"What a V-8 candidate must do."
If I encountered "Flower head" = CAULI, I would groan and smile.
If I encountered ""What may encircle a rising chopper" = GREENBELT I would groan and then get very angry.
― Taller than the president (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 5 October 2010 16:56 (thirteen years ago) link
Oh, I wasn't criticizing the *syntax* of your clue, Tracer, I just think that the general idea of it highlights the awkwardness of a phrase beginning with ISA or BEA. Since "V-8 candidate" would be a perfectly appropriate clue for just plain VEGETABLE, the extra letters in the fill look sort of clunky/ugly.
I should probably just go back to the drawing board with this one.
― jaymc, Tuesday, 5 October 2010 17:00 (thirteen years ago) link
yeah
"flower head" = cauli is demonically brilliant, i agree
― progressive cuts (Tracer Hand), Tuesday, 5 October 2010 17:01 (thirteen years ago) link
the extra letters in the fill look sort of clunky/ugly.
Even with a clue like "Constitutes a V-8 candidate" or "What a V-8 candidate must do," I should note.
Also, for what it's worth, I'd like to avoid straightforward references to vegetables, since this would be a theme entry.
― jaymc, Tuesday, 5 October 2010 17:04 (thirteen years ago) link
Thanks for the feedback on CAULI, though! That makes me feel a bit better about it.
― jaymc, Tuesday, 5 October 2010 17:06 (thirteen years ago) link
trying to come up with some thing like "not a mineral or animal" but it's a tough one
― the parking garage has more facebook followers than my band (Jordan), Tuesday, 5 October 2010 17:11 (thirteen years ago) link
There are three ways around this, as far as I'm concerned:
1. Clue it more innocuously, i.e. "Lies around in a stupor."2. Come up with another phrase that ends in VEGETABLE, is playful/idiomatic rather than literal (i.e., ROOTVEGETABLE wouldn't work), and contains 15 letters or less. (I couldn't.)3. Replace VEGETABLE altogether.
I don't want to get into the theme here, but I think #3 might be my best bet.
― jaymc, Tuesday, 5 October 2010 17:36 (thirteen years ago) link
Flower head for damaged ear or 180 in the Golden State (5)
Don't know what you should do about VEGETABLE exactly, but if your audience was ILM, maybe you could mention that Beach Boys song.
― redd cool card-pitt (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 5 October 2010 17:50 (thirteen years ago) link
oh oh! how about something like "ketchup _____ (Reagan claim)"
― the parking garage has more facebook followers than my band (Jordan), Tuesday, 5 October 2010 17:52 (thirteen years ago) link
Ha. That's a good one. Kind of a long partial, though!
― jaymc, Tuesday, 5 October 2010 18:02 (thirteen years ago) link
Actually kind of like where Jordan was going upthread: "Is not animal or mineral" = ISAVEGETABLE
At least I don't dislike it more than GREENBELT...
― Taller than the president (Dan Peterson), Tuesday, 5 October 2010 19:09 (thirteen years ago) link
Ken, did you happen to do this week's Fireball crossword? It was a vowelless crossword from Frank Longo. I'd never done of those before, but it was pretty fun!
― jaymc, Thursday, 7 October 2010 14:02 (thirteen years ago) link
Haven't done it yet, but I did a sample one before and then bought the book and did the first few. Yeah, it's a whole different animal from a regular crossword.
― redd cool card-pitt (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 7 October 2010 14:49 (thirteen years ago) link
I wonder how easy they'd be to make. I imagine there's a bit more flexibility, i.e., SCP could be SCOPE, SCOOP, ESCAPEE, etc.
― jaymc, Thursday, 7 October 2010 15:14 (thirteen years ago) link
Yes. As a solver, even after you've filled it in from the crosses you might not know what the answer is supposed to be. Or if you have a mistake it's harder to see it. I finally did the Fireball and I messed up the cross of 20A and 21D.
― redd cool card-pitt (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 8 October 2010 03:11 (thirteen years ago) link
As of this week, you don't need to wait a day to unlock the NYT puzzle to check your solution. Which is a good thing.
― my strange quest for maynesonge (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 12 October 2010 13:53 (thirteen years ago) link
Today's Halloween puzzle by Elizabeth C. Gorski is very nice and features a few answers that classical music fans may enjoy and one that will make jazz d-bags very happy.
― Gumby vs. Bridezilla (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 31 October 2010 13:46 (thirteen years ago) link
Did a Fireball called "Crossword Show-Off" that was a lot of fun.
― Blecch Market Cuckoo Clocks and Bangles (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 4 November 2010 17:27 (thirteen years ago) link
Was that the most recent one, Ken?
― jaymc, Thursday, 4 November 2010 17:57 (thirteen years ago) link
No, the most recent one is called "Swap Meet," which I haven't done yet, but for a second I thought it was the most recent one because for both of them PG recommended .pdf over .puz.
― Blecch Market Cuckoo Clocks and Bangles (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 4 November 2010 18:55 (thirteen years ago) link
Xan Vongsathorn is my new favorite constructor.
― Chinese Lox (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 28 November 2010 02:13 (thirteen years ago) link
I just printed out 10 Fireball xwords to do on the plane to Sydney next week.
― Domingo Halliburton (jaymc), Sunday, 28 November 2010 02:26 (thirteen years ago) link
They might have to put you in the hospital after you get off that plane!
― Chinese Lox (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 28 November 2010 02:53 (thirteen years ago) link
You should also print out 10 Washington Post Puzzlers for the return trip.
― Chinese Lox (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 28 November 2010 03:01 (thirteen years ago) link
(I wonder how many of those puzzles John has done so far)
― Sirk Douglas Quintet (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 3 December 2010 00:32 (thirteen years ago) link
Last Fireball of the year.
― One Oat Samba (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 10 December 2010 18:00 (thirteen years ago) link
Ha John, did you do today's Times?
― The Decline of British Cat Power (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 23 December 2010 22:08 (thirteen years ago) link
Ha. I started all of them but gave up on a few.
No, I let my subscription lapse, hoping that I'd get a new one for Christmas. :)
Should I check it out?
― Zsa Zsa Gay Bar (jaymc), Thursday, 23 December 2010 22:14 (thirteen years ago) link
last sunday's was nice
― bows don't kill people, arrows do (Jordan), Thursday, 23 December 2010 22:15 (thirteen years ago) link
Yes, John I think you have to do it.
Sunday's gimmick was nice but made solving it pretty hard
― The Decline of British Cat Power (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 23 December 2010 22:51 (thirteen years ago) link
i felt so proud of myself for catching on to the rebus, those usually mess me up
― bows don't kill people, arrows do (Jordan), Thursday, 23 December 2010 22:52 (thirteen years ago) link
Wanna e-mail me the .puz file (assuming you're able to)?
― Zsa Zsa Gay Bar (jaymc), Thursday, 23 December 2010 23:21 (thirteen years ago) link
Don't think... Oh wait
― The Decline of British Cat Power (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 24 December 2010 00:41 (thirteen years ago) link
Never knew that was Shaw!
― Zsa Zsa Gay Bar (jaymc), Friday, 24 December 2010 00:55 (thirteen years ago) link
So wonder when the first John Barry related DRNO clue will appear?
― Never Make Your Moog Too Soon (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 1 February 2011 02:51 (thirteen years ago) link
You coming in March, jaymc?
― Overend Wattstax (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 7 February 2011 19:18 (thirteen years ago) link
I'm not, alas. Decided to go to the EMP Conference instead. (Not that they're at the same time, but I just can't feasibly do both.)
― Tyler/Perry's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (jaymc), Monday, 7 February 2011 19:29 (thirteen years ago) link
Sure I get it. BBB is coming, no doubt.
― Overend Wattstax (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 7 February 2011 19:44 (thirteen years ago) link
Indeed.
― Tyler/Perry's "Dude (Looks Like a Lady)" (jaymc), Monday, 7 February 2011 19:44 (thirteen years ago) link
When will I learn that "surfing" in a crossword clue never has to do with The Beach Boys?
― Borad Brains (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 7 February 2011 21:57 (thirteen years ago) link
One month to go
― Poll Makossa (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 19 February 2011 02:23 (thirteen years ago) link
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 (thirteen years ago) link
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 (thirteen years ago) link
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.
http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-P9jAtFM-RI8/TWmv6bQSZEI/AAAAAAAAI_M/uXRkBTiUynA/s400/Feb27.jpg
― Du Musst Calamari Werden (Phil D.), Friday, 4 March 2011 21:15 (thirteen years ago) link
Slick.
― jaymc, Friday, 4 March 2011 21:18 (thirteen years ago) link
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 (thirteen years ago) link
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 (thirteen years ago) link
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 (thirteen years ago) link
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 (thirteen years ago) link
Oh yeah, of course
― ilxor astro-ilx? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 5 March 2011 16:53 (thirteen years ago) link