tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post5324956065609961006..comments2024-01-25T10:14:06.567-08:00Comments on L.A. Crossword Confidential: FRIDAY, Dec. 11, 2009 — Mark FeldmanOrangehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12433254398377357737noreply@blogger.comBlogger43125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-45497919217173818232009-12-11T20:32:13.602-08:002009-12-11T20:32:13.602-08:00I also like a parallelism when it comes to: names...I also like a parallelism when it comes to: names (first, last, nick-, initials), verb tenses, abbreviations, and just about all else. What goes in must come out, is satisfying to the OCD organ.<br /><br />I'm impressed with youse guys' knowledge of so many arcane subjects, and learn so much. The EMS was particularly interesting.Sfinginoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-63646129056920558742009-12-11T19:21:10.648-08:002009-12-11T19:21:10.648-08:00Puzzle=Decent solve
Write up=nicely done
Comments ...Puzzle=Decent solve<br />Write up=nicely done<br />Comments on EMS, ENS, E.M.S. Johann Gutenburg, Steve Guttenberg, zombies,blow up dolls of the Polish Pope, hot sex and tragedy, HOV Lanes?=Priceless!<br />Thanks, all, for making me laugh and learning me some stuff! Time for a bowl of Edy's Caramel Delight!ddbmcnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-26538854496913808352009-12-11T17:11:43.937-08:002009-12-11T17:11:43.937-08:00@jnh Even a broken clock is correct twice a day.@jnh Even a broken clock is correct twice a day.Crockett1947https://www.blogger.com/profile/06404431645533093707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-15370625816077418482009-12-11T15:05:22.553-08:002009-12-11T15:05:22.553-08:00Well anyway, with EMS, I made a wrong assumption a...Well anyway, with EMS, I made a wrong assumption and got the right answer...how good it that?JOHNSNEVERHOMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13447455788629988277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-68448115388415227032009-12-11T14:54:23.611-08:002009-12-11T14:54:23.611-08:00EMS is one of those things that I tolerate just fi...EMS is one of those things that I tolerate just fine as long as the grid isn't full of such crosswordese. Not groanworthy (unlike, say, INSC.). Tolerable in small doses.<br /><br />EMS and ENS (as dash types) are oldschool/newschool/everyday crosswordese.<br /><br />rpRex Parkerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16145707733877505087noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-49720813158058697532009-12-11T14:26:13.480-08:002009-12-11T14:26:13.480-08:00The HOVLANE and MOB cross threw me off for a while...The HOVLANE and MOB cross threw me off for a while. I kept thinking MLB (Major League Baseball) for "Group with a lot of hits", not "Mob hits". Excellent puzzle.wilschhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03802249288894232148noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-44460818035098844822009-12-11T13:56:55.258-08:002009-12-11T13:56:55.258-08:00@tinbeni, I'm not saying it constitutes though...@tinbeni, I'm not saying it constitutes thoughtcrime. I'm just saying if solvers keep in mind what the rules are, they're more likely to make it through the puzzles with the right answers. :-)Orangehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12433254398377357737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-35576739605214394862009-12-11T13:56:46.128-08:002009-12-11T13:56:46.128-08:00I liked the puzzle and did it very early this morn...I liked the puzzle and did it very early this morning - not so fresh in my mind anymore. Just want to tell @tinbeni and @crazycatlady to please get yourself a Barbara Pym book, and you will probably proceed to read all of them. Like Josephine Tey, she died quite young.machttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06794371617847975218noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-8867145439109132542009-12-11T13:47:58.308-08:002009-12-11T13:47:58.308-08:00@tinbeni One of the pluses from the exchange we ha...@tinbeni One of the pluses from the exchange we have with bloggers and solvers is the ways that different people interpret and respond to the clues and answers. Part of this incredible fabric we call "Life."Crockett1947https://www.blogger.com/profile/06404431645533093707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-36705474415241043282009-12-11T13:33:06.535-08:002009-12-11T13:33:06.535-08:00@Orange
And I totally agree re:the cluing rule of ...@Orange<br />And I totally agree re:the cluing rule of equivalence, like Derek leading to Alex, not AROD yesterday, if one is a first name, the other is a first name.<br /><br />In this case the downs led me to the answer, EMS. My first thought was the letter 'M' in Morse Code. You and others to printing & punctuation, EM dash pluralized.<br />And @JNH, he probably just saw the end result EMS and it made him think of the other, so he moved on with the puzzle.<br />Is that really so unacceptable?Tinbenihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14661395078047234853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-1373446978129305122009-12-11T13:31:23.910-08:002009-12-11T13:31:23.910-08:00Potsy is definitely NYC lingo. I'm a local Ang...Potsy is definitely NYC lingo. I'm a local Angeleno but my parents are from Brooklyn and they called it POTSY.*David*noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-36994678975124128172009-12-11T13:16:18.931-08:002009-12-11T13:16:18.931-08:00@Tinbeni - thanx - never learned Morse; gave away ...@Tinbeni - thanx - never learned Morse; gave away my dad's ham set. (Now I'll be my obnoxious retired teacher self - kill the apostrophe. Feel free to get me sometime. I'm already sorry, but I'm also OCD.)<br /><br />Hovlane - thought it was a special swimming lane. I always suspect sports when I don't know something. There's not much heavy traffic up here. Once saw a passenger doll of the Polish Pope.<br /><br />What part of the country plays Potsy? Is there something like the Soda/Pop line that runs somewhere halfway between Rochester and Buffalo?Sfinginoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-17137685412654750562009-12-11T13:07:52.651-08:002009-12-11T13:07:52.651-08:00@tinbeni: But the point remains that "some da...@tinbeni: But the point remains that "some dashes" would be what E.M.S. <i>makes</i>, not what E.M.S. <i>is</i>. This is where the clueing rule of equivalency kicks in.<br /><br />Solvers can dig themselves some pretty deep holes if they don't realize that this rule applies, rationalizing the craziest stuff that makes sense somewhere in their head but does not follow the rule. We rely on these rules to keep crosswords fair and consistent.Orangehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12433254398377357737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-44716081713270328692009-12-11T12:59:32.164-08:002009-12-11T12:59:32.164-08:00@JNH
I like the way you think on the EMS thing.
Th...@JNH<br />I like the way you think on the EMS thing.<br />The ambulance makes a dash to get to you, then makes a dash to the hospital. That would be the two dashes or as clued "Some dashes" ...<br />And we do see EMS as folderol fill in CW's very often.<br /><br />@lit.doc & @Orange & @Gutenberg (with or without 2 T's) are also correct about en & em & hyphens.<br />Funny thing is I googled the hell out of this and all statements above are true.<br /><br />And in the Morse Code the letter "M" is 'two dashes' (as I stated earlier).<br /><br />What I find interesting is that different folks looked at the clue, came up with the correct answer (EMS) yet had a different thought process in reaching the conclusion.<br /><br />And all of this & these comments in relation to an over-used, banal, trite, 3 letter crap fill.<br /><br />Rex is this not a good example of your coined phrase OOXTEPLERNON ???Tinbenihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14661395078047234853noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-53867721785934089432009-12-11T12:31:03.480-08:002009-12-11T12:31:03.480-08:00@Orange - He died?@Orange - He died?J Gutenbergnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-20061873424307826782009-12-11T12:13:28.251-08:002009-12-11T12:13:28.251-08:00@Gutenberg: With the double T, I assumed you were ...@Gutenberg: With the double T, I assumed you were '80s actor Steve Guttenberg, who has little credibility on matters of punctuation.Orangehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12433254398377357737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-31432411656235665112009-12-11T12:03:37.450-08:002009-12-11T12:03:37.450-08:00@ Tinbeni and @ Sfingi and @ JOHNSNEVERHOME to ela...@ Tinbeni and @ Sfingi and @ JOHNSNEVERHOME to elaborate on @ Oranges comment above (wow, this whole em thing is going slowly, for a dash). Hand-set type gives us both em dashes and en dashes, corresponding to the relative widths of M and N (and also the terms "kerned/unkerned font", like Times New Roman vs. Courier). Hyphens are en dashes, the double hyphen that becomes an unbroken long line touching the letters on either side (in a decent word processor) is an em dash. Standard English punctuation terms.lit.docnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-25515079670861690552009-12-11T11:41:59.568-08:002009-12-11T11:41:59.568-08:00Even though I live in SoCal and we have HOVLANES, ...Even though I live in SoCal and we have HOVLANES, they are never called that on the traffic reports. They are either called car pool lanes or diamond lanes, so that took me a while to get. There are usually only two people in a car, or on occasion, one person and a blow up doll. Also motorcycles can use the Car Pool Lane too so HOV is not a very good description. Had BOWLER for BOATER so that messed me up. Never heard of POTSY and I played a lot of hop scotch back in the day. Not the zestiest puzzle of the week, but OK. Great write up. I liked Rex's story of ISOLDE - hot sex and tragedy! Saw a movie of Tristan and ISOLDE a while ago. Pretty bad as I recall. Loved SALIVATE. Had to google British Novelist Barbara since all I could come up with was CARTLAND. Never heard of PYM.CrazyCathttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00245025301434920905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-21593261228567588952009-12-11T11:35:55.296-08:002009-12-11T11:35:55.296-08:00@gutenburg No, it's the zombies that we have t...@gutenburg No, it's the zombies that we have the bias against.Crockett1947https://www.blogger.com/profile/06404431645533093707noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-62597618207230494872009-12-11T11:28:13.390-08:002009-12-11T11:28:13.390-08:00Could not believe Barbara Pym was in the puzzle - ...Could not believe Barbara Pym was in the puzzle - also title of detecive novel in England ie "Miss Pym Disposes" and others by the redoubtable Josephine Tey whose life was cut way too short.<br /><br />Did not go smoothly on account of boss making me work instead of letting me do the crossword puzzle which meant that my mindset was not too focussed but an easy puzzle notwithstanding.<br /><br />Why all the "gray" clues? Somebody getting at old people?Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-45587808722552677732009-12-11T11:20:39.754-08:002009-12-11T11:20:39.754-08:00Is it because I'm dead, and apparently can'...Is it because I'm dead, and apparently can't even spell my own name, that no one would believe me? We've got rampant bias against the dead here?Gutenbergnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-77314916240886583432009-12-11T10:58:53.901-08:002009-12-11T10:58:53.901-08:00@Orange
Thanks for that explanation...makes a lot ...@Orange<br />Thanks for that explanation...makes a lot of sense. I just was uncomfortable with the printer's EM, even though at one time (years ago) I set loose type.<br />@Rex<br />Do you have this book?<br /><a href="http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/1430314419/sr=1-1/qid=1260546118/ref=dp_image_text_0?ie=UTF8&n=283155&s=books&qid=1260546118&sr=1-1" rel="nofollow">KABOOM!</a>JOHNSNEVERHOMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13447455788629988277noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-26409533346667600282009-12-11T10:53:33.664-08:002009-12-11T10:53:33.664-08:00P.S. Because E.M.S. = emergency medical services, ...P.S. Because E.M.S. = emergency medical services, which cannot be defined as "some dashes." An ambulance run is a dash, but the crew of EMTs that ride in the ambulance are not dashes. Clues and answers need to be able to substitute for one another, and that's not the case there.Orangehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12433254398377357737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-8062799587214298152009-12-11T10:50:57.401-08:002009-12-11T10:50:57.401-08:00Nope, @John, it's not E.M.S. clued as [Some da...Nope, @John, it's not E.M.S. clued as [Some dashes]. It's the plural of EM.<br /><br />Here's an em dash: —<br />And an en dash: –<br />And a slightly shorter hyphen: -<br /><br />An em dash or em space is about the width of a capital M in an old typesetter's set of metal letters.Orangehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12433254398377357737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8626052240584383873.post-61997386090619890872009-12-11T10:48:13.551-08:002009-12-11T10:48:13.551-08:00@Guttenberg and tinbeni
I think the constructor m...@Guttenberg and tinbeni<br /><br />I think the constructor meant EMS (for "some dashes") to be EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICES. This use of EMS is real common in CWs.JOHNSNEVERHOMEhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13447455788629988277noreply@blogger.com