tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post6274129082440470836..comments2024-03-29T07:47:07.663-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Folk legend Pete / MON 3-12-18 / Monster outsmarted by Odysseus / Two-time Oscar-nominated actress Lanchester / Two mints in one sloganeer / Saint known for translating bible into latinRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger111125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10634578901559050892018-04-16T18:43:33.196-04:002018-04-16T18:43:33.196-04:00Ooh ooh, Nancy. And Sluggo! Gosh - they don'...Ooh ooh, Nancy. And Sluggo! Gosh - they don't make them like that anymore. Unless you count Hagar - sometimes Dennis the Menace. Those were the days...<br /><br />As Cathy would say, "Aaacl!!"<br />Lady DiDiana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-62902775983470864762018-04-16T16:44:53.122-04:002018-04-16T16:44:53.122-04:00This puz is ONE EYE finished without a write-over....This puz is ONE EYE finished without a write-over. Did not know POLYPHEMUS by name, only by crosses. <br /><br />As a kid, I used to buy that BAZOOKAJOE gum all the time. Those tiny comics were real knee slappers; at least as funny as “Nancy”.<br /><br />Anyone who can pass muster in a bunny outfit (even as a sort of FRAUD) gets a yeah baby, so there you go GLORIA.<br /><br />Decent Mon-puz, but I wouldn’t rate it ATEN.<br />rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77364923682557786662018-04-16T16:07:05.563-04:002018-04-16T16:07:05.563-04:00As the keeper of all that is holy about Monday puz...As the keeper of all that is holy about Monday puzzles, I must post a protest.<br /><br />Whilst it was neither difficult nor hard, some of the answers were out of the wheelhouse of most people you would meet walking down the street. Most people who would be first-time solvers. Most people who would pick this up and think, "yes, the NYT puzzles are too hard for me" and never return.<br /><br />For examples, one needn't go further than reading @Lewis' post from the future. <br /><br />And it's not even polymorphous perverse, like Annie. (Hall)<br /><br />Peace, out...<br /><br />Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for Crosswords, Guardian of MondaynessDiana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72209012574547159022018-04-16T14:50:34.732-04:002018-04-16T14:50:34.732-04:00Monday-easy, but OK. Never heard the term POLYPHE...Monday-easy, but OK. Never heard the term POLYPHEMUS. Gorgon, Troglodyte, yes. I was briefly afraid that there'd be a minion in there. Thankfully, no.<br /><br />Until I read an explanation above, I had thought that a HADJI was the trek, not the person on the trek. Or is that a Hegira? I should look it up.<br /><br />@Lady Di - the next time that guy snores during my telling him about something, I'm going to tell him that Diana is going to bite him on his considerable schozz. That'll be fun.<br /><br />rainforestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70472680283262525592018-04-16T14:10:19.247-04:002018-04-16T14:10:19.247-04:00ICKY ABCS
Though BAZOOKAJOE and GLORIA plan,
they...ICKY ABCS<br /><br />Though BAZOOKAJOE and GLORIA plan,<br />they ARE SCAREd it’s EVIL and complex,<br />but, EGAD, ICANHELP SUPERMAN<br />with ANEWHOPE for DIRTY SECS.<br /><br />--- ELSA SEEGER<br />Burma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61421950689990742552018-04-16T14:05:41.268-04:002018-04-16T14:05:41.268-04:00Good theme, nicely followed through.
Pausers: POL...Good theme, nicely followed through.<br /><br />Pausers: POLYPHEMUS and ANEWHOPE (haven't seen Star Wars movies in years). <br /><br />Is it REY or REI? It's AJAR (ha).leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76820718872341077592018-04-16T12:08:23.405-04:002018-04-16T12:08:23.405-04:00The stuff you learn! I never knew about SAMMY'...The stuff you learn! I never knew about SAMMY's EYE--and I actually met him! Shook hands with the man! Never noticed: because it wasn't central to his "SAMMY-"ness.<br /><br />Neither did I know the name of the beast. I was missing "CYCLOPS" as a themer till I read OFL's blog, not realizing that that was the beast named in 18-across. Gee, you'd think "Monophemus" would be more appropriate, wouldn't you? Well, I guess "-PHEMUS" doesn't mean "EYE." HEMAL, though, does mean "blood," though I've never seen that actual word. HEM-, HEMO-, HEMA- as prefixes, or HEMATIC as the adjective, but never HEMAL. That M was the last letter in.<br /><br />This one was otherwise Monday-easy, but imparted little joy. All the other stale crosswordese mentioned, plus ESAI, that otherwise obscure actor whose parents must have thought: let's give him a name that will make him a crossword constructor's delight, so he'll be famous in some way at least.<br /><br />ONE amusing quirk: homophones MARE and MERE (as clued!) in a direct stack. Nothing really objectionable here; it's a refreshing change to have @M&A's "weejects" participate in the reveal. (I have finally figured out that a "weeject" is ANY 3-letter word. Including ANY.)<br /><br />DOD ELSA will guide this Golden Knights' FANOUT of here. Par.spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73638912514761361772018-04-16T11:50:37.904-04:002018-04-16T11:50:37.904-04:00Have not done the puz yet, but wanted to respond t...Have not done the puz yet, but wanted to respond to @Rainy from yesterday (Sunday).<br /><br />@Rainy - as to your "friend" who snores when you tell a story of interest to you (but not him) - next time, I will bite him. P'raps I shan't be there in person, but in your mind, you'll know. Like Peter Pan's Tinkerbell, I'm there. Giving him a bite on his snorer. Chomp!<br /><br />Lady DiDiana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23515783580888787532018-03-13T10:36:19.703-04:002018-03-13T10:36:19.703-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Sara Frederichttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01306792432373179619noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50509604084793189292018-03-13T08:09:47.662-04:002018-03-13T08:09:47.662-04:00The really bizarre thing about SHED/HEMAL is that ...The really bizarre thing about SHED/HEMAL is that you can change one letter to get Sked/Kemal, which is way better.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13479563228686790504noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40399637671902938912018-03-13T00:18:01.165-04:002018-03-13T00:18:01.165-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67699310655198802312018-03-12T22:06:09.691-04:002018-03-12T22:06:09.691-04:00I'm 30 years old and this was really hard for ...I'm 30 years old and this was really hard for me. First Monday I couldn't finish in a long time. Harder than usual Tuesdays in my opinion.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16951512396418030482018-03-12T20:32:37.652-04:002018-03-12T20:32:37.652-04:00@Barbie -- and actually, on reflection, I see anot...@Barbie -- and actually, on reflection, I see another problem. The other three themers are a mythological character, a graphic representation of a character, and a comic strip character. None are, or were, real. But Sammy Davis Jr. was -- WAS, past tense -- a real human being, who has been deceased since 1990. Yet the revealer clue (39A) says "What the answers...each <i>have</i>" -- present tense, as if Sammy is still alive. So that's pretty clumsy. <br /><br />BTW, the album called SD Jr. Sings, Laurindo Almeida Plays (guitar) is pretty great.Joe Dipintohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07922691457886440325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13495997471165056072018-03-12T20:26:06.544-04:002018-03-12T20:26:06.544-04:00@barbieBarbie
Why are you nitpicking something th...@barbieBarbie<br /><br />Why are you nitpicking something that's a fact? He had a glass eye. <br /><br />If i have an ersatz $1,000,000 check in my wallet, it wouldn't make me a millionaire.JC66https://www.blogger.com/profile/05324615675333287919noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44457909479809676562018-03-12T20:17:42.875-04:002018-03-12T20:17:42.875-04:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.PeteFannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77436689715871662572018-03-12T20:10:18.443-04:002018-03-12T20:10:18.443-04:00@Z, I thought a boater was a hat.
My memory of Sa...@Z, I thought a boater was a hat. <br />My memory of Sammy Davis is that he had two eyes. Maybe only one of them sent signals to his optic nerve, but two eyes. So I call foul on that themer. Though I did love SD (and no other Rat Pack member).BarbieBarbienoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89809188047221108912018-03-12T19:33:03.083-04:002018-03-12T19:33:03.083-04:00@Mohair Sam, great story.@Mohair Sam, great story.Stanley Hudsonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74962697094973286942018-03-12T18:39:40.498-04:002018-03-12T18:39:40.498-04:00@Z - Our middle son has two kids in a school in Ma...@Z - Our middle son has two kids in a school in Maryland (suburban DC area). The town has a large immigrant population. The elementary school was having some problems with bullying of immigrant kids. A new Principal came in a couple of years ago and added flags of every different nationality represented in the student body to the walls around the American flag as you come in the main entrance of the school. It made being an immigrant a cool thing, something to be proud of, and yes - bullying over nationality is now almost unknown in the school. Mohair Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502840715719161565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71703343286291666842018-03-12T18:09:28.368-04:002018-03-12T18:09:28.368-04:00@Nancy, you got a deal! Just one EERO, ERKO, ELIEL...@Nancy, you got a deal! Just one EERO, ERKO, ELIEL and ELIHU ROOT (or YALE) at a time from now on! :) @Roo, Eliel was Eero's father btw. FrankSteinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86709660127492479472018-03-12T17:45:14.620-04:002018-03-12T17:45:14.620-04:00@Z...Phew@Z...PhewGILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11518096936681016972018-03-12T17:36:30.598-04:002018-03-12T17:36:30.598-04:00The first place I ever saw the word POLYPHEMUS was...The first place I ever saw the word POLYPHEMUS was in the Golden Nature Guide to Butterflies and Moths, when I was a kid. There's a Polyphemus Moth, which has spots on its wings that look like eyes.<br /><br />I didn't find the reference to Sammy Davis's one eye offensive. There's no implication that's the main thing he's remembered for; he just happened to have that in common with the other theme answers. No biggie. But I'd have to agree the puzzle skewed kind of old, in general.<br />Joe Dipintohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07922691457886440325noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-558388129808486622018-03-12T17:24:07.456-04:002018-03-12T17:24:07.456-04:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 1/2/2018 post for an explanation of my method. In a nutshell, the higher the ratio & percentage, the higher my solve time was relative to my norm for that day of the week. Your results may vary.<br /><br />(Day, Solve time, 26-wk Median, Ratio, %, Rating)<br /><br />Mon 4:32 4:09 1.09 74.8% Medium-Challenging<br /><br />This seemed about 95% Easy Monday, plus POLYPHEMUS, COZEN, St. JEROME and HEMAL, all of which seem decidedly un-Monday-like to me. Mythology is one of my weak areas, but I usually at least recognize the names. Not so with POLYPHEMUS. Add in some ICKY fill (I'm looking at you SECS, A TEN, O SAY, NENE, REY, ERES, EGAD and, of course, ICKY) and I'm calling it a meh Monday.sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44420084185453081362018-03-12T17:22:58.116-04:002018-03-12T17:22:58.116-04:00@Gill I - Only because you asked - A pejorative fo...@Gill I - Only because you asked - A pejorative for someone “fresh off the boat.” The irony, of course, is that it was often second or third generation kids using the term so their parents or grandparents often had faced the term, too (besides the fact that no one arrives by boat anymore - just shows how old the term actually is). I’m sure this is part of the reason the “mom” line worked so well. Unless you are a HS student in a school with a large immigrant population you’re probably safe using the word. Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14792459071920001782018-03-12T17:00:52.543-04:002018-03-12T17:00:52.543-04:00ELIEL Saarinen??? Oh, please, no, @FrankStein and...<i>ELIEL</i> Saarinen??? Oh, please, no, @FrankStein and @Roo! It's taken me at least four years just to get EERO into my memory bank. I'm pretty sure it resides there most times -- at least on those occasions when I'm not confusing him with the Cube Guy. So, @Frank and @Roo, please don't go complicating my puzzle life with this ELIEL person, okay? Do we have a deal?Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16737377749030219974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84553328023398427292018-03-12T16:33:29.893-04:002018-03-12T16:33:29.893-04:00@Joe 1:14
The answer is MODEL T'S, as in Henry...@Joe 1:14<br />The answer is MODEL T'S, as in Henry Ford's first massed produced auto. Are you relatively young? Not a dig, just curious. He also said of the car, "You can get any color as long as it's black."<br /><br />@Frank Stein 1:19<br />I've seen Eliel in puzs before! Whenever ___ Saarinen is a clue, it's either EERO or ELIEL. I believe there wasn't another sibling!<br /><br />RooMonsterRooMonsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14103892151115549684noreply@blogger.com