tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post6612547687213257819..comments2024-03-28T13:00:19.785-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Mexican hero Juraez / WED 9-18-13 / Second-highest pinochle card / Adage regarding skittishness / Plant with fluffy flower spikes / That inverted bowl per Edward FitzGerald / Green vehicle brieflyRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger97125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11567435218190188402022-05-28T16:25:31.772-04:002022-05-28T16:25:31.772-04:00Also hanks to @Bob Kerfuffle for the kittentails l...Also hanks to @Bob Kerfuffle for the kittentails link. I live in the Pacific Northwest, hike occasionally, and I've never heard the term. It's one of those many plants that my knowledgeable friends classify as "I'll look it up when we get home".<br /><br />I got annoyed at the KIT-TAILS GUTAG cross. I already had the 15-long across answer (with ONCE BIT, TWICE SHY) I did a little in the north and south, enough to get SHORT...SPAN, and I got the theme at the center square. The puzzle rolled over for belly rubs from there.<br /><br />Fun and delightfully misleading for a mid-week puzzle.Prunehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00224476641730508311noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36100301081428071362013-10-23T21:55:55.374-04:002013-10-23T21:55:55.374-04:00@TAM & @shyesor - comments like yours are why ...@TAM & @shyesor - comments like yours are why I am glad blogger offers an email update on comments. Thanks for joining the party!Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21939311394929766812013-10-23T20:16:32.226-04:002013-10-23T20:16:32.226-04:00Chad Montgomery: I never have understood "spe...Chad Montgomery: I never have understood "speed solving". If I am doing a really fun puzzle, I might come back to it several times over a few days, doubling or tripling my pleasure. Can you imagine telling your lover "that was really great, honey, I think we climaxed in record time!"?15shyesornoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44232816974132641512013-10-23T20:02:22.607-04:002013-10-23T20:02:22.607-04:00PDT here. Yes, rebus on Wednesday was a bit surpri...PDT here. Yes, rebus on Wednesday was a bit surprising but fun. For me the revealer was the TENT at the middle of the two 15-cel crossings. Took awhile to figure it out.TAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82155425996752072522013-10-23T18:58:18.973-04:002013-10-23T18:58:18.973-04:00Took me forever to realize it's a rebus. KIT ...Took me forever to realize it's a rebus. KIT TAILS sounded okay, kept thinking it was related to a pussy willow. Thanks @Bob Kerfuffle for the link. I've seen the plant many times but didn't know the name. ONCEBITTWICESHY sounded okay too...then ... finally, NO(T)IRELY tipped me off. Went north and filled in all the weird squares. Toyed briefly with (ten) not.<br /><br />Personally, I enjoyed the AHA, it's a gimmick. Somehow it's more challenging without a reveal or a note. I also like the randomness of the TENTS. Nature is not often symmetrical, nor are any campgrounds where I've pitched a tent. <br /><br />Gingernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46936802610242244162013-10-23T16:15:58.506-04:002013-10-23T16:15:58.506-04:00I spent far too long staring at a partially filled...I spent far too long staring at a partially filled grid wondering why absolutely nothing would work when I decided I had to somehow cram SHORTATTENTIONSPAN, which I knew had to be correct, into the allotted space. Things got remarkably easier after that first TENT popped up and I already pretty much knew where the others would be found due to my earlier trouble with things I thought should be right but wouldn't fit. As usual, my completed grid was NO(TENT)IRELY correct with OWS, WRITTENTEsT.<br /><br />@Z wrote: "@ACME - I think we need a phrase for this phenomenon - what do we call being delayed or even getting it wrong because I know too much?" I don't know what you call it but I think the principal behind it is, "A little knowledge is a dangerous thing, but too much is downright lethal". Or something like that, anyway. <br /><br />ecovto - the "green" version of an aircraft that can take off from a very short runway.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12439357592922476792013-10-23T15:42:57.096-04:002013-10-23T15:42:57.096-04:00Enjoyed this one, and I'd rate it relatively e...Enjoyed this one, and I'd rate it relatively easy, even though my time, if I timed, might not say so. That's the problem with using solving times--they really only cater those care about how long they take. This puzzle was easier than last Friday's, but took me about the same length of time (estimated) because I was slow to see TENT as the rebus. Finally got it at the PATENT/COMPETENTLY cross, and then it was pretty smooth from that point.<br /><br />As always, some of us are more bothered by awkward fill than are others.<br /><br />capcha; neentex adjacent to the neocortexrain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82185958093984847022013-10-23T14:47:40.276-04:002013-10-23T14:47:40.276-04:00Enjoyed this one. Caught on at PAT(tent) when I w...Enjoyed this one. Caught on at PAT(tent) when I wondered why the clue didn't indicate an abbreviation! Never heard of NEOcortex ( will look it up), and just shook my head at SOON which I parsed as one word. Sometimes you just have to accept and let some one wiser explain!DMGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30882179916878393022013-10-23T14:08:23.044-04:002013-10-23T14:08:23.044-04:00I was TENTative at first, but caught on to the reb...I was TENTative at first, but caught on to the rebus with the 15 crosses. Checked my iPhone to make sure it was Wednesday. Otherwise, kinda easy.<br />GUTENTAG.Solving in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04249420848844874936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66127649412563288582013-10-23T12:16:52.672-04:002013-10-23T12:16:52.672-04:00Wedensday: middle of the rebusiness week! Hump day...Wedensday: middle of the rebusiness week! Hump day (maybe we should rename it HEMP day). Lot of imperfections in this one; like life, I guess. I agree with @Gill I. P. that WRITTENTEXT is a lot like green paint, and with @Lewis that TOUTER is bad: TOUT fills both noun and verb roles here.<br /><br />Also, our TENTs have been pitched in asymmetrical squares. I know, I know, "Why don't YOU try it then?" But I guess we've become spoiled. We expect features to be symmetrical, otherwise we start thinking the constructor in incompeTENT (this one is not, trust me). Look at the long fill, and the solid work on the corner 6-stacks.<br /><br />I glommed onto it right away in the NW: had PENI_ at 5d and needed something to pass the censors. Despite never having heard of KITTENTAILS, I found this layout to be no more than easy-medium. The biggest WOE for me was parsing 70a. I looked at the completed grid, and SOON, and the clue again...Finally it hit me: a post-solve aha! moment. Actually, the latin word "cetera" literally means "others." Sorry, Peter.spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75088068806440765542013-10-23T12:11:00.796-04:002013-10-23T12:11:00.796-04:00Since I complained about yesterdays puzzle, I thou...Since I complained about yesterdays puzzle, I thought I needed to post today. Thank you Paul H. It was the most fun I have every had on a Wednesday (with a NYT puzzle at least).<br /><br />I speak German and had the AG at the end of GUTENTAG and thought I smelled a rat. Then I had SHORT ? SPAN and that was my aha! moment.<br /><br />I love rebuses (rebi?)and the words came quickly to fill in the things I didn't know.<br /><br />Great puzzle for me.BedfordBobhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08348600333498878554noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88866668677015239682013-09-21T23:36:04.047-04:002013-09-21T23:36:04.047-04:00This puzzle contains a number of similarities to t...This puzzle contains a number of similarities to that of October 12, 2006, by Dave Tuller. For one, it's exactly the same theme. Tuller's also specifically uses "guTENTag" and "once bitTEN Twice shy".Aaronhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06270280732445254382noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44490832952362132032013-09-18T22:36:26.480-04:002013-09-18T22:36:26.480-04:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 8/1/2009 post for an explanation and my 10/15/2012 post for an explanation of a tweak I've made to my method. In a nutshell, the higher the ratio, the higher this week's median solve time is relative to the average for the corresponding day of the week.<br /><br />All solvers (this week's median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Mon 6:22, 6:06, 1.04, 73%, Medium-Challenging<br />Tue no data<br />Wed 13:16, 9:44, 1.36, 97%, Challenging (6th highest ratio of 194 Wednesdays)<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 4:01, 3:48, 1.06, 78%, Medium-Challenging<br />Tue no data<br />Wed 8:01, 5:36, 1.43, 99%, Challenging (2nd highest ratio of 194 Wednesdays)sanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-11155101370861457952013-09-18T20:20:13.619-04:002013-09-18T20:20:13.619-04:00@Clark et alia - I merrily put little "10&quo...@Clark et alia - I merrily put little "10"s everywhere, till I realized tha' tweren't working. <br /><br />We have a giant orange tent, with a pole in the middle, @Evan, that we used to bring to Jones Beach. Was great when we were mere wains - jump inside for a catnap, changing out of sandy suits...<br /><br />Veiled words was cute - and stepdaughter wore a sassy veil when she said IDO 2 weeks ago. (See it in the pic?<br /><br />@acme - me too, wondering if GUTAG was au courant...<br /><br />I grew KIT[TENT]AILS from seed last year. But I think the seedpacket called them bunnyTAILS.<br /><br />@Gill - if you lived on the right coast you wouldn't confuse those 2 hurricanes... :(<br />As to your plants - we were gone for 3 weeks, and had similar results. They're mostly rebounding...<br /><br />@lms - great TIMEX story!<br /><br />@bobk - I guess bunnyTAILS are totally different - thx.<br /><br />OK - sucker for a rebus - thanks Mr. H.Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10472234153022533852013-09-18T20:10:17.229-04:002013-09-18T20:10:17.229-04:00Challenging Wed. for me. Someone commented yesterd...Challenging Wed. for me. Someone commented yesterday that the puzzles seem a day ahead on the difficulty scale this week. A rebus on a Wed. is QED for that theory. Themeless tomorrow? I liked the unexpected challenge.<br /><br />Like @Clark and many others it appears, I thought it was TEN that was missing at first. I also stared at GUTAG and KITTAIL for a while and tried to convince myself it was right.Rob Cnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67033171834263664212013-09-18T18:14:04.831-04:002013-09-18T18:14:04.831-04:00You cash a check, your name's on the book, you...You cash a check, your name's on the book, you probably should care a *little* about what the book looks like. A TAD. A BIT. A SKOSH. E-CAR.<br /><br />RPRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83486267017779194752013-09-18T16:43:35.297-04:002013-09-18T16:43:35.297-04:00Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 8/1/2...Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 8/1/2009 post for an explanation of my method and my 10/15/2012 post for an explanation of a tweak to my method):<br /><br />All solvers (median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Wed 13:01, 9:44, 1.34, 97%, Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Wed 8:23, 5:36, 1.50, 99%, Challengingsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89637008026759065402013-09-18T16:28:29.080-04:002013-09-18T16:28:29.080-04:00I am crestfallen at the lack of symmetry in the th...I am crestfallen at the lack of symmetry in the theme output. An arbitrary gimmick, arbitrarily constructed. Harrumph.Bretthttp://brettjderiso.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13446410312803673212013-09-18T16:11:54.230-04:002013-09-18T16:11:54.230-04:00Just a thought that SHORT at (TENT) ion SPAN could...Just a thought that SHORT at (TENT) ion SPAN could be the reveal.sasseshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16399904111407769761noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22669410836966608472013-09-18T15:48:33.304-04:002013-09-18T15:48:33.304-04:00@Henry Ford - Do any of these "more (reliable...@Henry Ford - Do any of these "more (reliable) sites" tell you when you said this or where you wrote it?jus' wonderin'noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14800356246641814222013-09-18T15:36:05.927-04:002013-09-18T15:36:05.927-04:00This is an example of why I like to attempt to sol...This is an example of why I like to attempt to solve puzzles first using across clues only. I could not get the rebus gimmick that way, and once I started to use down clues it fell apart very quickly. I don't use the online version and I don't very often remember to time myself, but I'd estimate well under 4 minutes. Now what do I do with the rest of my lunch hour? Very easy for a Wednesday, I thought. -Skeptic 53Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-62350577818834450952013-09-18T14:56:49.328-04:002013-09-18T14:56:49.328-04:00@Z - You'd better do some more research as the...@Z - You'd better do some more research as there are more (reliable) sites than not that cite me as the source of that quote.<br /><br />And relevance should not be a factor when citing a source.Henry Fordnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28356604562810933622013-09-18T14:55:18.198-04:002013-09-18T14:55:18.198-04:00Loved this one. Happy to see it called "Chall...Loved this one. Happy to see it called "Challenging" since I had little trouble and much enjoyment. For me, this was easier than yesterday's pop-culture infused Tuesday. I actually missed a square yesterday, having never heard of the Bangles. (didn't get to post yesterday, but it annoys me when words like "pink" and "bangles," which can be clued so many ways, are clued using rock groups or people - is "pink" a person?- completely unfamiliar to me. I understand that others enjoy it). Today, though, really great puzzle! Wonderful! Thank you!OISKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16808675378318214461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80282662321532677892013-09-18T14:34:32.174-04:002013-09-18T14:34:32.174-04:00@Henry Ford - Only when the source is known and re...@Henry Ford - Only when the source is known and relevant. Generally speaking, one shouldn't believe everything one reads on the internet, but <a href="http://www.thehenryford.org/research/henryfordquotes.aspx" rel="nofollow">The Henry Ford</a> is probably more reliable than your average website and they don't source the quote to you. I am full of aphorisms and adages from Aesop to "Ben Franklin." So, while I agree that Beer is proof that God loves us and wants us to be happy, I recognize that it probably wasn't Ben who first said it and no longer attribute the saying to him. Now, "In the long run people are going to buy the cheapest and the best article no matter where it is made," that was you. Over and out.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1547893219533877212013-09-18T14:24:29.697-04:002013-09-18T14:24:29.697-04:00i am not complaining too much because it was fun b...i am not complaining too much because it was fun but some of the fill was junky. "A ON" and "NAH" are two such examples. Otherwise, i don't see how this was a "CHALLENGING" puzzle. The fill came easy with "OCTOPI" and "OTTAWA" out of the gate and pretty much filled itself in and revealed the revealed like a flasher with no clothes on. I was expecting to see "EASY."oldbizmarknoreply@blogger.com