tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post440901670980119438..comments2024-01-25T10:14:06.567-08:00Comments on L.A. Crossword Confidential: SATURDAY, November 14, 2009—Frederick J. HealyOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12433254398377357737noreply@blogger.comBlogger40125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-67695092235199741822009-11-14T19:21:09.983-08:002009-11-14T19:21:09.983-08:00Let me plagiarize (and amend slightly) something f...Let me plagiarize (and amend slightly) something from Cru:<br /><br />"Hey gang, can I clue the answer TER as 'suffix with OT?'"<br /><br />[various wishy-washy answers]<br /><br />Kevin McCann: Not. [end of thread]GLowenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-28305459745863948102009-11-14T19:09:45.461-08:002009-11-14T19:09:45.461-08:00@Burner10
Okay, you asked for it !
EVERYTHING TER-...@Burner10<br />Okay, you asked for it !<br /><a href="http://acronyms.thefreedictionary.com/TER" rel="nofollow">EVERYTHING TER-RIBLE</a>JOHNSNEVERHOMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13447455788629988277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-39578249804866580562009-11-14T18:58:30.865-08:002009-11-14T18:58:30.865-08:00Fun bloggage today - I have a great idea - could w...Fun bloggage today - I have a great idea - could we come up with a happy little TLA (three letter acronym) that we could perpetuate virally and that would provide more cluing options for TER. <br />I thought perhaps last nights excesses was the reason I struggled with todays puzzle - I'm shocked I even got the whole right side but then hit the wall. <br /><br />Okay - advice for new drivers in crowded cities TER<br />Take Every Right...Burner10noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-90478896507939505322009-11-14T17:52:51.802-08:002009-11-14T17:52:51.802-08:00Such a brouhaha today on this blog. If anyone mis...Such a brouhaha today on this blog. If anyone missed Jet City Gambler's Daily Show Will Shortz link - check it out, very apropos. Back to Kilts. As a devout Presbyterian, I'll take a man in a kilt any day, he just has be able to play the bagpipes in MHO. Love the knee socks too. Is anyone else here in PST?CrazyCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00245025301434920905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-8312843516499708212009-11-14T17:52:43.476-08:002009-11-14T17:52:43.476-08:00@Glowe
@Sfingi
Just to show how ridiculous this &...@Glowe<br />@Sfingi<br /><br />Just to show how ridiculous this "GREEN" thing is---<br />The DOT has posted signs in the construction zones of Interstate 88 saying "We're Building Green." Something about recycling asphalt and concrete.<br />Not to say anything about the fact that the purpose of the construction is to add 4 additional lanes... doesn't that add to additional air pollution for Illinois? What's so GREEN about that?<br /><br />It's not easy being GREEN!!JOHNSNEVERHOMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13447455788629988277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-59577068081268432132009-11-14T17:19:50.051-08:002009-11-14T17:19:50.051-08:00@John - brouhaha is why we come here! Otherwise, w...@John - brouhaha is why we come here! Otherwise, we're cleaning the attic or washing the kitchen floor.<br /><br />What I can't stand about this eco-green stuff is when you want to search for something the color green, it's close to impossible. For instance, try to locate a green toy zebra. Can't do it.Sfinginoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-10536841050658872402009-11-14T17:16:49.117-08:002009-11-14T17:16:49.117-08:00I think I crossed a line. I'm online checking ...I think I crossed a line. I'm online checking for answers to a crossword and not waiting until the next day - two days in this case. I think this is serious, especially if I'm commenting on a blog about it.<br /><br />Saturday is usually the only day that trips me up and today was no exception. I always had a rule that I would NEVER go online and search. so much for that rule.<br /><br />I got everything except for the NW corner (except for the Matte/Jann intersection. I couldn't get enough crosses to figure out 1, 15, 17 across. I had BIOCAR and couldn't bring myself to question it. CLOUD should have occurred to me, but nope. I did not (!) like RAFT for "Pond floater" and I've never seen SCUTS before. I had too many blanks. Often, when I come back to a crossword later in the day, answers seem to magically come to me, but not today.<br /><br />For some reason, I haven't seen clues like "Rx specification" very much. TER is new to me. Isn't there something like "TID" that fits too?<br /><br />I had to work at the rest of the puzzle, but it was satisfying. I was talking to myself just like Mr. Magoo before the name came to me. I thought of ONUS but didn't think it was a proper use of the word. My favorite clue was "Score settlers".<br /><br />Thank you for the blog, I think. I just have to resist checking in until late in the day.SteveHhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03956560674752399562noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-4629282412818814702009-11-14T15:13:14.892-08:002009-11-14T15:13:14.892-08:00@Orange Rex, et al
Thank you for your kind replies...@Orange Rex, et al<br />Thank you for your kind replies to my indignation. I have personally been the victim in some serious rip-offs, so I guess I'm just super sensitive to these issues. Also I've been an expert witness in several landmark cases of patent infringements, so again that just makes me more perceptive.<br />Your explanations were given with much thought, and hence they are also taken with much thought. I have a much better understanding now that I've heard from the CW experts. I apologize to the blog hosts for any brouhaha that I incured... I know that it distracted from all the good comments. IMO, this really was a good puzzle and I'd like to take back any "inappropriate" words (thank you, Larry King). Finally, I'd like to apologize to Mr. Healy (and any other constructors) for my offensive remarks.<br />I'm off my soapbox and drinking hot cocoa (with marshmallows).<br />Now if I could just find some Rum BABA!JOHNSNEVERHOMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13447455788629988277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-84491764351289460322009-11-14T13:09:37.843-08:002009-11-14T13:09:37.843-08:00Again, puzzles coming out same week may have been ...Again, puzzles coming out same week may have been written / accepted months or even (in some cases) years apart. Lags are constantly changing and occasionally enormous.Rex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-27671710530852849872009-11-14T12:51:37.775-08:002009-11-14T12:51:37.775-08:00Thanks, @Jet City G, for the John Stewart/Will Sho...Thanks, @Jet City G, for the John Stewart/Will Shortz piece! That was my moment of Zen!<br /><br />So, from @Orange's link to AC/DC, I come to find out that: "The phrase "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap" is an homage to the cartoon "Beany and Cecil," which Angus Young (band co-founder) watched when he was a child. One of the cartoon's characters was named Dishonest John,(DJ, you dirty guy!) who carried a business card that read: "Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap. Holidays, Sundays, and Special Rates."~~Wiki<br />Just injecting a silly moment, to redirect from the "ter-se" talk above. Have to agree, there was no moral "ter"pitude here. No ter-conspiracy!ddbmcnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-22561273410260049552009-11-14T12:51:23.911-08:002009-11-14T12:51:23.911-08:00@Orange - thanx - My sight isn't what it used ...@Orange - thanx - My sight isn't what it used to be! No wonder "tags" makes no sense.<br /><br />@John@Rex - that's kinda what I was wondering. You can't avoid 3-letter fill, but isn't ILLDRY somewhat unusual to have been chosen twice in a week, even if cruddy? Perhaps they are subjected to the same PBS or NPRI. Heaven forbid it's the same soap opera, but something they're both influenced by. Or - worse case - someone walked by your desk, and...or worst case - they both sleep with Judith Exner.(I mentioned ILLDRY 6 hrs. ago.) It is as common as all the first letters of that letter just happening to line up to spell F--K.<br /><br />Now I'm wearing myself down by boredom over this dead horse-skin.Sfinginoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-73144969963127063682009-11-14T12:21:08.576-08:002009-11-14T12:21:08.576-08:00@John, I love you, but you're way, way off bas...@John, I love you, but you're way, way off base here. No one but no one "rips off" answers, esp. not crud like I'LL DRY or TER. Odds aren't even close to astronomical that TER would appear in multiple puzzles. Those are three of the most common letters in the language. There are 88 instances of TER in the cruciverb.com database. Did they all rip each other off?<br /><br />Constructors strive for originality, but there is no way in hell that Every word you use will be previously unseen. Just try to get crosses to work without using at least some common (or crossword common) fill. To call repeats of TER or anything else "plagiarism" betrays phenomenal ignorance about how puzzles are made. Someone might steal a THEME idea, for sure (harder to do now that puzzle databases exist and people can get called out), but small fill ... no one is paying attention to that. There is nothing proprietary about it. Just nothing.<br /><br />Further, I have seen a puzzle idea I had sitting on my desk top, theme answers and all, show up in a puzzle in the paper. So ... independently, two people had the same idea. It happens, and probably way more often than you think. Of all the things to be mad about re: puzzles, the repeating of TER just seems absurd. You're free to be annoyed, but you really should stow any suggestion of "plagiarism" or "theft." Constructors are a tight-knit community (at least some of them are), but they construct largely in isolation, and have maybe one or two people they bounce ideas off of. And nobody in their right mind would say "ah, TER, I gotta steal that."<br /><br />rpRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-29985201325560522472009-11-14T11:56:03.057-08:002009-11-14T11:56:03.057-08:00That's a pretty silly accusation, that puzzle ...That's a pretty silly accusation, that puzzle constructors conspire to all stick a piece of crap fill like EPEE into a puzzle all in the same week.<br /><br />Check out Will Shortz on The Daily Show back in 2003. They discuss that very same thing:<br /><br />http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/wed-august-20-2003/will-shortz<br /><br />Fill like TER, OGEE, OONA, are the mortat that lets the constuctor drop the cool big bricks in there like PLAIDSKIRT or ITSAMIRACLE.Jet City Gamblernoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-45701089552412437242009-11-14T11:38:43.161-08:002009-11-14T11:38:43.161-08:00Thank you, Orange, for having the patience of Job,...Thank you, Orange, for having the patience of Job, and for defending constructors of such stupid and vile charges.Jeromehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06174332800591939009noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-70752782999512459772009-11-14T11:02:04.805-08:002009-11-14T11:02:04.805-08:00That comment above was by me. I guess my daughter...That comment above was by me. I guess my daughter used my computer when she was home this week and signed me off my google account.CrazyCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00245025301434920905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-48799167839654866952009-11-14T10:55:36.201-08:002009-11-14T10:55:36.201-08:00I found this puzzle to more challenging than recen...I found this puzzle to more challenging than recent Saturdays have been. However I know TER which used to stump me. So for me it's become a gimme. It seems to me like EON, EONS, ERA, and ERAS show up in almost every puzzle. TARE almost as much. I just consider it boring, but probably necessary fill. I learned a new meaning for MATTE. Put in ICEFLO for ICERUN. Also learned SCUTS 20 across. I'm with Sfingi on DES MOINES/French Capital? Is it just that it's a capital city with a French name? Can someone explain? My favorite was Many a kilt, essentially PLAID SKIRT. The thought of kilts always conjures up images of Mel Gibson in Braveheart and the battle scene where the warriors flip up their kilts and moon the enemy.Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02458634159666992731noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-7737074093926194112009-11-14T09:57:57.452-08:002009-11-14T09:57:57.452-08:00I think ECO and GREEN are considered fair game to ...I think ECO and GREEN are considered fair game to put in front of anything you're trying to sell that has even a hint of environmental friendliness to it. ECOCAR is, IMO, an oxymoron, but no one asked me. Up here we have the ECO-Tarsands, being exploited with the new Green Strip-mining techniques.<br /><br />A while back, the NYT Sunday ran a puzzle where the theme was almost identical to one 3 years previous. Two different constructors, vastly different grids and fills. The original was Nancy's, so I emailed her about it and asked 'what up?'. Philisophically, she said, it has to be a coincidence, and what possible harm can from from it either way? (That's coming from a veritable 'hall of fame' constructor).<br /><br />So there you have it on the plagiarism thing for THEMES, never mind shop-worn short fill. TO suggest some constructor out there is going "gee, have to find a way to work ETUI into the fill somewhere", well, how does that even make one whit of sense?GLowenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-28550249742044442582009-11-14T09:53:51.197-08:002009-11-14T09:53:51.197-08:00Academia & GM appear to have inspired the Eco...Academia & GM appear to have inspired the EcoCar phenom with the EC challenge; a few marketing efforts later and the word didn't catch fire in the wider English-speaking community. Still, it's a clear word with okay linguistic lineage, and it would be hard to not understand the meaning the first time you see it! It's a noble effort, building such cars. I liked Orange's defiinition better.<br /><br />The above paragraph is a resume of breakfast-table conversation today, minus the talk about who makes a better omelette.<br />split & co.split infinitivenoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-12972073952940325952009-11-14T09:39:30.561-08:002009-11-14T09:39:30.561-08:00@John, it's not theft. All constructors are us...@John, it's not theft. All constructors are using largely the same pool of words—the English language, common phrases, more familiar foreign words, etc. How do you propose to make crosswords if constructors are forbidden from using legitimate fill that has been used before? It can't be done unless you're willing to have a crappy puzzle that can't be solved.Orangehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12433254398377357737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-45147715085649094932009-11-14T09:31:39.201-08:002009-11-14T09:31:39.201-08:00@JNH
When I came to 10D Rx Specification, I just e...@JNH<br />When I came to 10D Rx Specification, I just entered TER figuring it's the 'new 3 letter word of the week.'<br /><br />ORANGE, I understand and agree with your comments to JNH, but I too said to myself, "three times in one week." Well that happens with EON, ERA, and a plethora of other 3-letter fill words also. SO, I'll just grin-and-bear it.Tinbenihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14661395078047234853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-24085964071848676162009-11-14T09:28:52.412-08:002009-11-14T09:28:52.412-08:00@Crockett
"It's ONLY a puzzle" ??
I ...@Crockett<br />"It's ONLY a puzzle" ??<br />I take puzzles seriously and I'm sure the constructors do too. Rip-offs are becoming far too common in American literature and now its becoming pervasive in crossword-puzzledom. Should we just sit by and accept thievery in the non-tangible world? To a constructor, these are assets... would you have the same flippant attitudes if say, your car was stolen?JOHNSNEVERHOMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13447455788629988277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-52727479306676534182009-11-14T09:27:32.599-08:002009-11-14T09:27:32.599-08:00@Orange, sorry, was typing away and didn't see...@Orange, sorry, was typing away and didn't see your EcoCar reference before I posted.ddbmcnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-59325183217553504432009-11-14T09:26:35.020-08:002009-11-14T09:26:35.020-08:00Coffee had yet to kick in, so like Shrubb5, NW cor...Coffee had yet to kick in, so like Shrubb5, NW corner was not jelling, even though the phrases were common. Had to agree, 5D SETSHOT, didn't come to mind-had rim shot first, as my b-ball vocab is pretty paltry.<br /><br />GM actually has an "EcoCar" challenge, so it is probably time to add it to our CW knowledge base. College kids are challenged to create them!<br /><br />@JNH-Not sure constructors are to blame for the similar words and clues. I would think the editors would be keeping an "I" on those!<br /><br />I must be learning something here at the old CW Ranch,as I didn't have to Google at all. BUT I still plugged a bit at things. Funny, how I'll set aside the puzzle to dry some dishes or wash some linens, come back and see the answer as plain as plaid skirts!ddbmcnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-49210699631391533642009-11-14T09:17:03.443-08:002009-11-14T09:17:03.443-08:00@John, ECOCAR appeared in the NYT crossword in 200...@John, ECOCAR appeared in the NYT crossword in 2006 and 2008. If you Google it, you get over 200,000 hits. The LAT constructors did not make it up. I'd rather clue it with reference to <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/EcoCAR" rel="nofollow">the EcoCAR Challenge</a> than pretend that that it's a common noun applied to hybrids, because it's not commonly used that way.Orangehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12433254398377357737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-63648203928274113252009-11-14T09:15:09.008-08:002009-11-14T09:15:09.008-08:00@jnh Take two aspirin and don't call me in the...@jnh Take two aspirin and don't call me in the morning. Chill, friend, it's only a puzzle!!Crockett1947https://www.blogger.com/profile/06404431645533093707noreply@blogger.com