The New York Times Crossword Puzzle thread
I had originally spelled idiolect as ideolect. Took me a while to fix that.
To set the record straight, I've been informed that the above definition of "dank memes" is incorrect and that the term applies to un-PC but funny memes. According to the Daily Dot, whatever that is, I'm about five years late to the table on this one.
The online version of today’s puzzle includes a special treat for solvers. Just a heads-up to pencil pushers who might want to give it a try.
Added bonus: a Philly hoops clue.
DaveSchmidt said:
The online version of today’s puzzle includes a special treat for solvers. Just a heads-up to pencil pushers who might want to give it a try.
Added bonus: a Philly basketball clue.
I can see how today's solution might have a downward graphical treatment, as it were.
Interesting post about vowelless crosswords, which I'd never heard of before. The .PUZ files are compatible with AcrossLite.
https://www.metafilter.com/175619/Dsmvwlld-Crsswrd-Pzzls
Dsmvwlld Crsswrd Pzzls July 28, 2018 8:00 AM Subscribe
Vowelless Crossword Puzzles from Peter Broda [1: .PUZ | .PDF] [2: .PUZ | .PDF], Neville Fogarty [.PUZ | .PDF], Trip Payne [.PUZ | .PDF], Andy Kravis [.PUZ], and Evan Birnholz [.PUZ | .PDF]. From Broda’s Made Without AEIOU introduction: A vowelless crossword is just like a regular crossword except that the grid contains only the consonants from each answer…Other than that, it's business as usual.
Links from the Setters’ names usually have easier versions of the puzzles, where each clues’ answers are enumerated. There’s also a much more difficult version of Birnholz’ puzzle featuring vowelless clues (.PUZ | .PDF), in case you solved the first five puzzles without breaking a sweat. Each of the puzzle constructors listed here have other things you can buy, but the six puzzles that are linked directly are free. Two of the most famous vowelless setters are strictly published in books you can buy (or in the NYT Crossword archive), but here’s a cheater Google Books link to one of Arthur Schulman’s vowelless crossword puzzles.
wow. Today's puzzle was a real head-slapper. I struggled and struggled until finally figuring out the gimmick. Very clever overall. We make assumptions about what clues mean and in this one, those assumptions were dead wrong.
Mistakenly putting TACO in for 36 down screwed me up for a while. And STEAMS for 51 across, also wrong. And BOOB for 43 across, wrong, wrong, wrong.
I was so excited to solve on Saturday. Took me forever to get the gimmick too. I use the app and this is the first time I can recall that the included an intentional visual misdirection.
Still don't get really get 11 across or 27 down - poorly clued.
I finisihed the Sunday Mag without understanding the theme/gimmick. Can someone explain?
The_Soulful_Mr_T said:
wow. Today's puzzle was a real head-slapper. I struggled and struggled until finally figuring out the gimmick. Very clever overall. We make assumptions about what clues mean and in this one, those assumptions were dead wrong.
Mistakenly putting TACO in for 36 down screwed me up for a while. And STEAMS for 51 across, also wrong. And BOOB for 43 across, wrong, wrong, wrong.
I had STEAMS too for awhile.
jimmurphy said:
I was so excited to solve on Saturday. Took me forever to get the gimmick too. I use the app and this is the first time I can recall that the included an intentional visual misdirection.
Still don't get really get 11 across or 27 down - poorly clued.
I agree - some weird clues.
bub said:
I finisihed the Sunday Mag without understanding the theme/gimmick. Can someone explain?
It was lame and you had to wait to the end to spell out "phantoms". How that relates to lost in the shuffle is up to you.
Edited to add that I looked it up on Rex Parker's blog and found that there's more to it. 2 word answers with one "phantom" letter missing.
bub said:
I finisihed the Sunday Mag without understanding the theme/gimmick. Can someone explain?
Same thing for me today. I kind of get it, but not really.
drummerboy said:
bub said:Same thing for me today. I kind of get it, but not really.
I finisihed the Sunday Mag without understanding the theme/gimmick. Can someone explain?
Spoiler alert. Each big answer has, phonically, an "uh" that makes the answer punny. Without the "e," "Oregon Transplant," would sound like "Organ Transplant," though the spelling is incorrect.
bub said:
drummerboy said:Spoiler alert. Each big answer has, phonically, an "uh" that makes the answer punny. Without the "e," "Oregon Transplant," would sound like "Organ Transplant," though the spelling is incorrect.
bub said:Same thing for me today. I kind of get it, but not really.
I finisihed the Sunday Mag without understanding the theme/gimmick. Can someone explain?
That's kind of what I thought. I saw that for coroner, but I just didn't get the other ones. I never made the jump from Oregon to Organ, for example.
oy
Not so bad. I found the Downs were manageable. A couple of minutes below my Friday average.
I'm blanking on most of the clues. This is one of those puzzles that seems to hit blank spots in my brain.
drummerboy said:
sheesh, today's is a toughie. can't get the last 25%
Yeah, I broke a long streak today. 42 down is bad, no such thing as 34 down, didn't know the start of 26 across, and while I got it, 20 across is awful.
Aalthough I got all but one of the big clues in the mag puzzle yesterday, it wasn't till I woke up this morning that I "got it" and was able to fill in the last one. I love when that happens. Stretches the pleasure of the puzzle into 2 days.
I thought Friday was harder than Saturday. Didn't really like the Sunday.
I just got around to finishing Thursday, and while I completed it, I don't get the theme.
Shoot. Now I get it.
Never mind.
it being Thursday and all, I struggled on and off with today’s puzzle. I competed it before too long but it was a real mess when I finished.
I'm catching up on the puzzles and just finished Sunday, Apr 28. For the life of me I don't get the theme, which was "Words of Introduction", and had a bunch of clues along the lines of "KIND words" and "SAFE words". I finished it, but damned if I know what it means.
drummerboy said:
I'm catching up on the puzzles and just finished Sunday, Apr 28. For the life of me I don't get the theme, which was "Words of Introduction", and had a bunch of clues along the lines of "KIND words" and "SAFE words". I finished it, but damned if I know what it means.
Rex Parker explains it all for you: http://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/2019/04/kind-words-sun-4-28-19-tributary-of.html
Kind of stupid, in my opinion.
zucca said:
drummerboy said:Rex Parker explains it all for you: http://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/2019/04/kind-words-sun-4-28-19-tributary-of.html
I'm catching up on the puzzles and just finished Sunday, Apr 28. For the life of me I don't get the theme, which was "Words of Introduction", and had a bunch of clues along the lines of "KIND words" and "SAFE words". I finished it, but damned if I know what it means.
Kind of stupid, in my opinion.
I keep on forgetting about Parker's blog....
I'm actually kind of surprised he didn't mind that theme, because it wasn't particularly satisfying or clever.
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I had The whole grid filled with an error (on the app). Was convinced it was on the dank but couldn’t figure it out. Finally gave up and revealed and the mistake was on idiolect.