tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post6014950830632668695..comments2024-03-29T09:29:30.755-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Fukuda's predecessor as Japan's PM / SAT 3-16-13 / Supervillain from Krypton / Final aim to philosopher / Baroque key of glory / Role for both Burton Amos in 1977 miniseries / Italian game akin to petanque / Football Hall of Famer Minnesota Supreme Court justice / Yuri's beloved in literatureRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger77125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74453001409917364302013-04-25T22:20:45.755-04:002013-04-25T22:20:45.755-04:00Thanks for your response. I looked it up, and you...Thanks for your response. I looked it up, and you are right! Only six specific pairs (in modern usage, per Wiki) are allowed where a smaller numeral ahead of a larger one indicates subtraction, namely IV, IX, XL, XC, CD, and CM (for 4, 9, 40, 90, 500, and 900).<br /> <br />Other combinations are simply not allowed, such as IL, IC, ID, and IM as well as VL, VC, VD, etc. Of fifteen useful pairs by my count, nine are impermissible.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31740501944864270832013-04-25T13:47:28.610-04:002013-04-25T13:47:28.610-04:00Did any one else notice that the syndicated versio...Did any one else notice that the syndicated version of this puzzle came out on "4/20" *and* it contains the word "TOQUE"?... Coincidence???... Oui? Non? Hmmm... ;-)Alexis De Tocquevillenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48727367621872215732013-04-22T19:31:11.583-04:002013-04-22T19:31:11.583-04:00You're correct in British Latin, but I suspect...You're correct in British Latin, but I suspect this puzzle expects American Latin.<br /><br />Actually, I seem to recall from my Latin classes that even the Romans accepted both forms.straylinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13536180563789923012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32498063832747163512013-04-22T00:30:02.292-04:002013-04-22T00:30:02.292-04:00No one caught the error in Roman numerals in 60D (...No one caught the error in Roman numerals in 60D (year in Claudius's reign). The answer XLV is an incorrect form, supposedly for 45. In Roman numerals, 45 is written VL, or 5 less than 50. You don't double up with a subtraction (-10 or X) in front of the main number (L or 50) and an addition (V or 5) afterwards.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25990156059702467902013-04-21T02:52:04.434-04:002013-04-21T02:52:04.434-04:00DNF for me as well. I don't do rappers, and t...DNF for me as well. I don't do rappers, and though apparently this was a double pangram, which deserves some adulation, it was beyond me. I gave up after roughly 2/3 of the puzzle was done. Looking at the finished puzzle, it doesn't look as difficult as I found it. Bad day.rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30572326716512893432013-04-20T16:54:23.047-04:002013-04-20T16:54:23.047-04:00Well, another DNF. After much cogitation I managed...Well, another DNF. After much cogitation I managed to lay down the SW, and most of the NE. I was blocked out of the SE because no way could I get LUMPED out of "Put up with." That one is a big HUH? And next to it, HOMELAB??? What is that? Is it supposed to be a familiar phrase? Let's say that's the final puzzle on "Wheel of Fortune." _ _ _ E L _ _. Go ahead and give that to 100 Mensa members, complete with three random consonants. "Thing" is the category. Not one of them will come up with "HOME LAB." It's a non-saying. Ridiculous.<br /><br />I was going to tackle the MW via 26a, but when I saw "rapper," that was it. I no longer cared. Just as well; never in a million years could I have gotten MOSTEST. Another one "Gull's cry?" IWASHAD? Is "gull" supposed to be short for a gullible person? Never heard of that.<br /><br />The whole thing is just an unintelligible mess. Bah.Spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-27443755269611625812013-03-19T18:31:26.341-04:002013-03-19T18:31:26.341-04:00OK, it's Tuesday and I am just getting around ...OK, it's Tuesday and I am just getting around to Saturday. Nice puzzle.<br /><br />True Natick at JARUL(d)E/L(d)EE. No idea. Other than that it solved straightforwardly for a Saturday. ALAN PAGE and FRESCA - no problems. VEST SUIT @ 35a was easily fixed. Guessed YAKS rather than GABS @ 46A, which helped. Guessed XLI for 60D and wondered briefly what a DID BOX SET was. D'oh.<br /><br />Thanks, Mr. Lim.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18427958235922021672013-03-17T21:08:22.415-04:002013-03-17T21:08:22.415-04:00Fresca was the big "duh" moment for me. ...Fresca was the big "duh" moment for me. Made absolutely nonsense to me until it just did. Swapped between Kunta & Kinte until the cross confirmed the e at the end. I actually loved the ALMA MATER answer. Really good clue there.<br /><br />Count me in on the BOCCE vs BOCCI dispute.crackblindhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13088682009537848311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19804135153295713792013-03-17T10:42:07.323-04:002013-03-17T10:42:07.323-04:00For those of us old enough to remember Subic Bay i...For those of us old enough to remember Subic Bay in many Navy and US vis a vis Philippines relationship news stories, the left side cross wasn't as awful as Rex portrays.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73726582531662882172013-03-17T09:31:33.568-04:002013-03-17T09:31:33.568-04:00"Love" is related to tennis - it means s..."Love" is related to tennis - it means score of zero... (96 across Sunday March 17). Robin Cnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66382016690053291602013-03-17T04:55:41.745-04:002013-03-17T04:55:41.745-04:00It's now early Sunday morning and I finally fi...It's now early Sunday morning and I finally finished this puzzle, which I began Friday night. Granted I haven't been working on it steadily for 26 hours but I have been googling and cheating (I mean really cheating) and still it took this long. That's my standard for whether a puzzle is hard. Enjoyed it, though. I knew LARA and BOCCE just like Rex said; everything else was a struggle. Ellen Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00473445503706985149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90140091975422507622013-03-17T01:52:16.340-04:002013-03-17T01:52:16.340-04:00Yes, second time for BOCCI and the second time I e...Yes, second time for BOCCI and the second time I entered bocce - because I was hoping that this time the constructor would get it right. Who cares how it's spelled in English - it's an Italian game hence it should be the Italian spelling. I worked this puzzle from the bottom up. No problem with WHAT HATH god wrought. And I knew the kind of gull we were looking for because I'd intuited the HAD - but couldn't figure out how to fit "I've been" into just four letters especially since I had STEPSonit instead of STEPSITUP. And I too had LEO and ABE, but I'm in good company.<br />Nigelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74383147261305134622013-03-16T23:01:12.572-04:002013-03-16T23:01:12.572-04:00@Scott, K5TA = "Like"@Scott, K5TA = "Like"Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36508285164513036252013-03-16T22:40:25.118-04:002013-03-16T22:40:25.118-04:00
ace
5.
a very skilled person; expert; adept: an...<br />ace<br /><br /><br />5.<br />a very skilled person; expert; adept: an ace at tap dancing. dictionary.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11392033740450308372013-03-16T22:21:05.122-04:002013-03-16T22:21:05.122-04:00Bocce, sometimes anglicized as bocci or boccie, is...Bocce, sometimes anglicized as bocci or boccie, is a ball sport belonging to the boules sport family, closely related to bowls and pétanque with a common ancestry from ancient games played in the Roman Empire. Developed into its present form in Italy, (where it is called bocce, the plural of the Italian word boccia which means "bowl"), it is played around Europe and also in overseas areas that have received Italian migrants, including Australia, North America, and South America (where it is known as bochas; bolas criollas in Venezuela, bocha (the sport) in Brazil), initially among the migrants themselves but slowly becoming more popular with their descendants and the wider community.Wikipediahttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boccenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31447249397685581442013-03-16T22:20:17.209-04:002013-03-16T22:20:17.209-04:00Look you dopes. Rex is right. You don't cross ...Look you dopes. Rex is right. You don't cross a Brazilian word with a Spanish word, duh! Rex is the King of Crosswords, respect that.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-27598350931014389832013-03-16T21:33:19.087-04:002013-03-16T21:33:19.087-04:00One TOQUE over the line, sweet Jesus....One TOQUE over the line, sweet Jesus....Scott, K5TAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16788478772744603504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68234575167494738662013-03-16T21:32:34.556-04:002013-03-16T21:32:34.556-04:00It's BOCCE, not BOCCI! And this is the second ...It's BOCCE, not BOCCI! And this is the second time I've seen that misspelling in a puzzle recently. Granted, I'm only half Italian, but I've never seen that spelling in all the decades my family's been playing that game.Ragazza Italiananoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20323962909773369052013-03-16T21:13:04.927-04:002013-03-16T21:13:04.927-04:00Found several of the clues more misleading than us...Found several of the clues more misleading than usual and couldn't figure them out :Gull's cry; :,at times; Growled at, say; Where one may have personal reactions; and Ace [what does "adept" have to do with "Ace"?] Anyway, just another DNF and a bad end of the week. And is it BOCCE or BOCCI?LaneBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48357254047468404282013-03-16T20:19:41.290-04:002013-03-16T20:19:41.290-04:00Big dnf for me, but maybe because I just didn’t ha...Big dnf for me, but maybe because I just didn’t have time to sit with it; lacrosse season is here, and I had to go line a field at 8:00am this morning.<br /><br />I’m ashamed at how many versions I entertained for DVD BOX SET. Just didn’t get it, even though I had the right idea.<br /><br />MICE – I’ll say again – if I go to Staples to get a mouse for my computer, see they’re on sale, and decide to buy two. . . I have bought two “mouses.” Two MICE in my Staples bag – whiskered animals. Eke!<br /><br />I can’t believe I had “Kunta” forever. Jeez.<br /> <br />@Bob Kerfuffle –I considered “Zoot SUIT, too.<br /><br />@Evan – I’m so glad you got your picture! It’s great!<br /><br />@Andrea – thanks for pointing out that it’s almost a double pangram. I never would have seen that.<br /><br />@GillI.P. – FRESCAS was a gimme for me today. I love FRESCA and saw that one immediately.<br /><br />@okanaganer – welcome!! Congrats on your first Saturday. I finish a Saturday maybe seventy percent of the time or less. I lurked for several months before I had the courage to comment. I’m sure glad I did. I’ll look forward to more posts from you.<br /><br />Terrific themeless, Julian. Thanks.Loren Muse Smithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05308030011870397977noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20200520854099172182013-03-16T19:56:50.632-04:002013-03-16T19:56:50.632-04:00Add me to the ABO/LEO list.
I'm going to cal...Add me to the ABO/LEO list. <br /><br />I'm going to call that the Natick that it is, since ABO is an actual Japanese sir name. (E.g., Kiyokazu Abo, Imperial Navy admiral). <br /><br />Maybe we're supposed to know Shinzō Abe because he was the PM of Japan. Come on: he was PM for 365 days. There's been five different Japanese PMs since Obama took office. <br /><br />And the cross was Lee Pace. Geez Louise. Who???<br /><br />Two Naticks in a row. Come on, Will - knock it off.Joseph Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21650748498916602602013-03-16T19:42:02.586-04:002013-03-16T19:42:02.586-04:00I did this after work as usual and managed to get ...I did this after work as usual and managed to get it done (almost) in just under my self-inposed two hour/two drink limit. I made all of the mistakes everyone else did but corrected them all except ABo/LEo, which seemed perfectly reasonable to me. Lots of "aha" moments made this a fun <br />Saturday solve for me. Does anyone go to the ice cream- or pizza-PARLOR anymore?Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82759310053589034272013-03-16T18:51:03.279-04:002013-03-16T18:51:03.279-04:00Good puzzle, although not as much fun (for me) as ...Good puzzle, although not as much fun (for me) as yesterday's. I missed one square, which happens from time to time, and should not completely ruin my appreciation of the puzzle. However, JARUDE, of whom I never heard, with "Dee" Pace, of whom I never heard, made as much sense to me as Jarule and Lee. A bad cross of two pop culture clues. To be fair, though, an "L" made more sense there; I need to remember to try every letter in cases like this. OISKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16808675378318214461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43238448107230641842013-03-16T18:04:02.922-04:002013-03-16T18:04:02.922-04:00All solvers (this week's median solve time, av...All solvers (this week's median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Mon 6:44, 6:14, 1.08, 82%, Challenging<br />Tue 10:18, 8:23, 1.23, 89%, Challenging<br />Wed 11:32, 10:59, 1.05, 65%, Medium-Challenging<br />Thu 12:23, 16:58, 0.73, 8%, Easy<br />Fri 24:49, 22:18, 1.11, 76%, Medium-Challenging<br />Sat 27:42, 24:59, 1.11, 82%, Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 4:07, 3:42, 1.11, 88%, Challenging<br />Tue 5:59, 4:54, 1.22, 94%, Challenging<br />Wed 6:41, 6:22, 1.05, 62%, Medium-Challenging<br />Thu 6:56, 9:56, 0.70, 5%, Easy (9th lowest ratio of 168 Thursdays)<br />Fri 13:41, 12:57, 1.06, 59%, Medium<br />Sat 19:11, 14:38, 1.31, 93%, Challengingsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13719575651692973432013-03-16T17:15:01.390-04:002013-03-16T17:15:01.390-04:00This is my idea of a good Saturday puzzle, - chall...This is my idea of a good Saturday puzzle, - challenging, but possible, good clues.<br /><br />Reverse of Rex -- Alan Page a gimme, Jarule -- unknown to me gettable only by crosses with the Jarule/Lee cross a guess.<br /><br />Messed up a while with "ramps it up"Michaelnoreply@blogger.com