Yeah, exactly. Wonder if that's why registration is now required
― Why Does Redd People Never Want To Blecch? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 6 March 2012 13:42 (twelve years ago) link
Oh, I had no idea registration was required -- haven't used it in a couple of weeks.
― Cuba Pudding, Jr. (jaymc), Tuesday, 6 March 2012 13:56 (twelve years ago) link
I just noticed it today, don't think it was there last week
― Why Does Redd People Never Want To Blecch? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 6 March 2012 14:33 (twelve years ago) link
Maybe Tumblr dude created his own database as a reaction against Xword Info going registration-only?
― Cuba Pudding, Jr. (jaymc), Tuesday, 6 March 2012 14:46 (twelve years ago) link
Maybe. But I suspect he might have been one of the "screen scrapers" mentioned in the Xword Info FAQ.
― Why Does Redd People Never Want To Blecch? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 6 March 2012 14:56 (twelve years ago) link
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/03/17/technology/computer-matching-wits-with-humans-in-crossword-tournament.html?_r=2&ref=technology
(forgive me for being lazy and posting a link with no commentary, but I think the URL provides sufficient explanation)
― instant coffee happening between us (a passing spacecadet), Saturday, 17 March 2012 21:51 (twelve years ago) link
Dr. Fill, I presume.
― Cuba Pudding, Jr. (jaymc), Saturday, 17 March 2012 21:59 (twelve years ago) link
Anyone ACPT-ing this weekend? Ken?
― Cuba Pudding, Jr. (jaymc), Saturday, 17 March 2012 22:02 (twelve years ago) link
Yep. Right now I'm 93rd. They haven't graded Puzzle 5 yet which I think I did well on. But Puzzle 6 I had a mistake on a nasty cross, where I flipped a coin on the two possible letters and lost.
Rex Parker is sitting it out with food poisoning but Mrs. Parker is competing.
Merl R is there but he will not be announcing the final.
BBB did not come this year. I talked to Amy R for a second. I forgot to ask her if she knew you.
― Everything You POLL Is RONG (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 17 March 2012 23:32 (twelve years ago) link
Also saw some people I hadn't seen since summer of 1980, which was kind of interesting.
Going to go see some music now, which I may regret, because getting down to Brooklyn by 9AM is kind of brutal on a Sunday.
― Everything You POLL Is RONG (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 17 March 2012 23:45 (twelve years ago) link
are there any harder puzzles in America than NYT Saturdays? Not counting the Times of London one, which I know I could never do...
― Iago Galdston, Saturday, 17 March 2012 23:53 (twelve years ago) link
Peter Gordon's Fireball puzzles are up there. But you have to subscribe. You could try his Sunday Washington Post Puzzler first
― Everything You POLL Is RONG (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 17 March 2012 23:59 (twelve years ago) link
Was 64th after puzzle five, but missing the IEOH EEW crossing put me back to 78th.
Note: Peter instructed me earlier today to spread the word about Fireball, but I would have done so anyway.
― Everything You POLL Is RONG (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 18 March 2012 03:27 (twelve years ago) link
Amy and I have met a couple of times, and we're FB friends, but we probably haven't talked to each other for longer than 5-10 minutes.
― Cuba Pudding, Jr. (jaymc), Sunday, 18 March 2012 04:19 (twelve years ago) link
Wow, Anne E is in the lead right now, followed closely by Tyler
― Everything You POLL Is RONG (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 18 March 2012 12:33 (twelve years ago) link
Got a clean solve on Puzzle 7, so looks like I can hold my place around 80th. Final should be really interesting
― Everything You POLL Is RONG (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 18 March 2012 14:17 (twelve years ago) link
Looks like they found Anne had a mistake in puzzle one so she's dropped to fourth and now Dan F is in the top three. The guy in second I've never heard of but he's A division so he must have been in a final
― Everything You POLL Is RONG (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 18 March 2012 15:11 (twelve years ago) link
Announced all the rest so looks like final will be Dan, Anne and Tylet
― Everything You POLL Is RONG (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 18 March 2012 16:40 (twelve years ago) link
Tyler, of course
Liane Hansen is announcing the finals since Merl wrote the puzzle
― Everything You POLL Is RONG (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 18 March 2012 17:19 (twelve years ago) link
OK, the champ successfully defended against the prior champ and the newcomer.
My friend that I always go with had a bad break with little mistakes in three puzzles but he still managed to beat Dr. Fill. Best is when all your mistakes happen in one puzzle.
― Radio Boradman (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 18 March 2012 20:59 (twelve years ago) link
Really good puzzle by puzzle writeup here. http://throwingthings.blogspot.com/2012/03/i-am-just-ordinary-citizen-who-relies.html. Lots of spoilers of course.
― Radio Boradman (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 20 March 2012 18:44 (twelve years ago) link
is Dr. Fill a colleague of Dr. Beat's?
― 40oz of tears (Jordan), Tuesday, 20 March 2012 18:58 (twelve years ago) link
Haha.
― Radio Boradman (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 20 March 2012 19:15 (twelve years ago) link
Andrew Ries recap also pretty good. http://ariespuzzles.com/
― Radio Boradman (James Redd and the Blecchs), Thursday, 22 March 2012 18:43 (twelve years ago) link
so this is bothering me, from the AV Club crossword:
http://24.media.tumblr.com/tumblr_m2emonhr1p1qzb8z0o1_400.png
it's apparently the correct answer. has anyone ever come across a number in a crossword? and can someone explain how "E3CIST" is the answer to "One concerned with right and wrong"?
― JIM THOMETHEUS (zachlyon), Friday, 13 April 2012 06:16 (twelve years ago) link
It's not supposed to be "3", it's "THI"
― Godzilla vs. Rodan Rodannadanna (The Yellow Kid), Friday, 13 April 2012 06:31 (twelve years ago) link
so eTHIcist and THIrdeyeblind
oh, clever
let's never do that again
― JIM THOMETHEUS (zachlyon), Friday, 13 April 2012 07:05 (twelve years ago) link
that was a really stupid puzzle
― y'tulip, y'pea-brained earwig (donna rouge), Friday, 13 April 2012 07:11 (twelve years ago) link
http://www.quora.com/What-are-rebus-crossword-puzzles
― 40oz of tears (Jordan), Friday, 13 April 2012 12:34 (twelve years ago) link
i've never figured out how to enter rebus squares in across lite. it must be possible though?
― 40oz of tears (Jordan), Friday, 13 April 2012 12:35 (twelve years ago) link
NYT does rebus puzzles w/some regularity. And yeah, I'm not sure how to enter those squares in Across Lite, either.
Btw, theme of the AV Club puzzle this week, constructed by Matt Jones, (MINOR SPOILER AHOY) had to do with my employer, weirdly enough.
― Cuba Pudding, Jr. (jaymc), Friday, 13 April 2012 12:54 (twelve years ago) link
Did not do this puzzle yet, so avoiding any more spoilers.
For rebus entry in Across Lite use Edit> Insert > Multiple Letters. Crossword Solver has a REBUS button, and for some phone apps you double click on the square.
Rebuses typically but not always will appear in the Times on Thursday, I think. A few years ago they stopped doing them at the ACPT because they caused too many scoring problems, but other tournaments have them.
― Thunderword ESQ (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 13 April 2012 13:22 (twelve years ago) link
OK, I just did it. Considered mentioning that fact to jaymc then thought better of it, but now that I read his post I see that he mentioned it himself.
― Thunderword ESQ (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 13 April 2012 13:53 (twelve years ago) link
totally thought of jaymc when i did that puzzle
― 40oz of tears (Jordan), Friday, 13 April 2012 14:12 (twelve years ago) link
Just a couple weeks until the Marbles Crossword Tournament.
― i just believe in memes (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 14 April 2012 14:41 (twelve years ago) link
Marbles on today?
― Stars on 45 Fell on Alabama (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 28 April 2012 11:54 (twelve years ago) link
http://pmxwords.com/
― Stars on 45 Fell on Alabama (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 1 May 2012 15:43 (twelve years ago) link
ok, registered for crosswords LA (i plan on actually going to this one)
― madame boo berry (donna rouge), Monday, 7 May 2012 02:04 (twelve years ago) link
8th in my division! (rookie)
― madame boo berry (donna rouge), Sunday, 13 May 2012 02:11 (eleven years ago) link
and 33rd overall out of 87 people. not too bad!
― madame boo berry (donna rouge), Sunday, 13 May 2012 02:12 (eleven years ago) link
Awesome!
― The Unbassful Serpent (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 13 May 2012 02:53 (eleven years ago) link
What's the deal with the missing scores on Puzzle 2 and 3? Did you meet any famous xword people? Also I see that Andrea Carl Michaels both wrote a puzzle and competed, as she did at Lollapuzzoola.
― The Unbassful Serpent (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 13 May 2012 03:00 (eleven years ago) link
Sorry, Andrea Carla Michaels
― The Unbassful Serpent (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 13 May 2012 03:03 (eleven years ago) link
Also, slight weird thing that website has summary info from last year but scores from today.
― The Unbassful Serpent (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 13 May 2012 03:04 (eleven years ago) link
yeah apparently those are not the legit scores, because i got an email today saying i came in 15th place overall (!!!)
the final puzzle before the finals was a group thing, and i got paired up with andrea!
― madame boo berry (donna rouge), Sunday, 13 May 2012 20:09 (eleven years ago) link
That's great news. Does that mean you came in fourth in the Rookie division?
I talked to Andrea for a split second at Lollapuzzoola. She seemed pretty nice.
― The Unbassful Serpent (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 13 May 2012 20:41 (eleven years ago) link
http://www.smh.com.au/world/a-plot-or-not-a-plot-crossword-puzzles-intelligence-agents-as-probe-into-kill-answer-ridiculed-20120513-1ykgd.html
― Pot Leeedom (Leee), Sunday, 13 May 2012 21:33 (eleven years ago) link
not sure about the rookie standings yet, that would be pretty sweet tho
― madame boo berry (donna rouge), Sunday, 13 May 2012 22:03 (eleven years ago) link