tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post7509222278925974450..comments2024-03-29T11:24:03.304-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Miami Vice informant / TUE 3-12-13 / Director of Bride of Monster / City with Aces ballpark / Little Miss Sunshine vehicle / Bone of lower chest / Home of lion that Hercules slewRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger102125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64670530506219311472013-04-20T16:17:55.167-04:002013-04-20T16:17:55.167-04:00@Bruce S --I agree,that threw me a bit.Yours made ...@Bruce S --I agree,that threw me a bit.Yours made more sense.Why not use it?<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85126015038643395992013-04-19T03:26:54.269-04:002013-04-19T03:26:54.269-04:00Lurker Lou is right, COMEDY GOLD is the thing you ...Lurker Lou is right, COMEDY GOLD is the thing you make fun of so source is the right clue. Great answer I thoughtsdcheezhdhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05457420125517948430noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72836576234669896012013-04-17T00:12:25.343-04:002013-04-17T00:12:25.343-04:00I swear I need to get my priorities in line. Had m...I swear I need to get my priorities in line. Had meetings today and here it is, almost 9:00 (on the west coast)and I'm just finishing the puzzle. So...no one will see this, but I found this one to be fun, if quite challenging, especially for Tuesday. <br /><br />That I'm old helped, knew ARTIE (fine jazz clarinet)and remember watching Jack Webb in black and white. ANTZ was a lucky guess.<br /><br />@Bruce S. thanks for stopping by SynCity, and congrats on your puzzle. It's good to stretch the mental muscles, which I needed to do today.<br /><br />@Gill I. P. thank you, too, for your foray into the twilight zone. I always enjoy your posts in 'real time'.<br /><br />My heart goes out to the folks in Boston, and to the victims of this senseless mayhem.Gingernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83074312402656448152013-04-16T22:42:22.113-04:002013-04-16T22:42:22.113-04:00Hey you plebes in SynCity.....There are lots of us...Hey you plebes in SynCity.....There are lots of us who read you. I would think that half of us were wearing your shoes at one time. Just because we grew out of our size doesn't mean we send you to Goodwill.GILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61356248332115554352013-04-16T21:01:57.494-04:002013-04-16T21:01:57.494-04:00Glad that people seemed to enjoy it 6 weeks out. ...Glad that people seemed to enjoy it 6 weeks out. I always like when I get some knowledge from one puzzle and then can use it almost immediately in another. Thanks for the nice words.Bruce S.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12484224124376367842013-04-16T19:37:09.518-04:002013-04-16T19:37:09.518-04:00You're a dismal bugger sometimes, Rex. This on...You're a dismal bugger sometimes, Rex. This one was fun, with just the right amount of obscurity hiding answers which were revealed when this puzzler twigged to the theme.straylinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13536180563789923012noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15690263220454898442013-04-16T19:15:40.433-04:002013-04-16T19:15:40.433-04:00Exactly what @DMGrandma said about the theme and C...Exactly what @DMGrandma said about the theme and COMEDY--LD. And OKEM- for that matter! Certainly a challenging Tuesday but I for one welcome that earlier in the week - hope it's a trend.<br /><br />And let me echo @Diri in thanking our constructor(s) - great first effort, BTW - for dropping-in on us oft-forgotten plebes in SynCity. Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29784330850616157622013-04-16T17:22:34.388-04:002013-04-16T17:22:34.388-04:00Didn't find this one so hard once I traded my ...Didn't find this one so hard once I traded my van in for a bus. However I did need the theme to fill the blanks in COMEDY--LD, an expression I don't know. Guess the crosses did a lot of the leg work for me, but I still find it amazing that I managed to finish a puzzle with "words" like OKEMO and UTNE. Still, I won't knock success. There's always Wednesday to face, and then.....DMGrandmanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34564961656433305632013-04-16T16:33:12.165-04:002013-04-16T16:33:12.165-04:00I seriously entertained the possibility that I mig...I seriously entertained the possibility that I might not finish but persistence and the crosses prevailed. NEMEA was in the (syndicated) Sunday puzzle two days ago, no? I totally did not understand COMEDYGOLD until it was explained in the comments, now I love it. I hope it won't offend anyone when I say, truthfully, the last thing I did was get LAID (I had to change ElWOOD to EDWOOD).<br /><br />To the constructors I say WELLDONE!<br />And to Bruce S., thanks for visiting us way out here in SynCity - I can't recall any other constructors (except ACME) dropping by.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-27540914057586018562013-04-16T15:30:42.610-04:002013-04-16T15:30:42.610-04:00Glad that you enjoyed the solve "Solving"...Glad that you enjoyed the solve "Solving"Bruce S.noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85145176732537641052013-04-16T14:34:09.879-04:002013-04-16T14:34:09.879-04:00@Spacecraft, a mite testy (but funny) this morning...@Spacecraft, a mite testy (but funny) this morning, are we? If you haven't read @ED's comment, do so. He found the hidden meanings of this puzzle. You'll like the puzzle better.<br /><br />stowe before OKEMO, which came ENTIRELY on crosses. Never heard of it. Needed Rex to parse IMAPC for me. I MAP C... no. IMAP C... no. IM AP C...no. Oh, I'M A PC.<br /><br />Good work on this tough Tuesday Bruce and Neville.<br /><br />capcha: coulaa... yeah, DADDYO.Solving in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04249420848844874936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80465483275156103892013-04-16T11:40:43.915-04:002013-04-16T11:40:43.915-04:00Wait a minute. What day is this? Tuesday? Flippin&...Wait a minute. What day is this? Tuesday? Flippin' TUESDAY??? You have GOT to be kidding me. UTNE?? What in the world is that? OKEMO? Looks like Pokemon lost his head and tail, only way THOSE five letters make sense. COMEDYGOLD? Never heard of it. A polo competitor is an IZOD????? What is going on?<br /><br />I had started at the bottom after I couldn't glom LAWS right away (that one is at least fair...but mighty tricky for a Tues.) And when I got to 58d and stopped groaning, I just thought: you know what? this thing is not WORTH trying to make sense of. And I just quit.<br /><br />That's right: DNF. On a Tuesday. Just as well. IMAPC??????? You're joking! I never watch "Extra," I'm proud to announce, so wouldn't have known MARIO. Other things that I'm sure would have exacerbated my headache include DADDYO, FALSERIB and the NON-saying WINDINGTOACLOSE. No one says that. Wait, I'll say it. This blog is WINDINGTOACLOSE. I hope I never see a puzzle from either of these two again.<br /><br />P.S. Only SOME chessmen are "PIECES." Pawns are not.Spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-32699181287738298042013-03-13T09:32:04.684-04:002013-03-13T09:32:04.684-04:00Why is it OK with all these silly words for a &quo...Why is it OK with all these silly words for a "proper crossword" for these <br />1) Annoying circles<br />2) rebus squares (such as H2O/OH on Sunday) to be asymmetrical?<br /><br />This theme was as lame as they come, i had to force myself to finish this smelly dog of a puzzle.<br /><br />I didn't think it was challenging by any means, but I guess the lamer it is and the better Rex feels, the less likely we are to hear criticism?xyzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08287781952915413013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66317272474561163662013-03-13T07:23:59.733-04:002013-03-13T07:23:59.733-04:00OK, folks, you can quit arguing that this one wasn...OK, folks, you can quit arguing that this one wasn't difficult for a Tues. Sanfranman59's figures show that it was indeed challenging for a Tues based on average solve times. I just finished the next day's (Weds) at least a couple of minutes faster than the Tues. people, saying it was more difficult than average is not an insult, just an observation supported by the stats. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-2598616793471922102013-03-13T01:38:12.291-04:002013-03-13T01:38:12.291-04:00agree with @bob Kerfuffle...
no one said anything ...agree with @bob Kerfuffle...<br />no one said anything about "and"/<br />Nothing inconsistent, wildly fresh and imaginative, super fun to solve...and not random circles at all, they were together...<br />how neat to have Neville and Bruce discover nonconvoluted phrases that had opposites in them!<br />I was wildly impressed!<br /><br />Saw Neville first night as I was leaving @ midnight and his delayed flight just getting in... and had had din with the modest Bruce who never mentioned he was about to have his debut!!! Congrats!!!<br /><br />Nothing to complain about this one, thought it was terrific! Was excited to show my friend whom I was waiting for before a play to show how nice and inventive it was. I really don't get how you couldn't appreciate this one!<br /><br />Plus I learned about FALSERIBs and DADDYO gives me a Dobie Gilles sort of smile!<br />Bravo, youse guys!aria comedy mariosnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5389286261682160752013-03-12T23:38:34.698-04:002013-03-12T23:38:34.698-04:00I am so overextended with post-ACPT fatigue, and b...I am so overextended with post-ACPT fatigue, and balancing work with house guests.<br />Puzzle was fun and easy.<br />Made jewelry at Sugarbeads in Ridgefield with my para-nieces from France, baked cookies, helped them do online college applications...crazy-half in France, but at least an education is free...<br />Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65326031852968425032013-03-12T22:14:59.133-04:002013-03-12T22:14:59.133-04:00Finally got to do the puzzle after a long day. Ha...Finally got to do the puzzle after a long day. Happily for me, found it easy (in my usual untimed way.)<br /><br />I see no inconsistency in the theme answers, as long as you think of them as WIN/LOSE, TO/FRO, etc. Granted, it doesn't work as well if you think of WIN "and" LOSE, TO "and" FRO, etc. - so why do that?<br /><br />Now I am trying to think of the name of a radio program on which various animals are interviewed about their lifestyles. I hope to come up with it by tomorrow.Bob Kerfufflehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02615811802419025933noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17142595499766959792013-03-12T22:03:34.808-04:002013-03-12T22:03:34.808-04:00This week's relative difficulty ratings. See m...This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 8/1/2009 post for an explanation and my 10/15/2012 post for an explanation of a tweak I've made to my method. 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 6:44, 6:14, 1.08, 82%, Challenging<br />Tue 10:18, 8:23, 1.23, 89%, Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 4:07, 3:42, 1.11, 88%, Challenging<br />Tue 5:59, 4:54, 1.22, 94%, Challengingsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59199249523080585942013-03-12T21:31:58.733-04:002013-03-12T21:31:58.733-04:00hmmm -- come to think of it -- Hercules isn't ...hmmm -- come to think of it -- Hercules isn't in the Bible. Bible clues are not my strong point as you might guess..michaellnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6078423341483956082013-03-12T21:08:49.408-04:002013-03-12T21:08:49.408-04:00nemed or nemea? I had no idea. I figured that eta ...nemed or nemea? I had no idea. I figured that eta showed up in puzzles more than etd. On the other hand I thought an announcement about etd was more likely than an announcemnt about eta. On the third hand, nemea sounded more biblical...<br /><br />I guessed right...michaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-27549747065504726142013-03-12T20:39:30.571-04:002013-03-12T20:39:30.571-04:00Found it quite doable. UTNE used to show up a lot...Found it quite doable. UTNE used to show up a lot in the 1980s. It's a magazine. @Z, good observation. Didn't even notice the lack of symmetry for the circles. At least they were on the same line. Once I had the top two it was easy to fill in the others.<br /><br />Not knowing IZZY din't bother me, got it on downs. You don't need to know every answer in a puzzle; just fill it in. AYRES and ARTIE skewed oldster.<br /><br />I had such a great time at ACPT. Never stopped moving. Have been sleeping a lot. I have to get out more.<br /><br />You are right, ACME. Thanks Will Shortz, and Helene Hovanec who keeps it all stitched together.Sparkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11149915526159432838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80238189631342102852013-03-12T20:10:56.658-04:002013-03-12T20:10:56.658-04:00Very slow Tuesday for me, and not a lot of fun. Nw...Very slow Tuesday for me, and not a lot of fun. Nwver heard of Comedygold, perhaps because I never watch Letterman. I don't call them ice-tongs, and have never heard the term. I like what Norm said...OISKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16808675378318214461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64674223277823546422013-03-12T19:27:25.416-04:002013-03-12T19:27:25.416-04:00^^ Except Neville keeps putting rap "artists&...^^ Except Neville keeps putting rap "artists" and new movies and things like that into puzzles. Harrumph. I live my STOAs and ESNEs and a lot of the old stuff that Rex always puts down. #3 so I'm done for the day. Normhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10032302346488486116noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42422612230640144532013-03-12T19:25:11.277-04:002013-03-12T19:25:11.277-04:00Surprised to see that Rex rated today's puzzle...Surprised to see that Rex rated today's puzzle as challenging. I flew through it with only one writeover (40A REc/REV). Then, when Rex characterized his 5:25 time as "comically slow," I donned my dunce cap and sat in the corner. I'm still here.lawprofnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35218007952541546682013-03-12T18:09:03.941-04:002013-03-12T18:09:03.941-04:00@ LaneB, Z, Norm - IMO the more puzzles you do, th...@ LaneB, Z, Norm - IMO the more puzzles you do, the more stuff you have in your wheelhouse, the easier it all gets. Quite a few things today were either gimmes or were one of two or three options that would have been trouble for me a year or two ago.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.com