tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post6296806190876064667..comments2024-03-28T07:54:35.055-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Fragile fabric made from certain plant fibers / FRI 2-26-16 / 1991 Scorsese De Niro collaboration / Pioneering labor leader samuel / My response was informally / Yellow-flowered plant procuing sticky resin / Barber five-time Pro Bowler from Tampa Bay BuccaneersRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger75125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71431057720899718862016-04-01T22:50:12.569-04:002016-04-01T22:50:12.569-04:00Look, if you really want to get your post onto thi...Look, if you really want to get your post onto this blog in synditime, you have to get it on in CUTTIME.leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31747349923488640492016-04-01T20:51:31.774-04:002016-04-01T20:51:31.774-04:00As is often the case, I concur with @Lewis.
Tho...As is often the case, I concur with @Lewis. <br /><br />Thought PABARKER was very funny. Very "wordplayish." <br /><br />Not a perfect solve, but I loved chipping away at this one. Kudos.<br /><br />The Waiting family is adjusting to life back in the home base. Why is the bathroom in the wrong place? Oh, I really like THIS kitchen. <br /><br />And best of all, the NYTP in print in the paper, so I don't have to draw it on graph paper. Life's little luxuries. <br /><br />Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for CrosswordsDiana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24772781379158800552016-04-01T16:51:07.325-04:002016-04-01T16:51:07.325-04:00Three virtually independent puzzles, but the short...Three virtually independent puzzles, but the short links helped a little, as did the crosses within the three.<br /><br />SUREYOUARE as answer to "Uh-huh, I believe that" remains opaque to me.<br /><br />Several entries seemed so obvious once seen, but they did take some time.<br /><br />Tried to see a connection between CAPEFEAR in the puzzle's far NW and the ESCAPEKEY before getting that the "far northwest" was on a keyboard. But CAPE and KEY are related maritime terms.<br /><br />Last to go was the "R" in the ROBOTO/RONDE cross, being unfamiliar to me, but an easy guess.leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42235417967967919812016-04-01T15:55:00.219-04:002016-04-01T15:55:00.219-04:00Even with CAOE FEAR,ALAMODOME, FLORET, GOMPERS, an...Even with CAOE FEAR,ALAMODOME, FLORET, GOMPERS, and CUT TIME as gimmes, this was overall challenging, but I kept with it and got it done.<br /><br />I thought PA BARKER was just plain inspired and funny. I was stuck on sniper for the take-out guy, and aside from YERS, the NE was very sticky, like that GUM WEED (?). Speaking of directions, that NW clue flustered me. My computer faces South, so the ESCAPE KEY is actually in the far SE. That clue was too cutesy by far, when "far upper left" would have been accurate no matter the direction of your computer, or tablet, or phone. I say this with tongue only partially in cheek.<br /><br />GEMINIS and JETSKIS were the key to this puzzle for me, though at the time I thought both were risky. As everyone has said, some truly great entries, and much excellent cluing.<br /><br />Challenging, and a good one.rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74144792946234248572016-04-01T14:27:41.380-04:002016-04-01T14:27:41.380-04:00No more perfect week. Had enough today to make up ...No more perfect week. Had enough today to make up for the rest, starting at 1a with scarFace, then over to the NE with xERS and edItOR (take out orders guy?) then SE to LeveL (true?), well you get the idea. They all got fixed, but that took some effort. GOMPERS, of all things, a gimme, as well as ROBOTO.<br /><br />RONDE, you’re just one letter off. OH, DEARME.<br /><br />Hardly ever watch the show but yeah baby SANDRAOH got me going in the SE and otherwise, too.<br /><br /> Just BETWEENUS, I gotta like any puz with TATAS, especially when they’re YERS, you syndirellas. I’ve got a NEWTOY for you. BEPATIENT. Likin’ it? SUREYOUARE.<br /><br />So I made this puz harder than it should have been, but I liked the challenge.<br />rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58313721891289849282016-04-01T14:20:01.924-04:002016-04-01T14:20:01.924-04:00Did this one in Dr.'s waiting room--so had loa...Did this one in Dr.'s waiting room--so had loads of time. What would you call it when the only two entries in the grid that you know intersect? A reverse-natick?? I put in RONDE, whose defensive antics kept my beloved Eagles our of the Duper Bowl, curse him, and now-newest earworm Mr. ROBOTO, domo origato for that. Then I stared at the vast expanse of remaining white.<br /><br />Actually, the next thing I wrote turned out to be a nearly fatal mistake. Picking the wrong generation, I put in XERS, so figured the exciting thing to play with was a NEW...box. Well, you know the old joke about the kid ignoring the toy and...you get the idea. Later, when I at last had the NE filled in, everything looked OK except for that troublesome 12-down: how is BILE gonna become a makeshift coaster?? Kinda messy, I would think. Then it finally hit me: it WAS the NEWTOY after all, NOT the box it came in! Disaster averted.<br /><br />Another error that almost scuppered the solve was eaTATHOME. I'm so used to EATIN for "Not go to McDonald's," say, that I equated staying in house with mealtime. BETWEENUS was a long time coming, and that was necessary7 for the fix.<br /><br />I see that OFL gave a kind review, possibly because of the shout-out to him at 3-down. Can't believe @BS would forgo using TATAS in his poem of the day. SANDRAOHDEARME! IMLIKE, A. Good, tough--and done!spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32372042348515681912016-04-01T13:55:58.619-04:002016-04-01T13:55:58.619-04:00Had NEW BOX (XERS, and BIKE instead of TILE) for a...Had NEW BOX (XERS, and BIKE instead of TILE) for a while. I have cats and a NEW BOX is a very exciting thing indeed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-7403115099525275832016-04-01T08:46:54.659-04:002016-04-01T08:46:54.659-04:00IMLIKE, OHDEARME
Just BETWEENUS, and for the NOTO...IMLIKE, OHDEARME<br /><br />Just BETWEENUS, and for the NOTORIETY factor,<br />watch this POMPOUSASS of an ADULT movie actor.<br />BEPATIENT and make SUREYOUARE up for a thrill,<br />she’ll rub her TATAS and blow SEAMEN out her NOSTRIL.<br /><br />--- RONDE “OXHIDE” GOMPERS<br />Burma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53182255348332765152016-02-26T22:27:11.719-05:002016-02-26T22:27:11.719-05:00BE PATIENT indeed. Finished in about 2.5 hours. Bu...BE PATIENT indeed. Finished in about 2.5 hours. But no errors, so that's something.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10337573187668863742016-02-26T22:21:56.376-05:002016-02-26T22:21:56.376-05:00Of course, of COURSE Rex is (far, far, FAR) better...Of course, of COURSE Rex is (far, far, FAR) better than I at solving crossword puzzles. That said, the only clueI hit was the one he didn't tumble to. Pa Barker. AND I know "cut time." But the Toscanini tricked me. Well, that and a couple of wrong crosses. Drat!<br />Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06581264930569305915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28632493657626123842016-02-26T22:20:42.496-05:002016-02-26T22:20:42.496-05:00@AliasZ - Love your poem!! All other comments stin...@AliasZ - Love your poem!! All other comments stink: they require Odorono.<br /><br />I can't decide whether I love PA BARKER or hate it. It's definitely one or the other. Or both.<br /><br />I had edItOR for TAILOR, as I mis-read the getting as giving in the clue (One getting lots of take-out orders?). (Note to self: Frequent take-out orderer? = EDITOR)<br /><br />Liked POMPOUS ASS, NOTORIETY, SANDRA OH, CAPE FEAR, and I'M LIKE. Liked the clues for GEMINIS (Kennedy and Bush 41, but no other U.S. Presidents), ESCAPE KEY (It's in the far northwest), and BOA (Winner's prize on "RuPaul's Drag U").<br /><br />In my opinion, NEW TOY is not "green paint." The phrase is often used in a figurative sense. Calling a man's new acquisition a "new toy" implies that the man is acting like a boy.<br /><br />Lots of stuff that I didn't know. Did not know my flora (ALOE LACE or GUM WEED). Didn't know the legal terms (RES, JURIS, or NISI). Didn't know Samuel GOMPERS. Didn't know that Cross was a brand of PEN(SET)S. My brain kept wanting SemiARID instead of SUBARID. Somehow got through all that and completed it without an error!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11292806089549341991noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75913480818724672912016-02-26T22:15:29.015-05:002016-02-26T22:15:29.015-05:00Phooey. The SE rots up an otherwise decent puzzle...Phooey. The SE rots up an otherwise decent puzzle. What the heck is "RuPaul's Drag U"? (I could Google it, but why should I care?) And right above that we have Mr. ? a hit by - what - STYX? As in the river? Roboto??? But wait, I am a sports fan, yet I didn't know Barber's first name was Ronde. I DID know Sandra Oh, although I never watched her show. So that left me with __Boto, L__der for a cleanup machine, __ NDE for the first name of Mr. Barber, and B__ for "winner's prize" I would have needed a series of lucky guesses to avoid a DNF, and almost made it. Guessed ROBOTO, and LOADER, (not a machine that is familiar to me...) but had "Rande", which I thought was an alternate spelling of Randy, and not Ronde. That gave me BAA for the prize, which meant nothing, but neither did "BOA." So my second DNF in six days, and a really irritating one. At least, with this much pop trivia in one section, an easier clue for "BOA" was called for. A big "Boo" from Brooklyn.OISKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16808675378318214461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42980705955361968312016-02-26T17:46:25.642-05:002016-02-26T17:46:25.642-05:00Got PABARKER w/o help.
But had to smile doing it....Got PABARKER w/o help.<br /><br />But had to smile doing it. No, rex, there is no pa in history. It really should be kind of a ? thing or a 'maybe'.<br />Philhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07988007506745985696noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63283308886015280752016-02-26T17:01:22.843-05:002016-02-26T17:01:22.843-05:00@Teedmn -- While I got SUBARID for "moderatel...@Teedmn -- While I got SUBARID for "moderately dry", I like your answer, SOBERER, much more.<br /><br />From the A-little-ignorance-is-a-wonderful-thing Department: It never occurred to me that PA BARKER wasn't as known as his wife, and I thought the clue and answer were just fine.Nancyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16737377749030219974noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29176497955522591892016-02-26T16:34:51.629-05:002016-02-26T16:34:51.629-05:00For such a hard puzzle it sure started easy. CAPEF... For such a hard puzzle it sure started easy. CAPEFEAR was a first guess supported by mostly easy crosses. Besides from drawing a blank on NSFW what mostly held up the NW was thinking of 2D as a town. I kept thinking just one more space and Alamogordo would go right in. Rawhide and semi arid had the same problem. Still the NW and SE were cake walks compared to the center. Changing XERS to YERS got the ball rolling. It went from NE to SW with something of a pause in the middle.<br /> What should have been a clean grid was marred by my terrible spelling. I had an A for the fourth letter of 9D. Maybe I was thinking of notary public. I would never make that mistake with the word notorious, at least I hope not. GAMPERS didn't look like a name but when I saw the correct answer in the blog I had to laugh at myself.<br /> Now I'll have to see if he's the name source for our local Gompers Park.<br /> Great puzzle and the hardest one since I've been commenting based on time.puzzle hoardernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88892651204329906242016-02-26T16:27:53.203-05:002016-02-26T16:27:53.203-05:00@Kimberly - Sympathies and kudos. We've all be...@Kimberly - Sympathies and kudos. We've all been there, but you did a wonderful write-up of the experience.<br /><br />@Nancy - NSFW = Not Safe For Work. Not that anyone would accidentally look at a dirty joke on the internet when they're supposed to be working. It is usually intentional.<br /><br />I have a PA BARKER hypothesis - when George's family turned to crime he became Masked and Anonymous. Is that you, P&A?Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24999210888679580762016-02-26T15:01:31.980-05:002016-02-26T15:01:31.980-05:00I was part of the hitman for TAILOR group and stru...I was part of the hitman for TAILOR group and struggled with CUTTIME thanks largely to the Toscanini > Italian mislead. Otherwise, I found this to be a fair, challenging Friday puzzle. <br /><br />DeNiro "Wiseguys"? Guess not.Chip Hiltonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-39644018201423880352016-02-26T14:59:23.130-05:002016-02-26T14:59:23.130-05:00More like a Saturday puzzle. Hard for me/More like a Saturday puzzle. Hard for me/JIllnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57913650637531399022016-02-26T14:39:12.795-05:002016-02-26T14:39:12.795-05:00Like many others, had ESkimo-something for 35A, ev...Like many others, had ESkimo-something for 35A, even after I had KEY at the end, but eventually got it all straightened out. BEcareful took some time, but I guess I was PATIENT.<br /><br />As for the big controversy of the day - if the clue is read correctly, someone's wife and sons were notorious Depression-era criminals...<br /><br />For a Friday misdirect - I think PABARKER was perfectly fine, since the wording could apply only to MA and sons, which was the case in reality.<br /><br />If you can have Ma & Pa Kettle, why not Ma & Pa Barker? The Batman TV series did a variation with Ma Parker as the criminal matriarch.<br /><br />Really liked this one - especially NOSTRIL. Had some of the same gimmes as others - ALAMODOME, GOMPERS, SANDRAOH. <br /><br />POMPOUSASS crossing BLOWHARD is inspired - even without the obvious current political implications.<br /><br />RTAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34487824118541811052016-02-26T14:32:38.980-05:002016-02-26T14:32:38.980-05:00Natick for me at ROBOTO and RONDE. Did the winner...Natick for me at ROBOTO and RONDE. Did the winner on Ru Paul's Drag U really get the Bank of America? I got the RAOH, and looked for something akin to pharaoh, not knowing SANDRA OH. As is obvious, I crashed in the S E. GOMPERS was instrumental in founding the A F L, which eventually joined up with the C I O. I question SLAV for Pomeranian - only since WWII; Teuton before that; it should have been in the clue. Got the BARKER right away, but wondered what his initials might have been; I laughed at the result. Fred Romagnolohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11994837736408182418noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35673516357184080232016-02-26T14:01:52.790-05:002016-02-26T14:01:52.790-05:00Toscanini never would have said "cut time&qu...Toscanini never would have said "cut time". He would have said "alla breve".RMKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13398002552776979133noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16538878497463076512016-02-26T13:58:02.060-05:002016-02-26T13:58:02.060-05:00Delightful and challenging Friday from Paula Gamac...Delightful and challenging Friday from Paula Gamache - we always find her puzzles a fun battle, no exception today. Only complaint - three Latin legal terms in one puzzle seems a lot.<br /><br />What the heck is the fuss about the PA BARKER clue? Clever as Hell - Maybe it needed a "?" and maybe not. No big deal. See @Z 10:23.<br /><br />Had the ES and the KEY for ESCAPEKEY and thought maybe there was an Eskimo Key in the Aleutian Islands, that's as NW as you get in the USA. But the "A" in PA saved us. Stop laughing, it's rude.<br /><br />RONDE an early gimme here so I wrote in imDooomed for 51A (Hand wringer's cry) - lost a ton of time. Tricky clue for RAF, btw. Spelled GALASHES with an "O" for a while giving the Greeks credit for the veto instead of FETA. FOB solved that one.<br /><br />Great Friday puzzle Paula and Will, thank you.Mohair Samhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16502840715719161565noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2838915671946744242016-02-26T13:55:16.058-05:002016-02-26T13:55:16.058-05:00I liked the Pa Barker Clue/Answer. maybe because I...I liked the Pa Barker Clue/Answer. maybe because I got it after a couple letters. Kept thinking of the Gangsters of that era; Capone, Dillinger, Pretty Boy Floyd, and trying to think of a family that worked together...then it made sense. He, Pa, didn't do anything (that we know of), but his wife and kids did. As to the vagueness, I guess if there was a Ma Barker and she had kids, there had to be a Pa Barker.Mark M.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60603813879810836862016-02-26T13:28:36.697-05:002016-02-26T13:28:36.697-05:00Great puz! Got 'er done.Great puz! Got 'er done. AZPETEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07011706117458656055noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35446475046333124622016-02-26T13:24:26.174-05:002016-02-26T13:24:26.174-05:00A 23-plus minute romp today - great fun. I was thi...A 23-plus minute romp today - great fun. I was thinking of some sort of __bOx crossing xERS in the NE. 'Hitmen' went right in at 18A as I mentally said, "OH DEAR ME, another Mafia clue." 47A was a very confidently filled in as "and I go" instead of I'M LIKE. But I did have one of those nice "mistake that leads to correct answers" moments when putting in SoBeRer for "Moderately dry" let me see PA BARKER. All of the writeovers go through the middle of the grid like an anti-Milky Way but no DNF today.<br /><br />A genuine groan at GEMINIS' clue. Thanks, Paula Gamache, for the great Friday challenge.Teedmnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12832353448839187816noreply@blogger.com