tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post8489131591643645537..comments2024-03-29T01:22:33.864-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Early settler of Nova Scotia / TUE 4-9-19 / Ice dancing gold medalist VirtueRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger163125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-5750845742852360852019-05-18T13:01:50.248-04:002019-05-18T13:01:50.248-04:00Difficult? Get the down answers, fill in the acro...Difficult? Get the down answers, fill in the across answers. Tuesday easy. Without the note maybe a Thursday.<br /><br />Appreciated the construction. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-310509095787415292019-05-14T18:25:30.479-04:002019-05-14T18:25:30.479-04:00Note? What note? Not in the St. Paul Pioneer Press...Note? What note? Not in the St. Paul Pioneer Press, my paper of choice. Didn’t check the fishwrapper from the other side of the Mississip (Mpls. Star-Trib.). So I went back and forth on this one.<br /><br />Ooooh, you all just knew that RETAR should be REVILED. Now if the constructors and editors catch on.<br /><br />But the editors were setting us up in previous days with TAMIL and yeah baby TESSA Virtue.<br /><br />This took some extra emit with the DUAL words (and no eton). Not exactly a SNAP.<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88167529581873915672019-05-14T17:55:14.737-04:002019-05-14T17:55:14.737-04:00I'm in the "loved it; it was fun" ca...I'm in the "loved it; it was fun" camp where they think that TAR is paving material, eh, @rondo? See, I've learned.<br /><br />Once I twigged onto the theme (no note in my paper) this became almost a regular puzzle simply by doing as many downs as I could. As everyone has said, the construction couldn't have been easy, and I for one appreciate it. For me the solving experience was a good one.<br /><br />The problem with this, as with many "stunt" puzzles is that you can only do it once.<br /><br />BTW, once I saw it displayed, I remembered the Joe Krozel puzzle - not all of it obviously, but the way it was put together. Maybe I don't need Prevagen.rainforestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-39990151486753882082019-05-14T16:42:14.945-04:002019-05-14T16:42:14.945-04:00PART TRAP
The GATEMAN SPOTS my NAMETAG as a RATER...PART TRAP<br /><br />The GATEMAN SPOTS my NAMETAG as a RATER,<br />"STOP, MAC. What's the SCAM?<br />I'm REVILED that you DELIVER such DATA,<br />your MAPS ARE nothing but SPAM."<br /><br />--- LARA ARALBurma Shavenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85058259185116348902019-05-14T15:43:26.618-04:002019-05-14T15:43:26.618-04:00Got to give AE-S his due. This is a clever and so...Got to give AE-S his due. This is a clever and solid puzzle, tough for a Tuesday. The note/revealer says just about all that needs to be said about it.<br /><br />It's also tedious, requiring lots of cross-referencing, which can slow things down quite a bit. Not my favorite feature in puzzle-making, but fair enough. Actually liked the backward-forward gimmick, and liked seeing how straightforward most of them turned out to be.<br /><br />(Regarding 27A, if I were to reseal cracks in my driveway, I wouldn't want to make a gooey mess of it by RETARing, and neither, I expect, would fellow-syndie tar-RATER, @rondo.)leftcoastTAMnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88557139271114208382019-05-14T14:48:02.646-04:002019-05-14T14:48:02.646-04:00I would not be reading this blog if not for LMS. I...I would not be reading this blog if not for LMS. If she goes I go. I enjoy crossword puzzles. She enjoys crossword puzzles.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-6529162092189379392019-05-14T13:39:23.978-04:002019-05-14T13:39:23.978-04:00From Syndication Land:
I usually read the paper a...From Syndication Land:<br /><br />I usually read the paper and then solve the puzzle. Today when I saw the note on the puzzle I was so intrigued that I had to solve it right away. Loved the idea of a puzzle in each across clue! Does it go forward or backward? This was fun for me! It must have been really hard to construct...<br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-52721445757609462862019-05-14T11:52:00.200-04:002019-05-14T11:52:00.200-04:00There are three palindromes in the grid--and they&...There are three palindromes in the grid--and they're downs! See RADAR, PEP, SSS (ugh). I'll raise my hand for @muse's idea: run it on Thursday sans note (ooh, there's another one: Brit school/message!). This is a construction tour de force, but as usual with T-de-F's, it forces some unfortunate fill.<br /><br />I had DIAL plus three (!) squares. I could not imagine how I was going to occupy all three. Almost took my pen and inked in an extra black square at the bottom. That area was where I finished, and only then did the double-L come to light. "Can you do that?" I wondered, and looked it up. Yes, by golly, you can. DIAL, DIALED, DIALING or DIALLED, DIALLING. Amazing. Who knew? I spent three years in England, and never saw this.<br /><br />What you CAN'T do is use REPUT. That is awful--so awful it's Not Even A Word. I'd like to PUT it back in its hiding place, never to see the light of day again. VMA must be "Video Music Award," recognizable only to those who watched it--both of them.<br /><br />Occupying the central down is today's DOD: our very own freshman Senator Jacky ROSEN. You go, girl! Braving ATIDE of two-way answers is new for a Tuesday; building it is surely ANART. Kudos for the feat, but it works better a la @muse. That's how it should've been presented--and it might then have EKED (shudder!) out a birdie. Par.spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-7941572070229399342019-04-10T21:42:48.909-04:002019-04-10T21:42:48.909-04:00I enjoyed this on thoroughly! Who new that “name ...I enjoyed this on thoroughly! Who new that “name tag” backwards was “gate man”?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-44686068814541970032019-04-10T21:19:51.613-04:002019-04-10T21:19:51.613-04:00Totally agree. This was fun. So what if you’ve see...Totally agree. This was fun. So what if you’ve seen it before. You are really quite the curmudgeon, Rex, and that is NOT funMel Curryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03950050340347524535noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-35459847047082541782019-04-10T18:35:15.259-04:002019-04-10T18:35:15.259-04:00A major rule of advertising/web design is "do...A major rule of advertising/web design is "don't make them think". Here, that would mean "don't confuse people unnecessarily". I actually enjoyed this puzzle, but I felt uncertain the whole time for two reasons. First: because I couldn't believe it was a Tuesday puzzle. "Am I just really stupid on this one?" is not a fun thing to wonder the whole time you solve the puzzle.<br /><br />The second reason I doubted is because some of the across clues had the forwards answer first and some had it second. This didn't seem like something the NYT puzzle would do. So that caused consternation as well. <br /><br />This may be why many people didn't love this puzzle. And I'm beginning to think the NYT puzzle editor is so delighted by clever construction that he is prioritizing that over solver enjoyment. As a solver, that would not be my preference, of course.<br /><br />I admire clever construction for about 20 seconds, but I spend between 4 minutes and an hour solving, so the feel of the solving experience is more important to me.Heatherhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10481725179972574563noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34681390451379259812019-04-10T13:59:05.779-04:002019-04-10T13:59:05.779-04:00@David Z: so appreciate your comment about Rex hat...@David Z: so appreciate your comment about Rex haters. I do not understand why some people complain and complain and complain about him yet keep coming back. <br /><br />An idea for the haters: Go read Jeff Chen or some other NYT crossword blogger or even better, start your own blog. Write it with your distinct (and presumably less demanding) point of view. Post every day. For years and years. Moderate the comments -- all the comments. Read lots of repetitive personal insults. Rarely take a day off, and when you do, arrange a substitute. Have at it. The NYT crossword solver world is breathlessly waiting for you. Lynxnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38712191694724442432019-04-10T09:33:50.760-04:002019-04-10T09:33:50.760-04:00So I guess what it comes down to is whether you...So I guess what it comes down to is whether you're a competitive solver or a contemplative solver. I solve with pencil on an actual newspaper, and I usually don't even do the whole puzzle at once--too busy. I'm in it for the fun of solving, the enjoyment of the cleverness, and just the pleasure of words.<br /><br />So it's no surprise that I loved this puzzle. I did.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19211376437396890242019-04-10T07:45:52.747-04:002019-04-10T07:45:52.747-04:00@Nancy - my experience is that cycling is very sim...@Nancy - my experience is that cycling is very similar to crossword solving. Cycling for speed may give satisfaction for some, but definitely not for me. For me slowing down, taking in the scents, sights and sounds, going the scenic route - those are what make cycling enjoyable. Same with hiking. And I don't run, but I imagine I'd feel the same about that. <br /><br /> kitshefhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10014225555838850414noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89375404622649788662019-04-10T01:54:05.149-04:002019-04-10T01:54:05.149-04:00Absolutely agree about the annoyingly sports cente...Absolutely agree about the annoyingly sports center. I was completely hopeless on that one. gibletnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53736286885068626342019-04-10T01:15:27.639-04:002019-04-10T01:15:27.639-04:00Got the gimmick pretty quickly. That didn’t make i...Got the gimmick pretty quickly. That didn’t make it any better. JMShttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15375206989322660113noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-41401424935779384162019-04-10T01:08:21.346-04:002019-04-10T01:08:21.346-04:00More often than not the Notes take the fun out of ...More often than not the Notes take the fun out of solving for me. Long ago I adopted the practice of ignoring the note unless I get really stuck. I enjoyed the puzzle.Clarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17459992224851404501noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-53367354683116081692019-04-10T00:13:39.409-04:002019-04-10T00:13:39.409-04:00@Nancy - I was crunched for time today but came he...@Nancy - I was crunched for time today but came here late to read the blog while waiting for tomorrow's puzzle to print. I just wanted to say I'm in total agreement with your incredibly insightful comments. I happen to be a slow, leisurely and decidedly non-brilliant solver for whom applying a self-imposed pressure of time would ruin the entire experience. Heck, I don't even feel guilty about using reference sources as long as it's a proper name or foreign phrase, etc., something I will never figure out otherwise. Anyway, you always post interesting thoughts but you did a really nice job of summarizing the whole timed/not timed debate. Thanks.Whatsernamenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20820445222376864072019-04-09T23:23:36.697-04:002019-04-09T23:23:36.697-04:00I enjoyed the rotational symmetry puzzle that you ...I enjoyed the rotational symmetry puzzle that you discussed. I am starting to get into crossword puzzles and am building a website called www.crosswordsdictionary.com so I am a bit of a rookie. I need to keep solving puzzles!arockinsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17495928254899503425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19528118261401956612019-04-09T21:56:18.697-04:002019-04-09T21:56:18.697-04:00Meh. Even some of the cluing was harder than it ne...Meh. Even some of the cluing was harder than it needed to be. Not my favorite for sure. Adamhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12174830953402611450noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-905490256329343182019-04-09T21:29:21.512-04:002019-04-09T21:29:21.512-04:00I would hate this a lot if I'd seen the note, ...I would hate this a lot if I'd seen the note, but not having seen it, it was more fun - if definitely not Tuesday.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15307814994758597932019-04-09T21:12:54.912-04:002019-04-09T21:12:54.912-04:00I rarely comment, but I feel compelled to today.
...I rarely comment, but I feel compelled to today.<br /><br />This was a good puzzle. Rex appears to judge it negatively because he was not able to "speed solve" it. While this certainly took longer than the average puzzle, that did not increase the difficulty. The difficulty was in fact lessened because every Across answer effectively had two clues. You should pretty much never have an incorrect Across answer (unless you pick the wrong direction) because it's inverse confirms itself. Normally in a puzzle you can only confirm an answer by getting all of the answers it crosses with; but today, you can also confirm an answer simply by looking at the second clue. With every square in the puzzle clued three times, you are set up for eventual success.<br /><br />The "plagiarism" accusation is nonsense, especially coming from somebody who works in literature. This is not plagiarism. It's a similar idea to the puzzle Rex linked to, but even then it's not the same. The puzzle Rex linked to effectively only required the constructor to construct half of a puzzle, and then mirror it. This puzzle needed Alex to construct a full puzzle. The fact that you can then inverse this puzzle and still have a fully functional puzzle (that is completely different, save for the Downs!) is downright impressive. Ideas can and will be recycled, often unintentionally.<br /><br />I think the USC/CSU/ROSEN crossing is fair. Even if you haven't heard of any of them, "S" is the most logical choice because "State" schools are going to have an "S" in the middle (MSU, WSU, OSU, etc.). My personal bedbug was the Northeast corner (due to CIO and MES), but the fact that I had two clues for each Across answer finally let me break through.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-79142866012220509222019-04-09T20:49:46.281-04:002019-04-09T20:49:46.281-04:00Loved it, even on a Tuesday.Loved it, even on a Tuesday.scottiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16072372845873174121noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91443590022220577932019-04-09T20:30:23.798-04:002019-04-09T20:30:23.798-04:00Great fun - but definitely a Thursday and the note...Great fun - but definitely a Thursday and the note on the across clues spoiled the surprise. Patricia Hugheshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04962899779778721938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61353321266091875072019-04-09T20:13:41.106-04:002019-04-09T20:13:41.106-04:00@eDoug Garr — that was exactly what I liked about ...@eDoug Garr — that was exactly what I liked about it. mmorganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18375430572178263265noreply@blogger.com