One month to go
― Poll Makossa (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 19 February 2011 02:23 (2 years ago) Permalink
OK, Thursday's puzzle had not one, but two clues that seemed to be just plain wrong.
― ilxor astro-ilx? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 4 March 2011 19:09 (2 years ago) Permalink
Which ones?
While I'm here, the NYT had a puzzle last weekend, I think, with stray squares in it (i.e. not crossed with anything)... what was the idea there? Can't remember ever seeing that before.
― Josefa, Friday, 4 March 2011 21:05 (2 years ago) Permalink
If it's the puzzle I'm thinking of, the theme of it was "V-2," and there were two V-shaped groups of black squares in the grid, so that left two uncrossed square, each of which was also filled with the letter V.
― Du Musst Calamari Werden (Phil D.), Friday, 4 March 2011 21:15 (2 years ago) Permalink
Slick.
― jaymc, Friday, 4 March 2011 21:18 (2 years ago) Permalink
That Sunday puzzle was pretty nice.
The clues in question on Thursday:46A Santo Domingo greeting. 60A Gilbert ___, author of "A Void," a 290-page novel without the letter E
Do they speak Haitian Creole in Santo Domingo? Seems like the wrong country on the wrong side of the island. Maybe some do but it seems misleading.
Is it correct to refer to a translator of a work as its author? Maybe in this case he had to do so much he should be considered an author.
― ilxor astro-ilx? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 5 March 2011 13:10 (2 years ago) Permalink
No, it is not correct! Possibly co-author for something as complex as A Void, but in this case I would have stuck to 'translator'. Or cited a book he had actually written.
― emil.y, Saturday, 5 March 2011 13:46 (2 years ago) Permalink
Just noticed in that Sunday puzzle...
HUMVEESMTVRSVPSVIETNAMVETSCHIVIEDVISSOV
...all with the VEE sound. I should take notice of the title of the puzzle more often.
― Josefa, Saturday, 5 March 2011 15:42 (2 years ago) Permalink
Don't remember SOV being in there. Let me study the handy image upthread
― ilxor astro-ilx? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 5 March 2011 16:52 (2 years ago) Permalink
Oh yeah, of course
― ilxor astro-ilx? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 5 March 2011 16:53 (2 years ago) Permalink
Another interesting thing is that the unchecked last letter of OLAV could have been F if not for the theme
― ilxor astro-ilx? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 5 March 2011 17:01 (2 years ago) Permalink
I urge all of you to try today's most excellent Post Puzzler by Karen M. Tracey which can be easily downloaded using this webpage, which I also recommend: http://www.fleetingimage.com/wij/xyzzy/11-wp.html
― Blitzkrieg Bop Gun (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 13 March 2011 21:44 (2 years ago) Permalink
Advance notice: The Penguin Classics Crossword Puzzles -- which features at least one puzzle by me -- comes out August 30.
― Joseph Beuys II Men (jaymc), Monday, 14 March 2011 20:34 (2 years ago) Permalink
awesome!
― adult music person (Jordan), Monday, 14 March 2011 20:45 (2 years ago) Permalink
(btw i'm finishing up a track that incorporates some of b3n taus1g's field recordings. gonna go after that coveted crossword nerd/dubstep crossover audience.)
― adult music person (Jordan), Monday, 14 March 2011 20:47 (2 years ago) Permalink
Will that book have any puzzles in it by Alan Arbesfeld, jaymc?
― Eloi Wallach (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 17 March 2011 00:12 (2 years ago) Permalink
No idea who else is in it. (Or rather, I think Ben told me last year but I forgot.)
― Joseph Beuys II Men (jaymc), Thursday, 17 March 2011 02:15 (2 years ago) Permalink
L.A. Times on Saturday had interesting gimmick. Still didn't enjoy solving it though
― ELO ENO ONO (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 25 April 2011 15:00 (2 years ago) Permalink
LA Times appears to have returned to some earlier level of difficulty. Today's puzzle was quite fun. NY Times was impossible.
― Cut Creator Has A Master Plan (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 4 June 2011 12:43 (1 year ago) Permalink
Loved this in the LA Times:1a Candy vehicle (4)
― Cut Creator Has A Master Plan (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 4 June 2011 13:23 (1 year ago) Permalink
Will Shortz (@Will_Shortz)7/27/11 9:47 PMAn innocent NYT crossword clue I wrote for ROCK CANDY: Something hard to suck on? Test-solver Frank caught it before it ran. [Whew!]
― jaymc, Thursday, 28 July 2011 13:47 (1 year ago) Permalink
Test-solver Frank should have warned him about the answer FULL SPEEDO AHEAD
― Scharlach Sometimes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 29 July 2011 00:52 (1 year ago) Permalink
From I believe an LAT crossword a couple weeks ago, apropos of ILX:Name-dropper: S___
― La Petite Mordy (Leee), Tuesday, 2 August 2011 04:25 (1 year ago) Permalink
Thursday's puzzle was awesome, although there is a spoiler on this thread, but I had forgotten about it. Today's was tough but fun.
― Scharlach Sometimes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 5 August 2011 16:04 (1 year ago) Permalink
Btw, I think "Test-solver Frank" is LONGO.
― jaymc, Friday, 5 August 2011 16:53 (1 year ago) Permalink
Makes sense.
― Scharlach Sometimes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 5 August 2011 18:04 (1 year ago) Permalink
Crossed paths with Will yesterday but didn't get a chance to discuss this with him.
― Scharlach Sometimes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 7 August 2011 16:53 (1 year ago) Permalink
Just wondering what people's best times are for a weekday puzzle? I think I can average ~12 minutes for early-week puzzles. /strict amateur
― his loser, bum of a son, named Jesus Christ (Leee), Sunday, 7 August 2011 17:01 (1 year ago) Permalink
Online, I can usually do a Monday puzzle in about 4:00. Probably longer on paper, though.
― jaymc, Sunday, 7 August 2011 21:42 (1 year ago) Permalink
I can usually do the Monday in about 4 minutes too. The really top solvers can do it in 3 or even sometimes 2 minutes.
― Scharlach Sometimes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 7 August 2011 21:52 (1 year ago) Permalink
Just looked at the some of the champ's times for the past week- 1:36 for Tuesday! 4:34 for Sunday!
I used to be able to do an average Sunday puzzle in 18 minutes, if I didn't fall asleep whilst solving it. Now I've gotten it down to about 12, although that deepens on whether I have gotten enough sleep, have a sinus infection, etc.
― Scharlach Sometimes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 7 August 2011 22:00 (1 year ago) Permalink
But both jaymc and I have participated in tournaments so it is probably not fair to compare with our times.
― Scharlach Sometimes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 7 August 2011 22:01 (1 year ago) Permalink
Damn! I take the whole week to do Sunday puzzles.
― his loser, bum of a son, named Jesus Christ (Leee), Sunday, 7 August 2011 22:24 (1 year ago) Permalink
Been doing the Times puzzle on and off since 1978 and started doing it seriously two years ago so I wouldn't feel too bad if I were you
― Scharlach Sometimes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 7 August 2011 22:49 (1 year ago) Permalink
No worries, I'm just marveling at yall's real skillz.
― his loser, bum of a son, named Jesus Christ (Leee), Sunday, 7 August 2011 22:53 (1 year ago) Permalink
Aargh, I came in about 60th in this weekend's tournament, need to start practicing and stop posting to this thread.
― Scharlach Sometimes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 8 August 2011 15:47 (1 year ago) Permalink
Lollapuzzoola?
― jaymc, Monday, 8 August 2011 16:10 (1 year ago) Permalink
Yup.
― Scharlach Sometimes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 8 August 2011 16:11 (1 year ago) Permalink
You can still play at home, I think, for ten bucks.
― Scharlach Sometimes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 8 August 2011 16:12 (1 year ago) Permalink
Knew I messed up puzzle three a little, have no idea how I got so many wrong on puzzle two, which I thought I had clean, maybe I shifted a theme answer by one letter. Didn't bother to check anything at all, though, before handing in.
― Scharlach Sometimes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 8 August 2011 16:15 (1 year ago) Permalink
OK, I see what happened, ha.
― Scharlach Sometimes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 9 August 2011 02:52 (1 year ago) Permalink
BEQ's 36A today: Hipster's lid
― Scharlach Sometimes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 9 August 2011 03:09 (1 year ago) Permalink
Wait that's not from today, it's older.
― Scharlach Sometimes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 9 August 2011 03:19 (1 year ago) Permalink
Saturday Times puzzle was the Lollapuzzoola final.
Looks like the book with jaymc puzzle in it comes out in two weeks.
― Viriconium Island Baby (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 20 August 2011 02:52 (1 year ago) Permalink
Just tried to win that Penguin book, but I read my email too late and was beaten by the usual suspects (:
― Viriconium Island Baby (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 22 August 2011 15:28 (1 year ago) Permalink
Who's offering it as a prize? I actually haven't seen it yet -- I think I was supposed to get an advance copy but never did.
― Aziz Ansari & III (jaymc), Monday, 22 August 2011 15:31 (1 year ago) Permalink
Ben T sent out a mini contest with the inkwell email. I can forward it to you if you want.
― Viriconium Island Baby (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 22 August 2011 15:33 (1 year ago) Permalink
Aargh. He just emailed me. I was fourth, just missing the cut.
― Viriconium Island Baby (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 22 August 2011 15:36 (1 year ago) Permalink
It took me almost twice as long to solve it as it did the champion. (18:05 vs. 9:00) I knew I was off on the wrong foot when I started off 1A with "tepee" and it turned out to be "hogan."
― Dave Zuul (Phil D.), Monday, 22 August 2011 15:37 (1 year ago) Permalink
I had seen it before and it still took me quite a while to solve.
― Viriconium Island Baby (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 22 August 2011 15:38 (1 year ago) Permalink