OK, today I did last year's puzzles and based on my score came in someplace between Ryan and Brian. So, not too great, but not last place.
― the clones of tldr funkenstein (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 15 February 2010 21:24 (3 years ago) Permalink
Where did you find last year's puzzles?
― Lusty Mo Frazier (jaymc), Monday, 15 February 2010 22:44 (3 years ago) Permalink
Friend did it the past two years and he had them. I think they mail you a copy after the tournament.
― the clones of tldr funkenstein (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 15 February 2010 23:57 (3 years ago) Permalink
Jordan, an old screenname of yours was in the Times puzzle today.
― the clones of tldr funkenstein (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 19 February 2010 01:42 (3 years ago) Permalink
what was it? i did the puzzle but didn't notice.
― rinse the lemonade (Jordan), Friday, 19 February 2010 16:16 (3 years ago) Permalink
Something about "The Wire"'s Little.
― the clones of tldr funkenstein (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 19 February 2010 16:20 (3 years ago) Permalink
Today's puzzle is impossible. As is to be expected on the Friday before the tournament.
― the clones of tldr funkenstein (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 19 February 2010 16:21 (3 years ago) Permalink
Just got seven emails from Peter Gordon with the beginning of the year puzzles. The man takes care of business.
― the clones of tldr funkenstein (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 21 February 2010 23:30 (3 years ago) Permalink
wtf matt gafney in the av club, loki is not a goddess afaik
― rinse the lemonade (Jordan), Wednesday, February 10, 2010 10:39 AM (1 week ago)
Maybe an easily confused comics fan -- Loki was in a female body for a few months recently in Marvel continuity.
― blow it out your bad-taste hole (WmC), Sunday, 21 February 2010 23:59 (3 years ago) Permalink
jaymc, here is the True Story of the Great Crossword Puzzle Battle between solver and constructor: http://wordplay.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/05/18/ring/
― the clones of tldr funkenstein (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 22 February 2010 01:33 (3 years ago) Permalink
Ha, you know what, I think I read that at the time but totally forgot about it. Good to see you again, Ken.
Also: you did pretty well! Or better than me, at any rate.
― Lusty Mo Frazier (jaymc), Monday, 22 February 2010 04:44 (3 years ago) Permalink
Ah, I was at the bottom of C and you will probably win the D division next year. And you were only a few spots behind me as far as Rookies.
― the clones of tldr funkenstein (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 02:09 (3 years ago) Permalink
All these years I thought it was "alouette, chantez alouette"
― The Great Rick Roll Swindle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 17:51 (3 years ago) Permalink
What do you do when you have a whole puzzle finished except for 2-3 intersecting answers that are all proper names of people/places that you don't know? I feel like this is where I end up like 25% of the time and it's frustrating because there's no way to "figure out" those answers if you don't know the names of the tennis player or Olympic athlete or Wisconsin lake that they're looking for.
― congratulations (n/a), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 18:50 (3 years ago) Permalink
you bitch about the writer/editor on the internet
― max, Tuesday, 23 February 2010 18:51 (3 years ago) Permalink
I just learned this weekend that there's a name for such an occurrence: it's a violation of the Natick Principle, a term coined by blogger Rex Parker in his review of a Brendan Emmett Quigley puzzle.
― Lusty Mo Frazier (jaymc), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 18:57 (3 years ago) Permalink
But does n/a constitute 1/4 of the solving public by himself? Maybe he caught a bad break because two out of three of those guys are xword favorites.
― The Great Rick Roll Swindle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 19:08 (3 years ago) Permalink
It was the one from the Onion this past week, which was pretty easy but the three I'm missing are: "Wimbledon winner in 1988 and 1990" (I've got ***erg), "Body of water by the University of Wisconsin" (lakemen*ota), and "Family name of twin Olympic skiers Phil and Steve" (mahr*). I just don't know tennis players, skiers, or lakes, I guess.
― congratulations (n/a), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 19:20 (3 years ago) Permalink
I don't feel like any of those are super obscure or hard, probably, it's just frustrating to get that close to being done and then get stuck and have to quit because there's no way to work those out.
― congratulations (n/a), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 19:23 (3 years ago) Permalink
the lake was a gimme (since i drive past it every day and all), and i guessed on the other vowels. but in general i hate those kinds of crossings.
― rinse the lemonade (Jordan), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 19:30 (3 years ago) Permalink
esteemed tennis player johan phlerg
― johnny crunch, Tuesday, 23 February 2010 19:31 (3 years ago) Permalink
i hate this kind of shit, there was something in Sunday's NYT like that
― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 23 February 2010 19:32 (3 years ago) Permalink
Once you are stuck like that you might as well look them up.
― The Great Rick Roll Swindle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 19:35 (3 years ago) Permalink
Only one I know for sure is the tennis player. I have a guess on the skiers, but that's only because I think I've seen the name in a crossword before. Don't know the lake.
― Lusty Mo Frazier (jaymc), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 19:40 (3 years ago) Permalink
http://www.oneacross.com/
― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 23 February 2010 19:40 (3 years ago) Permalink
Tbh, that kind of crossing probably might happen more in a Tausig or a BEQ or, based on what I saw yesterday, a Fireball puzzle than in the Times. Although what sometimes happens to me in one of those big puzzles is there will be a little trainwreck crossing (one crosses the other two) of (1) Proper Name I Don't Know (2) Funky Abbreviation or Unknown Crosswordese(3) Strangely Misspelled Theme Answer, which is probably what got Mr. Que on Sunday.
― The Great Rick Roll Swindle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 20:33 (3 years ago) Permalink
Then there's the "is that really a word, or just a verb with a suffix attached to make a new noun?" on Saturday.
― The Great Rick Roll Swindle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 20:34 (3 years ago) Permalink
tausig & matt jones puzzles are usually pretty tight (and forgiving) imo
― rinse the lemonade (Jordan), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 20:41 (3 years ago) Permalink
it was ENISLE and ALERS
― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 23 February 2010 20:44 (3 years ago) Permalink
94A: Strand: ENISLE 91D: Yanks and others ALERS
still don't get the Yanks thing?
― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 23 February 2010 20:47 (3 years ago) Permalink
Yanks = Yankees = members of the American League = ALers
― Lusty Mo Frazier (jaymc), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 20:48 (3 years ago) Permalink
ALers
― max, Tuesday, 23 February 2010 20:48 (3 years ago) Permalink
ah. gotcha. thanks! sometimes i get so stuck on my first definition of a clue, i can't think of others. in this case i thought ALERS was a collection of people who make/drink beer
― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 23 February 2010 20:49 (3 years ago) Permalink
Heh, in that same Rex Parker post I linked to earlier, there was this comment from Joon Pahk about ALER:
one of my earliest puzzles included ALER with the clue [Brewer before 1997, e.g.]. everybody who solved it said 1) ugh, ALER; and 2) what's the 1997 doing in there? they thought i was using ALER to mean one who makes ale.
― Lusty Mo Frazier (jaymc), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 20:50 (3 years ago) Permalink
except for that Sunday's was pretty satisfying
― Mr. Que, Tuesday, 23 February 2010 20:54 (3 years ago) Permalink
Ha, jaymc, did anyone mention ALEGAR in that link which I can't see right now?
― The Great Rick Roll Swindle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 21:05 (3 years ago) Permalink
Anyway, I'm finally used to ALER, but I too hated ENISLE.
― The Great Rick Roll Swindle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 21:11 (3 years ago) Permalink
i haven't been following this thread but i have a complaint to crossword creators everywhere:
EMAG and EZINE aren't real words. not even salon editors use them. please stop putting them in your puzzles. thanks
― abanana, Tuesday, 23 February 2010 21:17 (3 years ago) Permalink
I agree with you about EMAG. However: EZINE is in Webster's.
― Lusty Mo Frazier (jaymc), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 21:27 (3 years ago) Permalink
loved this week's inkwell, esp. "song they played over and over at this jamaican resort my wife and i went to" and "improve the taste of, generally"
― rinse the lemonade (Jordan), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 21:32 (3 years ago) Permalink
Haven't done it yet, but ha: he just got married in November. Must've been on their honeymoon.
― Lusty Mo Frazier (jaymc), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 21:35 (3 years ago) Permalink
You know something I don't even do Tausig's puzzles that often so I don't know what I'm talking about, maybe I'll sign up for that group and have them emailed.
― The Great Rick Roll Swindle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 23 February 2010 22:25 (3 years ago) Permalink
Here's a blog post I wrote about last weekend (purposely not hyperlinked):www.britannica.com/blogs/2010/02/dispatch-from-the-american-crossword-puzzle-tournament
― dylan's craggy larynx (jaymc), Thursday, 25 February 2010 16:46 (3 years ago) Permalink
― rinse the lemonade (Jordan), Tuesday, February 23, 2010 3:32 PM (2 days ago) Bookmark Suggest Ban Permalink
I enjoyed this puzzle too.
I'm trying to get back into doing crosswords regularly. When I worked at the office, I'd do the NYT puzzle (usually with coworkers) most days. I've been lazy about it since working at home, plus no access to the NYT.
― congratulations (n/a), Thursday, 25 February 2010 16:48 (3 years ago) Permalink
I finally did the puzzle and enjoyed it as well. Although I had a few errors in the top center: I had CAT for "Swinger?" and misspelled the Chinese guys name with a 'Z' so the arcade game came out NCAZAM. (I thought it might be some kind of Snoop Dogg expression). Maybe if I had actually read the clue more carefully and seen the word "basketball" I would have figured it out.
― The Great Rick Roll Swindle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 25 February 2010 19:40 (3 years ago) Permalink
Ha, already forgot about "Flower's Bud."
― The Great Rick Roll Swindle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 25 February 2010 19:42 (3 years ago) Permalink
Friday Times seems to be not too hard after pre-puzzle craziness.
jaymc, I read your blog post again when I saw it linked to, along with your friend's blog, at the official tournament site. Very nice.
― The Great Rick Roll Swindle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 26 February 2010 14:19 (3 years ago) Permalink
i've lost the ability to do cryptics again. just when i thought i was getting the hang of it.
― thomp, Friday, 26 February 2010 14:38 (3 years ago) Permalink
What cryptics are you doing exactly? There are some easy ones in the Fraser Simpson New Yorker books or, surprisingly perhaps, in the Mensa cryptic books by Cox and Rathvon, puzzles which were originally in a Canadian newspaper.
― The Great Rick Roll Swindle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 27 February 2010 02:52 (3 years ago) Permalink
jaymc, I just looked at the scoreboard again and noticed that you finished exactly eight places behind Ben Tausig.
― The Great Rick Roll Swindle (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 28 February 2010 02:48 (3 years ago) Permalink