tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post8110775374660457115..comments2024-03-28T15:13:08.509-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Screwball character on Simpsons / SUN 1-27-13 / Precocious Roald Dahl heroine / Egg-sorting device / Old barnstorming needs / Dramatist Sean / Paparazzi payer / Author who wrote about frontier lifeRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger76125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80160940329437330612013-02-08T15:37:18.511-05:002013-02-08T15:37:18.511-05:00@Mark Jennings - Welcome. Come around often enough...@Mark Jennings - Welcome. Come around often enough and you will soon know your Crossbirds and CrossCheeses and RRN Popes and loads of other arcana.Zhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16181544219511150272noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13341155803413487172013-02-08T12:15:45.592-05:002013-02-08T12:15:45.592-05:00You guys are really something....or I am just real...You guys are really something....or I am just really dumb. Even though I cracked the puzzle theme quickly with Staycation, I struggled with others. I'm really bad with names, so Ossie, Willa Cather, Crazy Cat Lady, Ocasey, Ames, Soonyi (WTF), Elke, and Matilda were too much for me. Never heard of a muscat grape a "tub" boat, sase, alate or liege. Still managed to get about 75% before giving up. Will keep trying so I can be a pro like you guys!Mark Jenningsnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63683732140195092282013-02-05T17:32:09.343-05:002013-02-05T17:32:09.343-05:00Just finished the Sunday syndy puzzle. Solved it, ...Just finished the Sunday syndy puzzle. Solved it, then went back to look at the "-" clues, and didn't have one. Had to come here to learn how the theme worked. Flunked this IQ test.Solving in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04249420848844874936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-37643816249638210372013-02-05T09:28:44.366-05:002013-02-05T09:28:44.366-05:00Caesura is mentioned in the movie "Eddie and ...Caesura is mentioned in the movie "Eddie and the Cruisers".Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78668208830800883942013-02-04T21:20:54.459-05:002013-02-04T21:20:54.459-05:00Maybe I was just having a bad week (Super Bowl pre...Maybe I was just having a bad week (Super Bowl prep had me aflutter and afforded less time with the puzzle than usual), but I never caught the theme and too many "huh?" moments in the cluing made this a big DNF. Sorry, Jeff. It sounded like a good one.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75808265568032656792013-02-03T12:49:24.530-05:002013-02-03T12:49:24.530-05:00The cats remained invisible the entire time PP and...The cats remained invisible the entire time PP and I were filling in the grid so we ended up with some answers that looked non-sensical but seemed solid from the crosses. I stared at the finished grid for several minutes before one of the feline critters jumped out and showed me the phrases made whole by a CAT, and then it all made sense (after we fixed a wrong letter or two). The puzzle PER SE is a thing of beauty but we would have had a lot more fun if we had spotted the black cats before we finished it. Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-84784866596933945532013-02-03T11:01:45.938-05:002013-02-03T11:01:45.938-05:00After two so-so lead-ins to the weekend, we're...After two so-so lead-ins to the weekend, we're treated to yet another "Chensterpiece." Great, fun solve, and not easy, either.<br /><br />With topside entries like CALOCO and MASCOT, I thought the CAT theme was pretty straightforward. Ha! Shoulda known better. Didn't know what "CRIME" meant, with just the "--" for a clue, but it was a good word, and it fit, and I figured I'd figure it out later on.<br /><br />Coming to CHER, I thought, well, she's been compared to a black (-haired) cat; I'll buy it...<br /><br />Finally came to 63a. Sowed one's wild oats. Hmm, how you gonna get all that into three letters? They crossed out to be TOM. ??? And then, at last, the AHA! I love those moments.<br /><br />My bullets: Clued STEELY without Dan. I remember my EURAILpass; I put many miles on that sucker.A 9-letter entry starting with AMST that is NOT AMSTerdam!<br /><br />An extra layer of brilliance that each before- and after-CAT part is a stand-alone. Some people's brains scare me. Jeff, yours is one. You most definitely did SCOREAHIT!Spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5643129409694694322013-02-01T18:23:26.206-05:002013-02-01T18:23:26.206-05:00Isn't it improper to have "oats" in ...Isn't it improper to have "oats" in a clue (63a) when you have "oat" inan answer (64d)? Especially when they intersect? Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20211949830343875052013-01-29T19:29:02.751-05:002013-01-29T19:29:02.751-05:00I finished the puzzle without figuring out the the...I finished the puzzle without figuring out the theme -- wrote all the (partial) words for the --- clues, but didn't see any pattern. Glad there was an explanation, even if I'm too dull on Sunday mornings to figure it out! Wasn't too hard; would have been a lot easier if I'd known there were cats hiding in the black squares.mhoonchildhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13509968054037738357noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-886099850629908562013-01-28T23:06:25.507-05:002013-01-28T23:06:25.507-05:00I thought "waul" was part of the theme -...I thought "waul" was part of the theme -- somewhere in the recesses of my brain is the word "caterwauling." I think it's the word my mom used to describe our family cat outside her bedroom window, wailing to get in, at 5 a.m.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29917582041681572252013-01-28T15:53:51.782-05:002013-01-28T15:53:51.782-05:00I'm definitely not insider-geeky enough to mak...I'm definitely not insider-geeky enough to make this one easy. Had no idee about the dashes and black catsxyzhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08287781952915413013noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-40843098897869111592013-01-28T05:15:51.660-05:002013-01-28T05:15:51.660-05:00So y'all actually read @englishforum.com's...So y'all actually read @englishforum.com's essay on plurals and it provided your favorite part of the comments. <br /><br />@anonymous 11:05, are we now going to have a plurals discussion centered around chemical compounds? I know more about chemistry than I do about declensions, which ain't saying much, but I guess pluralizing ETHANE would be like breathing in oxygens, or getting one of them there internets for your computer.Ellen Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00473445503706985149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38702899676409035202013-01-27T23:57:39.483-05:002013-01-27T23:57:39.483-05:00My favorite part of the *comments* was when englis...My favorite part of the *comments* was when englishforums.com told an anonymous that the discussion of ano had been beaten to death here in the past, then published a tome on the correct plural of octopus which has been beaten to death here in the past.Irony.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-59047177069817010812013-01-27T23:30:58.432-05:002013-01-27T23:30:58.432-05:00@englishforums.com I apologize in advance if my ...@englishforums.com I apologize in advance if my prev comment offended you; it just struck me funny.paulsfohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07721639286466422944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8699926328743371992013-01-27T23:25:46.249-05:002013-01-27T23:25:46.249-05:00It took me a long time to figure out that the them...It took me a long time to figure out that the theme also involved the word *before* CAT. Doh.<br /><br />My favorite clues were for IRS and DUELS.<br /><br />My favorite part of the *comments* was when, about 26 paragraphs (or 73 minutes) into his/her post, englishforums.com unselfconsciously started a sentence with "Interestingly enough...." ;)paulsfohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07721639286466422944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33095522860294315622013-01-27T23:05:05.811-05:002013-01-27T23:05:05.811-05:00My partner is an organic chemist and says that che...My partner is an organic chemist and says that chemically there is no such thing as ethanes, because there are no multiple forms of ethane. So a plural of ethane is chemically imposssible. What do others think?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-31158133107830376152013-01-27T21:44:43.680-05:002013-01-27T21:44:43.680-05:00@sparky, xxx=moonshine for me too, but I figure in...@sparky, xxx=moonshine for me too, but I figure in crossword puzzles words mean whatever the constructors want them to. My new, accepting self, no more grammar nazi. And yet, @englishforum--keep those lessons coming. I love that stuff, though the new me will accept any plural for octopus. And even the old me wouldn't know a declension if I tripped over it. Or fell in it. Or it bit me.Ellen Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00473445503706985149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8842071476590347202013-01-27T21:36:09.397-05:002013-01-27T21:36:09.397-05:00This was a struggle. Never got the theme. More tro...This was a struggle. Never got the theme. More trouble than pleasure.Janethttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02691062653367238092noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-23246433789409741452013-01-27T20:47:55.023-05:002013-01-27T20:47:55.023-05:00Went around a couple of times. Had DELI. Penny d...Went around a couple of times. Had DELI. Penny dropped with COPYCATCRIME. Then checked out the other black crosses. On and off all day. Finally finished with great satisfaction. NE corner last to go.<br /><br />I've said this before: to me XXX in comics means hooch or moonshine not ALE.<br /><br />Nice puzzle @Jeff Chen.Sparkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11149915526159432838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35699771511897877052013-01-27T20:30:54.670-05:002013-01-27T20:30:54.670-05:00Being nlissfuly unaware of any Simpsons characters...Being nlissfuly unaware of any Simpsons characters worked in my favor, making this puzzle really hard for me! I had much more fun having about 70% of the grid filled before the AHA moment came. <br />As @Rex says, some of the answers stood alone, making the trick even stealthier.<br /><br />As I solved, I used the highlighting feature on all the "-"s. <br />When I was getting nowhere, I stood back to look at the grid, noticed the very obvious plusses, and those critters pounced right out.<br /><br />The W of WAUL was the last letter in the grid. Love that the CATer is missing.<br /><br />My brother's 18 year old black cat Baloo seems to be nearing the end of his 9th life, so I see this as a tribute.<br /><br />Also liked SOTHERE, VERY WELL.<br /><br />@Carola - nice ches re: ARAT & BARK.<br />@MetaRex - love your musings.<br />@loren - great story.<br /><br />And to Mr. Chen - bravo - my 2 tuxedos and I are erWAULing with delight.Titahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16368251255494687496noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-33050634672638752832013-01-27T19:25:39.830-05:002013-01-27T19:25:39.830-05:00This 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 5:45, 6:12, 0.93, 17%, Easy<br />Tue 8:31, 8:37, 0.99, 46%, Medium<br />Wed 10:47, 11:44, 0.92, 30%, Easy-Medium<br />Thu 15:04, 17:02, 0.88, 24%, Easy-Medium<br />Fri 24:49, 20:49, 1.19, 84%, Challenging<br />Sat 26:56, 24:28, 1.10, 81%, Challenging<br />Sun 31:36, 29:32, 1.07, 75%, Medium-Challenging<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:41, 3:39, 1.01, 54%, Medium<br />Tue 5:04, 5:01, 1.01, 54%, Medium<br />Wed 6:22, 6:29, 0.98, 43%, Medium<br />Thu 8:48, 9:34, 0.92, 30%, Easy-Medium<br />Fri 14:42, 11:47, 1.25, 84%, Challenging<br />Sat 15:40, 14:36, 1.07, 70%, Medium-Challenging<br />Sun 19:58, 19:31, 1.02, 59%, Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-26925388549460692892013-01-27T15:48:16.695-05:002013-01-27T15:48:16.695-05:00Very good puzzle!
Not sure why, but I had a hard ...Very good puzzle!<br /><br />Not sure why, but I had a hard time getting a foothold at the start. Went around and around, and finally figured out the theme with Willa Cather. <br /><br />@JohnV: chain/iron is in there already.machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-9339646306796093592013-01-27T15:10:20.815-05:002013-01-27T15:10:20.815-05:00p.s. @31: Dude! Have U watched that "Black Ca...p.s. @31: Dude! Have U watched that "Black Cat" Karloff/Lugosi flick in that poster? Primo, old-style schlock. Real different feel, tho. Recommended. Also, just saw one called "Abraham Lincoln vs. Zombies", that was pretty good -- altho not as high-budget as the Vampire-based one. Maybe we can discuss, after class.<br /><br />M&AWant CATsUp On That?noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-80442723556594368332013-01-27T14:59:31.886-05:002013-01-27T14:59:31.886-05:00I have pronounced CEASURA ala senor Borgia.The fil...I have pronounced CEASURA ala senor Borgia.The fill was so fine it kept me from seeing the forest for too long-yes Jeff it's ypur fault! Some of the"-" envoked cats-SUIT,COPY,LADY but some didn't? GRAPE?CRIME? I was done before I made the leap across the Gap.WILLA?WAUL was My final entry and my Headsmack I felt like Jeffs avatar kitty!SO so very much fun.Next time I'm gonna get in front of you oh trickmeister!syndyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16814698406887041710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-75563873121428611592013-01-27T14:57:02.129-05:002013-01-27T14:57:02.129-05:00Pretty much one of the more boring Sunday puzzles,...Pretty much one of the more boring Sunday puzzles, very low payoff. C'est la vie.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com