I need to forget I saw that.
― Andrew Farrell, Thursday, 26 November 2020 14:33 (three years ago) link
Same probably
― sound of scampo talk to me (El Tomboto), Thursday, 26 November 2020 16:55 (three years ago) link
Do any of you guys do the Stumper? Can't remember if I asked.
― Robert Gotopieces (James Redd and the Blecchs), Saturday, 28 November 2020 23:19 (three years ago) link
I do it, but check answers a lot
― Wayne Grotski (symsymsym), Sunday, 29 November 2020 00:40 (three years ago) link
Finished 137 in Boswords, that's about as high as I could have expected
the newsday stumper? haven’t done one in awhile. i love a challenging xword but the stumpers are such a slog
― donna rouge, Sunday, 29 November 2020 01:24 (three years ago) link
came across ‘org. that tracks baby name popularity’ but JAYMC didn’t fit
― mookieproof, Sunday, 27 December 2020 11:45 (three years ago) link
Naticked today.
― Sammy Agar-Agar (Leee), Saturday, 16 January 2021 18:56 (three years ago) link
50A / 43D?
― Andrew Farrell, Saturday, 16 January 2021 19:44 (three years ago) link
That and 34D.
― Sammy Agar-Agar (Leee), Saturday, 16 January 2021 19:57 (three years ago) link
OK I solved it after looking up 56A -- as I was deciding between CORNISH PASTA and CORNISH PASTE. (I wish I weren't so beholden to maintaining THE STREAK.)
― Sammy Agar-Agar (Leee), Sunday, 17 January 2021 02:32 (three years ago) link
The last Evan Birnholtz wapo crossword of 2020, "5x5", is a meta around three layers deep, something you don't see very often.
― wasdnuos (abanana), Monday, 18 January 2021 06:11 (three years ago) link
Here's the solution if you don't like doing metas: https://crosswordfiend.com/2020/12/26/sunday-december-27-2020/#wp
― wasdnuos (abanana), Monday, 18 January 2021 06:17 (three years ago) link
Big fan of the WSJ's monthly cryptic, but it seems to have ceased - nothing since October: https://blogs.wsj.com/puzzle/category/cryptic/
― mahb, Monday, 18 January 2021 09:51 (three years ago) link
It’s still there, WSJ is just bad at labeling. You can find all the links here: http://chall.us/hex/hex_all_wsj.html
― Michael F Gill, Monday, 18 January 2021 15:20 (three years ago) link
Thanks. I often can’t find that as well.
― Next Time Might Be Hammer Time (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 18 January 2021 15:26 (three years ago) link
i really liked last saturday’s nyt. extremely tricky and non-obvious
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Monday, 18 January 2021 15:30 (three years ago) link
https://studyhall.xyz/how-the-new-york-times-crossword-became-too-big-to-fail/
― Next Time Might Be Hammer Time (James Redd and the Blecchs), Friday, 29 January 2021 16:03 (three years ago) link
yesspeaking of recent out-of-touch missteps, “HASHTAG” is not the same thing as the pound/hash symbol 🙄
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Friday, 29 January 2021 16:38 (three years ago) link
While I am in broad agreement with the tenor of that piece, I gotta say that this sentence
Born to Arabian horse farmers in Indiana in 1952, crosswords were Shortz’ lifelong passion.
Threw me for a minute until I realized that it was the horses who were Arabian, and the crosswords were the passion.
― Copybara / pasteybara (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 29 January 2021 16:45 (three years ago) link
Does one “farm” horses?
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Friday, 29 January 2021 16:47 (three years ago) link
same
― mookieproof, Friday, 29 January 2021 16:47 (three years ago) link
speaking of recent out-of-touch missteps, “HASHTAG” is not the same thing as the pound/hash symbol 🙄
This was my first thought too, but I guess people do call the symbol itself a hashtag at this point: https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hashtag
― Vaguely Threatening CAPTCHAs, Friday, 29 January 2021 17:28 (three years ago) link
No, one raises them, and those who did are IIRC called ranchers instead. I had a similar stumble reading that, on top of which I thought it was saying that Shortz was Arab.
― RandPaul's Drag Race (Leee), Friday, 29 January 2021 18:21 (three years ago) link
Wow, KAC not pulling ANY punches in his constructor notes for today's puzzle (filled grid spoilers on that page of course):
https://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=2/6/2021
― Mike Mignola Electric Co. (Leee), Saturday, 6 February 2021 18:06 (three years ago) link
And an excellent, smooth solve for the puzzle itself. I'm a little astonished that he's only been in the NYT 15 times, since he's one of my favorite constructors.
― Mike Mignola Electric Co. (Leee), Saturday, 6 February 2021 18:08 (three years ago) link
A great puzzle with a bunch of surprising answers.
― baelien (Ye Mad Puffin), Saturday, 6 February 2021 18:17 (three years ago) link
Wow that’s a seriously great essay from Collins
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Saturday, 6 February 2021 18:31 (three years ago) link
Loved yesterday’s too
i mean, there are many ways you could clue “PORT” - i love it when it’s this chewy
― Li'l Brexit (Tracer Hand), Saturday, 6 February 2021 18:35 (three years ago) link
virtual ACPT next weekend - anyone signed up?https://www.acptonline.com/event-details/43rd-american-crossword-puzzle-tournament-1
― donna rouge, Friday, 16 April 2021 02:37 (three years ago) link
Rex Parker OTM about today’s NYT puzzle: This is a puzzle with a dense, multi-layered, architecturally impressive theme, and I viscerally disliked almost every second of solving it. Torture.
― donna rouge, Sunday, 16 May 2021 19:56 (three years ago) link
I stopped doing Sunday puzzles a few months ago. It's been a freeing feeling.
― justfanoe (Greg Fanoe), Sunday, 16 May 2021 20:37 (three years ago) link
Such a slog, even when I got it down to under ten minutes for a while- and still wasn’t competitive!
― Working in the POLL Mine (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 16 May 2021 20:38 (three years ago) link
Rex Parker in hate-solving shocker.
I'm still all about minis/variety puzzles/cryptics, although lately I've been on Nikoli kick.
― Michael F Gill, Sunday, 16 May 2021 21:14 (three years ago) link
Heh. Rex Parker a lot nicer in real life but yeah.
― Working in the POLL Mine (James Redd and the Blecchs), Sunday, 16 May 2021 21:22 (three years ago) link
I had a tough time but eventually finished. If I'd thought to look at the title I would probably have gotten the theme significantly faster - but then I'm pretty used to solving conventionally before seeing the themey stuff.
― cardio free europe (Ye Mad Puffin), Sunday, 16 May 2021 21:47 (three years ago) link
Rex isn't my bag at all, so I try to not take too many cues from him. Today WAS tough, but I enjoyed it! I felt like I earned that A-HA. I think Jeff Chen had a good idea about ways that could've improved the execution, though.
― Tahini Coates (Leee), Sunday, 16 May 2021 21:56 (three years ago) link
I Like Sunday for basically just being 4 Mondays sellotaped together.
― Andrew Farrell, Monday, 17 May 2021 15:35 (three years ago) link
Heh. Good description.
― Working in the POLL Mine (James Redd and the Blecchs), Monday, 17 May 2021 15:41 (three years ago) link
The first of the black boxes that I got was FLU, and I thought each one was going to be a different illness for which there's a vaccine. As high concept as the theme was, I was disappointed when that didn't end up being it.
― Lavator Shemmelpennick, Wednesday, 19 May 2021 19:23 (three years ago) link
Yeah the theme would definitely have made more sense if I'd known the title beforehand. I had SET, FLU, and RIM and saw nothing that could link them.
― balsamic panic (Ye Mad Puffin), Wednesday, 19 May 2021 19:55 (three years ago) link
In fairness, I don't think I've ever heard of 'set shot' before?
― Andrew Farrell, Wednesday, 19 May 2021 20:40 (three years ago) link
it's a basketball term
― Tracer Hand, Wednesday, 19 May 2021 21:38 (three years ago) link
I did not like Thursday's, especially since I got stuck and left it and completely forgot to try to finish it, thus ending my nascent streak.
― Elementary, My Dear Hoatzin (Leee), Saturday, 22 May 2021 00:13 (three years ago) link
Is today's NYT puzzle a themeless, i.e. not a rebus? I'm getting naticked, AGAIN.
― BABA BUOY (Leee), Friday, 2 July 2021 18:21 (three years ago) link
Today has no rebuses, no. The long answers are multi-word, but not unsolvable imo
― I can yeet a yeti (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 2 July 2021 18:47 (three years ago) link
I didn't know 32A or 56A but the downs worked
― I can yeet a yeti (Ye Mad Puffin), Friday, 2 July 2021 18:48 (three years ago) link
I had an error elsewhere yesterday which I finally caught. Streak still intact, with minimal cheating.
Today's another hard one, but I liked the bottom half a lot. The cluing for the NW felt too slippery for me, though.
― BABA BUOY (Leee), Saturday, 3 July 2021 18:59 (three years ago) link
today's NW featured a word i was wholly unfamiliar with -- which, fine, i learned something new -- and a form of a common word that i don't believe anyone has ever used. all of which really exposed my supernatural-teen-drama-protagonist weakness. probably spent half of my total time in that corner
― mookieproof, Saturday, 3 July 2021 19:22 (three years ago) link