Architect Jones / MON 4-29-13 / Much-advertised vacuum cleaner / Frontiersman Carson / Pioneers' convoy / Treelike creature in Lord of Rings / Grounded trans-Atlantic fliers for short

Monday, April 29, 2013

Constructor: C.W. Stewart

Relative difficulty: Medium


THEME: actors' favorite foods — possessive phrases that rhyme

Theme answers:
  • 17A: Actor Charlie's favorite food? (SHEEN'S BEANS)
  • 24A: Actress Hilary's favorite food? (SWANK'S FRANKS)
  • 31A: Actress Veronica's favorite food? (LAKE'S CAKES)
  • 45A: Actor Brad's favorite food? (PITT'S GRITS)
  • 50A: Actor Dudley's favorite food? (MOORE'S S'MORES)
  • 63A: Actress Goldie's favorite food? (HAWN'S PRAWNS) 
Word of the Day: EROSE (22A: Jagged, as a leaf's edge) —
adj.
Irregularly notched, toothed, or indented: erose leaves.

[From Latin ērōsus, past participle of ērōdere, to gnaw off. See erode.]
• • •

Theme is thin and also odd, phrasing-wise. If actor John Hamm's favorite food were yams, under no circumstances would anyone anywhere ever use the phrase HAMM'S YAMS. I like pies, but PARKER'S PIES makes no sense. Possessive does not indicate "favorite." It just makes no sense. Theme also seems like it could be extended forever—actors and foods seem arbitrary. I'd've gone with KITT over PITT, but that's a matter of taste (specifically, my taste for Ks). Oh, I guess you couldn't do KITT'S with this grid as it is since KIT (34D: Frontiersman Carson) intersects it. Still, I probably would've reworked the grid to get KITT. But PITT is fine. Nothing wrong with PITT. Why am I still talking about this? OK, moving on—then there's the fill, which is subpar today. When you have an easy-to-fill grid like this, there shouldn't be so much short / dull / awkward stuff. I could enumerate it, but why? EROSE is bad fill whenever it appears, but on a Monday? No. ANO ANI API OVI. It's a lot to take. The muckiest part is the SE—TNUT and SSTS (61D: Grounded trans-Atlantic fliers, for short) are just tired, but cross them with the unforgivable PSSTS (plural!?), and you have one hell of a mess. The one big bright spot today is I KID YOU NOT. Wonderful. Wish there was more colorful, playful stuff like that.


MOORE and S'MORE do not rhyme in my world. So that's another thing.

Signed, Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld

78 comments:

jae 12:05 AM  

Tough for a Mon. with quite a few non-Monday answers...INIGO, AARE, API, EROSE, ALEUT... You only know these if you've done a lot of puzzles. And,  if you are going to use INIGO on Mon., you should probably go with The Princess Bride.  Montoya comes up first when you type INIGO into google, Jones is third. 

I'm with Rex on this one.  The theme seems aritrary/forced and the SE corner is just ugly.

retired_chemist 12:14 AM  

Difficulty - medium here too.

I take the point of the weaknesses in some of the fill, but I thought more highly of the theme than Rex. Couldn't get it until I plodded through enough of the crosses for 17A, from which SHEEN'S BEANS appeared. That tipped me off how to handle the rest of them. I did think of MOORE'S S'MORES but it seemed, well, wrong, so I didn't put it in until crosses forced it.

1D started as GULP - easily fixed. INIGO Jones is kinds exotic for a Monday, no?

ANO must hold the record for potential clue variation for 3 letter words. The present one (42A), Request from Vanna, A year in Spain, and of course another Spanish word if the tilde is omitted.

Thanks, Mr. Stewart.

Ellen S 12:34 AM  

Here I am early -- a byproduct of doing the Sunday puzzle about an hour ago.

I think I've heard Brits pronounce "Moore" to rhyme with "S'more", but maybe someone who actually knows will weigh in on that.

What usually follows "//" in a URL is HTTP, but who's counting. Applying the Kerfuffle Principle, "WWW" is fine.

Otherwise, I'd think even if a person never did anything but Mondays, he'd know most of these answers.

chefwen 2:05 AM  

Ended up with one error, didn't know INIGO and ended up with IrIGO, forgot singer DeFranco's first name and took a bad guess ArI looked good to me at the time. Wrong.

Like @Rex, didn't like MOORES S'MORES, just didn't fit with the rest of the theme answers.

Am thrilled that our MANGO tree this year is producing a major amount of fruit. Last year we got about three mangoes off of the little guy, this year about 50 are growing. I feel like a proud mommy.

Two write-overs, spelled BIER incorrectly at first and had let IN before SAW IN at 52D.

I wonder how many of the younger generation will know VERONICA LAKE.

chefwen 2:07 AM  

ARI not ARL. DOH!

Anonymous 2:08 AM  

Possessives can imply the notion of being favorite. Imagine you're in a club and a song comes on, and your friend yells "that's my jam!" The possessive clearly indicates favorite, no?

Unknown 2:16 AM  

Easy for me. Down-clues only solve took 13 mins with no mistakes or real hiccups. Theme answers helped a lot as did some obvious across fill.

areas cobra mooressmores 2:16 AM  

Snooki's Cookies?
Worry, that's all I've got.

Must echo that INIGO, EROSE, AARE not good for Monday, nor PSSTS/SSTS.

However, there were six of them.

Normally just rhymes does not fly with WIll, but these were all well known actor's, 3 men, 3 women, all eras.
So it must have tickled him.

Here's another idea...
actual things, like DRAKESCAKES but defined more contemporarily:
eg "Canadian Rapper's Hostess snacks?"

Benko 2:36 AM  

Took a minute longer than most Mondays due to awkwardness of fill, especially on top half. Bottom half was a breeze, some of it too easy.
Don't know about the theme. Especially disliked Moore's S'mores.
INIGO Jones was second nature to me. I lived in Amsterdam for 5 years and watched a lot of BBC while I was there. They mention INIGO Jones all the time.

ahsieh 2:43 AM  

Re thinness of theme: Aren't beans, franks, (ash/hoe/johnny)cakes, grits, s'mores, and prawns all things you cook over a campfire or barbecue? For a moment I thought "wagon train" was somehow related too, but then its counterpart "I kid you not" made that doubtful.

Jack McDavid 3:31 AM  

@ahsieh -- Grillin grits is not a great idea.

Mike 4:02 AM  

@ Ellen S: the http goes before the slashes and the www after. I had to think about that for a minute myself.

Loren Muse Smith 6:10 AM  

Fun theme, but I agree that it was hard for a Monday. That due south AREA got me – Naticked on the ANI/INIGE cross, but not knowing if it’s Orson or ORSEN messed me up, too.

So MOORE doesn’t rhyme with MORE? They rhyme for me.

@ - ahsieh - good thinking on the WAGON TRAIN vibe, but more than @Jack McDavid's GRITS, I don’t think PRAWNS would work. “Cookie, could you pass some jerky and that last Thai PRAWN and Chorizo Skewer this way?”

Liked SLIME spAWNing SLOP and LAVA, I KID YOU NOT!

I keep looking back at the grid and seeing PINTO to clarify exactly which BEANS Sheen prefers.

PSSTSSTS – there’s a COBRA in the AREA! Speaking of AREAS, there are a lot of AREAS in my house that have never seen an ORECK.

@Acme – Snooki’s cookies. Good one! I think you’ve said before that a sign of a good theme is that it sends us off to think of ones of our own. . ., So if we’re all at Gable’s Table, how about Ryder’s Sliders,
De Niro’s Gyros, Kelly’s Jellies, Streep’s Peeps, all washed down with Malkovich’s SLIVOVITZ?

Thanks, Ms. Stewart. Fun one!

Anonymous 6:49 AM  

I found this easy...didn't even read some of the clues, they just filled in....good start to the week

Bob Kerfuffle 6:50 AM  

Always slightly embarrassed to have a write-over on a Monday, but I threw in AMEBA at 27 A, "Lowlife", before crosses got me the correct SLIME.

@retired_chemist: As @loren muse smith gently notes, C. W. Stewart is a she.

OTD 6:55 AM  

What can I say that hasn't already been said? Not a well constructed puzzle, especially in the SE. And all that little three-word fill! Drives me nuts.

Did like I KID YOU NOT. Best part of the puzzle.

I, too, wonder who remembers Veronica Lake?

Z 6:56 AM  

8 minutes which puts it on the medium side of easy here.

This does sound like a WAGON TRAIN SORT of meal. No FASTS on the trail. I wonder where they got the PRAWNS.

48D was sEnd on then RESend before it was finally RESHIP.

Six POCs in the SE. New record?

Any puzzle that starts off with SHHEN'S BEANS is okay in my book.

Captcha news - the White House petition site uses the same captcha technology as blogger. 42 worked there for the obvious imaged word.

MetaRex 7:35 AM  

Liked the first four theme answers w/ their down-home medley of BEANS, FRANKS, GRITS, and S'MORES...PRAWNS didn't fit the pattern. More(Moore?)at Travolta's Ravoltas

evil doug 7:41 AM  

That's it? Food that rhymes with names? Only about a thousand of those to pick from. If I'm the Queen of Monday I start cranking out puzzles like crazy, because clearly Will is desperate for entertaining material.

When I decide to bail out of this place, this will be the puzzle that marks the beginning of the end--and it may not be far off if things don't pick up quick. The theme of the puzzle on the back of the Cap'n Crunch box has more pizzazz....

Evil

DBlock 8:01 AM  

Only thought re Veronica Lake for those under a certain age is the woman Kim Basinger's character is supposed to resemble in LA Confidential but even that is not a recent film although one of my 16 year old son's favorites.

Unknown 8:03 AM  

Well, Loren, this puzzle would have been MUCH more entertaining if it included STREEP'S PEEPS!

I saw Rex's tweet about PSSTS last night and had myself braced for lots of groaning this morning, but it wasn't as bad as I feared. But still, some of the clues were just yucky...I know this is Monday but sheesh.

And I agree, MOORE'S & S'MORES does not constitute a rhyme.

retired_chemist 8:22 AM  

My apologies to Ms. Stewart for my error in her gender.

AliasZ 8:22 AM  

GABBY Hayes (1885-1969) was a character actor, a sidekick of Western leading men like Roy Rogers, Gene Autry, Randolph Scott and John Wayne. He also had his own television show, titled - you guessed it - "The GABBY Hayes show." GABBY, together with GIG Young, Mae WEST, ORSON Bean, the LANES (Diane and Nathan), and of course the theme answers themselves, makes today's puzzle definitely deeper rooted in Hollywood than appears at first blush. Not to mention the CAPES of Dracula and Superman, and COBRA, the Sly Stallone role of 1986.

Cute theme, less than stellar execution, but I liked it.

pmdm 8:50 AM  

63A - What actress Goldie sells to patrons in a seafood restaurant

50A - What actor Dudley sells patrons in a camping store (UGH)

45A - What actor Brad sells to patrons in a diner down south

31A - What actress Veronica sells to patrons in a bakery

24A - What actress Hilary sells to patrons in a ballpark

17A - What actor Charlie sells to to accompany 24A

Methinks today's puzzle would have been more charming (and perhaps better received) if the cluing had been better thought out. Perhaps.

Milford 9:03 AM  

Cute Monday, liked that the actors were of different eras/talent and the foods were varied. BEANS and FRANKS were great together, makes me think of the zipper scene from "There's Something About Mary".

I thought that MOORE'S and S'MORES rhymed, but after saying it aloud a few times...still not sure what I think.

I don't think I've seen Veronica LAKE in a film, but I've certainly heard of her before.

Liked all the G-rated exclamations: GASP, BLESS ME, I KID YOU NOT. Also liked the NE with the WWW words, especially WAGON near WAGES.

chefbea 9:18 AM  

What a yummy easy puzzle. If you don't like it then you can fast!!

Moore's s'mores rhymes to me.

@Loren If you haven't used your oreck in a while...use your whisk broom to get the dirt out of the corners..my mother use to do that. Do they still make whisk brooms???

jackj 9:18 AM  

Maybe this puzzle should be titled “Esses are a Girl’s Best Friend” when it goes to syndication, reflecting that “S” is the most used letter in the puzzle; 27 times.

All the theme entries are plurals, of course, but pluralizing words like PSST or PAR just make for plurals of convenience (or of constructing necessity) and they’re nothing to write home about.

The theme has a TV Guide-ish feel to it with nary a soupcon of the sophistication normally found in a Times puzzle, but it’s Monday (and it’ll make a lot of newbies happy solvers).

The theme entries were, um, ah, well, they rhymed, (even MOORESSMORES), and they all paired food and actors (though SHEEN might be on the acting cusp).

The best was LAKESCAKES, mainly for the imagery of blonde beauty Veronica LAKE with her right eye hidden by her iconic “peekaboo” hairstyle (though digging into her past might negate the theme entry when we learn that she was born Constance Ockelman and it would be a rare food indeed that rhymed with OCKELMAN).

No matter, but it would be too bad if we lost her to a chintzy substitute like (Sharon) STONES SCONES or (Conrad) NAGELS BAGELS.

The long fill was good, with WAGONTRAIN and especially the cheerful phrase, IKIDYOUNOT, with supporting entries like WHISK, SLOP, SLIME and RASCALS also helping to make for an interesting grid.

(I’ve heard of the prayer version of BLESS ME (Oh Lord) but don’t believe there is a lot of support for it when clued as “Well, I’ll be!”)

All my prattling was meant to damn it with faint praise but seems to have ended up as praising it with faint damn.

Whatever, it made for an easy, fun start to our puzzling week.

Thanks, Carolyn.

Carola 9:30 AM  

I like the puzzle a lot more after reading the comments. To the Hollywood Western and WAGON-TRAIN sub-theme, I'd add SLOP, recalling scenes where somebody dumps their tin plate in disgust with the line, "I ain't eatin' any more of your SLOP!"

@Milford - I imagined this conversational snippet, after some sensational ASSERTion:
GASP!
"I KID YOU NOT!"
"BLESS ME!"

lawprof 9:35 AM  

Because Mondays are supposed to be relatively easy, many solvers insert little contrivances to make them more challenging, e.g., using only the across clues without reference to the downs (or vice versa) or solving from the bottom up, or writing the answers backwards etc.

In this case, I got the theme almost immediately with SHEENSBEANS, and so I tried to pick up the theme answers first, before completing the rest of the puzzle. It took me a little longer than a typical Monday, but made it a lot more fun.

lawprof 9:36 AM  

Because Mondays are supposed to be relatively easy, many solvers insert little contrivances to make them more challenging, e.g., using only the across clues without reference to the downs (or vice versa) or solving from the bottom up, or writing the answers backwards etc.

In this case, I got the theme almost immediately with SHEENSBEANS, and so I tried to pick up the theme answers first, before completing the rest of the puzzle. It took me a little longer than a typical Monday, but made it a lot more fun.

lawprof 9:40 AM  

Sorry for the double comment. Captcha told me it didn't recognize my entry and to try again. It apparently lied.

John V 10:02 AM  

Monday, easy, just right, to me. Accessible to newbies, silly, okay. Not meant for the Friday crowd, after all.

Notsofast 10:11 AM  

This was a very different feeling Monday. I don't think a greenhorn solver would have liked it. It wasn't easy. And it wasn't playful or clever, really. It contained too much crossword dreck. Finally, FWIW, here in North Carolina, MOORE and S'MORE rhyme.

Mr. Benson 10:12 AM  

If you can cross PSSTS with SSTS, then I see no reason why you can't crosss KITT with KIT.

Eric 10:42 AM  

High Point: INIGO...as in, "Hello, my name is INIGO Montoya, you killed my father, prepare to die!"

Low Point: PSSTS / SSTS. Ugh. Really? You're that hard up for consonants and plurals that this mess absolutely had to happen? Oy vey.

Prettiest Word: Uhhhhh, not much to choose from here. I'd say WHISK simply because I love over-pronouncing the H in WH words....but still, no real juicy words at all in this puzzle.

Most apropos word that perfectly describes this puzzle: DRAB

Best marketing idea to come out of this puzzle: SHEEN'S BEANS!!! Charlie Cheen sold his soul long ago, so one could imagine that after his TV/movie career eventually careens off a cliff (again), perhaps he'll venture into the world of culinary self-promotion.

Lest we forget, "Trump Steaks," which were quizzically sold exclusively at the Sharper Image.

quilter1 10:43 AM  

Easy here. INIGO was in my data base, just loved I KID YOU NOT, BLESS ME, and MOORES S'MORES rhymes in Iowa--my favorite theme answer. I believe that after her hey day, Veronica ended up as a waitress somewhere. She wasn't a very good actress--got by on her looks until the hair wasn't novel anymore.

jberg 10:53 AM  

Are there really T-NUTS? So, how do they work? I guess maybe you could have a long shaft to reach to a deeply recessed bolt, and then the head of the t outside the shaft for turning it? I've certainly never seen such a thing - but then I've never heard of EROSE, either!

I did like the old-timey feel, though, with KIT Carson and INIGO Jones (very famous in his day, folks!). Also Veronica LAKE, not quite so old -- and I really wanted Veronica Quilligan, but had to rule her out because a) her name is too long, and b) nobody in this country has ever heard of her.

But at least we had AARE and ANI to make us feel at home in Crossworld.

chefbea 10:53 AM  

How 'bout Teacher Michael's favorite fish...Sharp's Carps.

Pacwester 11:08 AM  

Veronica immediately occurred to me, and when seeing Pitts my first thought was Zasu. I believe that tells you how old this solver is?!

Unknown 11:56 AM  

Medium Monday for me. I think the theme was fine for a Monday. It was simple, tight, and a little silly, perfect for a newbie solver, which is what Monday's and Tuesday's are for. Although like @Rex, I didn't like the possessive clues-didn't make sense. @pmdm's clues are better.

I didn't think the fill was altogether bad, until I got to the PSSTS and SSTS crossing. I think Anoa Bob is seeking therapy after seeing that corner.

Anonymous 12:32 PM  

Easy, easy. Fun, fun.

benko 12:35 PM  

MOORE and SMORE do rhyme. Like mall and small. But it's a lazy rhyme.

CapnAndy 12:36 PM  

I am 53, no problem with Veronica Lake. I just read her bio on wikipedia... what a sad life. Alcohol never did anyone any good.

Anoa Bob 12:40 PM  

Good one Rob C! And good call Z @6:56. Yeah, that SE corner is up for the POC of the Year Award. When I first saw that SSTS/PSSTS trainwreck down there, I started to cry softly. Then I began to laugh hysterically. Then I sought solace in strong drink.

I was going to comment here about how cramming six(!) relatively long theme entries into a 15x15 grid will really, really constrain the fill and necessitate lots of iffy stuff, including today's SuperPOC, and that if you're going to do that then you better have an absolutely lights-out, home-run theme, but the drink kicked in and I passed out and had technicolor dreams of POC-free puzzles forevermore.

syndy 12:49 PM  

I thought I had wandered off into HIGHLIGHTS magazine! Just embarrassing

Dudley 12:54 PM  

can someone please explain how MOORE and S'MORE do not rhymne?

Unknown 1:00 PM  

@Anoa - So all of those POCs caused you to laugh, drink, and take a nap. That sounds like a perfect day. You may need to rethink your position on POCs...

retired_chemist 1:47 PM  

Since my wife's maiden name was MOORE and we have a dog called S'MORE, I speak with some modest level of authority here.

They rhyme. Unless you choose an odd dialectal pronunciation for the former, which itself rhymes with MOOER.

Anonymous 2:02 PM  

Moore is traditionally pronounced moor, S'More is a contraction of Some More, and is pronounced that way.

That said, who cares?

Jerry Helper 2:04 PM  

Seems that whether Moore and s'more rhyme depends on the preference of the person whose name it is. See (or, rather, listen) to the cast intro at the beginning of "The Dick Van Dyke Show." Not a match, the board goes back.

Of course, I'm assuming that's the correct pronunciation in her case.

Sandy K 2:18 PM  

In this crazy world of terrorist bombings and bad news wherever you turn, it's nice to come to Rexville where the worst scenario is PSSTS crossing SSTS and whether MOORE'S rhymes with SMORES!

I thought the puzz was typical Monday fare, with an INIGO and Veronica LAKE thrown in. Nothing to make you GASP.

What about Actress Patricia's favorite food? NEAL'S EELS?? (sorry)

Sfingi 2:21 PM  

But isn't everyone familiar with INIGO Jone? I love saying that because I have to hear it about sports all the time, and I will never be familiar with that.

Easy theme. A little hairy at the NW, where I had lithe for too long, rather than AGILE.

So SMORES don't fit because they're...yummy?

Eric 2:30 PM  

Here's s'more (ha!) themed clues for you all:

Actress Soliel: Moon Frye's Moon Pies.

Actor Kurt: Russell's Mussels

Actress Halle: Berry's Cherries.

Actor Slim: Pickens' Chickens

Race Car Driver Dick: Trickle's Pickles

Actor Chris: Tucker's Suckers (weak, I know)

Seal's Veals (One named singer....and isn't the plural for veal just....veal? Whatever.)

But that does give me an idea for Heidi Kulm's baby-daddy:

Seal's Meals on Wheels!

Just noodle on that for a minute....

Craig 2:33 PM  

Who says the apostrophe "s" is a possessive? It could be a contraction of the word "is".

I met and spent time around Roger Moore on a film set and his name was pronounced, as it commonly is, to be a perfect rhyme with s'more and he never corrected anyone.

However, there is a second point: More and Moooer do indeed rhyme even if they are not pronounced identically. Because -- Hello? -- there are perfect rhymes, and there are other rhymes such as "soft" rhymes, or "near" rhymes. Poets often make wonderful use of soft rhymes, Leonard Cohen has done so with great effect.

Using soft rhymes also allows a bit of relief from the jingle jangle of perfect rhymes that Milton complained about.

The crossword community knows so many things, but let's not get caught flat-footed and let it appear that we are completely blind to something that is widely regarded and appreciated among poets.

retired_chemist 2:51 PM  

@ Sfingi - I think the issue with INIGO and EROSE is not that they are unfamiliar to us mavens, but that they are a bit esoteric for a Monday. The average solver, not the denizens of Rexworld, are the presumed Monday targets.

sanfranman59 3:59 PM  

This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 8/1/2009 post for an explanation and my 10/15/2012 post for an explanation of a tweak I've made to my method. In a nutshell, the higher the ratio, the higher this week's median solve time is relative to the average for the corresponding day of the week.

All solvers (this week's median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)

Mon 6:27, 6:14, 1.04, 72%, Medium-Challenging

Top 100 solvers

Mon 4:03, 3:44, 1.09, 85%, Challenging

okanaganer 4:32 PM  

I really have nothing to say about today's puzzle, so how about a lecture on URL structure?:

-The part before the 2 slashes is the PROTOCOL. (eg http, https, rss...)

The part between the 2 slashes and the very next single slash is:
- an optional SUBDOMAIN (eg www, cdn...) followed by a period, and:
- the mandatory DOMAIN. (eg cnn.com, pbs.org)

- Everything after this is the address of the page/image/whatever on the web server.

So if today's blog is:
http://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.ca/2013/04/architect-jones-mon-4-29-13-much.html
...the protocol is http, the subdomain is rexwordpuzzle, the domain is blogspot.ca

Okay, I'm done, sorry about that. You can wake up now!

Z 4:51 PM  

@Eric - nice list.

@ChefBea - I'm thinking Sharp's Carps are best Cajun style. Gotta have a little heat.

@SandyK - Neal's Eels wins, though.

@okanaganer - stayed awake through it all. Thanks.

Ellen S 6:21 PM  

@mike: d'oh

And these days I type it all the time putting links in here!!

jdipinto 6:46 PM  

Like Eric's list. Here's a seasonal one, greenmarket-wise -- Actress Emily: VanCamp's ramps

Moore/s'more didn't bother me, but Veronica Lake (excellent in 1941's "Sullivan's Travels" if you haven't seen it) seemed out of place since everyone else has been in movies within the last 30 years. But why did they all have to be actors anyway? You can play this game with any famous personages.

Unknown 6:47 PM  

Http://www......

Anonymous 8:41 PM  

Moore is a common surname in North Carolina. Always rhymes with more.

johnnymcguirk 9:20 PM  

Never heard of an actor named Kitt.

johnnymcguirk 9:31 PM  

Eartha maybe ? I think she was in Batman

Tita 10:05 PM  

@chefwen...well lah-di-dah - 50 MANGOs... Sour GRAPEs om my part, I guess... ;)

@Acme - I like your actual things idea...

Sure, some dreck, but...
how can you not like a puzzle about favorite food, even if the people are mere celebs.
Made me smile, 'cause it reminded me of that internet meme about a dog's typical day...something like "going for a walk - my favorite thing!...getting petted - my favorite thing!...chasing a tennis ball - my favorite thing!

@Loren - SLIVOVITZ - good one!

@Rob C @1pm - one of the best comments. Ever.

sanfranman59 10:05 PM  

This week's relative difficulty ratings. See my 8/1/2009 post for an explanation and my 10/15/2012 post for an explanation of a tweak I've made to my method. In a nutshell, the higher the ratio, the higher this week's median solve time is relative to the average for the corresponding day of the week.

All solvers (this week's median solve time, average for day of week, ratio, percentile, rating)

Mon 6:28, 6:14, 1.04, 73%, Medium-Challenging

Top 100 solvers

Mon 3:59, 3:44, 1.07, 82%, Challenging

acme 1:25 AM  

@Eric
How about Klum's Plums?

Oh wait, they would be PLUMES!
For those who question whether or not Moore's rhymes with s'mores, wait'll you see what Lynn Lempel cooked up for tomorrow!

Let the pronunciation wars begin!

Waxy in Montreal 9:44 AM  
This comment has been removed by the author.
Waxy in Montreal 9:46 AM  

@Diri must be quite pleased - Penobscot Bay last week, Augusta today. Orono must be lurking somewhere.

Thought it was too bad 20A (PARS) couldn't have been (Jack) PAAR in tribute to the IKIDYOUNOT kid who, come to think of it, also once owned a TV station in Maine.

Not a big fan of MOORESSMORES mainly because I'd never heard of S'MORES. But any Monday puzzle that can include INIGO is certainly the CATS meow, IMHO.

DMGrandma 1:45 PM  

An easy walk through for me today. The only semi-holdup was the fact that Mr. Jones' name is etched in my mind as INaGO, but that was quickly fixed, and maybe I"ll remember it correctly next time!

My Captcha's message: use sstoned

Solving in Seattle 3:09 PM  

The perfect golf weather in the NW doesn't allow me much time to post, but I'm really not complaining.

Natick on Singer DiFranco/Architect Jones, so DNF. Fun, quick puzz today.

Should have had @Diri's state up in the NE, not SW.

Little racy to refer to OVIduct right under Veronica LAKESCAKES and next to TAPINTO.

Capcha: offinimu treatment. Frequent sex therapy?

Red Valerian 4:43 PM  

Fun, but a little weird. In my neck of the woods, "Moore's" and "Smores" do not rhyme. Mind you, I never heard of the latter until doing crosswords.
Also, "Stone's" and "scones" doesn't rhyme.

@SIS. LOL.

Captcha: Hot PASOCan That's gotta mean something

Dirigonzo 4:57 PM  

@Waxy - In fact I was in Orono yesterday helping Alex move his furniture out of the fraternity house and into the apartment he is sharing with two others. I'll also claim BEANS and FRANKS as a shout out to Maine's traditional Saturday night meal (with Brown Bread and cole slaw, and maybe SMORES for dessert).

IKIDYOUNOT today replaces SERIOUS from yesterday - really, it's true!

Tita 6:31 PM  

@Red V...stones rhymes with scones!

Our niece and her family was staying with us...her 5 year old son was helping me make breakfast...
One of my specialties...scones.

When his mama called from upstairs asking "what smells so good?", he shouted excitedly..."mom, we're having ROCKS for breakfast !"

Ginger 1:15 AM  

Late here in Syn City, so you're all attacking the Tuesday puzzle. But here goes anyway. BEANS and FRANKS remind me of a campfire scene in Blazing Saddles.

Red Valerian 6:55 PM  

@Tita Well, I guess "stones" and "scones" rhyme in your neck of the woods. Great story! Around here (at least for some people) "scones" rhymes with "prawns". Scone

Tita 7:45 PM  

@Red V - Scawns??
I never knew there were multiple pronunciations! Maybe that's why my niece's kid was confused - he was from Columbia, South Carolina -

I wonder what the regional pronunciation is there. Though I think at his tender age, he had simply never heard the word, so extrapolated out to whatever sounded the most reasonable. Or maybe he was commenting on my baking skills - that they would in fact turn out to be stone-like...

My neck of the woods is originally NY, via Lisbon.
What's yours?

Red Valerian 8:04 PM  

@Tita Vancouver, Canada. And now I'm wondering how you pronounce "prawns"! For me, it rhymes with "dons", as in Mafiosi or puts on clothes.

There could be a theme here! @LMS or @Acme?

I'm sure your grand-nephew (is that what he is?) was NOT commenting on your baking skills!

  © Free Blogger Templates Columnus by Ourblogtemplates.com 2008

Back to TOP