tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post8896769844214662648..comments2024-03-28T06:11:29.690-04:00Comments on Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle: Rex Parkerhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comBlogger56125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-85840823675033670172012-11-12T19:52:02.165-05:002012-11-12T19:52:02.165-05:00It took me a stupid amount of time to see MOVE not...It took me a stupid amount of time to see MOVE not rhyming with WOVE! <br /><br />Fun puz.Red Valerianhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04638265039015470938noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47961363604901985832012-11-12T13:24:35.859-05:002012-11-12T13:24:35.859-05:00Great Monday puzzle. Rarely do I consider the day...Great Monday puzzle. Rarely do I consider the day of the week, but this one is the exception. Just a joy to solve, reeking of competence, nothing to complain about. @Acme-will Monday solvers (what are THEY?)never, ever be able to get Apia? It's been in the puzzle hundreds of times. @jae and @JC66-recall "Beauty School Dropout" from "Grease" when Frankie Avalon sings "...I've called the shots, get off the pot, I've really gotta fly (ie, skeddadle)..." Besides, there's "omni" staring you in the face.rain forestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-48374352350652265212012-11-12T13:12:13.634-05:002012-11-12T13:12:13.634-05:00Wow, did somebody put something in the water, that...Wow, did somebody put something in the water, that we're all skipping like schoolgirls on this Monday? This was a nice enough puzzle, easy to do and relatively clean, but I'm not transported on waves of ecstasy!<br /><br />HIGHTAIL makes a return visit--again sans the "it." Hand up for wanting APicES; also for agreeing that APEXES is acceptable.<br /><br />I, too, thought I had it figured out after the first two themers: trash/garbage/dung/some kind of detritus. When I got to BASEBALLGAME I did the old head-scratch. Wait a sec...GA! All the themers have GA! I was looking for something to do with Georgia on the reveal...BOY, was I surprised!<br /><br />So in that sense, that a Monday entry could fool me till late in the game, this was pretty good. Forgive me if I don't dance, though.<br /><br />It is, after all, a Monday.<br /><br />The capchas continue to frustrate and madden me.Spacecraftnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-10386733815300907142012-11-12T12:42:34.375-05:002012-11-12T12:42:34.375-05:00Fun Puzzle which I FLIEd right through. Only wri...Fun Puzzle which I FLIEd right through. Only writeover was TRey for TRIO, but HOSES cleared that up. <br /><br />@NM Robin - Good to see you back here in Syndiland.<br /><br />I think the term DUNGAREES might be regional, much more common on the East Coast than the Left one. Also, somewhat dated. Now off to BEQ.Gingernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-49977311246422397752012-11-12T08:25:57.791-05:002012-11-12T08:25:57.791-05:00Super easy puzzle. I did it in only 11 minutes and...Super easy puzzle. I did it in only 11 minutes and that included saying good morning to my better half. Just flew through the answers. I do the across clues and down clues in a section at the same time. Might have been faster if I just did the across clues.<br /><br />I liked the puzzle if no other reasons 1.)completed it so quickly 2.)did not google anything and 3.)no errors.<br /><br />Great clues and answers. Beautiful puzzle Mr. SarpolaNM Robinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14920756034993068695noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-20491816448055947052012-10-08T21:19:14.528-04:002012-10-08T21:19:14.528-04:00Fine, I'll complain. DUNGAREES is inelegant as...Fine, I'll complain. DUNGAREES is inelegant as a plural, one-word theme answer when the others are singular two-worders. Should have been sent back for a rewrite.<br /><br />Good fill, though. Bob Sneadnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-47337167971735217842012-10-08T21:00:01.048-04:002012-10-08T21:00:01.048-04:00The final clue sucks! The rest was fun.The final clue sucks! The rest was fun.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-65015274582004805602012-10-08T19:21:26.541-04:002012-10-08T19:21:26.541-04:00Thanks, @jae, I hadn't noticed the mere 2 seco...Thanks, @jae, I hadn't noticed the mere 2 second difference. Perhaps the FLeES is is what drove up the rating?Milfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04923019988243284636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46975083420817342352012-10-08T18:29:28.802-04:002012-10-08T18:29:28.802-04:00@jae - I take your point. "Flies" was d...@jae - I take your point. "Flies" was definitely not the first thing that occurred to me - I needed every cross.Carolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15971759975067250908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-90061572005882927102012-10-08T17:45:04.620-04:002012-10-08T17:45:04.620-04:00That would be medium not median.That would be medium not median.jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-12407083727958232012012-10-08T17:43:47.055-04:002012-10-08T17:43:47.055-04:00@Carola -- I'm not saying the clue is wrong, I...@Carola -- I'm not saying the clue is wrong, I'm just saying it's a bit off for a Mon. For Mon. clues the answer is typically the first thing that pops up in your head...in this case FLeES, which is why so many folks had it wrong at first. A better Mon. clue would be one that elicits FLIES right off the bat.<br /><br />@Milford -- apparently top solvers have a highly truncated bell curve on Mondays. Check out Sanfranman's stats. There is only a two second difference between medium and median-challenging.jaehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03385568014046336373noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-68573969909536905812012-10-08T16:46:58.012-04:002012-10-08T16:46:58.012-04:00My captcha on the last comment had one "word&...My captcha on the last comment had one "word" and two separate numbers. Now they're just playing dirty!Milfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04923019988243284636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16053327013096217692012-10-08T16:40:14.628-04:002012-10-08T16:40:14.628-04:00Wow, what different ratings, @Sanfranman. Any thou...Wow, what different ratings, @Sanfranman. Any thoughts as to why? <br />Do the the top solvers have such a narrower time frame between their easy and challenging, especially on a Monday?Milfordhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04923019988243284636noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-17044751025251554352012-10-08T16:16:46.222-04:002012-10-08T16:16:46.222-04:00Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 8/1/2...Midday report of relative difficulty (see my 8/1/2009 post for an explanation of my method):<br /><br />All solvers (median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)<br /><br />Mon 6:07, 6:47, 0.90, 14%, Easy<br /><br />Top 100 solvers<br /><br />Mon 3:43, 3:41, 1.01, 62%, Medium-Challengingsanfranman59https://www.blogger.com/profile/15118732156312301425noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-61258163034431940032012-10-08T13:48:59.538-04:002012-10-08T13:48:59.538-04:00@Carola
For me, APIA will never be a gimme!
But th...@Carola<br />For me, APIA will never be a gimme!<br />But the other thing I liked about this puzzle is that FLIES could be for both DUNG and DUNGAREES and for both GARBAGE and for GARBAGE TRUCK.<br />ANd I love that as @dk pointed out, everyone "Flew" thru this!<br /><br />THat Dave Sarpola constructed today's LA TImes as well is totally "Fly"! (or is that just used for hot chicks?)acmenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-91012320828608209212012-10-08T13:43:05.186-04:002012-10-08T13:43:05.186-04:00Fun to fly though a puzzle. Phoo not POOH my only...Fun to fly though a puzzle. Phoo not POOH my only write over. I never can spell that. <br /><br />Good puzzle, nice write up, thanks Dave, Jenny and Liz.Sparkyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11149915526159432838noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-82096146002982545802012-10-08T13:10:42.667-04:002012-10-08T13:10:42.667-04:00A doubly nice Monday! Loved the puzzle, had a lot...A doubly nice Monday! Loved the puzzle, had a lot of fun filling it in (DUNGAREES, WADDLE, BECKON) and enjoying the "matching pairs" (CRUDE BOOR, PENNY LANE, etc.) but being in suspense about the theme until the very end - and I mean "very" - up to FLI_S. Great payoff. And - @BFFs, your write-up was an unexpected extra treat.<br /><br />@jae and @Anonymous 9:56 - I say "Must fly!" when I've stayed too long and <i>really</i> have to leave.<br /><br />@Milford and @Two Ponies - Your comments made me curious about DUNGAREES. I think of them as jeans (and it's the word my mother-in-law only ever used for jeans), but I wondered about the origin of the word. I learned that the etymology is Hindi and "dungaree" originally referred to a coarse Indian calico cloth. Now dungarees can refer to jeans or bib overalls.<br /><br />@acme - I learned APIA from puzzles, and as I wrote it in, I wondered if its appearance here on a Monday was a sort of bonus answer, in that it was easy to get from crosses and could be filed away for future retrieval when solving a harder puzzle. Unfortunately, there's not a footnote for the novice solver saying, "Learn this one for your gimme file." Carolahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15971759975067250908noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-51070495005267759882012-10-08T13:05:10.436-04:002012-10-08T13:05:10.436-04:00Well yes the plural of ROE is ROE and the plural o...Well yes the plural of ROE is ROE and the plural of BASIL is BASIL and the plural of ENNUI is... But for the sake a argument( and filling puzzles)if one has more than one KIND of basil one might arguably say BASILS,and if One had many species of fish eggs or were multiple personalitied. Lively puzzle-much too interesting for a monday!one big THUMBS up!syndyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16814698406887041710noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-16878387979638130732012-10-08T12:56:18.981-04:002012-10-08T12:56:18.981-04:00Congratulations on having a puzzle in the LA Times...Congratulations on having a puzzle in the LA Times today as well, Dave Sarpola!machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-64115198351230178152012-10-08T12:36:07.680-04:002012-10-08T12:36:07.680-04:00Joy all around on this Monday, distinctly unRexlik...Joy all around on this Monday, distinctly unRexlike, and kind of a nice feeling!Lewishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09709142959535977331noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-22423004668701721692012-10-08T12:34:19.718-04:002012-10-08T12:34:19.718-04:00Flies was what my pen did across the grid. Seemin...Flies was what my pen did across the grid. Seemingly the fastest puzzle ever for me. So of course I like it.<br /><br />A throw back grid to the early sixties with DUNGAREES and MEGATON.<br /><br />Local ski area (Wild Mtn.) opened on Sunday. First in the nation. woo woo<br /><br />⛄⛄⛄ (3 snowmen)dkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17317008233459295376noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-57898728514034027602012-10-08T12:16:13.437-04:002012-10-08T12:16:13.437-04:00Oh my--in my neighborhood, garbage comes exclusive...Oh my--in my neighborhood, garbage comes exclusively in plastic bags--no flies around for miles--and so, it took me an embarrassingly long time to see the connection...<br /><br />...still, great puzzle, incl. write-up!Ulrichhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02086202853174403008noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-89989648847095217992012-10-08T11:45:40.361-04:002012-10-08T11:45:40.361-04:00Add me to the list of fans of both the writeup and...Add me to the list of fans of both the writeup and the puzzle. Easy-medium time here, but the puzzle seems more like easy in retrospect.<br /><br />I particularly appreciated that the theme answers all represented different senses of the word "flies."<br /><br />Had OMNI first so no FLeES issue. LOOM and WOVE both clued by a rug seems somehow inappropriate but that's just me. Debated KILOTON for 50A, had it waiting in the wings, but it didn't need to go onstage.<br /><br />42a plus "Let's Go O's" in the writeup is kinda cold for us here in Texas this week. :-(<br /><br />Isn't the plural of ROE just, well, ROE (he said SHEEPishly)?<br /><br />Nice one, Mr. Sarpola. Nice writeup, Jenny and Liz. retired_chemisthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13181126754941899228noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-46484092221074976872012-10-08T11:37:58.694-04:002012-10-08T11:37:58.694-04:00Great, easy puzzle - I would have got here much ea...Great, easy puzzle - I would have got here much earlier, but I was distracted by the thought of those TSA agents checking everone's id at 39A. Just how do they do that?<br /><br />Like Milfored, I saw the DUNG in those pants at 14A, linked it with GARBAGE, and figured the theme would be "putrid things" or the like - BASEball game almost fit with that, but TACKLE BOX was too much of a stretch. Then I got to the revealer, and had DUNG on my mind (so to speak) already, and never realized until coming here that DUNGAREES also could have flies. So, until I read Milford, I was going to compalain that we had 3 whole words and one partial word for theme answers, and that we should not have had two different answers (DUNG and GARBAGE) with essentially the same flies buzzing about them. I was so wrong! It really is a perfect puzzle, I now see.<br /><br />@Anonymous 9:52, yeah, I keep my flies in about 15 different fly boxes, stuck into every possible pocket of my vest - but if I were a more organized person, I'd have those I planned to use tucked neatly into a couple of those magnetic boxes, and would have those boxes, in turn, along with leaders, reels, and extra line packed in a TACKLE BOX. (And if I were a better fly fisherman, I'd tie those flies streamside after I saw what was hatching!) So it was OK with me.<br /><br />Nerd alert: A meteor doesn't "look like" a streat - it IS a streak of like. The object causing the streak is a meteorITE.jberghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02169065390875378077noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-35115061.post-63331612318026475532012-10-08T11:20:39.412-04:002012-10-08T11:20:39.412-04:00Great puzzle Dave. Clean, simple and fun. I only n...Great puzzle Dave. Clean, simple and fun. I only needed to correct WARHEAD to MEGATON. I liked the tricky cluing at 16A as I started to write TRES, but for some reason I looked at the clue again. One is not uno so the answer is not tres.<br /><br />Puzzle reminds me of the old chant from scout camp . . .<br />There ain't no flies on us!<br />There ain't no flies on us!<br />There may be flies on some of you guys,<br />But there ain't no flies on us!<br /><br />And a great write-up to the BFFs.30 condutdaBirdnoreply@blogger.com