Which river missed you up?
― When I Stop Meming (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 18 September 2011 20:13 (thirteen years ago) link
Oh, nothing in particular, just something that I've always been meaning to shore up. (ARNO? ELDO? EHRE?)
― Leee, Lord of Wtfomgham (Leee), Sunday, 18 September 2011 22:29 (thirteen years ago) link
ELDO? Do you mean EBRO?EHRE? That's the German word for "honor," don't know the riverAs for ARNO, I think the most important thing about it is not to confuse it with Thomas ARNE, composer of "Rule, Britannia!"
― When I Stop Meming (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 18 September 2011 23:32 (thirteen years ago) link
Today's Jonesin' puzzle, "Juggler's Blues," is awesome: http://groups.google.com/group/jonesin-crosswords
― When I Stop Meming (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 20 September 2011 14:57 (thirteen years ago) link
yeah nice! thanks for the recommendation!
― symsymsym, Tuesday, 20 September 2011 15:54 (thirteen years ago) link
nice. i always do jonesin' in my local free weekly, but the puzzles are consistently 2 weeks behind the online version (or whatever gets posted at crosswordfiend).
― hardcore oatmeal (Jordan), Tuesday, 20 September 2011 18:06 (thirteen years ago) link
This week's Jonesin' wasn't bad either.
― When I Stop Meming (James Redd and the Blecchs), Wednesday, 28 September 2011 15:01 (twelve years ago) link
Joon Pahk is everywhere!
― An Outcast From Time's Feast (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 15 October 2011 02:36 (twelve years ago) link
OK, Patrick Berry's contest this week in the NYT? Pretty amazing.
― A Lip in the Blandscape (jaymc), Saturday, 22 October 2011 18:45 (twelve years ago) link
Didn't even try the metapuzzle until a few minutes ago. Pretty cool.
― An Outcast From Time's Feast (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 22 October 2011 21:14 (twelve years ago) link
Wow, lots of people entered that contest. http://wordplay.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/24/drawing-contest/
For the record, we received 4,763 entries in the contest, of which 4,576 were correct.
― An Outcast From Time's Feast (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 25 October 2011 13:49 (twelve years ago) link
Here I will admit that, before I figured out the "fill in the circle" bit and just had a bunch of scrambled letters, I thought the "leader" was "Justice Scalia."
― A Lip in the Blandscape (jaymc), Tuesday, 25 October 2011 14:09 (twelve years ago) link
Ha, before I did that my first guess was "Judas Iscariot" but I couldn't figure out how that was going to play and couldn't think of anything else.
― An Outcast From Time's Feast (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 25 October 2011 14:12 (twelve years ago) link
jaymc, I have an idea for you: for November 11, 2011 you should write an "eleven" themed crossword. oh wait
― Miss Piggy and Frodo in Hull (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 12 November 2011 03:06 (twelve years ago) link
Sorry.
I did the Patrick B. puzzle package that come out end of last year but never got most of the metas. Have until Valentine's Day I guess. Have since taken a break from doing regular-style crosswords and have focused on cryptics instead but I probably need to switch back soon.
― I Don't Believe You've Met M. Bébé (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 15 January 2012 18:22 (twelve years ago) link
Just did this month's Patrick Blindauer puzzle which had a good twist.http://www.patrickblindauer.com/play.html
― Why Does Redd People Never Want To Blecch? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 4 March 2012 20:53 (twelve years ago) link
So I wrote a tiny search engine for The New York Times crossword - spanning 15 years worth of clues and answers as a little weekend project. There are 432,205 clues from Oct 23rd 1996 to the end of 2011.
http://donohoe.tumblr.com/post/18789743183/nytimes-crossword-search
― mookieproof, Tuesday, 6 March 2012 00:39 (twelve years ago) link
http://gawker.com/5890676/new-york-times-crossword-puzzlemaster-updates-his-definition-of-ill
― 40oz of tears (Jordan), Tuesday, 6 March 2012 00:41 (twelve years ago) link
wtf at SEXT being an answer to a clue to a recent Sunday puzzle.
Also been wondering, is finishing a puzzle in say under 10 minutes something that becomes achievable through practice alone, or do specific techniques have a significant impact on one's time?
― Nude Gingrich (Leee), Tuesday, 6 March 2012 05:52 (twelve years ago) link
To do a weekday puzzle, an early in the week puzzle? No special technique, just practice, and eventually you can do a Monday puzzle in five or maybe four minutes. To get to three, maybe two minutes now that's when people are using the hand-eye
― Why Does Redd People Never Want To Blecch? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 6 March 2012 10:30 (twelve years ago) link
Well, I guess this is not physical technique per se, but one thing that helps is to be aware of the kind of words that are always in puzzles, to try to be thinking of the answer from the letters in the grid before you even look at the clues
― Why Does Redd People Never Want To Blecch? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 6 March 2012 10:51 (twelve years ago) link
aargh. Just did yesterday's and today's puzzle and made stupid mistakes in each.
― Why Does Redd People Never Want To Blecch? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 6 March 2012 11:36 (twelve years ago) link
Wonder where that guy got his NYTImes database from. Also, just had to donate to xword info to get access.
― Why Does Redd People Never Want To Blecch? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 6 March 2012 11:43 (twelve years ago) link
Don't need to log in on iPhone yet though
― Why Does Redd People Never Want To Blecch? (James Redd and the Blecchs), Tuesday, 6 March 2012 12:28 (twelve years ago) link
Um...http://www.xwordinfo.com/Finder
― Cuba Pudding, Jr. (jaymc), Tuesday, 6 March 2012 13:13 (twelve years ago) link
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