tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post5816953494135747783..comments2024-03-29T05:08:37.783-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Only card of its suit in a hand / THU 4-2-20 / Elf's evil counterpart / Large-beaked bird found in Africa / Gas brand that's also a musical direction / Fancy-schmancy language / Popular Italian car informallyRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger146125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18370575818649380762020-05-24T01:14:56.606-04:002020-05-24T01:14:56.606-04:00It's great to hear from so many men about how ...It's great to hear from so many men about how puzzles are fine the way they are and that Rex is overreacting. Remember the clue a couple of months ago that related to the OJ case? Rex called them out and I so appreciated it. Violence against women was not something I wished to see referenced casually in a puzzle for entertainment. Also, just look at how often the NYT has clued "hood," but won't clue bell hooks. I love solving these puzzles. But when it comes to cultural inclusiveness, they get an F from me.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11970922929914032541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70451068393773186022020-05-09T23:37:52.807-04:002020-05-09T23:37:52.807-04:00Took me until today - Saturday - working off and o...Took me until today - Saturday - working off and on - to finish this, but finally figured it all out without internet help. And I really liked it. Agree with Rex - no ? needed after the clue for peek. And agree with Rondo can't remember which Wilson is the DOD gal - but I think we're thinking of years ago and maybe not today ? What a talented duo they are. Musician / vocalist icons. Great pop songs. My favorite is "Straight On," as I can imagine them singing about me --as if that would ever be ! <br /><br />So now on to Friday and Saturday and hope I catch up before Monday.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80446027251801609482020-05-09T10:39:47.713-04:002020-05-09T10:39:47.713-04:00Typical NYT xwd pluses and minuses. What I did lik...Typical NYT xwd pluses and minuses. What I did like was the literal “five dollar words”, not the hyphenated version. Yes, notes and bills were not as good for answers as the slang terms, but if you are going to complain about that you would have regular problems with the NYTXW. I learned from the letter that the constructor does not see changes before it goes to print, which seems to be at odds with fairness.<br /><br />Once again I am anonymous due to wishing to distance myself from the mixed bag of wits and curmudgeons who make up the commenters PurityofEssencehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02487874963246446566noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49645005608250890992020-05-07T16:32:32.973-04:002020-05-07T16:32:32.973-04:00Not a fan of a rebus puzzle generally, but this on...Not a fan of a rebus puzzle generally, but this one tickled my fancy-schmantzy for some reason. Got BUCK early and went looking for more BUCKs or possibly does. NOTE didn't open my eyes, but BILL filled the, er, BILL. <br /><br />When I tried the revealer, (something) DOLLAR WORDS had me wondering what denomination I should consider, and without completing that section, I decided FIVE was it. So then went looking for two more rebi. CLAM and SINGLE volunteered and so the last section, the SW had to be done. I had a little trouble there, but finally got BOXER. Done.<br /><br />Liked it, even as a rebus effort.rainforestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78654557283447798922020-05-07T16:26:53.542-04:002020-05-07T16:26:53.542-04:00@lefty - thanks for the reminder. Both of crosswor...@lefty - thanks for the reminder. Both of crossworld's favorite golfers are in the opus. ISAO Aoki and Ernie ELS.rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26432241574050418802020-05-07T16:15:48.134-04:002020-05-07T16:15:48.134-04:00Must be honest and tell you that I'd never hea...Must be honest and tell you that I'd never heard of MARIE KONDO, BELL HOOKS, and FLAVOR FLAV before reading the letter. OTOH, SINGLETON was a gimme (I'm a 75 year old white male and used to play bridge a lot though) so I'm hoping Eric von Coelln simply ignores the letter.<br /><br />Oh, did I mention I really loved this Thursday puzzle? Lotsa fun and an appropriate challenge.Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25663061811466922832020-05-07T16:02:24.148-04:002020-05-07T16:02:24.148-04:00So the contents of the rebus squares contained &qu...So the contents of the rebus squares contained "fancy-schmancy language"? Really? Could have misled me. And they did.<br /><br />Will I ever get ISAO AOKI's name right? After today I will...maybe.<br /><br />Had fOX (what??, no! no!) before VOX.<br /><br />leftcoasternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47652498574522724262020-05-07T15:07:57.422-04:002020-05-07T15:07:57.422-04:00Don’t particularly care for a rebus.
More so when ...Don’t particularly care for a rebus.<br />More so when the answers in those squares are different.<br />Even more so when they TACKON 26 threes.<br /><br />NEER could remember whether ANN or Nancy Wilson was the yeah baby.<br /><br />NOT a big AHA moment at the NOTELLMOTEL. NOT a big CHALLENGE.<br />rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55855451652841770152020-05-07T13:54:19.144-04:002020-05-07T13:54:19.144-04:00Got 2 of the 4 rebi - a personal triumph for me on...Got 2 of the 4 rebi - a personal triumph for me on a Thursday rebii puzzle. How oh how could I miss out on Bill Maher???? Oh...that's how. <br /><br />Don't do this (rebii) to us during the virus - please. I have PLED my cast.<br /><br />And RAD? Really? nah<br /><br />btw - @Spacey - I like your word "rebusiness"<br /><br />Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for CrosswordsDiana, LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45561325178635045732020-05-07T12:25:06.027-04:002020-05-07T12:25:06.027-04:00I knew OFC would pick up on the weakness of NOTE a...I knew OFC would pick up on the weakness of NOTE and BILL vis-à-vis the other three. If that's this puzzle's only weakness, though, we have a winner.<br /><br />I too wanted ICEBUCKETCHALLENGE right away, and so suspected rebusiness. At that point, I scan for a revealer clue and skip to that section to begin solving the crosses, hoping to get a handle on the "McGuffin." Duly, I arrived at ____DOLLARWORDS, but (not knowing VOX) had to leave the SW corner for later. In my experience, somehow the expression "75 cent words" appears. Must be local. At any rate, the assumption was for the _BUCK_ part of 17a, which properly yielded BUCKAROO: off to the races.<br /><br />Indeed, as a former bridge player, I am very familiar with the SINGLETON (there are also doubletons and tripletons!). That part was no problem. So after counting all the rebus squares, I filled in FIVE in the SW and finished 'er off. DOD is ANN Wilson: How can I get you alone indeed! Birdie.spacecrafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09125304293611865503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13387424188313747092020-05-07T11:54:01.112-04:002020-05-07T11:54:01.112-04:00SINGLE PEEK
ALFA-ALFA was a SNOOTy FELLA, so to T...SINGLE PEEK<br /><br />ALFA-ALFA was a SNOOTy FELLA, so to TAKECREDIT was simple,<br />‘TIL his CHALLENGE was DARLA: was she NOTIT ORE just DIMPLES?<br /><br />--- BILL “SNOOP” ROTH<br />Burma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68525095891235192082020-05-07T10:57:52.487-04:002020-05-07T10:57:52.487-04:00I liked yesterday’s way more than today’s. I liked yesterday’s way more than today’s. thefogmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01870509029973778266noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16012819492966465272020-04-03T16:23:42.745-04:002020-04-03T16:23:42.745-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.Plumhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15488476122941196783noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91342118181127727532020-04-03T13:08:50.369-04:002020-04-03T13:08:50.369-04:00Be careful what you wish for. I learned bridge fro...Be careful what you wish for. I learned bridge from my mother and we both loved the NY Times bridge column every day. Indeed, even in her 90s, my mom would call me to discuss a tricky hand from the column.<br />The bridge column was removed years ago. No more bridge column in the Times. There is a syndicated one in the Hearst and other papers but its nowhere near as good. I'm a lawyer in my mid-80s and look forward to the puzzle every day. That section was missing in my paper today. As far as the puzzles are concerned, I've never read Harry Potter or Lord of the Rings so I'm at a disadvantage. Is that any less specialized than Marie Kondo or Flavor Flav? I've always considered a crossword puzzle to be a learning experience as well.pdplothttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18445279770600961565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35905675399084374372020-04-03T00:48:54.364-04:002020-04-03T00:48:54.364-04:00I liked this puzzle and the rebuses (rebi?). No p...<br />I liked this puzzle and the rebuses (rebi?). No problems once I got it.<br /><br />On the letter, I liked it. I signed it and sent the link to other solvers.<br /><br />Society constantly changes. And huge sectors of the population who have been left out historically are claiming their rights to be heard, involved, have input, be hired, do the work, achieve and be respected. And it takes bold words and action to command their rightful place -- in all spheres.<br /><br />Those of us who are older have to listen and work on ourselves and evolve. That's just part of life, and since we live in this society we have a responsibility to listen to people and support their involvement to the fullest degree.<br /><br />I'm all for it. And Marie Konco, Bell Hooks and Flavor Flav are well-known. I mean do we want the puzzles to be stuck in the past, citing old dead white guys (no offense to literature professors, students or readers)? The world is changing. Or rather the world hasn't changed. What's changed is that many people are insisting on being heard and involved and recognized.<br /><br />And surely, the Times crossword puzzle can reflect the full spectrum of the people in this country. And the Times must want younger readers and puzzle doers. Or they'll find media which speaks more to them, and which has puzzles. Get with it, NY Times.Kathy D.https://www.blogger.com/profile/18418720666849497808noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12812302311206231702020-04-03T00:20:27.122-04:002020-04-03T00:20:27.122-04:00My interpretation of "Five dollar words"...My interpretation of "Five dollar words" was not 5x$1=$5, rather, just that there were 5 squares that referred to dollars. So, "note" and "bill" seemed just fine to me. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64301185477559559602020-04-03T00:17:44.914-04:002020-04-03T00:17:44.914-04:00I called my 94-year old mother, a bridge fanatic, ...I called my 94-year old mother, a bridge fanatic, to ask her if singleton is the answer to that clue. She confirmed for me right away. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67323029308970731442020-04-02T23:56:43.170-04:002020-04-02T23:56:43.170-04:00Your self righteous obsession with identity politi...Your self righteous obsession with identity politics and your dismissal of western culture under the guise of inclusion is a microcosm of most of what is wrong with American universities today. That you cannot even conceive that many consider this a problem speaks volumes. dm3000https://www.blogger.com/profile/12053238727094376741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66709396574058791702020-04-02T23:00:21.631-04:002020-04-02T23:00:21.631-04:00@Krytykal - You seem to believe the letter is advo...@Krytykal - You seem to believe the letter is advocating for arcane clue/answers that represent tiny splinter factions. The three answers cited in the letter do not come close to that characterization: Marie Kondo brings joy to de cluttering and has a show on Netflix, Flavor Flav is a rapper who had been around since the mid 1980’s, and Bell Hooks is a well known feminist author. They are hardly niche. I’m an old white guy and I knew all three.<br /><br />Eat more chicken. We now deliver!KFCnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51225165567407379272020-04-02T20:45:02.226-04:002020-04-02T20:45:02.226-04:00@Krytykal:
Those are interesting numbers. About ...@Krytykal:<br /><br />Those are interesting numbers. About 1/3 of decades of study, i.e. 10%. In any case, the Arts, viewed 'globally' is far more gay than 10%. Many of the best in any sector are gay. So, whatever the percentage, the impact of the LGBTQ community far exceeds their absolute number. In general, such folks rarely make unprovoked assaults on straight folks. The same can't be said of the straight community.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25595177092449699022020-04-02T18:31:45.317-04:002020-04-02T18:31:45.317-04:00@Joaquin. Teehee...BUT OF COURSE.....@I'm thi...@Joaquin. Teehee...BUT OF COURSE.....@I'm thinking @JC66 is getting to know me.... By the way, I really liked your 11:37 post. GILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10714931063647587052020-04-02T18:26:41.825-04:002020-04-02T18:26:41.825-04:00@Krytykal - “ Is the average crossword solver expe...@Krytykal - “ Is the average crossword solver expected to know Jewish Arcana?” Yiddish, holidays, religious practices... Yep, all of it and fairly frequently. If you eliminate Nas and Dr. Dre there’s going to be far more Jewish Arcana than rap in your typical NYTX. Heck, we had an extended conversation here over two days about presidential mensches. Do you even do puzzles or are you just here to be an troll?Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36149896909402630332020-04-02T17:35:20.270-04:002020-04-02T17:35:20.270-04:00Read the letter. I'm all for inclusivity. Bu...Read the letter. I'm all for inclusivity. But....according to the most up-to-date studies I can find, 97.4% of men worldwide identify as heterosexual and 97.7% of women identify as heterosexual. Meaning, the queer population is approximately (let's be generous) 3%. You honestly want clues and answers to lean into a tiny minority? I'm Jewish, the world's Jewish population is 0.2%. Is the average crossword solver expected to know Jewish Arcana? Nope. Crosswords test general knowledge, not niche facts. General is defined by Merriam-Webster (1st definition, btw) as "Involving, applicable to, or affecting the whole." Not tiny groups. The whole. So include Bell Hooks; if I know who she is, great. If not, I'll learn something. But enough with every splinter faction whining about crossword inclusivity. Krytykalhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13896493522496994234noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81300571429484449122020-04-02T17:13:46.886-04:002020-04-02T17:13:46.886-04:00Re Open Letter to the Times
We need to look at wh...Re Open Letter to the Times <br />We need to look at what’s going on when we “solve” a crossword. Aside from those skills we only get from the crosses, filling a fill requires knowledge. Crossword editors, and their instructions to constructors, emphasize one should stay away from obscurities. The conceit is that the intended audience should be considered to be generally knowledgeable. For example, as a biochemist, I should not use definitions that one can reasonably assume would be known only to Biochemists. <br />General knowledge can be loosely defined as knowing a little about a lot, as opposed to knowing only a lot about a little. In the real world, can general knowledge be knowing a lot about a lot? Generally, no, and so there are gaps. Everyone has gaps except the exceptional ones among us. For example, I know nothing about popular music while many would know little about classical music or old movies. Do I resent puzzles that require knowledge about popular music? I don’t, realizing it’s on me, not the constructor or editor and maybe I’ll learn something. Do I think editors should push for less about popular music? No. It’s a part of our experience, a part of general knowledge, something I should be made more aware of. Marie Kondo, Bell Hooks, Flavor Flav - never heard of them but now I have and thanks to Wikipedia, they are now part of my general knowledge.<br />A crossword can not only test our scholarship, it can enhance it. Inclusivity in crossword culture is not only a social imperative, it’s an intellectual one as well.What?https://www.blogger.com/profile/15386323706336872298noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67318703376194894562020-04-02T17:11:07.283-04:002020-04-02T17:11:07.283-04:00@Joaquin
I'd guess both.@Joaquin<br /><br />I'd guess both.JC66https://www.blogger.com/profile/05324615675333287919noreply@blogger.com