tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869983234842507044.post3759755288293989552..comments2024-03-29T07:26:22.640-04:00Comments on Horace and Frances discuss the New York Times Crossword Puzzle: Wednesday, December 17, 2014, Stu OckmanHorace Fawleyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04676932991883111336noreply@blogger.comBlogger3125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869983234842507044.post-14564933339692029812014-12-18T22:31:23.284-05:002014-12-18T22:31:23.284-05:00Very nice review, Colum. I suppose I should have d...Very nice review, Colum. I suppose I should have done something clever like that. I'll claim illness, as I've been battling a cold all week. (Heck, I'll even blame all the FWOEs on that!)<br /><br />And Huygens, it's been a while since I've heard that song, but I don't even remember it much in the lyrics. But I could, of course, be mistaken. I am sick after all...Horace Fawleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04676932991883111336noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869983234842507044.post-394059846145784882014-12-18T04:07:07.279-05:002014-12-18T04:07:07.279-05:0019:08 (FWOE)
You're both crazy; the lyrics inc...19:08 (FWOE)<br />You're both crazy; the lyrics include the first "as" a few times in the song, it's just not in the title. Anyway, I didn't know the NENE/UTHER cross (I tried an "a" in there first). I learned of a LITOTE from the famous "Pirannah Brothers" sketch on Monty Python: <br /><br />"Vercotti Doug (takes a drink) I was terrified of him. Everyone was terrified of Doug. I've seen grown men pull their own heads off rather than see Doug. Even Dinsdale was frightened of Doug.<br />Interviewer What did he do?<br />Vercotti He used sarcasm. He knew all the tricks, dramatic irony, metaphor, bathos, puns, parody, litotes and satire."<br /><br />But c'mon, how about the ZILCH/ZIPIT cross? That was very nice indeed. And I didn't know it outright, but I filled in OTELLO with only the first "o" for a cross. I liked the puzzle fine, but I wonder why the choice was made to clue NENE with the reality TV person (unknown to many of us, I'm sure) instead of the Hawaiian bird. Terrible choice.Huygenshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14539030936919012404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7869983234842507044.post-57849732915743969932014-12-17T21:35:04.070-05:002014-12-17T21:35:04.070-05:008:08. I'm not unfond of litotes, and you certa...8:08. I'm not unfond of litotes, and you certainly don't underestimate your readers. Similes are as common as pigeons, honestly, and I would have liked a reference to Jethro Tull for ASTHICKASABRICK, although the first "as" isn't in that song. A well chosen oxymoron is awfully good, and make you sound crazy smart. But in the end, anyone who says this is the best puzzle ever is indulging in hyperbole.<br /><br />Yeah. Way too much poor fill, I'm sure driven by having the 15 letter answers only two rows apart. MTETNA, I'm looking at you. FIVEWS, you come a close second. And AROAR? Gah.Colum Amoryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15026647589873845732noreply@blogger.com