tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post7111349660278951247..comments2024-03-29T04:46:57.646-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Tumbler locale / THU 9-6-12 / Commandments 1958 hit / Hoffman who co-founded Yippies / Routine with one-handed freeze / I now prophesy that I will dismember my dismemberer / Town in Hersey novel / 2001 Sean Penn filmRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10443707415383248272012-10-12T11:56:30.281-04:002012-10-12T11:56:30.281-04:00emailemailSolving in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04249420848844874936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42713561386740598322012-10-12T11:55:02.110-04:002012-10-12T11:55:02.110-04:00Ben Pall, I loved this puzzle. Worked on it, on an...Ben Pall, I loved this puzzle. Worked on it, on and off, for two days.<br /><br />My writeovers were 34D MeNuS before MINTS, and 55D fIlm before CINE. Oh, and I had GaZA before GIZA. <br /><br />UNION & JOINT, and SPLIT & BREAK were super clever.<br /><br />Will, bring us more of these.<br /><br />Capcha: swanly. A new adjective for the graceful water fowl.<br /><br />Speaking of fowl, @Dirigonzo, where do your osprey go once they're done raising their brood? And do you think mom and pop hang together during the winter?Solving in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04249420848844874936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36273393941880811382012-10-12T07:43:58.001-04:002012-10-12T07:43:58.001-04:00in syndication here. Leisure is a noun, free is a...in syndication here. Leisure is a noun, free is an adjective. how does LEISURE solve for "free"?Joe in Montrealnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43208491304987829902012-10-11T18:21:46.245-04:002012-10-11T18:21:46.245-04:00Original, fun, seemingly impossible then ultimatel...Original, fun, seemingly impossible then ultimately doable - loved it! Labor>TRADE, over>ALIE, and BirdS>BEAKS slowed things down some but speed is naver an issue for me. The funky grid gave me yet another reason to love solving on paper as the gimmick was apparent from the oversized squares. Favorite clue was Six-footer? for INSECT -it took a while to figure out what the clue wanted and then the obvious answer was the literal one. Last letter in was the x in MINX even though the cross made it seem improbable.<br /><br />@Spacecraft - Lots of businesses bring on (i.e. hire) extra help for the holidays so that clue seems fine to me. I kind of liked the misdirection of the other clues; it makes me feel smart when I finally have the aha! moment.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32491103837377949082012-10-11T16:55:51.587-04:002012-10-11T16:55:51.587-04:00Could not finish in the NW. Fatal error: laborUNIO...Could not finish in the NW. Fatal error: laborUNION instead of trade. Once onto that, my brain just wouldn't let go, and I couldn't make anything work. I knew something was wrong, but what it was eluded me. Now seeing the answer, I could have a bone or three to pick.<br /><br />"BRINGS on" for HIRES? No, that would be TAKES on. "Brings on" means a whole host of different things. To use it as a clue for HIRES is subversive at best, and downright unfair at worst.<br /><br />"Free" for LEISURE? OK, one very narrow usage: as an adjective for "time." Sorry, but that clue goes beyond the pale.<br /><br />And as for 25d, well, there are two choices: STANK and STUNK. So, I picked the wrong one, and so was trying to figure out what ENSA_S might be for "succeeds." Now I see it's ENSUES. This is yet another instance of a DELIBERATE red-herring clue. This whole section was designed NOT to be solved.Spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-50086935265669623142012-10-11T15:45:24.604-04:002012-10-11T15:45:24.604-04:00What a tremendously great puzzle! Medium for me bu...What a tremendously great puzzle! Medium for me but well worth it. Kudos and blessing to young Mr. Pall. <br />Ron DiegoAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55721570404700478062012-10-11T14:59:14.843-04:002012-10-11T14:59:14.843-04:00Cute idea once I realized what was happening, but ...Cute idea once I realized what was happening, but couldn't quite finish. CIVIcUNION hid the L in LEISURE, but I might not have gotten it anyway,as I join those who have trouble equating it with "free". VEG also escaped me. Had _EG and ran the alphabet, pronouncing it as in leg and peg, so no solution. Not having any idea about BELLA also hurt. However, I enjoyed the challenge of something new. It got the grey cells warmed up for the day!DMGrandmanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-39785797140105107582012-10-11T13:12:30.600-04:002012-10-11T13:12:30.600-04:00Really enjoyed this puzzle. I think the theme is ...Really enjoyed this puzzle. I think the theme is clever and original. Had most of the fill in, but the split answers eluded me for a time, then AHA.<br /><br />Consider myself a sports fan,and a tennis fanatic; and although I've watched Sanchez-Vacario many times, I misspelled ARANTsA. She was like a little bumble-bee, buzzing all over the court. For her opponents it was like playing against a back-board. I understand she and her brother have established a tennis academy in Spain.<br /><br />GOESape and PlaZAJOINT needed correcting, but no ream glitches.<br /><br />Thanks Ben, Gingernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32547065761391067792012-09-08T10:30:18.344-04:002012-09-08T10:30:18.344-04:00This was a schoolboy trying too hard to be cute, N...This was a schoolboy trying too hard to be cute, NOT a cool mix of bad & awkward mis-directing clues trying to hard up a meh puzzle.<br /><br />YAPPIE brought me to post again- used to be that doctors & drug dealers (pain doctors sadly are the same) used to have them. Now if you really are important, you have some a$$wipe answering the phone for you.xyzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08287781952915413013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84447925750309525612012-09-07T11:20:16.080-04:002012-09-07T11:20:16.080-04:00Wonderful, clever, original puzzle. Ben Pall could...Wonderful, clever, original puzzle. Ben Pall could be the next Berry or Gorski! Too bad such creativity is limited to Thursday and Sunday. I find it hard to believe that anyone thought that this was easy, especially given the misdirects. Noone else tried multiple letters in the large boxes, or wrote LOCK for LIEN, EGOTISM for EGOTRIP, EVE for EEN? Yes I figured it out, but it wasn't easy- it was a delightful thought -provoking journey.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54858026477559260512012-09-06T23:43:15.931-04:002012-09-06T23:43:15.931-04:00A fun puzzle. I snickered a bit with "joint&...A fun puzzle. I snickered a bit with "joint" next to "Abbie" Hoffman.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6544243248053537182012-09-06T23:42:51.152-04:002012-09-06T23:42:51.152-04:00Too clever by half x doubled words = about a q...Too clever by half x doubled words = about a quarter of the fun I usually have with the puzzle. In the immortal words of Aeschylus (or maybe it was Bart Simpson) "this one blows."McSeannoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76244708668464342162012-09-06T21:54:56.533-04:002012-09-06T21:54:56.533-04:00This was way hard for me!! Didn't know so many...This was way hard for me!! Didn't know so many of those movies and names. Knew SAENS & ABBIE, inferred EZRAPOUND, but not much else.<br /><br />@sparky - I like the anti-rebus observation! <br /><br />And really like learning here about the together/apart distinction.<br /><br />Thx Ben!Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91990369638848248912012-09-06T21:33:18.949-04:002012-09-06T21:33:18.949-04:00@Tobias: I too am a W. Buckley fan but his son Ch...@Tobias: I too am a W. Buckley fan but his son Christopher, I think, is even better. If you haven't already, read his "Losing Mum and Pup." I told our son that I would hope he would remember the two of us in the same funny manner that C.B. did his parents.<br />His "They Eat Puppies, Don't They." is a funny, good read as well.GILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14817064142538274202012-09-06T19:47:35.107-04:002012-09-06T19:47:35.107-04:00(Almost) Always solve in the blue bag version, so ...(Almost) Always solve in the blue bag version, so problems with the app or printing or the like. Too little sleep and having to get to a meeting this morning, however, made this tough. Then tonight IBM and BARI were new to me, so a DNF. <br /><br />Fun puzzle.<br /><br />@JFC - since 8 of the clues are pairs, I'd argue that the word count is really only 76.<br /><br />On the previous days "True Natick" discussion - I believe naticks are relative to the day. A Monday natick would not necessarily be a Wednesday or Saturday natick. For example, Monday's LUXOR/ELUL would not be a "true natick" on a Saturday, where ELUL can reasonably be presumed to be part of Saturday solvers crosswordese arsenal. On a Monday, though, its a natick in my book.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72599909485424373022012-09-06T19:40:58.438-04:002012-09-06T19:40:58.438-04:00Almost got weepy during the Hitch video.
He is one...Almost got weepy during the Hitch video.<br />He is one of four celebrities in the past few years whose death actually bothered me.<br /> The others are<br />David Foster Wallace <br />David Rakoff <br />and<br />William F Buckley <br />Not exactly sure why.Tobias Duncanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14828873893205954337noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35571430061134763232012-09-06T19:32:37.988-04:002012-09-06T19:32:37.988-04:00Ha! I am not a robot.Ha! I am not a robot.ksquarehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06181873595483296089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-36145394442647606792012-09-06T19:31:06.168-04:002012-09-06T19:31:06.168-04:00@acme,
This old guy is VERY impressed by young Ben...@acme,<br />This old guy is VERY impressed by young Ben's work with this puzzle...it only makes me wonder how frequently Will gets out-of-the-box (ie app-unfriendly) grid arrangements. So far I have no complaints about any such published puzzles that I've seen to date. I'm just glad that I saw the note to print the PDF!skua76https://www.blogger.com/profile/15450051465313263422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34230126107451228812012-09-06T19:30:12.016-04:002012-09-06T19:30:12.016-04:00ASHE Stadium is a very short distance from what us...ASHE Stadium is a very short distance from what used to be called SHEA Stadium, a frequent crossword entry, in Queens, NY. Coincidence?<br />And please try to make the captchas <br />easier to decipher. This is my fourth attempt!ksquarehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06181873595483296089noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40385107699270458622012-09-06T17:59:35.728-04:002012-09-06T17:59:35.728-04:00I got it........finally.......took a long time.......I got it........finally.......took a long time.......Stevlb1https://www.blogger.com/profile/03814855846710624128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70151127770630828222012-09-06T17:29:38.601-04:002012-09-06T17:29:38.601-04:00@joefrom.. -- I think anon 2:01 has a more accurat...@joefrom.. -- I think anon 2:01 has a more accurate take on the theme. Check out that post for why BREAK makes sense. <br /><br />@Hazel & ACME -- I think you guys are right about what should constitute a Natick, i. e. intersecting WTFs. For the spelling challenged (my hand is up) though, I don't think crosses like NUREMBERG/OLEA are "personal" in that a lot of solvers make identical errors. So, it might be useful to identify pitfalls for the "spelling challenged" in some way. One of the reasons I started doing crosswords was to improve my spelling and so far it has helped.jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76360586903077135622012-09-06T17:24:10.216-04:002012-09-06T17:24:10.216-04:00@skua76
Damn!!!! You are right! there it is in t...@skua76<br />Damn!!!! You are right! there it is in the Urban Dictionary...and I quote:<br />" yappie 13 up, 17 down<br />A yuppie with a cell phone growing out of their ear. In the 19th century, men carried big guns on their belts to make up for a lack of size in other areas. Cell phones have replaced the gun on the belt. A cell phone on the belt gives the wearer a since of importance. <br />"I am so important, I have to carry a cell phone on my belt so that people can get in touch with me anywhere and any time when there is a crisis that only I can handle."<br />It is hard to enjoy a meal in a restaurant with all the yappies constantly talking on their cell phones."<br /><br />Well, you just saved me a ton of time trying to pitch an article to Slate!<br /><br />Everyone! Come on out to Oakland Saturday!<br />www.bayareacrosswords.og<br /><br />And again, fabulous job, Ben, especially not casting a pall over the proceedings...quite the opposite, you little genius, you!Arantxa Carla Michaelsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78394689747512738432012-09-06T15:56:53.640-04:002012-09-06T15:56:53.640-04:00Of course, the grid is 16 x 16, not 15 x 15, so a ...Of course, the grid is 16 x 16, not 15 x 15, so a higher word count is expected....<br /><br />JFCJFCnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-45005037908958672822012-09-06T15:55:25.611-04:002012-09-06T15:55:25.611-04:00Unfortunately IHT did not print double squares so ...Unfortunately IHT did not print double squares so theme was very hard to fathom, even after googling a few. A pity as the theme was great.Geofnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34489648207870794752012-09-06T15:45:00.348-04:002012-09-06T15:45:00.348-04:00@Thoracic - I did the puzzle on paper, then entere...@Thoracic - I did the puzzle on paper, then entered on Magmic. The app for the iPod let me enter the answers in each square, duplicating the letters when necessary. For instance, pizza joint and rotary joint both entered, but then entered rajjas, eboon, abiit, minnx, and setta. It let me submit it this way and I got my "well done". Hope that helps. Milfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04923019988243284636noreply@blogger.com