tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post5853144721945519705..comments2024-03-29T01:22:33.864-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: FRIDAY, Oct. 5, 2007 - Lynn LempelRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger67125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91525909265130409892007-11-17T14:21:00.000-05:002007-11-17T14:21:00.000-05:00I think I'm getting too old for these hip, edgy ne...I think I'm getting too old for these hip, edgy new crossword puzzles.<BR/><BR/>For example: 17A "Married man . . . ". The very first thing I thought of was George Gobel (he of "Did you ever get the feeling that the world was a tuxedo and you were a pair of brown shoes?", fame). I could swear he said, "I've been a bachelor all my married life" on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.<BR/><BR/>And 15A ??? Exit "lane"??? Shouldn't it be Exit "ramp"?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86958316735093726462007-10-06T15:09:00.000-04:002007-10-06T15:09:00.000-04:00RE: This puzzleOUCH!RE: This puzzle<BR/><BR/>OUCH!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45431503032957676532007-10-06T12:21:00.000-04:002007-10-06T12:21:00.000-04:00fergus-You'll probably miss this but ...My point w...fergus-<BR/>You'll probably miss this but ...<BR/>My point was that there isn't "an arbitrary authority out there who controls what's legitimate, with the added backing of a definition somewhere in a dictionary."<BR/><BR/>For instance, "premie" vs. "preemie". See above for AHD's definition, while M-W has "premie" first with "preemie" as the variant, and the OED goes with "preemie" and doesn't even give "premie" as a variant.<BR/><BR/>If you look back through all the comments for this puzzle, you will see at least one comment reflecting one of the above dictionaries.<BR/> <BR/>I initially thought "preemie" was correct, but now ...<BR/><BR/>Also, I wasn't criticizing "arguing" with the puzzle. Thinking "arbitrary, baffling, boring, annoying, blah, humdrum, bizarre, ignorant, or just plain wrong" isn't arguing. Quite the opposite.<BR/><BR/>JakeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24368739002204771602007-10-06T08:45:00.000-04:002007-10-06T08:45:00.000-04:00As it happens, the American Heritage Dictionary li...As it happens, the <A HREF="http://www.answers.com/premie&r=67" REL="nofollow">American Heritage Dictionary lists</A> "preemie (also premie)." Yes, preemie is the more common spelling in this country. But I've seen the other, too. And given that its etymology is "shortening and alteration of premature," the one-E spelling makes sense. It sort of looks like it'd be pronounced "premmy," but then again, premature is pronounced with the long E sound with a single E.Orangehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12433254398377357737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38463550649133291442007-10-06T04:35:00.000-04:002007-10-06T04:35:00.000-04:00Okay, I've been on an island off the coast of Afri...Okay, I've been on an island off the coast of Africa and then on the Central Coast of California recovering from spinal fusion surgery and found this blog when I began doing the times puzzle in ernest and I have to say that although this puzzle seems to have been hated by more than it was loved by, I have to say that this is the liveliest conversation, from grammar to Kafka, that I've been privy to in a long time. What fun! And what a seemingly odd week of puzzles. But how about those Sox!!!! Mannie Mannie bo Bannie Fanana Fana Fo Fannie, Me Mi Mo Mannie... Mannie. Cha cha cha!<BR/><BR/>On to Saturday!Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30049714654604190652007-10-06T01:57:00.000-04:002007-10-06T01:57:00.000-04:00Anonymous Jake, you're missing the point; it's a s...Anonymous Jake, you're missing the point; it's a small gesture to argue with the puzzle, which has been through so many filters, making the petition process almost Kafkaesque. Everyone knows there's an arbitrary authority out there who controls what's legitimate, with the added backing of a definition somewhere in a dictionary, yet there's still a curious personal declamation that requires a bit more refinement in the upper primate region of communication.fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57630941854978374022007-10-06T01:20:00.000-04:002007-10-06T01:20:00.000-04:00My childhood Cabbage Patch doll (flinch) was a pre...My childhood Cabbage Patch doll (flinch) was a preemie, and spelled that way. It's definitely the more intuitive spelling, in my opinion.<BR/><BR/>I would like, also, to be the 567th person to agree that the question mark on "put under" was really problematic. It made me range all over the admittedly meager acreage of my brain seeking strange and surprising meanings of the phrase, and that's just not cool.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67925834588528326312007-10-05T22:50:00.000-04:002007-10-05T22:50:00.000-04:00I didn't think this puzzle was particularly hard f...I didn't think this puzzle was particularly hard for a Friday and found only one clue (phi) totally beyond my knowledge. I didn't know that "premie" was an alternate spelling for "preemie" so got stuck in the nw for a while.<BR/><BR/>They only clue/answer I really objected to was if ever/once and am pleased to see that I am not alone.<BR/><BR/>Maybe "missing a point" would have been better than "missing the point" though I see why the latter was chosen.Michael Chibnikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04700426644898924644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63636799786493924382007-10-05T22:20:00.000-04:002007-10-05T22:20:00.000-04:00Add me to the list of people who liked this puzzle...Add me to the list of people who liked this puzzle. <BR/><BR/>I had to work and sweat and groan and cross out (and cross out again)<BR/>but I finished with only one error- where Karzai and YA Tittle intersect.<BR/><BR/>One error on a Friday is light years ahead of where I was beore I started reading this blog!<BR/><BR/>Thanks allAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70525620125730304902007-10-05T22:10:00.000-04:002007-10-05T22:10:00.000-04:00jim in nyc said, "the indians have a player named ...jim in nyc said, "the indians have a player named hafner" ...<BR/><BR/>YES THEY DO! He just won the game for them ... woo hoo!wendyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06899889818724088564noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68460399622929876492007-10-05T21:58:00.000-04:002007-10-05T21:58:00.000-04:00Steroids were a good one -- shooting made me think...Steroids were a good one -- shooting made me think of basketball or something like that, and there was an aha moment when I got it. But I hated the puzzle. It's been said before, but iller, premie, phi, eared, clod, benedict... This week has been really screwy. I got stuck on Wednesday, and breezed through Thursday with nary a pause. And today was horrid.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14641140140062540512007-10-05T21:55:00.000-04:002007-10-05T21:55:00.000-04:00bluestater"Premature" = "premie"bluestater<BR/><BR/>"Premature" = "premie"Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31683260650280363772007-10-05T21:33:00.000-04:002007-10-05T21:33:00.000-04:00In the past, after finishing a crossword, often my...In the past, after finishing a crossword, often my first inclination was to think this or that clue or answer was arbitrary, baffling, boring, annoying, blah, humdrum, bizarre, ignorant, or just plain wrong.<BR/><BR/>But, over time, I have discovered, from reading the Comments here and at Orange, that the fault lies in me and not the crossword.<BR/><BR/>Crosswords are more informative than a 4-year liberal arts education.<BR/><BR/>JakeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32046490184152920462007-10-05T21:29:00.000-04:002007-10-05T21:29:00.000-04:00Agree with the consensus above. "Iller" is not a ...Agree with the consensus above. <BR/><BR/>"Iller" is not a word; and as somebody once said, "I don't care what the dictionary says."<BR/><BR/>The Indians have a player named "Hafner" which probably gave me a subliminal edge in the SW this evening.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74564109142282450642007-10-05T20:44:00.000-04:002007-10-05T20:44:00.000-04:00Forgot to add... nautical clues are fine by me. DE...Forgot to add... nautical clues are fine by me. <BR/><BR/>DENSE FOG was one of the last bits I got (with a self-administered dope-slap), even though I've been in it on a sailing ship whilst standing watch.<BR/><BR/>In DENSE FOG, you can't tell what direction a sound is coming from for some reason. Peering into the fog watching for things-you-do-not-want-to-crash-into causes hallucinations after about 10 minutes It's very trippy.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37649183812638188862007-10-05T20:41:00.000-04:002007-10-05T20:41:00.000-04:00At the risk of seeming insufficiently kind and gen...At the risk of seeming insufficiently kind and gentle, I will say that this was one of the worst NYT puzzles I've seen in recent months, for all the reasons so amply adduced in the foregoing. Worst of all: SCORELESS and ONCE. And isn't it "preemie," asks this father of one and grandfather of another?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57990269594227205982007-10-05T20:26:00.000-04:002007-10-05T20:26:00.000-04:00Thanks Rick, your second example was more compelli...Thanks Rick, your second example was more compelling. <BR/><BR/>Re: STEROIDS, my problem had nothing to do with the truth of the answer, it was a subjective feeling that it just seemed out of place for the NYT puzzle, hence I was reluctant to fill it in.<BR/><BR/>BTW Rick, my initial answer for 34a was ERPS.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46088182274604400482007-10-05T20:21:00.000-04:002007-10-05T20:21:00.000-04:00I enjoyed this one. It was a beast, but that alone...I enjoyed this one. It was a <I>beast</I>, but that alone never intereferes with the pleasure of solving. I'm not so sure that the "hated it" contingent is a majority at this point. <BR/><BR/>I thought that the SE corner in particular was brilliant and sparkling.<BR/><BR/>Got the NE first, thanks to OMAR SHARIF, and went clockwise from there. But the section NW killed me. I'd made a very bad guess on 1d with TAFT, giving me THORNLESS for 19a, which was at least as good an answer as SCORELESS, so it stayed there and befuddled me for way too long. Oh, and add me to the crowd that learned a new meaning for BENEDICT today. <BR/><BR/>The only thing I <I>hated</I> was ILLER, although I got it with no crosses. So the word is ugly, but the clue is okay.<BR/><BR/>Did Harte actually tell stories about the Gold Rush? Uhm, yes. <BR/>He wrote, "The Luck of Roaring Camp" which, if I'm not mistaken, is one of the best known Gold Rush stories ever. In fact, Roaring Camp is a tourist attraction to this day. Do you think that maybe Harte's story about it has had anything to do with that?<BR/><BR/>Interesting discussion above about not filling in answers that you don't want to be right. I do that constantly. Did that today with HEFNER, but I don't know why.<BR/><BR/>WobbithAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50073703232543561592007-10-05T19:43:00.000-04:002007-10-05T19:43:00.000-04:00Good point, Martin. Your comment only recently ap...Good point, Martin. Your comment only recently appeared on my scree.fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43270491196867144102007-10-05T19:40:00.000-04:002007-10-05T19:40:00.000-04:00If I felt like continuing the pettifogging, as ea...If I felt like continuing the pettifogging, as earlier I had done (past perfect example -- don't think English actually has the pluperfect tense), and follow it up by another post, then I will have written (Fut. Ant.) quite enough. <BR/><BR/>The if ever still seems like a maybe proposition, but the once is a direct and determined consequence. They work just fine in your example and I know that this sort of match is sufficient for the puzzle. Nothing was really wrong with any of this; it perhaps could have been a tiny bit more right. Time to desist, as the factory whistle blows on Friday.fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-7692443047941982882007-10-05T18:53:00.000-04:002007-10-05T18:53:00.000-04:00fergus,"Anterior future" blew me away, it's right ...fergus,<BR/><BR/>"Anterior future" blew me away, it's right up there with pluperfect, neither of which I know the meaning. <BR/><BR/>The following may or may not be conjunctions (I do know that one):<BR/><BR/>"we'll go to the store if ever your room is cleaned up"<BR/><BR/>"we'll go to the store once your room is cleaned up"<BR/><BR/>These seem to fit the clue and answer.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51524732881595223712007-10-05T18:47:00.000-04:002007-10-05T18:47:00.000-04:00Fergus,Both seem to converge in the subjunctive mo...Fergus,<BR/><BR/>Both seem to converge in the subjunctive mood:<BR/><BR/>"[If ever / Once] I were to win the lottery, I would tell my boss where to go."<BR/><BR/>Perhaps "once" is a tad more anticipatory, but the subjunctive "I were" sounds natural in both cases.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11167484976157917712007-10-05T18:25:00.000-04:002007-10-05T18:25:00.000-04:00Pedantic grammar alert:My complaint about If ever/...Pedantic grammar alert:<BR/><BR/>My complaint about If ever/ONCE remains in place since as Rick pointed out there's a different Tense implied. I would go so far as to say that If ever is Conditional, whereas ONCE is Future Anterior, and this mismatch is somwhat abrasive. <BR/><BR/>I am referring to the verb tense implied by ONCE as an adverb. If ONCE is used as a conjunction then maybe this quibble dwindles, though the meanings still don't hook up with much satisfaction.fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16924695854057129302007-10-05T18:16:00.000-04:002007-10-05T18:16:00.000-04:00Fergus,But some athletes do shoot steroids, and so...Fergus,<BR/><BR/>But some athletes do shoot steroids, and some (most) don't.JC66https://www.blogger.com/profile/05324615675333287919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91682290172083082312007-10-05T18:14:00.000-04:002007-10-05T18:14:00.000-04:00How about "some asthma sufferers inhale them" for ...How about "some asthma sufferers inhale them" for steroids.Alex S.https://www.blogger.com/profile/07543077687426776863noreply@blogger.com