tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post7177752567066000818..comments2024-03-29T09:48:31.305-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: SAG Hollywood union / MON 1-6-20 / Shell-less marine invertebrate / Upstate New York city south of FInger Lakes / Post WW II alliance / Alcoholic drink that's often flavored with fruitRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger70125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75418843048636425622020-02-10T14:51:14.223-05:002020-02-10T14:51:14.223-05:00Hey @Lady Di, peridot is mine too, although I don&...Hey @Lady Di, peridot is mine too, although I don't know what it looks like.<br /><br />Got the NW quickly, then RUBIES, GALLOPS, GEM and the game was up, but I did enjoy the game, and on a Monday. Nice debut. Maybe Mom and daughter will team up again. Looking forward to it.<br /><br />I think some effort went into sizing up the BIRTHSTONES and deciding how to incorporate the letters in their names into a revealer along with GEM. Probably why peridot didn't make the cut, or UNCUT. <br /><br />Some nice longer downs, an acronym I needed every cross to get, and a write-over where I had slapped SEA Star down, even though I think it fits the definition. The general fill and the clues were up to snuff too.rainforestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74753768501020872052020-02-10T14:34:34.486-05:002020-02-10T14:34:34.486-05:00Oops again -- obviously BIRTHSTONES!Oops again -- obviously BIRTHSTONES!leftcoasternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41989783989997016602020-02-10T14:28:19.986-05:002020-02-10T14:28:19.986-05:00Oh, not just GEMs, but GEMSTONES, of course.Oh, not just GEMs, but GEMSTONES, of course.leftcoasternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25867491908711227582020-02-10T14:24:51.906-05:002020-02-10T14:24:51.906-05:00A study in contrasts: Easy theme and revealer as e...A study in contrasts: Easy theme and revealer as expected, but also unusually challenging for a Monday. <br /><br />GEMs, as simple as they come, except maybe for AMETHYSTS (sp.). But then there's ARUGULA (sp.), and in the SE, SCHNAPPS, AILERON (sp.), and SEASLUG. Might even include RAISA Gorbachev there.<br /><br />Thanks, ladies (and Shortz, too, for going with this one).leftcoasternoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73018501822081056202020-02-10T12:55:13.146-05:002020-02-10T12:55:13.146-05:00I thought it quite fine for Monday faire - and yes...I thought it quite fine for Monday faire - and yes, a tad Tuesdayish in difficulty until the revealer gave the stones away. But where oh where is August? I suppose peridot isn't on the tip of everyone's tongue, and yet. <br /><br />Hope tomorrow is such a jewel as this. Cheers all!<br /><br />Diana, Lady-in-Waiting for Crosswords, not a cross word to sayDiana, LIWnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63227620684579423322020-02-10T11:43:43.451-05:002020-02-10T11:43:43.451-05:00Well...live long enough and you'll see everyth...Well...live long enough and you'll see everything: I whipped through this like water through a sieve. Clue for 11a was visually inescapable; right away I thought GALLOPS-->GEM, then looking at the theme clues--all months--okay, BIRTHSTONES. The circles drew my attention: 11 of them. Just like the letters in BIRTHSTONES. Filled those in, and the named stones became obvious without even having to know the lineup (I don't). With all that, the fill filled itself. And OFC calls it challenging! Go figure. For me, one of the easiest ever.<br /><br />OFC neglected to mention that ELMIRA was also the retirement home of Mark Twain. He knew that, I'm sure. The man never won ANY Edgars, but then he wasn't a MYSTERY writer.<br /><br />Although I do like ABIT more resistance, I enjoyed this solve. I don't agree with any of OFC's criticisms, and with my love GEENA for DOD, I'm gonna give this debut an eagle!spacecrafthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09125304293611865503noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3748478029123366592020-02-10T11:32:56.529-05:002020-02-10T11:32:56.529-05:00SEW FUSSY
If COCAINE and SCHNAPPS won’t PANOUT,
y...SEW FUSSY<br /><br />If COCAINE and SCHNAPPS won’t PANOUT,<br />you’ll be WASHEDUP with ANY girls.<br />There’s no SCANDAL, MYSTERY, nor doubt<br />with RUBIES, DIAMONDS, and PEARLS.<br /><br />--- ELMIRA ARUGULA<br />Burma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17661815612883024152020-01-06T23:15:45.356-05:002020-01-06T23:15:45.356-05:00@lisa...I was fortunate enough to spend 2 weeks in...@lisa...I was fortunate enough to spend 2 weeks in Bogotá and Medellín this June. I was there on business, with a long weekend in between.<br />I was also incredibly lucky to have a local business associate, who has become a friend, to guide me around and give me a native's perspective.<br /> <br />Warm people, amazing food, rich history.<br />I was glad to have learned first-hand some of the "rest of the story" behind Colômbia.<br /><br />Museo del Oro is one out the finest museums I have experienced anywhere.<br />And the Museo Botero Will have you smiling from beginning till end.<br /><br />Happy Twelfth Day of Christmas to the gang here.<br /><br />And congrats to the constructors. I enjoyed the puzzle lots.<br />Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6026184779131480482020-01-06T20:58:52.511-05:002020-01-06T20:58:52.511-05:00@retired guy - Pop culture, Product names, and oth...@retired guy - <b>P</b>op culture, <b>P</b>roduct names, and other <b>P</b>roper nouns. 25-30% is pretty NYTX typical. More than 33% almost always causes some subset of solvers trouble.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17351079907781865052020-01-06T18:32:10.289-05:002020-01-06T18:32:10.289-05:00Retired guy,
That's what pop means to everyone...Retired guy,<br />That's what pop means to everyone who held a real job in industry, as opposed to say, education.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56303708311006388002020-01-06T18:22:35.664-05:002020-01-06T18:22:35.664-05:00The months clues and RU(BI)ES was enough for me to...The months clues and RU(BI)ES was enough for me to fill in the circles which made everything much easier. Gad to wait patiently to get AFTRA from the crosses. I guess it just goes to prove that if you take any random string of letters and pop it into google, you can come away with a clue for it. Other than that, it was a nice Monday; more interesting than an IRS form 1040EZ, which is often how a monday can feel. Richardf8https://www.blogger.com/profile/17529101042863259910noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31017839418681060272020-01-06T17:58:26.119-05:002020-01-06T17:58:26.119-05:00To me, PPP means Purchasing Power Parity.... what ...To me, PPP means Purchasing Power Parity.... what is it doing in a discussion about a crossword puzzle?retired guyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12194488804819021233noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28967560098300941182020-01-06T16:23:41.090-05:002020-01-06T16:23:41.090-05:00R u the guy I just saw onTMZ?R u the guy I just saw onTMZ?Maddiegailnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2355669154980795652020-01-06T13:59:33.962-05:002020-01-06T13:59:33.962-05:00Apparently I finished in under average time, but I...Apparently I finished in under average time, but I think my Monday average got screwed up by falling asleep while doing a puzzle. It seemed not difficult, but a little longer than recent Monday times. AFTRA slowed me a bit as I wrote AsTRA then erased it all when I saw FUSSY. <br /><br />When the first few circles didn't seem to add up to anything I just ignored them. In retrospect it is cute that they are all in the birthstones in order.<br /><br />While a reference to the movie would have been cute, I assume this puzzle was submitted long before the movie came out. <br /><br />Thinking shandy (which doesn't fit at all) made it hard to see SCHNAPPS. tea73https://www.blogger.com/profile/04949792626860120963noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83195660287890638222020-01-06T12:47:20.418-05:002020-01-06T12:47:20.418-05:00I was annoyed at the Natick in the SE. If you didn...I was annoyed at the Natick in the SE. If you didn't know that RANI, not RAYI, was a Hindu queen, you would never guess that the cross is PAN out and not PAY out. Dan Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12947782079761530102noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53485644637297468072020-01-06T12:31:12.651-05:002020-01-06T12:31:12.651-05:00@John X: when I was stationed at Fort Bliss in 196...@John X: when I was stationed at Fort Bliss in 1962 and partied in Juarez every possible chance, a few of my Army buddies got tossed in the Mexican slammer. Just before their homecoming, we used to dust their areas with BBT powder to fend off the crabs. These events often ended in Courts Martials, where I had to guard the perps with a 45 strapped on my waist. Fun times! Thanks for the memories.Hungry Motherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13465905817770134952noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35945846181971447422020-01-06T12:30:30.278-05:002020-01-06T12:30:30.278-05:00GEM of a MonPuz. Had ABIT of fight to it. Plus, l...GEM of a MonPuz. Had ABIT of fight to it. Plus, lotsa cool longball non-themers, due to the short-ish themer crop. fave fillins included: SCHNAPPS. MYSTERY. WASHEDUP. SCANDAL. PANOUT. FUSSY.<br /><br />staff weeject pick: VAR. Already a crosswordy abbreve term, and it rhymes with har, too boot.<br /><br />fave moo-cow eazy-E MonPuz clue: {Source of solar energy} = SUN. Coulda also been SOL, I reckon … but when in doubt, I tend to go with the U-word. Maybe an even generally eazy-E-er clue: {"Pick a card, ___ card"} = ANY.<br /><br />Liked that the Circles spelled out BIRTHSTONES, as an unreferenced extra-credit. In a TuesPuz or higher, I think you'd maybe have the GEM clue reference the Circles instead, somehow. Not quite sure how best to work that, tho...<br /><br />Thanx for gangin up on us, and congratz on yer primo debut, TD & KL family darlins.<br /><br />Masked & Anonym007Us<br /> Masked and Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16346263641338670679noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13888160031382955002020-01-06T12:26:08.369-05:002020-01-06T12:26:08.369-05:00If @john x and @LMS posted every day I’d be happy....If @john x and @LMS posted every day I’d be happy.Mr.Cheesenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48085219961738243662020-01-06T12:16:51.597-05:002020-01-06T12:16:51.597-05:00Easy Monday for me, but then it was light on trivi...Easy Monday for me, but then it was light on trivia and heavy on things that have been in the puzzle before, so to be expected. Still 2.5 Rexes though.<br /><br />Didn't really love the theme, but didn't get hung up anywhere either, and it only taught me a few new words/things (AILERON, SAG-AFTRA, RANI). I just thought the theme was a bit too simple, even for Monday. It didn't come back around and zing you with anything clever. It just was.Pablonoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-7832609871805378812020-01-06T11:44:10.046-05:002020-01-06T11:44:10.046-05:00EDYS was a bit tough, as that's one of those b...EDYS was a bit tough, as that's one of those brands that has a different name based on where you are. In the western US, we have Dreyer's ice cream (yes, almost exactly like Breyer's) and never see Edy's in stores. Evanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07547211277547266241noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59197035647770309122020-01-06T11:44:07.487-05:002020-01-06T11:44:07.487-05:00@JOHN X
I'm assuming you read that frequent f...@JOHN X<br /><br />I'm assuming you read that frequent flier twitterf&ck trolling AA?xyzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08287781952915413013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-28907981909967450472020-01-06T11:37:37.891-05:002020-01-06T11:37:37.891-05:00Pearls aren’t gems, if you want to get picky. And...Pearls aren’t gems, if you want to get picky. And don’t we all?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83818859718772743672020-01-06T11:22:01.174-05:002020-01-06T11:22:01.174-05:00@joaquin, there's lots of competition for the ...@joaquin, there's lots of competition for the Lenny Bruce comic award today, but I think you may have it sewn up. STAGFLATION rears its head again, so to speak. Malsdemarehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05375476737540476148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14223022448374763122020-01-06T11:19:34.947-05:002020-01-06T11:19:34.947-05:00Agree with the comment about the difficulty, my fi...Agree with the comment about the difficulty, my first thought after solving was how much more like a Tuesday it felt. ACTRA was my big hangup, although for me it was my insistence that it should be AFTRA instead. The misplaced F added at least a minute to my time as I tried to figure out why the SE looked so off.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00775582592217185440noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40103453685992985112020-01-06T11:18:11.069-05:002020-01-06T11:18:11.069-05:00Good puzzle for newbies, as a Monday should be but...Good puzzle for newbies, as a Monday should be but boring for the rest of us “experts”.What?https://www.blogger.com/profile/15386323706336872298noreply@blogger.com