tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post8132312922664747801..comments2024-03-29T08:00:02.522-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Disney chief Bob / MON 3-18-13 / Basic physical measures / Ruling house of Monaco Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger113125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-62788773814533295262013-05-04T13:28:28.210-04:002013-05-04T13:28:28.210-04:00Don't get the paper on Mondays any more so I m...Don't get the paper on Mondays any more so I missed this puzzle, but went back to check the blog after reading the SALAMI SAGS link posted Saturday. And when I first looked at the grid, I assumed the clue for the center answer/reveal must ave been "Swimsuit Issues, eg., ...or a hint (etc.)."<br /><br />I'm somewhat shocked that it wasn't, on a Monday.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72060597867258468622013-04-22T19:31:10.288-04:002013-04-22T19:31:10.288-04:00@ginger, if you want to see the osprey they're...@ginger, if you want to see the osprey they're at the Hidden Valley park in Bellevue above the south ball field.Solving in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04249420848844874936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-72173064310931213202013-04-22T18:38:29.647-04:002013-04-22T18:38:29.647-04:00The snob's nose at 40d was inTheair before it ...The snob's nose at 40d was inTheair before it was UPTURNED - fortunately the A student straightened that out quickly. I was positive that I had spotted something that would set the puzzle-police screaming when ID appeared in the clue at 9d and was followed by IDS in the grid at 34a, with an echo in secret IDentity at 48a. Not a puzzle felony probably,but maybe a misdemeanor?<br /><br />@SIS - You've reminded me to see if the live web-cam on our local pair is active. The local paper yesterday had a striking photo of an osprey with a fish he had just caught.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-43455887102763389272013-04-22T18:07:57.067-04:002013-04-22T18:07:57.067-04:00Like many others had never heard of SI UNIT, then ...Like many others had never heard of SI UNIT, then learned from this blog, that it was invented after I graduated. My first instinct was SqUNIT, thinking some kind of area, but what that did to qGER was, well, funny. <br /><br />Back in the day, sealed many a letter with SWAK or tststsa; I'll leave you to figure that one out.<br /><br />The comments about JenCT caused me to check Sunday's blog. Wow, this is such a special community. I'm sorry I didn't have the opportunity to donate, but will make up for it to OFL.<br /><br />@SIS glad your ospreys are back. <br /><br />Gingernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42025950181402623622013-04-22T17:03:09.793-04:002013-04-22T17:03:09.793-04:00I'm red-faced to admit I had no knowledge of S...I'm red-faced to admit I had no knowledge of SI UNITS before this puzzle. So Intimidated. It was a natick for me, also not knowing who Disney Chief Bob Iger is. Simply Irked.<br /><br />Saw (almost)Immediately the SI theme so when I got to the revealer I had S-UNITS and miss-parsed it thinking I was looking at S-UN ITS. OH! UNITS! Doh. Stuck in I and turned out right. Kind of tough for a Monday.<br /><br />@Diri, osprey are back, beautiful as ever.Solving in Seattlehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04249420848844874936noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-3186988340403246382013-04-22T14:42:58.995-04:002013-04-22T14:42:58.995-04:00The fun part of today's puzzle was all the com...The fun part of today's puzzle was all the comments! I came here for help solving the theme which I found inpenatrable. Didn't help that I thought the Disney guy was eGER. What I found was a fun lesson from @Pmdm in terms even I could understand. Thanks. I am one of those who sticks with fps because, having grow up with it, that's how I think. Additionally, like @Harrison, I tend to measure things by my height. How far to an object you are photographing? How many times could i lie down between here and there?<br /><br />What really made my day was @Ellen's comments. We must have gone to the same college! I also was a math major in the days when all those strange "foreign" measurements were just that. Nobody ever taught them. Then, my required physics class used them!! I managed to survive but the experience did nothing to endear me to meters and grams and such. Her later post notes that the SI thingie originated in 1960. By then I was several years out of school, working as a mathematician. The SI system? No way. I was dumped into the emerging computer world and had to learn the languages and terms that went with it. Now I happily use computers others program in languages I can't begin to fathom. Tempest fugit! DMGrandmanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-25113053277338621522013-04-22T14:36:51.338-04:002013-04-22T14:36:51.338-04:00Actually knew SI units, but was looking at 'se...Actually knew SI units, but was looking at 'semi', 'stat', 'sec', and 'split' and going wtf? Didn't see S-I in the answers because I was looking for units. Sometimes a hint is just a hint, or a whiff.centralscrewtinizerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03404913280254786506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-42232528981180870652013-04-22T14:28:34.026-04:002013-04-22T14:28:34.026-04:00I'm a bit saddened to hear that anyone would h...I'm a bit saddened to hear that anyone would have hostility for an area outside one's own expertise. My husband and I both have engineering degrees, and we had careers in high tech, and yet we also love reading, theater, art museums and so on. There's no need to make any artificial divide.<br /> <br />Okay, on to the puzzle. Except for the center area I thought it was almost too easy but very cute! I know SI UNITS but it still took me a few seconds to parse the answer correctly. I was a bit unsure about the start of IGER and the end of GRIMALDI. But I enjoyed that little Aha! moment when it all made sense.<br /><br />@Ellen S - what you said about starting college in 1960 (when SI UNITS were new) reminds me of my father. He has an EE degree but he laughs about only spending two weeks on transistors. They were still very new when he was in college in the mid-1950s.Syndi Solvernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-39550971815189603142013-04-22T12:52:38.693-04:002013-04-22T12:52:38.693-04:00Hand up for not knowing the revealer on this one; ...Hand up for not knowing the revealer on this one; in fact the first I was a natick, but since I did manage to notice that all of the theme answers were two-word phrases that started with S and I, that one was't much of a problem.<br /><br />A bit more of a problem was the SE--because my paper never printed the clue for 65d! One writeover: for some reason I wrote SECondIDENTITY at first. These hiccups were quickly resolved.<br /><br />SEMI located directly below SEMINOLE...etc. seems close to some kind of infraction. Yellow hankie alert!<br /><br />I agree with OFL about the long downs. Pretty spIFFY. An interesting solve, for a Monday.Spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90621611653380361302013-04-22T12:40:25.174-04:002013-04-22T12:40:25.174-04:00 knew SIUNITES but I was a Chemistry Major with Bi... knew SIUNITES but I was a Chemistry Major with Biology/Math minor. @webwinger: you said it best.<br /><br />@davis: DODO is still used in crosswords. SST will probably be used just as long.<br /><br />I did not know what SWAK meant until reading this Blog. That is why I come here.<br /><br />Great puzzle. Finished in good time. I do not time myself but it went down fast and easy. Thank you Mr. Landman.<br /><br />NM Robinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14920756034993068695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29809528701643639352013-04-22T12:36:04.878-04:002013-04-22T12:36:04.878-04:00This comment has been removed by the author.NM Robinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14920756034993068695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35199372105832979372013-04-22T12:35:02.441-04:002013-04-22T12:35:02.441-04:00Good puzzle, and revealing. People who say "...Good puzzle, and revealing. People who say "I'm a Humanities type, so I don't know SI Units", are no different from a "Science type" not knowing Aslan from the Chronicles of Narnia. Kind of weird that people are so willing to box themselves in like that. rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17070001270719775322013-03-23T14:35:44.582-04:002013-03-23T14:35:44.582-04:00A final thought on this one...
the Last Word in S...A final thought on this one...<br /><br /><a href="http://www.valuecompetition.typepad.com/metarex/2013/03/the-last-word-in-salamis.html" rel="nofollow">the Last Word in Salamis</a>MetaRexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01697113550216241303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81573037448952837862013-03-19T19:46:01.225-04:002013-03-19T19:46:01.225-04:00A little late:
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?...A little late:<br />https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=498961660170044&set=a.211428545590025.56617.210504329015780&type=1&ref=nfmachttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61345750936256081702013-03-19T17:35:39.874-04:002013-03-19T17:35:39.874-04:00Nobody except the syndicated people will see this ...Nobody except the syndicated people will see this but anyway, @Nigel, I think SST will be around for a while. @Davis asked when it would go the way of the dodo -- which has been extinct for about 350 years. <br /><br />@Harrison -- I love your measurement system. HarrisonXYs sound much more useful than cubits. <br /><br />@Retired_chemist. The excerpt in the link suggests Lincoln Steffens didn't take any science classes. I didn't read his books except one chapter of Boy on Horseback that was in some magazine when I was a kid, so I don't know if in the full Autobiography there is some science. But so what? I didn't know what SI UNITS are but I was able to easily get it from crosses and inference. I was a math major, did take a chemistry class or two in college before switching to history, but you know what? That SI system (it says in Wikipedia) was set up in 1960. Hmm, that's when I started college. I think it takes a little while for undergraduate classes to catch up to the Latest Thing in any discipline. But still, it was easier for me than characters from The Simpsons, or pretty much any rap artists. So I wouldn't expect non-science types or possibly even science types who haven't kept up to know what SI Units are. I would expect them not to complain any louder than I do at 1980s song titles.Ellen Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00473445503706985149noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6308273591684875982013-03-19T07:10:19.513-04:002013-03-19T07:10:19.513-04:00Uncle. No mas. I concede.
My reasoning, such as...Uncle. No mas. I concede.<br /><br />My reasoning, such as it is:<br /><br /><a href="http://www.valuecompetition.typepad.com/metarex/2013/03/metarex-surrenders.html" rel="nofollow">MetaRex surrenders</a>MetaRexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01697113550216241303noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35742484693439831582013-03-19T01:35:12.558-04:002013-03-19T01:35:12.558-04:00This 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 5:51, 6:10, 0.95, 25%, Easy-Medium<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:35, 3:41, 0.97, 29%, Easy-Mediumsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88638751180171055862013-03-18T23:00:21.512-04:002013-03-18T23:00:21.512-04:00Sh*t
@evil 4:14
Looks like I picked the wrong ni...Sh*t<br /><br />@evil 4:14<br /><br />Looks like I picked the wrong night to stop getting high.Birdnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-14335949564073561352013-03-18T22:58:23.522-04:002013-03-18T22:58:23.522-04:00@JenCT - re: @evil 1:14 - LOL indeed@JenCT - re: @evil 1:14 - LOL indeedBirdnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-29669514412299040642013-03-18T22:54:55.943-04:002013-03-18T22:54:55.943-04:00Newbie to doing these -- thank God for this site. ...Newbie to doing these -- thank God for this site. But this was the easiest puzzle I've faced down yet in the Times. Finally felt like I was cooking with gas. <br /><br />Staph infection<br />Steep incline<br />Spanish Inquisition (too long, but still)<br />"Sorry, I don't do that" -- great line from Sixteen CandlesTomhttp://interpublic.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-81566237428714861302013-03-18T21:39:49.044-04:002013-03-18T21:39:49.044-04:00@evil 4:14: LOL@evil 4:14: LOLJenCThttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18290169184354765840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-13776733081325204502013-03-18T20:56:46.103-04:002013-03-18T20:56:46.103-04:00I am surprised by the vehemence of the science fol...I am surprised by the vehemence of the science folks insisting that everybody ought to know what an s i unit is. I know the metric system just fine, was a math major, took chemistry and physics at a fine university (admittedly a long time ago) and did not know the term s.i. unit (probably not spelled here). <br /><br />Maybe it's become more common terminology these days...<br /><br /> I do get irked when Rex and others mock math clues as unanswerable when they assume a common knowledge of the Simpsons and 1980s music,..<br /><br />Nonetheless, s.i. units is kinda obscure for the revealer on a Monday...michaelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-83159894126073363292013-03-18T20:32:28.132-04:002013-03-18T20:32:28.132-04:00Bringing up the rear, from snowy Albany. Hand up ...Bringing up the rear, from snowy Albany. Hand up for not ever hearing of SI Unit and not thinking for a minute that it is in the language. Stared at IGER for EVER until deciding it had to be I because that fit with the revealer, not having a clue what I was doing. Rating meh.John Vhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10557037910799243636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65975139477713856782013-03-18T18:34:21.520-04:002013-03-18T18:34:21.520-04:00@chefbea: anon@3:58 beat me to it, but:
trans·...@chefbea: anon@3:58 beat me to it, but: <br /><br /><b>trans·mog·ri·fy</b> <br />/transˈmägrəˌfī/<br />Verb<br /><br />Transform, esp. in a surprising or magical manner.<br /><br />Synonyms<br />transform - alter - change - transmute - metamorphose<br /><br />(BTW: NYT has fixed the link. Phew. I know you were all on edge waiting for this issue to be resolved...)Arbynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-8553670051738758762013-03-18T17:37:04.398-04:002013-03-18T17:37:04.398-04:00Actually the whole article on Mr. Smoot is pretty ...Actually <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Smoot" rel="nofollow">the whole article on Mr. Smoot</a> is pretty interesting reading. Mr. Smoot graduated from MIT with the class of 1962, became a lawyer, and later became chairman of the American National Standards Institute (ANSI and president of the International Organization for Standardization (ISO). The Smoot is an optional unit in Google Earth.retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.com