tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post7589891197669361574..comments2024-03-28T12:23:36.637-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Ximenez dessert sherry / FRI 11-8-13 / Kalahari Desert dweller / African city whose name means haven of peace / Eatery where Tony Award was born / California city near Fullerton / Opening line of 1966 #1 Beatles hit / Clement with two Oscar-winning filmsRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger81125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61472946075722225812013-12-13T19:10:17.084-05:002013-12-13T19:10:17.084-05:00Well, I started off by having "Seeing things&...Well, I started off by having "Seeing things" be halluCinating, which I knew was wrong as soon as SAINTE appeared, but it took a while to unscramble all those wrong letters. I ultimately failed in the SE corner whre my experience mirrored that of @J.aussiegirl. So, @rainforest, today I ended with more than OWS - and to give credit where sredit is due, that acronym was originated by my very favorite commenter, ACME, not me.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44304911391762711782013-12-13T16:55:21.050-05:002013-12-13T16:55:21.050-05:00I raced through this puzzle in what had to be reco...I raced through this puzzle in what had to be record time, with everything falling into place, everything making sense, and when I finished I prouldly came here only to find: MEERKAT crossing KNT. Those bloody Boers can't even spell cat, dammit. <br /><br />Yeah, I know, dumb, and pride goeth before a fall, and all that. I've even read The Life of Pi, where there are thousands of meerkats on that deadly island. And anyway, if you're going to abbreviate 'knight', I think in the old shorthand for chess, the abb. was kt. <br /><br />So in this morass of a's and s's I wind up skewered on a k. So, @Diri, I ended up with one of your OWS's. So, I'm in good company.rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81901058095425999562013-12-13T14:28:04.747-05:002013-12-13T14:28:04.747-05:00ARFARF.
I finished the puzzle. And what Rex said....ARFARF.<br /><br />I finished the puzzle. And what Rex said.<br /><br />Capcha: theonea. Either an Irish chick or the one guy who passed the draft physical.Solving in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04249420848844874936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65569047497890051502013-12-13T14:01:09.745-05:002013-12-13T14:01:09.745-05:00With the top half harder than the bottom, i found ...With the top half harder than the bottom, i found this one a struggle, but managed all but one square, the Y in OYE. Somehow realized OlE wasn't correct, but this non-Trekki (Treki?) had no idea for the cross. Actually, there were a lot of things I didn't actually know, e.g. any Beatles song, but they were all straight forward enough, and the crosses helped. <br /><br />Agree with those who cited the clue for ARFARF, my original boxers were "shorts", and I still think its a better answer for the clue. As for SHA la la, I left it because nothing else fit, but still don't know where it came from, and never saw a WRAP in a deli, but then I don't get out much anymore! On to Saturday...<br /><br />DMGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-87443393486482360742013-12-13T13:31:16.413-05:002013-12-13T13:31:16.413-05:00Surprised old baseball fan @OISK wasn't aware ...Surprised old baseball fan @OISK wasn't aware of Nate Silver, who was a baseball stat geek before turning his talents to other arenas.<br /><br />Glad to see this rated Medium, since I figure any Friday I can finish must be Easy. Got WHATSTHEBIGDEAL right away, though hardly confident since ANG was the only cross that worked at first. (Only just now noticed that the "island chain" was LEI.) At first wrote in garAgESALES along the bottom, which put me in a PET while trying to suss out the SW. Trying to parse AR_ARF almost made me want to CHEET until I ran the alphabet for an Aha! moment.<br /><br />Ditto everyone else for the lameness of KNT, but at least I knew the spelling of MEERKAT from watching that Nature Channel show. I've finally logged enough x-word x-perience to grok right away that the sonata answer was IN the key of A–G (pick one).<br /><br />Oh, and for whoever asked, RT is a right tackle in football (a sore subject this morning after the Broncos were made to look like a FLASHINTHEPAN in getting de-pantsed by San Diego last night).<br /><br />captcha: turndh 2. <br />What my neighbor's little kid just did?Cary in Bouldernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-30747830996647212892013-12-13T12:33:24.162-05:002013-12-13T12:33:24.162-05:00Almost gave in without attempting the puz! Perseve...Almost gave in without attempting the puz! Persevered, and I mean really persevered, without resorting to google and finished!<br /><br />Oops, I guess I DNF as I also decided LEORANS were perfectly acceptable Star Trek characters, @ retired_chemist 10:43 am<br /><br />Still pleased to have finished and, overall, liked the puzzle. Yes, "exchange between boxers" would have helped.J.aussiegirlnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44494920435673964652013-12-13T12:01:25.198-05:002013-12-13T12:01:25.198-05:00PET peeve today is the NE with ASDF, MEERKAT, FRIA...PET peeve today is the NE with ASDF, MEERKAT, FRIA & KNT (ugh) just not in my wheelhouse.<br /><br />On the other hand, loved the 15's, 14's & 13's all of which were fun to solve and, along with ALBEIT, OSTEOPATH and SARDIS. kept the puzzle from being rated ARFARF.Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13727422831941525872013-12-13T11:27:16.207-05:002013-12-13T11:27:16.207-05:00This was one of those "I'm never gonna ge...This was one of those "I'm never gonna get this" puzzles at first look. But then my brain said to me, "C'mon, man, we can work it out." A FLASH in my brain PAN. Wow, does that fit? Lessee: TRYTO....Yeppir! I hadn't thought that particular tune ever made it to #1, but then again probably every Beatles song did in those days. At the time, it was eclipsed by the fabulous "Yesterday," which I'm sure came out right around then.<br /><br />Thus kick-started, this solver PRESSESON, with the gimme YEOMAN and the OYE of "OYE Como Va," a great Santana number. Where, oh where is music like THAT nowadays? Soon the bottom is filled, and I turn to the top. Off just the B of ALBEIT and the G of gimme ANG, I somehow see WHATSTHEBIGDEAL--and am soon after asking that same question, despite several never-heard-ofs:<br /><br />538's NATE, PEDRO Ximinez, Agua FRIA, ERTES, RENE Clement.<br /><br />Other troubling stuff: TOPSECRET is definitely NOT "Classified." I mean, sure, all TS is C, but not NEARLY all C is TS. That clue needs to be cleaned up. F woes include ASDF, EFS and INF. Triple flags!<br /><br />And then there's SCHNOOK, a marvelous word. When pressed (by me) for a definition, my dad said this.<br /><br />You come into a mens' room with seven urinals; the first and third are occupied. If you take #6, you're a SCHNOOK.<br /><br />Or, my own definition: if you constantly invade our blog with ridiculous tales of spellcasters, YOU are a SCHNOOK.<br /><br />spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3966736109516629192013-12-13T10:49:15.412-05:002013-12-13T10:49:15.412-05:00This puzz was easy/med for me but will never under...This puzz was easy/med for me but will never understand the "arf arf" clue. Makes no sense at all. Therefor, Mr. A, shame on you. Please try to see it my way.<br /><br />Ron Diego 7:50 AM PSTAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66031928010345096292013-11-28T02:27:37.871-05:002013-11-28T02:27:37.871-05:00"I text Dr Tako the beginning of February and..."I text Dr Tako the beginning of February and asked her to start work to bring my boyfriend back. We'd been together 8 months and he had left me for his ex. Dr Tako began her banishing spell and I was sceptical at first, how could spell work bring back someone? After 3 days of rituals I received a phone call asking how I was etc. I thought it odd as he'd just gone, without any proper 'goodbyes' etc, I chatted and acted 'cool' as Dr Tako had said to do, if he were to call or text. Then I began to get texts, then calls then he'd just turn up at home, eventually he admitted that the ex wasn't for him and it was me that he truly loved! Thank you so much Dr Tako, without you he wouldn't have been back. without any doubts i can recommend him to anyone, you can contact him on his email address: drtakolovespells@gmail.com" Sue - Dover, Kent.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-73954732574080632372013-11-16T09:13:15.765-05:002013-11-16T09:13:15.765-05:00h_lina_k: I was also confused by PET for "in ...h_lina_k: I was also confused by PET for "in an irritable state." Eventually a Google search for "in a pet" pointed out that the out-of-date phrase means this (originally from the word petulant it seems).David Blockhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02892931169069272250noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14209278106694985282013-11-09T02:10:02.910-05:002013-11-09T02:10:02.910-05:00@Ann Heil 8:08pm
First, thank you about yesterday&...@Ann Heil 8:08pm<br />First, thank you about yesterday's puzzle! :)<br /><br />Alan Arbesfeld, on eof my absolute favorite constructors, is quite far from being a So Cal zen master HATHA lotus guy! He's a math teacher from Brooklyn!!!<br /><br />And of course I love him to death for having TRYTOSEEITMYWAY, one of my favorite Beatles songs of all times, and my ANTHEm with my Israeli.<br /><br />But I was very put out by FOREEE, SEETO and TRYTOSEEIT + 12A being SEEING things. :(<br />Strange that he and Will didn't SEE that as a problem!<br />Gotta believe the ALBEIT/SOBEIT was intentional tho.<br />And AA is famous for those EFS-type of HARDC clues.<br />(@Lane B 2:44it's refering to the letter F being the first/ "lead" letters of F ilm F estival)<br /><br />@LMS <br />You apologize for simply being funny and spontaneous and seem forever worried about offending the potentially whimsy-challenged... <br />Again, I plead, do not stifle yourself, you are a scream and a bright light...shine on!!!!<br />Loved your quasi, other-dimensional malapop!<br /><br />I had TWO wrong squares: CHOLaR/PaDRO<br />(Convincing myself that PADRO was a form of PADRE. OYe)<br />and cRIA is Greek for "cold", so even tho it was asking for a Spanish/Latin-based word, I convinced myself that cRIA was COLD en espanol.<br /><br />Plus I couldn't figure out ASDc...which I took for the home row on a guitar!!! (Yes, I realize S is probably not a note! But I thought it was like EGBDF... conversely ASDc.<br />Again, OYe!<br /><br />Ironic (and ugly) that KNT was abbreviated but STE was not!<br /><br />I don't know. In terms of abundance of non-Scrabbly letters, I sort of lean towards @Rex on this one.<br />ARFARF said the boxer to the MEERKAT.<br /><br />But one thing AA ain't, and that's a FLASHINTHEPAN. I think he's made almost all my favorite early week puzzles.Anther Cheetos Meerkatsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-60335590439909474652013-11-09T01:12:09.438-05:002013-11-09T01:12:09.438-05:00I had the 2 starting a's at 2 boxers and confi...I had the 2 starting a's at 2 boxers and confidently put in ali ali and thought that was a clever clue for Mohammed and his daughter. Not to be...connie in seattlenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54211586332512714042013-11-09T00:59:15.757-05:002013-11-09T00:59:15.757-05:00I had the two a's in place for two boxers so c...I had the two a's in place for two boxers so confidently put in ali ali for mohammed and his daughter. Not to be.connie in seattlenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-39093238070870501242013-11-08T23:10:01.919-05:002013-11-08T23:10:01.919-05:00"TRY TO SEE IT MY WAY." Nice longs, lots..."TRY TO SEE IT MY WAY." Nice longs, lots of dreck.<br /><br />Beer Rating - Rye Ale. Complex, but missing that ARF ARF that makes a beer great.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9728235670929745992013-11-08T22:10:12.071-05:002013-11-08T22:10:12.071-05:00Figured it out, tried to like it, but, really,no f...Figured it out, tried to like it, but, really,no fun.Suzyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10850450565127503532noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-70994830447165645802013-11-08T22:03:50.614-05:002013-11-08T22:03:50.614-05:00This 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 6:18, 6:07, 1.03, 69%, Medium-Challenging<br />Tue 8:56, 8:15, 1.08, 71%, Medium-Challenging<br />Wed 9:03, 9:44, 0.93, 33%, Easy-Medium<br />Thu 20:50, 16:44, 1.25, 85%, Challenging<br />Fri 20:49, 19:17, 1.08, 72%, Medium-Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:58, 3:46, 1.05, 74%, Medium-Challenging<br />Tue 5:12, 5:09, 1.01, 53%, Medium<br />Wed 5:32, 5:37, 0.99, 45%, Medium<br />Thu 12:15, 9:45, 1.26, 83%, Challenging<br />Fri 11:29, 11:12, 1.03, 56%, Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18803657240740054232013-11-08T20:08:33.269-05:002013-11-08T20:08:33.269-05:00This puzzle was oddly on my wavelength, with thing...This puzzle was oddly on my wavelength, with things like BREA and HATHA as gimmes. Wonder if our constructor is from SoCal? Blew through it in a ridiculously low time for a Friday, but ended up with a DNF at MEERcAT, like so many others. I could see KNT for knight, but MEERKAT just didn't seem right. I haven't posted all week, but if any constructors from earlier in the are reading I loved all the other ones this week. And thanks to folks yesterday who pointed me to the Thursday LA Times, which was indeed a cute puzzle. Loved it. - AnnAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04983081176623722693noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49329953879319846972013-11-08T18:51:30.851-05:002013-11-08T18:51:30.851-05:00THE PANTHER
by Ogden Nash
The panther is like a...THE PANTHER<br /> by Ogden Nash<br /><br />The panther is like a leopard,<br />Except it hasn't been peppered, <br />Should you behold a panther crouch,<br />Prepare to say Ouch.<br />Better yet, if called by a panther,<br />Don't anther.<br />Bad Hair Daynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17605662058662602542013-11-08T18:45:59.291-05:002013-11-08T18:45:59.291-05:00ok puzzle (though mostly for an older demographic)...ok puzzle (though mostly for an older demographic), but I thought boxer pair/arf arf was really awful. The last thing I got and even then I went "huh?" Yes, boxers go "arf arf" but how is that a "pair of boxers" ?It's a pair of arfs.michaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-54077995134829067832013-11-08T18:35:08.403-05:002013-11-08T18:35:08.403-05:00SCHNOOKS MEERKAT OSTEOPATH: Ding!
EFS ARFARF NONOI...SCHNOOKS MEERKAT OSTEOPATH: Ding!<br />EFS ARFARF NONOISE: Wah-wahhhhn...andy from bawstinnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68525871547075738342013-11-08T17:25:42.546-05:002013-11-08T17:25:42.546-05:00Abbrev.s are my pet peeve. If a puzzle is, say, a...Abbrev.s are my pet peeve. If a puzzle is, say, an 8/10 in all other respects, I would deduct one from the score for every stupid abbrev. Today that means an otherwise decent puzzle was just painful. RTS, KNT, TDS, ETO, ETAS (a pluralized abbrev...oh, yuk).<br /><br />I, too, didn't mind ASDF since I, too, took typing in junior high. "Home row"...I know I've heard that term before...oh yeah!...in 1974. Mrs. What-Was-Her-Name-Again pacing back and forth commanding "A, S, D, F, J, K, L, semicolon...repeat!..." At the time it seemed like a skill I would never use, but then computers showed up and...yippee!okanaganerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03082227619755246335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57057767234207186802013-11-08T16:54:16.541-05:002013-11-08T16:54:16.541-05:00The clue for ROSH is "Start of Jewish holiday...The clue for ROSH is "Start of Jewish holiday?" Is that question mark necessary?<br /><br />ThanksAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57003125544039498372013-11-08T15:53:24.951-05:002013-11-08T15:53:24.951-05:00Did nobody think of ooh before la la?Did nobody think of ooh before la la?Joannalanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02725559936893512741noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78895106036218120242013-11-08T15:49:46.310-05:002013-11-08T15:49:46.310-05:00OFL nailed this one. After the second SEE I was mi...OFL nailed this one. After the second SEE I was mildly disturbed. The third one had me flummoxed. Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04551716499829677518noreply@blogger.com