tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post6933235290226282574..comments2024-03-28T10:05:18.052-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Island state in 1964 merger / SAT 10-15-11 / 1973 Nobel Peace Prize decliner Le Duc / Bibelot / Waveform maximumRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8816606305235025912011-11-27T04:03:42.617-05:002011-11-27T04:03:42.617-05:00one of the best nyt saturday puzzles i've ever...one of the best nyt saturday puzzles i've ever had the pleasure of doing... though i agree with the OGRE complaints, and GNARS? - doesn't even sound like a real word...<br /><br />@spacecraft: you've probably figured it out by now, but re: ZEST, think lemon zest or orange zest - you scratch the surface of the rind to get itAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44660311683512626052011-11-19T18:39:55.522-05:002011-11-19T18:39:55.522-05:00Back in syndiland after my brief visit to prime ti...Back in syndiland after my brief visit to prime time, to bring you the latest edition of RPDTNYTCY on this date 5 years ago:<br />- "Solving time: about 40 min (explanation below)"<br />- "Being distracted by the movie also made me totally lose focus in the far North of the puzzle (discussed below), where I stared at near-blankness for what seemed like forever (reality = 10-15 minutes) because no matter how hard I tried, no matter how many times I went Through The Alphabet, I just could not see what turned out to be a very ordinary, obvious answer. So I started doubting perfectly correct crosses and ended up with the inky mess you can see on my grid. And it turns out that only one of the words up there is particularly obscure or difficult. Ugh."<br />- " When I see "Big Twelve team" I think GIMME! But because I had Taxi Driver on in the background, and, more importantly, because I had that final "S" in Kansas first, I assumed (ASSumed) that the answer was a plural and was therefore the team name, e.g. Longhorns, Jayhawks, etc. Since neither 7D: Light (kindle) nor 9D: Harmful (noisome) would come to me, I had the following for 7A: "_ A _ S A S" - which, when you look at it, when I look at it now, screams KANSAS. But I believed the answer to be a plural, not a state name, and so I tried to remember all the teams in the Big Twelve, blanked on half, started throwing in teams from the SEC for some reason ... disaster. Even after I got the "N" from NOISOME, I was still lost."<br />- "I have no familiarity with the "Minor Prophets." I'm shaky enough on the Major Prophets as it is. But I do know something (however limited) about 1980s horror movies, and I know that the leader of the Children of the Corn was named "Malachi" (in the movie credits, it's spelled with a penultimate "A," but so what). I never saw that movie, or its sequels, because even the cheesiest horror films scare the hell out of me. But I appreciated the Children of the Corn ads for their camp value."<br />- "Sahra was awarded a Yellow Belt by her SENSEI this past Friday after passing her test, a moment that made her light up like a Christmas tree."<br />- "73D: Film company (AGFA)<br />Rejected corporate catchphrase #483: "AGFA - it's Pig Latin for 'Fag!'"<br />- "I love me some Captain Nemo. Screw that clown fish, this is the real Nemo...He is a great, imperious, enigmatic character, and one of the models for the antagonist in the greatest revenge movie ever made, Star Trek II: The Wrath of Khan. "Khan!""<br />- There were 20 comments, 9 of which were by @RP himself. This one helps explain things: "What I love about this site is how I am shamed everyday by the exposure of my ignorance. ILOILO. Ugh. That one hurt. <br /><br />Never thought an offhand mention of a character actor who wasn't really the topic of my commentary at all would lead to such a rich discussion of that actor's career. You're welcome, Mr. Astin."Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89591174414691395292011-11-19T14:59:08.678-05:002011-11-19T14:59:08.678-05:00Spacecraft here. Tough one today, especially in th...Spacecraft here. Tough one today, especially in the ENE. Good ol' Leon--how could you forget a name like CZOLGOSZ?--kicked me off in the SW, THO I'm still having trouble with the clue for ZEST: "You need only scrape the surface to get it." HUH??? Lucy and Joon, you got some 'splainin' to do!<br /> Now to the NE. Some of the cluing here, too, is off the wall--to say the least. "Whiz" for SAIL? Let's see...well, I guess a frisbee could whiz--or sail--through the air...but really. That is one WAY far-out clue. Too far out for me. Also bad was "It"s--." That one didn't go far ENOUGH out. C'mpon, man, "It's--" could be followed by ANYthing! It's a girl/boy! It's the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown! (Well, OK, that one won't fit.) It's raining, it's cold, it's not my fault/job/car. It's TOO MUCH!<br /> Also at 60d "Don't--" could take any number of words: TRY, LIE, CRY, e.g. Course, my personal favorite is...Fear the Reaper, but that's another story.<br /> Plus the SE Naticks that needed Googling. Still withal a very imaginative grid. Gotta hand it to the Joon man.<br /><br />gatic: resembling a hood's gun.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86163101300708951872011-11-19T13:10:38.608-05:002011-11-19T13:10:38.608-05:00Raised the white flag after wandering around aimle...Raised the white flag after wandering around aimlessly in the SW desert. I could see ENSNARES developing, and that would have been fine with "Catches". but "catches <i>up</i>" just thew me. I had GIST at 64a and I knew that didn't fit the clue very well, but without ENSNARES I was getting nowhere beneath the O.R. so I just left it alone.<br /><br />The rest of the puzzle fell into place pretty well , though all I could picture at 13d was the evil monkey from Family Guy, so that threw me for a while.<br /><br />I'm not sure GOBEL is any funnier than LOPEZ, though I haven't watched the clip yet. If the clip is funny that would make him at least one funnier than Lopez.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47364518905885884812011-10-16T17:28:52.025-04:002011-10-16T17:28:52.025-04:00Generally like Joon, but even after a fresh look t...Generally like Joon, but even after a fresh look today, it was a DNF for me in the SW. (Once I open Google, I've surrendered and consider it DNF). I agree that this one was just too ... Maleska. By the finish, I was waiting for some 1930's golfer to appear.<br /><br />Senioritis baffled me briefly, as I was thinking of it as a synonym for 'senior moment' instead. (How very meta.)<br /><br />I actually knew PASHTO - My beef is with factual inaccuracies : vampire bats don't suck, a lance is plainly never for 'defense' (indeed hardly a weapon at all, solely used for tourney jousting IIRC), etc. I instinctively rely on accuracy from WS, so I actually erased both HARANGUE and LANCE, then stuck in there far too long with FENCE for the defense.Clay Cnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-7311467144849028732011-10-16T03:39:21.198-04:002011-10-16T03:39:21.198-04:00@Andrea, I bet Jeopardy didn't want to say Joo...@Andrea, I bet Jeopardy didn't want to say Joon teaches at [that non-Eli ivy] because it makes him seem like a ringer and unbeatable, or it makes them seem elitist for selecting him. Just a guess.JaxInL.A.https://www.blogger.com/profile/13792405579998093081noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-62981067475817303222011-10-16T03:25:04.722-04:002011-10-16T03:25:04.722-04:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 8/1/2009 post for an explanation. 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 6:17, 6:51, 0.92, 19%, Easy<br />Tue 8:03, 8:53, 0.91, 23%, Easy-Medium<br />Wed 9:19, 11:50, 0.79, 8%, Easy (10th lowest median solve time of 119 Wednesdays)<br />Thu 17:31, 19:09, 0.91, 39%, Easy-Medium<br />Fri 21:31, 25:43, 0.84, 20%, Easy<br />Sat 29:13, 30:09, 0.97, 48%, Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:25, 3:40, 0.93, 23%, Easy-Medium<br />Tue 4:15, 4:35, 0.93, 30%, Easy-Medium<br />Wed 5:14, 5:51, 0.89, 27%, Easy-Medium<br />Thu 8:47, 9:20, 0.93, 43%, Medium<br />Fri 10:28, 12:43, 0.82, 21%, Easy-Medium<br />Sat 17:29, 17:11, 1.02, 59%, Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8374704098151536162011-10-16T02:18:40.355-04:002011-10-16T02:18:40.355-04:00@anonymous 12:17 pm said:
"My main beef is wi...@anonymous 12:17 pm said:<br />"My main beef is with VAMPIREBAT. Any 10-year old I grew up with could tell you that vampire bats do not suck. They bite and lick up the blood."<br /><br />Reason #2097035789 as to why I like this blog!<br /><br />Also glad to see the unanimous outpouring of love for Joon! You won't meet a nicer man with cuter kids and a Harvard professor, no less!!! Why were they so reluctant to say that on J!?andrea cheetos michaelsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5676795369707599902011-10-16T01:28:40.775-04:002011-10-16T01:28:40.775-04:00Football Saturday for me, so late to puzzle. Got w...Football Saturday for me, so late to puzzle. Got waylaid several times in this one; my mind was on other things. Baseball can break your heart. See ya next year, Tigers. Playing in East Lansing felt like playing in Tuscaloosa--- Commentator Urban Meyer, who took early retirement after his health was ruined due to his stressful job in the SEC, knows dirty plays when he sees 'em. Coach Dantonio, we USED to respect you. There's no room in the Big Ten for behavior that we witnessed today.<br />Off my soapbox now---good puzzle, Joon.KarenSampsonHudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12072958906391798661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30760525869680799182011-10-16T01:04:22.915-04:002011-10-16T01:04:22.915-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.KarenSampsonHudsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12072958906391798661noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83513376935019480632011-10-16T00:29:43.808-04:002011-10-16T00:29:43.808-04:00@Evan K - Which "it?" Casa Cantu started...@Evan K - Which "it?" Casa Cantu started as a family market then later opened a restaurant next door. It was on 15th or 16th close to the Heinz plant. Sosa's was a small place near the Holland Civic Center and VFW hall (and my aunt's house). I think that with the new routing of 7th, it's location is now street.<br /><br />That's three for me, it's late, my Tigers lost, I'm out.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12450702473070205232011-10-16T00:17:50.647-04:002011-10-16T00:17:50.647-04:00Z: I'm going to have to ask my father about th...Z: I'm going to have to ask my father about this. I can't find a reference to it anywhere. But for the life of me, I remember it!!Evan K.https://www.blogger.com/profile/09434732912558000563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-683123613760660652011-10-16T00:06:18.736-04:002011-10-16T00:06:18.736-04:00@foodie - Su Casa first, Taqueria Aztceca second, ...@foodie - <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps/place?q=Su+Casa+Fennville&cid=6676578189530021589" rel="nofollow">Su Casa</a> first, <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Taqueria+Aztceca,+North+Park+Drive,+Holland,+MI&hl=en&gl=us&hq=Taqueria+Aztceca,&hnear=N+Park+Dr,+Holland,+Ottawa,+Michigan+49424&t=h&z=16&vpsrc=0" rel="nofollow">Taqueria Aztceca</a> second, and <a href="http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Beltline+Bar,+28th+Street+Southeast,+Grand+Rapids,+MI&hl=en&ll=42.912246,-85.665765&spn=0.025019,0.066047&sll=42.805233,-86.092199&sspn=0.012153,0.033023&vpsrc=0&gl=us&hq=Beltline+Bar,+28th+Street+Southeast,+Grand+Rapids,+MI&t=h&z=15&iwloc=A" rel="nofollow">The Beltline Bar</a> for great wet burritos. Casa Cantu and Sosa's closed long ago, both of which were better than these three IMO, but time marches on and small family-owned restaurants don't always get passed on to the next generation. There are many more I haven't had a chance to try since I've been in metro Detroit for 15 years, now.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-7251309422256458862011-10-15T23:43:43.372-04:002011-10-15T23:43:43.372-04:00I found it easy for a Saturday. It helps that I r...I found it easy for a Saturday. It helps that I remember Le Duc Tho receiving the Nobel Prize, and Zanzibar merging with Tanganika, or that my family supposedly had a connection to Leon Czolgosz (at least according to my grandmother, who didn't let facts get in the way of a good story): and no pop or sports stars to speak of. <br /><br />I do agree, though, that the Minotaur was not an ogre: he was just a minotaur.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22569493678066579602011-10-15T23:17:15.903-04:002011-10-15T23:17:15.903-04:00@wordphan:l whose dog died( yesterday's commen...@wordphan:l whose dog died( yesterday's comments) left you a message there on Fridays blog for you to read.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53306432972582369372011-10-15T23:11:16.034-04:002011-10-15T23:11:16.034-04:00Another wonderful puzzle day thanks to Joon and Re...Another wonderful puzzle day thanks to Joon and Rex.<br />No more chipmunks in your house, please! <br />Too late to go into details, you've said it all.machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35321258938897855652011-10-15T21:00:45.768-04:002011-10-15T21:00:45.768-04:00hmm.. I see that I commented before that I"kn...hmm.. I see that I commented before that I"knew" the name of the assassin started "cs"...michaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21094720770413046382011-10-15T20:34:34.428-04:002011-10-15T20:34:34.428-04:00Theatre Queen like me knows Czolgosz because he...Theatre Queen like me knows Czolgosz because he's a character in Sondheim's ASSASSINS. Though it took awhile to rememebr the actual spelling.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86830610734608597242011-10-15T20:27:57.830-04:002011-10-15T20:27:57.830-04:00As a relative newbie to Saturday solving I was ple...As a relative newbie to Saturday solving I was pleased to get within 2 blank squares (you know where), or one google (you know who), of completing this one. Loved the cluing which I thought was clever, bordering on diabolical (I mean that as a compliment). I'll be back next Saturday to try again.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-62110122675351384682011-10-15T20:00:39.435-04:002011-10-15T20:00:39.435-04:00@Anonymous, 7:15--My dictionary shows career, with...@Anonymous, 7:15--My dictionary shows career, with the meaning "to go at full speed; to move rapidly ahead," as a synonym of careen.600https://www.blogger.com/profile/14501483791122854785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1786913642883198442011-10-15T19:33:48.887-04:002011-10-15T19:33:48.887-04:00While (team-)solving this puuzle, it just seemed c...While (team-)solving this puuzle, it just seemed comically difficult. But looking back at it, I'm really impressed. Varied, familiar, in-the-language answers (with a few exceptions). Accurate (but puzzling) clues. Frustrating, but it's Saturday, right?<br /><br />Joon -- congrats, and I hope you have a good accountant.Stanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02681342234536407419noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90462176327965155632011-10-15T19:22:04.419-04:002011-10-15T19:22:04.419-04:00oh man, anon 12:17 is right about VAMPIRE BAT. my ...oh man, anon 12:17 is right about VAMPIRE BAT. my bad. i had no idea (perhaps due to not being 10), so i went for the wordplay, but ... facts is facts. oof.<br /><br />@archaeoprof, i'm a big fan of katie's as well. she's a classy champ and i was honored to share in her jeopardy experience, and to have her share in mine. and did you see her clean up in thursday's episode? you must have taught her well. :)Joonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07825085755390339668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63226801493301201652011-10-15T19:05:46.257-04:002011-10-15T19:05:46.257-04:00I was annoyed to see the author make the common mi...I was annoyed to see the author make the common mistake of confusing CAREEN and CAREER. CAREEN means to lean over to one side (both intransitive and transitive). CAREER means to go ahead rapidly. A good mnemonic is that one's career goes forward.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43632172667009801102011-10-15T19:03:32.906-04:002011-10-15T19:03:32.906-04:00not only did i not remember/possibly ever know tha...not only did i not remember/possibly ever know that McKinley had been assassinated, I have never heard of said assassin. <br /><br />Way too sadistic for me, @joon - who just didn't have the patience on this beautiful fall day to stick with it. I did really enjoy your run on Jeopardy, and look forward to the ToC and future puzzles, of course.<br /><br />My husband rates Mexican restaurants solely on the quality of their chile RELLENOS. if they're no good, we never return - regardless of the quality of their margaritas! ;~(<br /><br />Congrats on the nuptials @Th- S!hazelhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04627015904603641109noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22039103564131803052011-10-15T18:49:21.953-04:002011-10-15T18:49:21.953-04:00I liked this puzzle a lot and found it fairly easy...I liked this puzzle a lot and found it fairly easy for a Saturday. I sort of knew the assassin name right away, but spelling it correctly was something else. I knew that it started cs and ended with a z and that there was a g and an in there somewhere...michaelnoreply@blogger.com