tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post6432972869438683284..comments2024-03-28T20:26:11.908-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: SUNDAY, Mar. 9, 2008 - Patrick Berry (KEEN PRODUCERS / MODERN POLITICAL ACRONYM / HIMALAYAN CEDAR)Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3138436745680945632008-03-18T08:34:00.000-04:002008-03-18T08:34:00.000-04:00Like Andrew, I solve in syndication, so I'm a week...Like Andrew, I solve in syndication, so I'm a week (plus two days) late, but solving this last night allowed me to notice something interesting. The phrase "DONT BE A STRANGER" appeared in two consecutive puzzles for me--3/16 (orig 3/9) and 3/17 (orig 2/4)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14219297522987204922008-03-17T02:38:00.000-04:002008-03-17T02:38:00.000-04:00I'm a little late to the party (darn syndicated pu...I'm a little late to the party (darn syndicated puzzles), but I loved this puzzle so much that I felt I had to comment. The long theme answers thrilled my inner nerd: DISACCHARIDE was a gimme from science class, and EVENT HORIZON was culled from my days of reading Discover magazine. Also, NIMBY I learned from SimCity 2000 back in the day.<BR/><BR/>Unfortunately, after tearing through the puzzle I had "BAH" instead of "UGH" - HAIG was before my time, and I figured SPEDES was just another weird fabric. And then I had PINCH A RIDE instead of the correct HITCH...hadn't ever heard of MOTT. I guess I should have read more history and less Discover.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45770249036092683782008-03-14T22:41:00.000-04:002008-03-14T22:41:00.000-04:00Joel, when I was a kid there was no NICK at NITE. ...Joel, when I was a kid there was no NICK at NITE. I read Linda Ellerbee's autobio and remembered "Overnight"... Knew Event Horizon from Star Trek and knew El Paso because the Grateful Dead covered it (although I did see Marty Robbins sing it at a horse racetrack one time). I'm continually fascinated by what I seem to know for no apparent reason. Like DONAT. I knew it right away, but didn't fill it in because I thought, I've never heard of this guy, I must be making this up.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-589844422307925212008-03-12T10:33:00.000-04:002008-03-12T10:33:00.000-04:00Rex, Thanks for "sangaree." Knew I'd have to come ...Rex, <BR/><BR/>Thanks for "sangaree." Knew I'd have to come back here for help, but didn't think it'd be on a Sunday. <BR/><BR/>Ta, <BR/><BR/>Brian (a.k.a. Professor Homunculus at <A HREF="http://MathMojo.com" REL="nofollow">MathMojo.com</A> )Brianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01886473979737882810noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61511847188325123892008-03-11T09:43:00.000-04:002008-03-11T09:43:00.000-04:00The Colt .44 was known as the Peacemaker because.....The Colt .44 was known as the Peacemaker because...<BR/>wait for it...<BR/>there's nothing more peaceful than a dead man.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55008555694293661622008-03-11T03:08:00.000-04:002008-03-11T03:08:00.000-04:00I haven't looked at the Times crossword in decades...I haven't looked at the Times crossword in decades. Last weekend I was so bored, I think I surfed to the end of the internet, so I actually picked up my Times Magazine and attempted to do the puzzle. I don't remember the term "merger" at all. On Sunday there were 4 or 5. And the term "split" was new to me. It's kind of like cheating - or the puzzler ran out of ideas. In the DOWN section there were so many that just stated "see -- across" I think it's really awful.... and so many ACROSS spaces that were just multiple words, not even and expression or idiomatic phrases. My curiosity is piqued and I'll try some more. But it's not done with the same kind of pinache it used to be.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04146573519749971260noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-144542729621346912008-03-10T20:37:00.000-04:002008-03-10T20:37:00.000-04:00I enjoyed this puzzle a lot. I first tried it afte...I enjoyed this puzzle a lot. I first tried it after a long airplane trip and it took a long to get the theme and even then it went slowly. I picked it up again today and finished without problems. Amazing how the brain can work better some times than others.Michael Chibnikhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04700426644898924644noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19968176357100458272008-03-10T05:45:00.000-04:002008-03-10T05:45:00.000-04:00Luckily I downloaded the puzzle prior to a long ha...Luckily I downloaded the puzzle prior to a long haul between HK and Sydney--I think it took me about a Frasier, a Sex and The City, and Michael Clayton to knock it off. I really like these Sunday puzzles that make you claw your way through. After the Across section I think I had about 10 answers, and then again for Down. Then it was fill in the blanks for about an hour. I got the whole thing except that I just couldn't get HITCHARIDE and OATH. I used CUSS and then tried to make the surrounding letters work, knowing CUSS was wrong. ALAS...<BR/><BR/>Really nice to have a theme that's not forced, with legitimate answers!Doughttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10389790318218161090noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85204888091751072432008-03-10T02:44:00.000-04:002008-03-10T02:44:00.000-04:00Finished in little more than an hour which is pret...Finished in little more than an hour which is pretty good for me, particularly on a Patrick Berry.<BR/><BR/>Blew out the North in pretty short order except in PA. I took my grandkids to see Bee Movie and couldn't figure out how to squeeze ADAM FLAYMAN in five letters!<BR/><BR/>When I finally tumbled to the theme, the puzzle fell in pretty short order.<BR/><BR/>I confess to having to employ the services of Mr. Google to get 81D and, as usual, totally blocked on ATOZ which prevented me from getting EVENT HORIZON/EVENTHOUGH.<BR/><BR/>But, all in all, a pleasureable time on a Sunday puzzleBill from NJhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10103923612595508277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83458651789135856612008-03-10T01:12:00.000-04:002008-03-10T01:12:00.000-04:00p.s. Rex, your quip in the blog that tickled me th...p.s. Rex, your quip in the blog that tickled me the most was: "Himalayan cedar (deodar) - from which Yetis make DEODARant." Cedar having such a wonderful smell just made it funnier...<BR/><BR/>∑;∂Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63045318821364588482008-03-10T00:04:00.000-04:002008-03-10T00:04:00.000-04:00@bill d: Thanks for the BREN/sten details! I knew...@bill d: Thanks for the BREN/sten details! I knew that WW2 was for both of them, but now I think B for bigger Bren and S for smaller Sten if I'm given a fair shot (pun).<BR/><BR/>@anon.disaccharide: Appreciate your note on the Phillipics derivation too... Do you remember the visual pun of the hexagon drawing with an Fe+2 attached at each point around it? What is it?<BR/><BR/>∑;)<BR/><BR/>(Answer: Ferrous Wheel)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65408094390243488002008-03-09T23:51:00.000-04:002008-03-09T23:51:00.000-04:00Adding to the love fest for this puzzle - an early...Adding to the love fest for this puzzle - an early candidate for puzzle of the year? Brilliant construction, enough gimmes to keep you going and the hard ones were doable through the crosses. A good finish to the week. A good weekend for me, finished both Friday and Sunday puzzles without mistakes, though the top third of Saturday puzzle is killing me, I'm still tearing my hair out over that one, about ready to call it quits and start googling - admit defeat.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-7601839152948198382008-03-09T23:48:00.000-04:002008-03-09T23:48:00.000-04:00Funny, the ones you have the most trouble with are...Funny, the ones you have the most trouble with are always the ones I get first, and vice versa - though I work on Broadway, so things like the Lunt-Fontaine Theater and History Boys are no problem. It was DONAT and HAIG that threw me most (generation gap, perhaps? I grew up during Bush I and Clinton.) As billnut mentioned above, they made a movie of History Boys with the same cast as the play - I'd highly recommend it to crossword types and anyone else who's a little nerdy and proud of it.Emilyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01749731878392906057noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64610675927897949352008-03-09T23:05:00.000-04:002008-03-09T23:05:00.000-04:00Being a biochemist by education, disaccharide and ...Being a biochemist by education, disaccharide and ester were gimmies. The retrovirus one too. For some reason I even remembered Otto Hahn.<BR/><BR/>I liked the phillipic clue.The phillipics were a series of tirades that Demosthenes delivered against Phillip of Macedon's wrongs to the people of Athens. Seems like they had unpopular politicians even back then.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58238302424060857882008-03-09T22:18:00.000-04:002008-03-09T22:18:00.000-04:00Amazing what we could do if we all worked together...Amazing what we could do if we all worked together! eg - EL PASO, EVENT HORIZON, and (given the R) BREN were my gimmes! Figured the theme out early, and it helped everywhere but DISACCHARIDE/HITCH A RIDE. I foolishly fought my initial warped urge to put in STOGIE, and for a while I had HIT THE ROAD going around the HITCH A RIDE bend.<BR/><BR/>Is A TO Z an Ampersandwich even though the "meat" is not an "AND"? Our recent discussion of this type of answer must have helped, because I saw it right away, too.<BR/><BR/>Beautiful and stimulating puzzle - I thought only the extremely arcane DISACCHARIDE was a bit unfair. Didn't recall "Stroker Ace" but, given the "L", I figured LONI (Anderson), one of Burt's many squeezes, was the only answer.<BR/><BR/>billnutt is correct about the title of the POHL book - I read it once and I think his HEECHEE universe figures in it - both could appear in the grid someday!<BR/><BR/>BREN and STEN are both types of British light machine gun. The larger Bren is a .30 caliber weapon, similar to the US BAR (Browning Automatic Rifle.) The smaller, 9mm Sten is your classic "burp gun" or "grease gun". The similarity of the names is because they are both acroynyms with the EN short for the Enfield arsenal where both were manufactured. The BR stands for Brno (a grid-worthy town in Czechoslovakia) where the gun was designed. The S and T are the last initials of the Sten's two chief designers.Bill Dhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13741876820211768387noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61044256117567193792008-03-09T22:12:00.000-04:002008-03-09T22:12:00.000-04:00catherine k, you were too funny today! I was so ha...catherine k, you were too funny today! I was so happy to see the smurf appear after I expected one yesterday.<BR/>I thought this was a beautiful puzzle, a lot of the crosses a little easy, but thank goodness for them. I never heard of Donat, so my only mistake (no googling at all!) was a b in bisaccharide. Still doesn't feel that wrong. It was odd how easy it was to get the theme solutions once I knew what it was about. It sped up solving whole regions much more quickly.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14929430098407809722008-03-09T22:00:00.000-04:002008-03-09T22:00:00.000-04:00This was the first Sunday I did with no googles an...This was the first Sunday I did with no googles and it was also one of my favorites. I started the NYT late in life (50! - six months ago) and have been enjoying the puzzles and Rex's blog ever since. I had no idea that these puzzles could be so challenging and addicting. Thank you Patrick Berry and all the other great constructors.<BR/><BR/>By the way, I saw violinist Perlman a few years ago and it was an amazing experience. Imagine a man of some years struggling to get to his chair in the middle of the stage. You wonder if he is well and fit enough to play. He lays down his crutches and picks up his violin and instantly you are mesmerized by sounds of almost unimaginable beauty and incredible emotional depth. As he played a whole range of emotions would play across his face. It is hard to believe that someone who has endured so much physical hardship and pain could attain such greatness. But there you have it. See him if you can - he is an inspiration,Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49213623329768782312008-03-09T20:36:00.000-04:002008-03-09T20:36:00.000-04:00I just finished the puzzle. As usual, a bit of he...I just finished the puzzle. As usual, a bit of help from Google.<BR/><BR/>This is the best puzzle I have ever had the pleasure of working on in the past two years. That's how long I've been horsing around with the NY Times puzzle.<BR/><BR/>I have not read a single comment about the puzzle, as yet. Just went and did it, partly in the afternoon and finished it in the evening. Hope I don't look silly with this endorsement. But this puzzle is absolutely outstanding! Numerous accolades could be due for cleverness, originality, and new material. Again, not claiming to be an old saw. <BR/><BR/>When I understood the design and intent, I was very impressed. It was the most fun I have had in doing a puzzle ever since I have done New York Times puzzles.<BR/><BR/>Congrats to the puzzle constuctor and the puzzle editor. A wonderful job.<BR/><BR/>(Now I go read the comments. Hope I didn't make a fool of myself.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15502260277670667752008-03-09T18:55:00.000-04:002008-03-09T18:55:00.000-04:00This puzzle was an amazing construction that basic...This puzzle was an amazing construction that basically makes me quake in my shoes. Before I get to that, let me express my outrage at the crossing LONI / SANGAREE. I ended up putting LORI / SARGAREE, obviously I had never heard of either word. I had everything else correct (that never happens for me) even after guessing completely on H_IG for HAIG, _U_L for AUEL, and BR_N for BREN.<BR/><BR/><BR/>Now, I am in awe at the construction of this puzzle. A bunch of reasons. The theme in is simple but elegant. The entries are lively and each pair has different word boundaries and roots. Moreover, the entries are SYMMETRIC! This means that where one split occurred, an accompanying merger had to be there with the same lengths of both entries in the pair. Finally, two of the pairs are INTERSECTING!! NOTIFICATIONS crosses IMPOSITIONS and DRY VERMOUTH crosses FOREST RANGER. That is absurdly astounding.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-39078962044846078202008-03-09T18:02:00.000-04:002008-03-09T18:02:00.000-04:00Plodded though this one with many instances of adm...Plodded though this one with many instances of admiration, amusement, some temporary bemusement, then full stop bewilderment in the Kansas region (which then caused doubts and confusion over into Tennessee and Kentucky). It didn't help that I had bungled the theme and plonked in __HITCH A RIDE horizontally, when the order in the clue should have told me to bring the HITC in from above. On the wrong side of Britain with the NORTH instead of the IRISH Sea, and what the hell could FE__T be, with many sides? A FECAT -- alternative group of many Facets? No, that not only looked wrong, but vulgar, too. Never thought of the sides as dishes, even though this little trick has been used a number of times before.<BR/><BR/>OK, so I Googled Mr. Chips fruitlessly because I stuck with 1969 version. Cheating, with continued exasperation -- what a wretched combination. UGH.<BR/><BR/>This region also made me start to doubt DIASPORA, since the Group migration could have implied that everyone went to the same place, and perhaps there's a related term for that?<BR/><BR/>Had PALE for the ETON boys, figuring that they wouldn't be getting much sun. And TAX instead of TIP. Then started to wonder what the connection might be between Fillip and Phillipic? Couldn't find one, but remembered the Simon & Garfunkle song "A Simple, Desultory Phillipic" as some form of consolation.fergushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17056002311944010536noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36102478066508571552008-03-09T17:53:00.000-04:002008-03-09T17:53:00.000-04:00I am one of those puzzle solvers who loves to take...I am one of those puzzle solvers who loves to take the whole sunday - going back to it - more coffee - bathroom-breakfast break - back to it again - etc. - <BR/><BR/>I LOVED this puzzle because during the course of the day, I got the wholeeeee thing!!! (without any cheating glances at rex's site) I'm not fast, don't care to be, but I learn something every time.dorothysmomhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15233288433707973870noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40817877443251110512008-03-09T17:34:00.000-04:002008-03-09T17:34:00.000-04:00@ John Reid:I just did March's some assembly requi...@ John Reid:<BR/><BR/>I just did March's some assembly requiered this morning and was continually amazed at the intricacy. In one corner Lorenzo Lamas shares 5 letters with Spamalot. Genius.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-77550484578330629002008-03-09T16:40:00.000-04:002008-03-09T16:40:00.000-04:00Ramsey, thanks for the clarification on the sopran...Ramsey, thanks for the clarification on the soprano high C compared to the tenor high C.<BR/><BR/>I highly recommend the play AND the movie of THE HISTORY BOYS. My lovely wife Debbie and I were fortunate enough to see it on Broadway with the same people as in the movie. Richard Griffiths and Frances de la Tour were wonderful. Very literate script, and a couple of the boys are excellent.<BR/><BR/>Liz, don't forget that Frances de la Tour has shown up in at least one Harry Potter movie - as has Richard Griffiths, come to think of it. (Be a British actor, appear in a Harry Potter movie - it's the law.)Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35006936874773206872008-03-09T16:03:00.000-04:002008-03-09T16:03:00.000-04:00Happy Daylight Savings Time to all !The wail of th...Happy Daylight Savings Time to all !<BR/><BR/>The wail of the Banshees, Irish Sea, and Avalon gave the puzzle a Celtic feel.<BR/><BR/>The clued Mutate was appropriate with all the splits and mergers.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82378865602474070762008-03-09T15:59:00.000-04:002008-03-09T15:59:00.000-04:00A stunningly clever puzzle. The merger of EVENT HO...A stunningly clever puzzle. The merger of EVENT HORIZON and EVEN THOUGH was especially impressive. Patrick Berry must be some kind of genius.<BR/><BR/>I liked how the "mergers" helped verify my guesses - especially true for DISACCHARIDE. (I was debating an N instead of the D, since I had no idea what the crossing "Philippic" meant.)<BR/><BR/>Speaking of guesses, for the first time ever I had two complete stabs that both turned out to be right: the M between AMAIN and IMAGO, and the E of BREN and AUEL. Usually I'd get both wrong and darken my whole Sunday.Joseph Brickhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11530316240817680978noreply@blogger.com