tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post7472400787018866373..comments2024-03-28T20:26:11.908-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Farmer-turned-con man in 1960s sitcom / MON 12-20-10 / Self-description someone surprised / Nancy Drew's beau / 1960s-'70s R&B singer MarilynRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger88125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81708423194928243892011-01-26T01:00:10.872-05:002011-01-26T01:00:10.872-05:00Syndication late
Loved today’s (12/20/10 on 1/25/1...Syndication late<br />Loved today’s (12/20/10 on 1/25/11) puzzle. For me, lots of ‘fresh’ words such as Cranky / Cadge / Ethic / Rotunda. Liked Arail & Ariel in the same puzzle placed ‘on top of each other’ at the top (15A Thin as a ---) and bottom (63A Disney’s Mermaid). I’m ‘of the demographic’, but had never heard of Mr. Haney but checked all the downs and, there he was -- mrharney. I didn’t remember Ms. McCoo either, so thanks Donna Hoke for the good crosses and thanks Rex for the audio refreshers.<br />And by the way, thanks Andrea for your comment on comments; I thought it was interesting & enlightening.<br />And by the non-puzzle way, the phonetically correct spelling for that football team would be Stillers (v. Steelers)… dredged up from my long-ago Pittsburgh roots.lodsfnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21609822097450570682011-01-25T15:36:06.853-05:002011-01-25T15:36:06.853-05:00@Lurking, Just Behind You
I'm really a 49ers f...@Lurking, Just Behind You<br />I'm really a 49ers fan at heart. I'm crossing my fingers that Harbaugh will bring them back to fame.<br />However since the Steelers were't really picked to win its division and being the underdog, I want them to win a 7th Super Bowl Title.<br />Rex, sorry this is off topic but I don't think too many might mind?GILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-76185294497881412952011-01-25T15:09:23.247-05:002011-01-25T15:09:23.247-05:00@Gil.I.Pollas
Syndicated Solver....
Steelers IND...@Gil.I.Pollas<br /><br />Syndicated Solver....<br /><br />Steelers INDEED!<br /><br />My 2 favorite teams are in the Superb Bowl.Lurking, Just Behind Younoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52352021659493144452011-01-24T18:41:26.722-05:002011-01-24T18:41:26.722-05:00Syndi-late. Again. Will be tomorrow too.
Perhaps ...Syndi-late. Again. Will be tomorrow too.<br /><br />Perhaps San REMO should be considered crosswordese by now; that's my only familiarity with the name, but I HAVE seen it often enough to have known it for this puzzle and thus get MRHANEY from the crosses. Which made today's Monpuz pretty easy.<br /><br />Only nit: DOGSAGE. Never heard of it. Which doesn't mean that it's not used either seldomly or commonly somewhere; but if it's a term made up strictly for PC purposes, it just gives me one more reason to hate PC. The rewriting of HUCK FINN and the lexicon and everything else is absolutely sickening to me. Big IF and I'm quite willing to be enlightened regarding the use of "Dog's Age" in real, UNREGIMENTED and not-so-narrow-a-set-of-contexts-as-to-make-it-unfitting-for-a-Monpuz life.<br /><br />Love the diversity of solving experiences reported on here by all the contributors. Thanks to @acme for telling how she puts much of that to work, but also especially to Rex for making this blog a possibility in the first place and then for his daily hanging his shit in the wind as a target for every bit of nonsense any of us can dream up. Remarkable. And ordinarily well fielded.<br /><br />So sorry that Vonnegut never saw the cat nor the cradle. Neither have I, ever; but I imagine that someone did, once; and it seems to me to be a bit presumptuous to say that it's not there just because YOU'VE never seen it. But, if that's your bent, try NOT seeing the CROW'S FEET that is a mandatory manufacture in any good round of CATSCRADLE. Of course I'm waxing a bit nostalgic for something I haven't played in a coon's age. But now, thanks to today's puzzle, I'm gonna keep my eye open for a good book on the maniform possibilities of the unidimensional stretched between the hands. Those whose sympathies on the the matter are akin to Dr. Samuel Johnson ("Knotting ought to reckoned, on the scale of insignificance, next to mere idleness."): who asked ya?NotalwaysrightBillnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75903280384775008112011-01-24T15:54:02.082-05:002011-01-24T15:54:02.082-05:0025A: Farmer-turned-con man in a 1960s sitcom
Mr. ...25A: Farmer-turned-con man in a 1960s sitcom<br /><br />Mr. Haney.<br /><br />He would drive his wagon full of junk over to Mr. Douglas' house and he would say HELLO THERE MR DOUGLAS! Mr Douglas would reply What do you want Haney! Haney could have all the parts from all the washing machines in Green Acres and he would be lucky if he had one that worked. He was always selling junk. <br /><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PswUt-vYJTU" rel="nofollow">Mr Haney</a>Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70149896552767422422011-01-24T13:51:17.572-05:002011-01-24T13:51:17.572-05:00Yay. I'm alive.
Gracias @fikink.Yay. I'm alive. <br />Gracias @fikink.GILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-56367113191138597772011-01-24T13:41:10.127-05:002011-01-24T13:41:10.127-05:00@Gil.I.Pollas - I did, indeed, see your post - it ...@Gil.I.Pollas - I did, indeed, see your post - it just came across my Blackberry.<br />And how fortuitous! I was trying to remember what day I posted the animals; I needed a Monday morning laugh!<br />Did Al ever turn up?fikinkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06324570637549775751noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8929185745670310602011-01-24T13:31:24.821-05:002011-01-24T13:31:24.821-05:00Coming to you live on Jan 24.
My gauge of difficul...Coming to you live on Jan 24.<br />My gauge of difficulty comes from my daughter's mouth. In today's puzzle (12/20) she rated it medium/challenging - (what a coincidence).<br />After prodding both our daughter (age 23) and son (32) to do the NYT puzzles, we have a puzzle fest in the kitchen when we all get together.<br />They both started doing them about 2 years ago after watching me spend countless hours on crosswords.<br />I'll never forget son calling out "mom, what's a 4 letter word for 'King of Norway.'" I, expounding on a Rexism and said "It's Olaf, commit it to memory; it's crosswordese."<br />@fikink - you'll probably never see this but the animal voice over was hilarious; I'm still laughing<br />GO STEELERS<br />P.S. poor Nate.GILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37454177682992606042010-12-21T13:41:03.861-05:002010-12-21T13:41:03.861-05:00Nate, everyone knows. You're not amusing. Go b...Nate, everyone knows. You're not amusing. Go back to bed.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20907682222443907012010-12-21T13:38:42.233-05:002010-12-21T13:38:42.233-05:00To ANONYMOUS:
Scooter Libby got 30 months (later...To ANONYMOUS:<br /><br /> Scooter Libby got 30 months (later commuted) for "outing" Valerie Plame. I wonder how much<br />you should get for "outing" me.ANON Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-24298754256778353042010-12-21T13:34:55.917-05:002010-12-21T13:34:55.917-05:00To REX:
I finally figured out where
EREIMANIASET...To REX:<br /> I finally figured out where<br />EREIMANIASET comes from but I can't<br />understand why you combined three<br />separate, non-touching entries into<br />one "Partial Experience".<br /> I'm not even sure I phrased the<br />the question properly.ANON Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60696074193394035562010-12-21T11:14:47.966-05:002010-12-21T11:14:47.966-05:00I would have loved this puzzle for a Wednesday - t...I would have loved this puzzle for a Wednesday - though I did enjoy working it. Dating myself (by oh about 30 years) but I got Mr Haney right off with no crosses. Sometimes being old has its advantages :)donkosnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16291959719356352772010-12-21T08:20:00.199-05:002010-12-21T08:20:00.199-05:00At the risk of being called a sycophant, GREAT com...At the risk of being called a sycophant, GREAT comment, Andrea!<br /><br />@NATE B: welcome back. Admit it, you are addicted, like a lot of us.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />inshead: better than behind the shead;-)machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38942544469208555872010-12-20T22:56:00.324-05:002010-12-20T22:56:00.324-05:00To ANONYMOUS at 9:23
You're too darn smart.
A...To ANONYMOUS at 9:23<br /><br />You're too darn smart.<br />As I think I said before, I still like to read the comments.<br /> As far as quitting commenting:<br />who was it that said "Rome wasn't<br />built in a day"?ANON Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26196539294924743972010-12-20T22:54:30.080-05:002010-12-20T22:54:30.080-05:00@nanpilla:
Brava!!!
HORSESMOUTH 11
HENSTEETH 9
EAG...@nanpilla:<br />Brava!!!<br />HORSESMOUTH 11<br />HENSTEETH 9<br />EAGLESFAN 9<br />RABBITSFOOT 11<br /><br />There you go! you have the makings of a Monday puzzle! ;)<br /><br />Here is one of the reason rating the difficulty level is important: <br />(of course, ultimately it's all subjective and up to Will's feel) it's a very important discussion to have, esp for constructors, bec then you can better gauge your audience and get some consistency and improve your puzzles...<br /><br />The trickiest part about making a Monday as opposed to Tuesday or Wed is making sure the easiness of the theme matches with the difficulty level of the fill, and on top of that the level of the clues.<br />Most people I mentor, send me a puzzle with Tuesday level difficulty (theme-wise) but Fri level cluing...or Monday level themes with three or four words in the grid that you wouldn't (usually) have before a Thursday. <br /><br />Plus you have to balance for age range, judgment calls on levels of education, what someone reasonably might have been exposed to, what's common knowledge, how you gauge that, how to make the downs then work if the across clues are on the obscure side, plus how much fun it is to learn things, and on and on and on and on...<br /><br />Before this blog, the sole judge of whom you tried to please (besides yourself) was the editor.<br />This blog has wildly enlightened (me) as to who the audience is, what they think, what skews hard or a gimme...<br />even after you factor in whether or not someone would even bother to write in about something.<br /><br />Or worse, as a writer, you would only hear negatives if someone was peeved enough to write to the publication...or to tell you why something was wrong.<br />(The crossword I used to create for a Jewish Weekly a few times a year killed bec they never heard a peep pro or con...<br />and when I wrote for Disney, I ONLY got feedback when it was negative, like they'd warn me I couldn't put LIBRA in a grid because horoscopes were tied to the occult and other such nonsense.)<br /><br />So this kind of discussion as to what one man thinks (+ 100 folks who regularly write in) is INVALUABLE (at least to me and I imagine other constructors who aren't afraid of real feedback yea or nay), even tho it can be wildly subjective and incomplete on so many other levels.<br /><br />@r.alphbunker<br />Tee hee on "good cop/bad cop" analogy!!! ;)<br /> I mean, I think I actually tend to agree with Rex more often than not!<br />Like everyone out there, I'm just trying to give a different perspective: female, older, pen- and-paper solving, Jewish, Minnesotan, Scrabble-loving, sports-wtf?er, occasional constructor's point of view.<br /><br />I just weigh in so often, not bec I get paypal kickback's from Rex, but bec I take the puzzle very very very seriously and think this blog is the best thing to have ever happened to the NY Times (and in some ways to me) ;)<br /><br />@mmorgan<br />I'll say to you what folks say to me: Don't take it personally! Easily-irritated people need to rethink slinging around the word "sycophant" if they can't differentiate what is agreeing and feeling excited that someone shares your outlook and what is obsequiously (sp?) kowtowing!acmenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32954393161679284672010-12-20T22:24:12.223-05:002010-12-20T22:24:12.223-05:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 7/30/2009 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 7:30, 6:55, 1.08, 79%, Medium-Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 4:04, 3:42, 1.10, 88%, Challengingsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-21006511047078466122010-12-20T21:23:11.713-05:002010-12-20T21:23:11.713-05:00Anon B - Welcome back, Nate. A trifle late for yo...Anon B - Welcome back, Nate. A trifle late for you, no?<br /><br />Ya vol mon Nate vit da nitpicking....<br /><br />John the BanishedAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35241207036949774372010-12-20T21:14:54.550-05:002010-12-20T21:14:54.550-05:00Could not post my last comment midday, and I'v...Could not post my last comment midday, and I've forgotten all about it....<br />Liked the puzzle a lot, most of us love a harder Monday, I suspect. Had ethos for ethic for a moment, needed crosses for almost all names, and read burn for bum. Still had a great time, in every way. <br />So, Seth, what did you think of the puzzle?machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85765205413567239872010-12-20T21:04:18.751-05:002010-12-20T21:04:18.751-05:00I don't know what happened to that
last line. ...I don't know what happened to that<br />last line. I proof read it. <br />It should be "would call it"ANON Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52209666626419726732010-12-20T21:02:52.524-05:002010-12-20T21:02:52.524-05:00I don't know what happened to that
last line. ...I don't know what happened to that<br />last line. I proof read it. <br />It should be "would call it"ANON Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54593186424118598542010-12-20T20:59:23.716-05:002010-12-20T20:59:23.716-05:00Re:My comment at3:45
And the beat goes on.
U...Re:My comment at3:45<br /> And the beat goes on.<br /><br /> Under my previous pen name I was told by someone that this is not a chat room. Look over most days and<br />especially today and tell me what you would caheardell it.ANON Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12577085466953496312010-12-20T20:37:21.048-05:002010-12-20T20:37:21.048-05:00For you, Rex - Wordplay posted this from me:
Ever...For you, Rex - Wordplay posted this from me:<br /><br />Everyone should go to Rex Parker's blog today for a couple of reasons. 1. Yesterday over there I suggested they come here to see the great illustration of the lunar eclipse and it would be nice to reciprocate and 2. the whole debate over there is about how to rate these puzzles, which from the postings here is related to the discussion here. Besides, Rex's blog offers an interesting contrast to this blog....<br /><br />John the BanishedAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82749814208737043382010-12-20T20:17:57.084-05:002010-12-20T20:17:57.084-05:00@SanFranMan59's data confirms Rex's predic...@SanFranMan59's data confirms Rex's prediction. His hat is safe. (Oops, does this comment make me a sycophant?)<br /><br />It seems to me that it is perfectly appropriate and reasonable to discuss the fact that some of us may find a particular puzzle easy/hard and some the reverse, and analyzing the differences between our experiences and Rex's is also reasonable (hey, it's his blog). One of the Anon's <br />seemed to put an unpleasant edge on this sort of discussion today... but I very much appreciate his/her 10:06 let's take a deep breath/why can't we all get along comment. <br /><br />As I said a week or so ago -- can you imagine all of us in the same room?? The mind boggles.<br /><br />@ksquare: I enjoyed your spaces.mmorganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18375430572178263265noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32170312730612710892010-12-20T20:07:31.552-05:002010-12-20T20:07:31.552-05:00@quilter1 ... such a beautiful gift! I hope you ha...@quilter1 ... such a beautiful gift! I hope you have a lovely time away with family in the sun. It is freezing here in Ohio!johohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12708487230515532492noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67769645425846390162010-12-20T19:49:16.526-05:002010-12-20T19:49:16.526-05:00Try, try again.Try, try again.quilter1https://www.blogger.com/profile/09569747169212018177noreply@blogger.com