought SIR Alan Cumming was we...@Truenorth: I also thought SIR Alan Cumming was weird. Theatrical knights are usually a good bit older by the time they get the title. Sure enough, he has an OBE (Order of the B.E., not Officer.) but not a knighthood. I think this is the first time I've seen the NYT in an unequivocal mistake rather than a question of opinion.pochttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08861361305246858918noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85569026463808552372011-04-30T13:18:48.830-04:002011-04-30T13:18:48.830-04:00@Timjim: as in weaponEER.
Didn't quite finis...@Timjim: as in weaponEER.<br /><br />Didn't quite finish this one; same mistakes already noted.<br /><br />"A cowboy may have a big one" - c'mon, what was everyone's first guess??? Be honest now...<br /><br />Gotta remember ZANEGREY.JenCThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18290169184354765840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70587412697613706262011-04-30T12:52:18.282-04:002011-04-30T12:52:18.282-04:00Do not understand "weapon lengthener" fo...Do not understand "weapon lengthener" for eer. ???Timjimnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-39958931618934269382011-04-30T12:09:10.864-04:002011-04-30T12:09:10.864-04:00EMLY is barfy, but I liked the puzzle for the most...EMLY is barfy, but I liked the puzzle for the most part, and found it pretty avg, difficulty-wise, for Saturday (though I just woke up on the wrong coast, so I'm not sure I was on top of my game). <br /><br />It's after 9am here and I am ravenous. Talk to you tomorrow, live (maybe) from the Crosswords L.A. tournament. Will try to wrangle (buckaroo!?) Andrea C. Michaels into co-blogging the Monday puzzle with me (Monday puzzle comes out here at 3pm Sunday. Crazy).<br /><br />Thanks,PG<br />RPRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-931920144824865402011-04-30T11:58:39.753-04:002011-04-30T11:58:39.753-04:00This puz was so good, it was worth two BUCKs. And...This puz was so good, it was worth two BUCKs. And a DIMEnovel.<br /><br />Loved the clues today. Many I understood, only after gettin' almost the entire word filled in. But yet somehow the solve went pretty smooth. How's that work?<br /><br />Nice scattering of U-know-whats. Thumbs up.<br /><br />Wavy word of the day: acksmsiv. Didn't he write "I, Rabbit"?Masked and Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-69421517311387470212011-04-30T11:53:53.440-04:002011-04-30T11:53:53.440-04:00Pretty easy. NW filled in fast and just kind of w...Pretty easy. NW filled in fast and just kind of worked my way across and down this one. That rarely happens on a Saturday.<br />I found another way to spell BREa and never corrected the A. <br />My DIMENOVEL started as a DustcOVEr, Otherwise, most of my solving experiences are echoed by PG etal.PuzzleNuthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11692561989793396552noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34444174766536051602011-04-30T11:49:13.898-04:002011-04-30T11:49:13.898-04:00great job PuzzleGirl! Like you I'm working my...great job PuzzleGirl! Like you I'm working my way up to Saturday level puzzling (very slooooowly though.)<br /><br />With all the cowboy references, today's the rootin'est, tootin'est shootin'est hootin'est puzzle around. Time to dust off the boots and go two-steppin'!Ross G-Whizhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10683375689024190242noreply@blogger.com