0:52:46
MATCHING WITS
It is somewhat unusual for the pattern in a crossword to have anything to do with the puzzle, but here we have an M on the top of the grid and a W on the bottom, and what do you know, all the theme answers are two-word phrases, starting with M and W. And of those answers, MAKINGWHOOPEE (52D: Euphemism used often on "The Newlywed Game") might be my favorite. I looked up the phrase, because I thought it might sometimes be spelled with an "IE" at the end, but that spelling seems to be reserved for "Whoopie Pies," and the double E is used for the phrase. Interesting. To me, anyway. 58D: Money raised by members of Congress? (MINIMUMWAGE) was a nice, tricky clue.
Make Way for Frannie. I liked the theme/gimmick for being non-intrusive. Horace started the puzzle, then turned it over to me. I didn't know the title and I didn't see the shapes, but that didn't slow me down. I went through the puzzle like a hot knife through butter. There were a few poor entries (110A Certain singers (ALTI) was no prize), but overall the fill was clear, easy and fun. I enjoyed many of the clues with question marks like 28A Opening words? (SAYAH) and 38D Still dripping? (BOOZE). Also, "64A Piece longer than its name suggests" elicited a chuckle. I guess the puzzle crafters and I have Matching Wits. :)
- Horace & Frannie
Sunday, June 30, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013
Saturday, June 29, 2013, Joe Krozel
0:31:14
The butterfly grid looks demanding, and todays effort did not meet the challenge. Consider the SE wing, where we find such answers as SNEERER (29D: Elvis Presley, notably), BILLERS (33A: Accounting department employees), DETERGE (38A: Wash), RETEAM (40A: Join up for another collaboration), and SSRS (42A: Georgia and neighbors, once: Abbr.). Each more groanable than the last.
That was the worst area, but there were clunkers everywhere. OUTSKIP (16A: Defeat in a jump-rope competition, say) in the NW, ADSITES (19A: Craigslist and others) and PEERSAT (5D: Views through a periscope, say) in the NE. Why "periscope?" and why not "peers up?" And how often do you hear the phrase "Stand to reason?" It stands to reason that objections will be raised to the changing of familiar idioms for the purpose of forcing them into a crossword grid. And in the SW we find such lovely fill as HAVOCS (30D: Post hurricane scenes, e.g.), and NOSEATS (37A: "Standing room only").
It's a sad day when the most interesting answer is MENNEN (8D: Speed Stick brand), because it reminds you of a product that you haven't thought of in maybe ten years. "Oh yeah... Mennen... is that still a company?"
- Horace
p.s. Other sites report that this puzzle set the record for fewest words (50). It's a pity that record-keeping does not exist for solving satisfaction, for this could have contended for two "lowest" awards at once!
The butterfly grid looks demanding, and todays effort did not meet the challenge. Consider the SE wing, where we find such answers as SNEERER (29D: Elvis Presley, notably), BILLERS (33A: Accounting department employees), DETERGE (38A: Wash), RETEAM (40A: Join up for another collaboration), and SSRS (42A: Georgia and neighbors, once: Abbr.). Each more groanable than the last.
That was the worst area, but there were clunkers everywhere. OUTSKIP (16A: Defeat in a jump-rope competition, say) in the NW, ADSITES (19A: Craigslist and others) and PEERSAT (5D: Views through a periscope, say) in the NE. Why "periscope?" and why not "peers up?" And how often do you hear the phrase "Stand to reason?" It stands to reason that objections will be raised to the changing of familiar idioms for the purpose of forcing them into a crossword grid. And in the SW we find such lovely fill as HAVOCS (30D: Post hurricane scenes, e.g.), and NOSEATS (37A: "Standing room only").
It's a sad day when the most interesting answer is MENNEN (8D: Speed Stick brand), because it reminds you of a product that you haven't thought of in maybe ten years. "Oh yeah... Mennen... is that still a company?"
- Horace
p.s. Other sites report that this puzzle set the record for fewest words (50). It's a pity that record-keeping does not exist for solving satisfaction, for this could have contended for two "lowest" awards at once!
Friday, June 28, 2013
Friday, June 28, 2013, Ian Livengood and Brad Wilber
0:40:55
The theme of this themeless puzzle was definitely "X," and accordingly, that's how we solved it. Frannie started it off and filled in a solid swath from NW to SE, and then handed it over to me to complete the NE to SW arm. Some lovely fill in this one. SASHAY (51A: Walk ostentatiously), STANCH (30D: Stop), and LARYNX (9D: Pitch producer), to name just a few. For those, and all the "fancy letters," we'll swallow a fair amount of RESNAP (41D: Close again, as a change purse), and ASHIER (19A: Not so apple-cheeked).
Loved the tricky clue for OSOLEMIO (33D: Common number of gondoliers), and Frannie loved the simplicity and straightforwardness of HAT (7D: Monopoly token). We both liked the mention of Earl Scruggs and his BANJO. And speaking of proper names, Frannie just plopped down WINFREY for 36A: O, more formally, thinking that it would be nice if it were true, but thinking it probably wouldn't be. Similarly, I put in ESCALATORS (17A: They may lead to another story) with a single cross. It seemed we were both in the groove.
Neither of us knew the term HORSEOPERA (59A: Many a John Wayne pic), and EXITLINE (13D: Rhett Butler's "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," e.g.) seemed a little strained, but over all, this was a fun and interesting puzzle.
- Horace
The theme of this themeless puzzle was definitely "X," and accordingly, that's how we solved it. Frannie started it off and filled in a solid swath from NW to SE, and then handed it over to me to complete the NE to SW arm. Some lovely fill in this one. SASHAY (51A: Walk ostentatiously), STANCH (30D: Stop), and LARYNX (9D: Pitch producer), to name just a few. For those, and all the "fancy letters," we'll swallow a fair amount of RESNAP (41D: Close again, as a change purse), and ASHIER (19A: Not so apple-cheeked).
Loved the tricky clue for OSOLEMIO (33D: Common number of gondoliers), and Frannie loved the simplicity and straightforwardness of HAT (7D: Monopoly token). We both liked the mention of Earl Scruggs and his BANJO. And speaking of proper names, Frannie just plopped down WINFREY for 36A: O, more formally, thinking that it would be nice if it were true, but thinking it probably wouldn't be. Similarly, I put in ESCALATORS (17A: They may lead to another story) with a single cross. It seemed we were both in the groove.
Neither of us knew the term HORSEOPERA (59A: Many a John Wayne pic), and EXITLINE (13D: Rhett Butler's "Frankly, my dear, I don't give a damn," e.g.) seemed a little strained, but over all, this was a fun and interesting puzzle.
- Horace
Thursday, June 27, 2013
Thursday, June 27, 2013, Sean Dobbin
0:32:03
Fun theme. All four answers made me laugh. TIGERSTRIPE (45A: Michigan ballplayer's rubbish) might have been my favorite, though, because of the rubbish/tripe combo. Both great words. GIANTSQUID (20A: California ballplayer's pound?) was pretty nice, too. Bonus quasi-theme bonus material with BATSMAN (5D: Cricket player).
Clue of the day: 5A: Apple grower? (BEATLE) (!!) Needed at least four crosses before that clicked. Wait, it was definitely four, because I never would have gotten ERIQ (6D: La Salle of "Coming to America") or ATTU (7D: Aleutian island) on my own. And by the way, is Apple still a record label? or did it rot on the tree after those first growers called it quits?
I learned a little something about Chicago's airport with 51D: Airport named for a naval war hero (OHARE), so that's nice. 38D: One doing the lord's work (SERF) was pretty good, and I actually considered "Super-A" for 46D: Top-notch, before realizing that "Super-B" was a word that didn't need a hyphen. It's funny how the brain gets all tangled up sometimes. In the same vein, we had K_EE for "54D: Attack at close range, maybe" for a good long while before the N finally came to us. Couldn't the clue for RUTS (14A: Wagon trails have them) been "Wagon trails are them?" And I don't usually think of ARTHUR (15A: Boy who pulls the sword from the stone in "The Sword in the Stone") as a boy, but maybe that's referencing a specific cartoon or something. Of course, Arthur probably was pretty young when he did it anyway... and besides, every male under 35 is starting to look like a boy to me...
The hardest part for me was the West. I left D__T and A__EAN unfilled last night before going to sleep. This morning, Frannie filled them right in. At least I'm guessing those are the ones she figured out, since I don't think OLINS (37A: Actors Ken and Lena) or SLADE (41A: Band with the 1984 hit "My Oh My") were known by either of us.
All in all, a good Thursday.
- Horace
Fun theme. All four answers made me laugh. TIGERSTRIPE (45A: Michigan ballplayer's rubbish) might have been my favorite, though, because of the rubbish/tripe combo. Both great words. GIANTSQUID (20A: California ballplayer's pound?) was pretty nice, too. Bonus quasi-theme bonus material with BATSMAN (5D: Cricket player).
Clue of the day: 5A: Apple grower? (BEATLE) (!!) Needed at least four crosses before that clicked. Wait, it was definitely four, because I never would have gotten ERIQ (6D: La Salle of "Coming to America") or ATTU (7D: Aleutian island) on my own. And by the way, is Apple still a record label? or did it rot on the tree after those first growers called it quits?
I learned a little something about Chicago's airport with 51D: Airport named for a naval war hero (OHARE), so that's nice. 38D: One doing the lord's work (SERF) was pretty good, and I actually considered "Super-A" for 46D: Top-notch, before realizing that "Super-B" was a word that didn't need a hyphen. It's funny how the brain gets all tangled up sometimes. In the same vein, we had K_EE for "54D: Attack at close range, maybe" for a good long while before the N finally came to us. Couldn't the clue for RUTS (14A: Wagon trails have them) been "Wagon trails are them?" And I don't usually think of ARTHUR (15A: Boy who pulls the sword from the stone in "The Sword in the Stone") as a boy, but maybe that's referencing a specific cartoon or something. Of course, Arthur probably was pretty young when he did it anyway... and besides, every male under 35 is starting to look like a boy to me...
The hardest part for me was the West. I left D__T and A__EAN unfilled last night before going to sleep. This morning, Frannie filled them right in. At least I'm guessing those are the ones she figured out, since I don't think OLINS (37A: Actors Ken and Lena) or SLADE (41A: Band with the 1984 hit "My Oh My") were known by either of us.
All in all, a good Thursday.
- Horace
Wednesday, June 26, 2013
Wednesday, June 26, 2013, David Steinberg (16) ad Bernice Gordon (99)
0:18:55
Soon it will be called "The New York Times Crossword, featuring David Steinberg."
I kid, I kid... It's nice to see him back so soon, and this time perhaps going for the record books as part of the youngest/oldest pair ever to publish a puzzle. I'm not familiar with Ms. Gordon, but I'm guessing she was the one who clued 29A: Laker legend Bryant (KOBE) and 9D: Chillax, with "out" (VEG). But seriously, it would have been fun to have a few more super old-timey words in the grid to go with the theme. I guess we got some Latin with 2D: Number between quinque and septem (SEX) and 1A: "Per aspera ad ____" (ASTRA), and I guess BEAU (45A: Belle's caller) is a little old-timey. Come to think of it, ENOCH (67A: Cain's eldest son) is too. I wonder if he was a beau to Bernice's belle?
OK, so they did add some nice old-timey clues, which is just gravy, because the theme was already quite nice. A couple clues with "AGE" added, a couple with it taken away, and a self-referencial revealer. Not long ago, the young Mr. Steinberg put his own name right through the middle of the grid. This time he's being a little more subtle, but he's still calling attention to the puzzle constructors. Heck, we think it's great. Er, I mean, Horace Fawley and Frances Page think it's great! Name recognition is important!
But back to the puzzle. Nice, clean fill, and lots of interestingness for a Wednesday. The first two puzzles this week left me a little cold, but this was a good lead-in to the big end-of-week trio. (I never know what to do with Sundays. They seem so different from the dailies that I can't really include them in the same category, so the "big end-of-week trio" for me is Thurs./Fri./Sat.) I liked the pair of Snow White clues - 57A: Prop in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (APPLE) and 70A: Beardless dwarf (DOPEY). The IGLOO clue was very nice (68A: Home unlikely to have air-conditioning), and for a while, the crosses had me wondering if 40A: Palms, e.g. was going to somehow be "conifers." It wasn't. (CONCEALS)(Not only are palms not conifers, they're not even true trees!)
Wow, there are tons of old clues if you look long enough. 49D: Keen (PEACHY), 41D: 1813's Battle of Lake ____ (ERIE)... and more. Now I'm starting to think maybe there should've been more "young" clues...
OK, that' probably enough on this one. Lots of good clues and fill. Very nice Wednesday.
- Horace
p.s. Craziest theme clue/answer - 25A: Looting of a legislature? (DIETPILLAGE). It's nice, but I think that "Diet" in the case of the legislature is pronounced "DEET." Not terribly problematic, but I couldn't help mentioning it, and now I keep thinking of "deet pills."
p.p.s. You really should read the "Wordplay" blog entry for this puzzle (I link to the blog in the sidebar), in which both constructors are quoted extensively. Very interesting!
p.p.p.s. (This will be all, I promise!) Another of the blogs I link to (Diary of a Crossword Fiend) links to an interview that David Steinberg conducted with Bernice Gordon. Also very interesting. She was the first to publish a "rebus" puzzle in the NYT!
Soon it will be called "The New York Times Crossword, featuring David Steinberg."
I kid, I kid... It's nice to see him back so soon, and this time perhaps going for the record books as part of the youngest/oldest pair ever to publish a puzzle. I'm not familiar with Ms. Gordon, but I'm guessing she was the one who clued 29A: Laker legend Bryant (KOBE) and 9D: Chillax, with "out" (VEG). But seriously, it would have been fun to have a few more super old-timey words in the grid to go with the theme. I guess we got some Latin with 2D: Number between quinque and septem (SEX) and 1A: "Per aspera ad ____" (ASTRA), and I guess BEAU (45A: Belle's caller) is a little old-timey. Come to think of it, ENOCH (67A: Cain's eldest son) is too. I wonder if he was a beau to Bernice's belle?
OK, so they did add some nice old-timey clues, which is just gravy, because the theme was already quite nice. A couple clues with "AGE" added, a couple with it taken away, and a self-referencial revealer. Not long ago, the young Mr. Steinberg put his own name right through the middle of the grid. This time he's being a little more subtle, but he's still calling attention to the puzzle constructors. Heck, we think it's great. Er, I mean, Horace Fawley and Frances Page think it's great! Name recognition is important!
But back to the puzzle. Nice, clean fill, and lots of interestingness for a Wednesday. The first two puzzles this week left me a little cold, but this was a good lead-in to the big end-of-week trio. (I never know what to do with Sundays. They seem so different from the dailies that I can't really include them in the same category, so the "big end-of-week trio" for me is Thurs./Fri./Sat.) I liked the pair of Snow White clues - 57A: Prop in "Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs" (APPLE) and 70A: Beardless dwarf (DOPEY). The IGLOO clue was very nice (68A: Home unlikely to have air-conditioning), and for a while, the crosses had me wondering if 40A: Palms, e.g. was going to somehow be "conifers." It wasn't. (CONCEALS)(Not only are palms not conifers, they're not even true trees!)
Wow, there are tons of old clues if you look long enough. 49D: Keen (PEACHY), 41D: 1813's Battle of Lake ____ (ERIE)... and more. Now I'm starting to think maybe there should've been more "young" clues...
OK, that' probably enough on this one. Lots of good clues and fill. Very nice Wednesday.
- Horace
p.s. Craziest theme clue/answer - 25A: Looting of a legislature? (DIETPILLAGE). It's nice, but I think that "Diet" in the case of the legislature is pronounced "DEET." Not terribly problematic, but I couldn't help mentioning it, and now I keep thinking of "deet pills."
p.p.s. You really should read the "Wordplay" blog entry for this puzzle (I link to the blog in the sidebar), in which both constructors are quoted extensively. Very interesting!
p.p.p.s. (This will be all, I promise!) Another of the blogs I link to (Diary of a Crossword Fiend) links to an interview that David Steinberg conducted with Bernice Gordon. Also very interesting. She was the first to publish a "rebus" puzzle in the NYT!
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Tuesday, June 25, 2013, Joel Fagliano
0:16:06
I don't know... the theme seemed a little thin, and the fill was often strained. Like ARIOSE (64A: Melodic)(?) and THEMAMBO (39A: Tito Puente specialty) - how often is the article included in an answer? But in other areas, it was fine. I liked COINAPHRASE (12D: Be inventive with language) and EDENPRAIRIE (25D: Minnesota city SW of Minneapolis so named for its fertile soil). Something just put me off. Sometimes it's hard to tell just what does what.
Favorite clue: 45D: Keep it in the family? (INBREED) Runner up: 7D: Ship that was double-booked? (ARK).
That's all for today. I've gotta get to work!
- Horace
I don't know... the theme seemed a little thin, and the fill was often strained. Like ARIOSE (64A: Melodic)(?) and THEMAMBO (39A: Tito Puente specialty) - how often is the article included in an answer? But in other areas, it was fine. I liked COINAPHRASE (12D: Be inventive with language) and EDENPRAIRIE (25D: Minnesota city SW of Minneapolis so named for its fertile soil). Something just put me off. Sometimes it's hard to tell just what does what.
Favorite clue: 45D: Keep it in the family? (INBREED) Runner up: 7D: Ship that was double-booked? (ARK).
That's all for today. I've gotta get to work!
- Horace
Monday, June 24, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013, Robert Seminara
0:06:03
I love all the long fill in this paean to the s'more. GRAHAMCRACKERS (26A: Ingredients in a 38-Across), CHOCOLATE, and HOTMARSHMALLOW (at first I thought that it was odd to say "hot" marshmallow, but I guess "toasted" would be too long a combo for a weekly grid), and even the non-theme CHESTNUT (52A: Joke you've heard many times before) was nice to see. Frannie loved that one.
Much of the rest, however, was less than great. It seemed odd, for example, to have SMASH (19A: Huge hit) and BASH (9D: Big party) so close together, and RELET (27D: Found a new tenant for) and RENEW (32D: Extend, as a lease) were odd, too. It might not have struck me as odd if the "lease" idea hadn't been used for that second one. I usually spell GISMO (26D: Gadget) with a "Z," and UTEP (45A: Lone Star State ssh. near the Rio Grande) is not at all familiar to me. U. Texas, El Paso, I presume. Meh. Got EELS (4D: Fish caught in pots), however, so that's nice...
STANHOPE (20A: Light horse-drawn carriage with one seat) seemed out of place here. I guess clueing it with a reference to Doug Stanhope would be out of the question. Still, it would be nice to get ol' Dougie into a grid.
Again, the theme was nice, and it was interesting to learn that the Girl Scouts may have been the first to make s'mores, but after that, it wasn't all that interesting.
- Horace
I love all the long fill in this paean to the s'more. GRAHAMCRACKERS (26A: Ingredients in a 38-Across), CHOCOLATE, and HOTMARSHMALLOW (at first I thought that it was odd to say "hot" marshmallow, but I guess "toasted" would be too long a combo for a weekly grid), and even the non-theme CHESTNUT (52A: Joke you've heard many times before) was nice to see. Frannie loved that one.
Much of the rest, however, was less than great. It seemed odd, for example, to have SMASH (19A: Huge hit) and BASH (9D: Big party) so close together, and RELET (27D: Found a new tenant for) and RENEW (32D: Extend, as a lease) were odd, too. It might not have struck me as odd if the "lease" idea hadn't been used for that second one. I usually spell GISMO (26D: Gadget) with a "Z," and UTEP (45A: Lone Star State ssh. near the Rio Grande) is not at all familiar to me. U. Texas, El Paso, I presume. Meh. Got EELS (4D: Fish caught in pots), however, so that's nice...
STANHOPE (20A: Light horse-drawn carriage with one seat) seemed out of place here. I guess clueing it with a reference to Doug Stanhope would be out of the question. Still, it would be nice to get ol' Dougie into a grid.
Again, the theme was nice, and it was interesting to learn that the Girl Scouts may have been the first to make s'mores, but after that, it wasn't all that interesting.
- Horace
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)