tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post6759094575230069521..comments2024-03-28T20:26:11.908-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Idiot in Canadian lingo / MON 4-18-16 / Flash faddish assembly / Yellow-skinned melon / 1938 horse of year / Athlete/model GabrielleRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger55125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32795006951108181622016-05-23T19:52:56.517-04:002016-05-23T19:52:56.517-04:00Hey @D,LIW
Is "underware" some kind of ...Hey @D,LIW<br /><br />Is "underware" some kind of Tupperware or software or hardware worn under one's clothes? Stop relying on Spellcheck. Better to use a Spellcaster, tho they've been banished.<br /><br />DELE, not STET<br /><br />Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for an EditorDiana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43513103396848225532016-05-23T19:13:58.308-04:002016-05-23T19:13:58.308-04:00@Diana, Lady-in-Waiting - for me, it's clothin...@Diana, Lady-in-Waiting - for me, it's clothing. Find a shirt I like? When I go back to buy more, they will have altered the fit. Find boots that are great for hiking with no break-in period? They'll be replaced with an inferior model in a jiffy. Socks, pants, shorts, unmentionables, they'll all be ruined by the time I buy some more.kitshefnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42575724043103289512016-05-23T15:16:07.045-04:002016-05-23T15:16:07.045-04:00If I didn't say this was easy, @Rainy would ca...If I didn't say this was easy, @Rainy would call me a HOSER. Or maybe a RUBE.<br /><br />I, too, kept thinking what a nice Monday this would be for a newbie. And, FWIW, I think the ONAN "partial," whilst not scintillating, also would give a novice an idea of what a partial may consist of. Just like the SPADE. And CAPSKEY. I guess FOUR is just a touch above "opposite of NNW" as a clue. A tiny touch. A pat.<br /><br />Second time we see that yellow CASABA fruit in recent memory. I've gone looking for this so-called melon at local stores and have yet to find one. Out of season? <br /><br />SEABISCUIT made me smile. The movie "Secretariat" is on today. Have not see that yet. <br /><br />Laughed out loud at Aketi's goat/horse story. <br /><br />Raining for third day in a row - good day to be HOME. No place like it.<br /><br />Thanks, @Rondo, for your response to my moderation woes. (And I answered the email.) I Googled the Depot - beautiful! Reminds me of 30th Street Station in Philadelphia. <br /><br />And I so agree with Teedmn - I can kill just about any product if it becomes a favorite. Everything from shampoo to underware to bread - you name it. I kept putting new renditions of Almay's face lotion out of circulation, and finally, I killed off the whole line. A company made famous for hypo-allergenic face cream, still in existence, drops the whole face cream line. Always thought I could save companies a lot of trial and error, "Look. Mikey likes it!" Then, poof! All gone.<br /><br />Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for CrosswordsDiana,LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48174765934947636632016-05-23T14:02:59.197-04:002016-05-23T14:02:59.197-04:00Oh, and I meant to include Scarlett, a Southern BE...Oh, and I meant to include Scarlett, a Southern BELLE with unmatched verve.leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59464615097534633542016-05-23T13:47:15.642-04:002016-05-23T13:47:15.642-04:00Seems that Mondays are offering a bit more bite.
...Seems that Mondays are offering a bit more bite.<br /><br />Not the BREADs, which aren't bad, but the somewhat more ZESTY fill: CASABA and SLIDER, and, from a different GENRE altogether, LONI,REECE, and ZADORA.<br /><br />Pretty good Monday fare.<br /> leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33954285348128557642016-05-23T12:32:59.866-04:002016-05-23T12:32:59.866-04:00I thought it a pretty good Mon-puz, wouldn’t pick ...I thought it a pretty good Mon-puz, wouldn’t pick on MUFFIN (think English MUFFIN) and certainly not on LOAF as a UNIT of BREAD.<br /><br />@spacey – I did wince at ONAN, wishing it were clued after the generator which used to be manufactured locally here (too obscure for Mon), or after the biblical character (at least semi-obscure), but I guess this is what happens on Monday. As for yeah babies, I wasn’t even out of the NW and had 3, but no more (as clued) to follow. LONI from WKRP , and Ms. ZADORA from a bunch of places are a nice start, but I’d go with volleyballer/model Ms. REECE, Tom Brady notwithstanding. Good call on Sarah SIDLE yesterday, I might be slipping. Or not, LAKE Bell from today? ANNA Kournikova? ROMA Downey? Probably too much unless there’s a yeah baby theme some day. Then watch OFL howl.<br /><br />@D,LIW – that Delorean sure gets around.<br /><br />Flashback to the McKenzie bros. with HOSER. Wasn’t there a HOSER in a puz recently?<br /><br />Had some Russian gingerBREAD with tea today. Not bad, but a crumby MESS after. Enough puz talk, gotta get back ATOM.<br />rondonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3324877431111053742016-05-23T11:31:07.944-04:002016-05-23T11:31:07.944-04:00DALEY BREAD
CHAD the STUDMUFFIN was a REEL GOODEG...DALEY BREAD<br /><br />CHAD the STUDMUFFIN was a REEL GOODEGG,<br />yet in AMOR, still a NAÏVE HOSER, or RUBE, or oaf.<br />“I want a KICKBACK from your BANKROLL”, he’d beg.<br /> I said, ”Leave MYSPACE, WEASEL, and don’t let your MEATLOAF.”<br /><br />--- BRUCE KNOX<br />Burma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13730784580974921502016-05-23T10:45:09.637-04:002016-05-23T10:45:09.637-04:00Wow, Fearless One, nothing made you wince? What ab...Wow, Fearless One, nothing made you wince? What about one of the most horrid partials ever: ONAN? This is an unfortunate stain in an otherwise spotless carpet. Some carbon tetrachloride is called for.<br /><br />Also, that's a very picky criticism of the theme; while technically true, at least you can say that all that stuff comes from a bakery. Perhaps the revealer clue should have gone that way, but it's a nit.<br /><br />No dearth of damsels this day, but Gaby and Pia notwithstanding, I'll go for LONI. Hubba hubba! I bet she STILL looks good! Very easy and smooth Monday: theme serviceable, fill squeaky-clean outside of that stain. If a debut, it's promising, and I wish to encourage. Birdie.spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72752256175884133292016-04-19T06:07:34.862-04:002016-04-19T06:07:34.862-04:00@Margaret - Cupid was sometimes know as AMOR, prob...@Margaret - <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cupid" rel="nofollow">Cupid</a> was sometimes know as AMOR, probably when he was operating on the down low.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25604906481457086062016-04-18T20:23:08.876-04:002016-04-18T20:23:08.876-04:00Today marks the tenth time (and first Monday) that...Today marks the tenth time (and first Monday) that <a href="http://piazadora.com/about/" rel="nofollow">Pia ZADORA</a> has appeared in a @Will Shortz-edited crossword; the previous time was a mere three months ago when PIA also appeared and was cross-referenced in a puzzle by @Herre Schouwerwou. For the record, PIA alone has appeared many more times, although there are <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pia_mater" rel="nofollow">non-actress ways</a> to clue her crossword-friendly first name, and the full name appeared in a Friday puzzle from 2012 by @Patrick Berry. <br /><br />Time for me to trot out the <a href="http://www.chem.umn.edu/groups/baranygp/puzzles/stack/midrash.htm" rel="nofollow">classic stories</a>, for those of you who missed them <a href="http://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/2016/01/deposits-of-glacial-debris-wed-1-20-16.html" rel="nofollow">previously</a>. [Special thanks to @Loren Muse Smith, who had one that I had not heard before.]<br /><br />My friend <a href="http://www.chem.umn.edu/groups/baranygp/puzzles/gbfriends/gbfriends.htm#pl" rel="nofollow">Paul Luftig</a>, a retired banker, had dealings with Zadora's sugar daddy of an ex-husband, über-businessman Meshulum Riklis. At their very first meeting, an arranged luncheon, the first words from Meshulum to Paul were "I don't know why I'm having lunch with you; I usually get laid at lunch." Years later, when Riklis was recovering from some prostate treatment, he confided in Paul that Pia would not sleep with him because she thought it was contagious.George Baranyhttp://www.chem.umn.edu/groups/baranygp/puzzles/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72801724367484514202016-04-18T19:01:37.125-04:002016-04-18T19:01:37.125-04:00Oops, again.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBaH...Oops, again.<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GBaHPND2QJg<br /><br />https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a23945btJYwbeatricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16162755764092888665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28667995382815248292016-04-18T19:00:18.916-04:002016-04-18T19:00:18.916-04:00Agree that the clue to the 'revealer' is a...Agree that the clue to the 'revealer' is awkward, but not sure how it could be phrased more felicitously. The rant-of-the-day is just...weird. <br /><br />Agree with others, Ms. Luttrell has done herself proud with a comely Monday. The moving tribute she wrote to her father is also on the Wordplay blog.<br /><br />Recently saw this performance of 'Ode to Joy' by a flash MOB in Spain, on TV. I saw on YouTube that there were several from different locales, and looked at one of them from Germany and decided to link to them both - each has nice shots of folks in the crowd, and I especially liked that some of the German spectators joined in the singing.beatricehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16162755764092888665noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88380055778476577182016-04-18T17:13:04.548-04:002016-04-18T17:13:04.548-04:00Oh how I wish I had enough puzzle depth to be able...Oh how I wish I had enough puzzle depth to be able to admire a grid or evaluate a theme. Instead I'm left with the sads over moldy pop culture crud like Pia Zadora and Loni Anderson and Burt Reynolds. nicknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76309536276833981182016-04-18T16:25:16.417-04:002016-04-18T16:25:16.417-04:00I enjoyed this puzzle, came smoothly and easily fo...I enjoyed this puzzle, came smoothly and easily for the most part (I always have trouble with names of actors, and TV shows -- a function of my personal interests no doubt.) I enjoyed the theme -- and agree with others that biscuits and muffins are all some sort of bread.<br /><br />But after I filled in 61A, AMOR for "Roman god of love," I had to stop and think. The answer fit, and when I checked, it was right, but hey, it's NOT. Had to check on this but -- the Roman God of love is Cupid, the Roman Goddess of Love is Venus, the Greek God of Love is Eros. <br /><br />So what is AMOR? It is a part of the verb AMO, to love. (I never studied Latin I confess, so it is hard for me to explain AMOR in more detail -- but to those who have it is the singular, nominative case in the 3rd declension. Got that from Wikipedia) Who was editing this one?Margarethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15381872404054459617noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-79799237923286368982016-04-18T16:21:47.888-04:002016-04-18T16:21:47.888-04:00No one seems to be mentioning the connection betwe...No one seems to be mentioning the connection between bread and money. FT KNOX BANK ROLL KICKBACK CFO. He uses the word Moolah in the theme clue. BURT LONI and PIA are all multi millionaires (Pia is probably richest of all). I dunno, Rex didn't say anything and I didn't catch it anywhere above. No saying it makes the theme sturdier, but it's another layer. Chim chamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14072888196146711139noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81276061920118484412016-04-18T15:04:11.650-04:002016-04-18T15:04:11.650-04:00This was an excellent debut puzzle. The revealer i... This was an excellent debut puzzle. The revealer is dead center and the themers are symmetric. While the themers have only been seen one to four times before the debut threshold is actually met by two of those longer entries that @ Rex was praising: CAPS LOCK and KICKBACK. Debut words are so far as I can tell a given requirement for publication. While doing this puzzle I expected the PPP to be even higher than 36%(keep up the good work @Z.) However to an experienced solver they're too familiar to generate difficulty.<br /> By my difficulty/uniqueness rating this scored a surprisingly low 49.2 overall. This is a result of the high PPP. An entry like SEABISCUIT which has only been used once before is still easy to guess due to the recent well known movie. I m also concentrating more on the clues. ONAN has appeared 74 times but only 56 times as a phrase. The other 18 refer to the infamous biblical character. These two things are so different you have to rate them as one or the other.<br />You can see I'm too easily distracted to be a speed solver.<br /> Great Pia Zadora joke by @lms.<br /><br />puzzle hoardernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59021686486104737942016-04-18T14:13:02.523-04:002016-04-18T14:13:02.523-04:00What's the matter, Rex? Too embarrassed by yo...What's the matter, Rex? Too embarrassed by your hypocrisy to print my comment about STUDMUFFIN? Or should I take it as a sign that my earlier messages got through to you and you are going to stop with the nutty PC crap?Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00120158617143744209noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-79653456734256425862016-04-18T13:58:58.453-04:002016-04-18T13:58:58.453-04:00Ack. I got hung up on ZADORA/CASABA, having entere...Ack. I got hung up on ZADORA/CASABA, having entered ZADORe/CASABe and not really knowing any better. The hunt for my mistake pushed me well past average time. *sigh*Mike Reeshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03194320891372037525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74672887304740925262016-04-18T13:15:47.581-04:002016-04-18T13:15:47.581-04:00@Wm. C - you saved me the trouble. Ah, the ($125m)...@Wm. C - you saved me the trouble. Ah, the ($125m) perils of <a href="http://mars.jpl.nasa.gov/msp98/news/mco990930.html" rel="nofollow">two measuring systems </a>.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64962059338557359342016-04-18T13:07:13.613-04:002016-04-18T13:07:13.613-04:00First easy Monday for me in a while. This is a gre...First easy Monday for me in a while. This is a great entry-level puzzle and a nice debut. I was a bit taken aback at the number of partials but that does add to the ease of the solve.<br /><br />My one writeover was Adage before AXIOM at 27D. GENRE crossing METRE is nice. And I liked being reminded of how I used to find music on MY SPACE, which I liked infinitely more than Facebook. If you ever want to find out what is going to be commercially successful, ask me what I like and invest in the opposite. It always seems like the products/shows I like are discontinued first. Count me out of the mainstream!<br /><br />Congrats, Ms. Luttrell, on the NY Times debut.<br /><br />And thanks, @Lewis, for the "bagel creation" and @LMS for the apt avatar.Teedmnhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12832353448839187816noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60732794624680721402016-04-18T12:53:39.813-04:002016-04-18T12:53:39.813-04:00A very enjoyable debut puzzle!
I like to start i...A very enjoyable debut puzzle! <br /><br />I like to start in the extreme NW and finish the last cross in the waydown SW (at least on a Monday). I found this grid great fun. Start with the NW block, then three consecutive diagonals going down the page until the last block in the SE.<br /><br />I thought all the bread clues were immediately clear without having to subject them topost partum analysis.Dick Swarthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05916582540029654250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10555819448680764762016-04-18T12:47:40.841-04:002016-04-18T12:47:40.841-04:00Hey All !
Pia Zadora is a Babe, Schwing! :-) Or a...Hey All !<br />Pia Zadora is a Babe, Schwing! :-) Or at least I thought so in the 80's. <br /><br />Super easy puz. Nice center stair-step of fives. Nice pretty much dreck-free fill. No Eel, Ass, RRN, RGL (Random Greek Letter), or species of the West Indian Rubber Tree clue. <br /><br />A J and Q from a pangram. @L at 9:18, I'm under 50 (for now...), and I heard of all the people in the puz. Loved HOSER! Can't remember the last time I heard that! Thanks for the Boband Dpug MacKenzie pic, Rex!<br /><br />Congrats on debut, JL, I'm still trying! I'm going for a personal rejection record! Well on my way...<br /><br />REECE GEESE<br />RooMonster <br />DarrinV RooMonsterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14103892151115549684noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45343657764037939532016-04-18T12:28:05.071-04:002016-04-18T12:28:05.071-04:00@kitshef -
Unless you're on some elite level...@kitshef - <br /><br />Unless you're on some elite level where you don't look at the clues, a ' body of water' that is LA_E and a part of a bird that is BEA_ really cannot be anything other than K... Same with a sty that is ME_S (unless you hate the METS?). That's sub-Monday easiness.<br /><br /><br />Also, a muffin is a type of bread, unless you want to categorize it under baked-leavened-grain-product('bread'). The nit picks are trying too hard on this one, must mean it's a nice clean puzzle! Enjoyed it. Maxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56416809491857293842016-04-18T11:59:41.369-04:002016-04-18T11:59:41.369-04:00Hi-carb debut.
Hi-lites:
* LONI Anderson.
* cinn...Hi-carb debut. <br />Hi-lites:<br />* LONI Anderson.<br />* cinnamon ROLL. (Had a German visitor insist on buyin M&A one of them after dinner last night. Said jawohl.)<br />* KICKBACK. GOODEGG. WEASEL. FLAX.<br />* 6 U's.<br />* Vertical *and* horizontal themers. Always makes figurin out the theme more fun.<br />* BREAD. Good 70's rock group. ("Make It with U", etc.) Themers seemed consistent enough for government work. M&A Official Dictionary defs for BISCUIT, MUFFIN, ROLL, and LOAF all mention the b-word, so they must all at least have bread in their "makeup".<br /><br />Like most MonPuz solvequests, this one flew along pretty much unencumbered. CHAD/GOODEGG/BELLE mighta chewed up an extra nanosecond or two, for some reason.<br /><br />thUmbsUp on the grid art, at 19-Down (in newspaper version). And the all-caps 50-A clue. Peps things up.<br />Thanx and congrats, Janice Luttrell. Yer puz was a good egg.<br /><br />Masked & Anonymo6UsMasked and Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16027736429645378004noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32783696427242399062016-04-18T11:48:24.311-04:002016-04-18T11:48:24.311-04:00Liked this easy debut for JL.
Favorite answer was ...Liked this easy debut for JL.<br />Favorite answer was CAPS LOCK.<br />After arriving at GOOD EGG , immediately thought theme was breakfast foods and was under that impression even though it was not starred--until Rex.<br />CrosswordEASE-- ZADORA and that's it.<br />Thanks JLCharles Flasterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16588962898277593533noreply@blogger.com