tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post8493675598277277188..comments2024-03-29T11:06:05.838-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Criminal Minds agent with I.Q. of 187 / SAT 10-12-13 / Singer of #1 single Try Again 2000 / Treaty of Sycamore Shoals negotiator 1775 / Glenda Jackson Ben Kingsley film scripted by Harold Pinter / Musical with cow that's catapulted over castle / Morsel for guppy / Word spoken 90 times in Molly Bloom's soliloquy / 1986 Indy 500 championRex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger82125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48783429675834333062013-11-17T01:19:48.649-05:002013-11-17T01:19:48.649-05:00Late to the party. Had a little time to give the ...Late to the party. Had a little time to give the puzzle a stab as I needed to wait a bit. I cannot believe I actually finished a Saturday. No googles, and no help. Yes, lots of guesses, and several answers that caused a WTF is that. YSIDRO was a gimmie for this ex-Cal gal, as was OMAHABEACH. Never heard of AALIYAH, which made USUALLY tough.<br /><br />This week has been one DNF after another. Until today. Yipee!!!Gingernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-86690402262925938342013-11-16T17:04:02.001-05:002013-11-16T17:04:02.001-05:00Very easy for a Saturday (though as per @rain fore...Very easy for a Saturday (though as per @rain forest, AALIYAH, ELENA and GEHRY only evolved from their crosses). Bonus - a beautiful November day up here so more time to spend in the great outdoors.Waxy in Montrealhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04395751487137805245noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34442375888192429812013-11-16T16:33:47.273-05:002013-11-16T16:33:47.273-05:00Never read "Ulysses," but I remember com...Never read "Ulysses," but I remember coming across Molly's soliloquy when it was quoted by the geniuses of Firesign Theater.<br /><br />Anyway, I knew this one would be rated easy since it was a Saturday I was actually able to finish. Am I the only sports fan who quickly dropped in Chris PAUL? Only to quickly cross it out when ORRIN opened his Hatch. I then got SNEE but had no idea how I knew that name. Sorry to hear he's hurtin'.<br /><br />NASTYGRAM was new to me. (Never worked in a corporate environment; never will.) But I liked it! Having recently spent a blissful week in Taos, it was good to learn where that NM sun came from. ___DRO turned on the light for YSIDRO and thence AALLIYAH, although I'm sure I could not recognize a single #1 song since the early '70s. Her name must've slipped into my brain's database of random useless stuff when she died.Cary in Bouldernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-1472595761498357502013-11-16T16:12:38.939-05:002013-11-16T16:12:38.939-05:00Don't forget the 'nips' in the same co...Don't forget the 'nips' in the same corner.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68864018448158259732013-11-16T15:14:22.111-05:002013-11-16T15:14:22.111-05:00Another Saturday, another DNF. Aside from strange...Another Saturday, another DNF. Aside from strangely decking the Mona Lisa with a bOATEr, (don't ask), I just bombed in the NW. Wanted some kind of "letter" for 1A, and couldn't parse enough downs to work it out. Sigh! As one of the apparent few who liked it, I got TURTLEDIARY right off, even tho I mis-remembered the star as George Segal.<br /><br />I agree with @OISK about the preponderance of pop clues. Seems like everyday there is some weird name that the uninitiated can only hope to get from the acrosses. <br /><br />Thanks to @Not the Bard for smiley memories of the crooked man. Didn't see his post 'til this morning.<br /><br />Captcha: psniata. Abbreviated opus? <br />DNGnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-66120470048362387852013-11-16T14:19:43.482-05:002013-11-16T14:19:43.482-05:00Easiest Saturday for me in a long time. I was abl...Easiest Saturday for me in a long time. I was able to get so many of the longer answers with no or few letters entered that it was mop-up time in no time. <br /><br />@Rex - You like The Simpsons; I like Criminal Minds. Chacun a son gout. <br /><br />AALIYAH, ELENA and GEHRY came completely from crosses,and I'll no doubt forget who these people are. Despite these entries, I liked this puzzle. YES!rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-74589935292880248002013-11-16T13:21:46.607-05:002013-11-16T13:21:46.607-05:00NW gave me the most trouble. Only because I tried...NW gave me the most trouble. Only because I tried so hard to make FLAILS AT work...knowing full well that I was eventually going to have to go with GRASPS and complete the ANAL/IN THE REAR cross. Did not need that right after breakfast. <br /><br />But perhaps in the evening after a glass of wine: some SLOW NASTY ANAL IN THE REAR with the MRS. <br /><br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-79055232020925896112013-11-16T12:34:55.747-05:002013-11-16T12:34:55.747-05:00Good puzzle, easy finish even tho I had to look up...Good puzzle, easy finish even tho I had to look up Aaliyah. C'mon Spacecraft, we need those easy words like Esau & eels to help with the more difficult ones. Today's comments had me roaring. Thanks everyone.<br /><br />Ron Diego (from La Mesa, ten mis. north of San Ysidro. So there.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-88992466366294752212013-11-16T11:18:48.641-05:002013-11-16T11:18:48.641-05:00Boy, y'all seem to have knocked this one out o...Boy, y'all seem to have knocked this one out of the park. Not me. While I did finish--recalling Ronnie Ray-gun's Strategic Defense Initiative just in time to solve the natick with that totally ridiculous name at 8d--it was appropriately Saturday-tough for this guy.<br /><br />What are parents thinking when they name their child AALIYAH? Mystifying. Was held up for a bit in the NW because of misspelling REeD. @Rex, I don't think that show would have survived that many seasons--or been picked up by that many cable channels--if only "3%" of the people watched it. ADAPTTO the fact: it's popular.<br /><br />The ELENA / John Paul thing had me buffaloed. It went in on crosses, but I had to come here to get it. Even on a Saturday, that's stretching to the limit.<br /><br />Very nice stacked nines. Fill pretty good, but can we give poor ESAU a rest? He seems to STEPIN almost every other day.spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-67991073645995779162013-10-13T21:42:44.089-04:002013-10-13T21:42:44.089-04:00@anony 8:41pm - you have read the previous comment...@anony 8:41pm - you have read the previous comments, no?Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-34292299451702884912013-10-13T20:41:23.010-04:002013-10-13T20:41:23.010-04:00No one seems to have noticed the ANAL, IN THE REAR...No one seems to have noticed the ANAL, IN THE REAR, BAD END and F-SHAPED holes? Just me, I guess...Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64650668935998398922013-10-13T15:06:26.838-04:002013-10-13T15:06:26.838-04:00Consider yourself fortunate to not have been on th...Consider yourself fortunate to not have been on the receiving end of a nastygram. Very real. Google search shows wide acceptance and use.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17497549075128594702013-10-13T08:47:46.834-04:002013-10-13T08:47:46.834-04:00When I finish a Saturday, it must be " easy&q...When I finish a Saturday, it must be " easy". Nough said. But that makes it enjoyable and satisfying nonetheless. A rare event.LaneBnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-38763153758568083972013-10-12T21:47:57.697-04:002013-10-12T21:47:57.697-04:00@Turtle Diary fan 11:46am:
Absolutely right about ...@Turtle Diary fan 11:46am:<br />Absolutely right about 26A, "SRO". Wrongly clued.<br /><br />Like you, I saw Turtle Diary when it came out. I liked it very much and never knew it was written by Pinter. Thank you, NYT!<br /><br />Rex and everybody's issue with EINE/EINs is valid, but not new. I've definitely encountered this in other NYT puzzles.<br /><br />But I'm definitely not on board with the objections to the clue for 10D. NOBODY'S HOME is unambiguously a "clause", specifically an independent clause in the form of a simple sentence. Look it up.<br /><br />No other gripes! David Gnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-78195757301068234522013-10-12T18:30:22.285-04:002013-10-12T18:30:22.285-04:00It took me under an hour to reduce the grid to one...It took me under an hour to reduce the grid to one blank square, and I decided that AALI_AH could use one more "a" and so DNF. That's OK because tonight is (and I am not making this up) International Observe the Moon Night and I want to get out on the deck to celebrate the occasion. Come to think of it, maybe the puzzle was intended as a tribute to the event.Dirigonzohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03903353503511480168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-19399942913262286672013-10-12T17:52:16.307-04:002013-10-12T17:52:16.307-04:00Only have a sec, but this wasn't easy for me, ...Only have a sec, but this wasn't easy for me, there was a lot I didn't know. I had a Natick here and a Natick there. There were some sections that just filled right in. But others were rough...<br /><br />Not that I didn't like the puzzle! Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09709142959535977331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-18542389138697771582013-10-12T17:43:28.475-04:002013-10-12T17:43:28.475-04:00Very nice puzzle, but Aaliyah gave me a lot of tro...Very nice puzzle, but Aaliyah gave me a lot of trouble. Eye test before -exam and I needed all the crosses for Rahal. <br /><br />I like Reid.machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-55582959541066579952013-10-12T17:42:19.020-04:002013-10-12T17:42:19.020-04:00Love the image you used for in the post for Turtle...Love the image you used for in the post for Turtle Diary. It would only be better if you photoshopped Ben Kingsley's face on it.Joseph Bnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58832507367091283522013-10-12T17:21:57.100-04:002013-10-12T17:21:57.100-04:00Extremely easy for a Saturday. Loved the John Paul...Extremely easy for a Saturday. Loved the John Paul successor clue. <br />I think Aaliyah got his, her? from Old McDonald. WAnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-71460678074123891612013-10-12T16:24:44.837-04:002013-10-12T16:24:44.837-04:00It was failing to get the "Aaliyah" that...It was failing to get the "Aaliyah" that ruined the puzzle; a punishment for not going to temple this morning...As a Cohen, I usually get the aliyah...OISKhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16808675378318214461noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-15674210375386278412013-10-12T16:21:38.082-04:002013-10-12T16:21:38.082-04:00I had trouble with the NW corner. I suppose that m...I had trouble with the NW corner. I suppose that makes me a prude, in so far as the raunchiness went over my head during the solve. <br /><br />I enjoyed the puzzle overall. A new clue for SNEE - I think I will file that one away. Which clue is more abstruse: Snick / or /Snee, or Chris Snee? How about: a villain in Peter Pan, misspelled. <br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Cheeriohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04919455386774076690noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20969132399194499602013-10-12T16:20:25.347-04:002013-10-12T16:20:25.347-04:00@Rex, anyone who works in a corporate office knows...@Rex, anyone who works in a corporate office knows that a NASTYGRAM is an accusatory, borderline (or beyond) inappropriate email/message. So much of a thing that it should be in the OED if it isn't alreadyAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48783599449645714412013-10-12T16:07:17.800-04:002013-10-12T16:07:17.800-04:00Finally finished, but it wasn't much fun. Lik...Finally finished, but it wasn't much fun. Like a nastygram in the rear.Notsofastnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90795663535908725892013-10-12T15:54:48.474-04:002013-10-12T15:54:48.474-04:00@Z Johnny Depp?...I think you make me laugh. My ...@Z Johnny Depp?...I think you make me laugh. My English teaching grandmother would have loved you. She used to call me "willfully ignorant."<br />Did anyone else spell ULCER with an S?GILL I.https://www.blogger.com/profile/05605766053820226324noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-58412994901260177312013-10-12T15:06:56.538-04:002013-10-12T15:06:56.538-04:00Relatively easy. Liked @August West's "c...Relatively easy. Liked @August West's "chock full of hanging curve balls" comment. That's how it played for me.<br /><br />Enjoyed the puzzle, Mr. Farmer.gifcanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12612467417938884430noreply@blogger.com