As you know, dear readers, one of my daily and favorite activities after completing the NYTXW is to read Rex Parker’s blog on it and the often wonderful comments it elicits. But it’s not everyone’s cup o’ tea. He often rates a puzzle “easy” after you’ve spent the morning tearing your hair out over it. And things you enjoy in it he may hate, and things that annoy you may amuse him. Thus, A. Nonny Mouse posted this note today:
“I need to stop reading this blog because it just crushes my self-esteem. I found this to be challenging and frankly quite annoying. I had OLYMPIC RING instead of OLYMPIC FLAG and because I haven’t been studying my Chinese museum designers lately, I wasn’t able to figure out that section. I’m also not 80 years old so I don’t listen to Linda Ronstadt, and “range war” is not a thing.”
Hey Mouse! No need to diss Linda!! There was a time when every man in America was hopelessly in love with her, head-over-heels-lessly in love. And most of us haven’t gotten over it yet. She appeared today via Blue BAYOU. Let’s give it a listen. And if it doesn’t still give you a jolt, you might want to have that looked into.
The puzzle was by a wonderful young man I met once at a tournament: Paolo Pasco. Alright, I didn’t really meet him but we were both there at the same time. Fittingly, the puzzle is on the Olympic flag. It has five colored rings and the answers in those rings are color-dependent. So, e.g., for the clue “malevolent sorcery,” the answer is MAGIC, but it appears in the black ring, so you get “black magic.” Quite a feat of construction. Maybe a picture will help.
Amusingly, at 81A the clue was “Supreme pizza topping” for OLIVE, which becomes “black olive,” revisiting the great topping controversy from earlier this week.
And you can see now at 79A, the clue was “Signature hit for Linda Ronstadt” and the answer BAYOU in the blue ring, is thus Blue Bayou.
Our photographer Phil spent a few years traveling with Linda back in the day, and has quite a few intimate shots of her. Good times.
Here’s a tiny love story by Stephen Burns from today’s NYT. Brace yourself.
It was the day my wife and I were going to meet, for the first time, the man who held parts of our daughter, who died at 16, inside him: her pancreas and her kidney. As we walked from our front door to the car, a hawk flew toward us and settled in the nearest tree. Maybe 30 feet away? The hawk just sat silently watching. In 15 years in our house, we had never seen a hawk in the yard. We waited, staring, and the hawk stared back. “Hello, Anna,” my wife said. The man is doing very well.
We’re always delighted when the puzzle starts right out in our Dirty Old Man Dept. The clue at 1A was “Word following ‘push-up’ that anagrams to a word following ‘pull-up.’” (Three letters) Get it? It’s BRA, which anagrams to BAR.
It led egs to comment: I guess we now know why the star of Funny Girl was nicknamed Pull up/push up Streisand.
At 39D today the clue was “Rock climber’s handhold” and the answer was CRAG. A member of the American Nitpicker’s Association & League (ANAL) writes:
As a rock climber, it’s always fun to see things referencing my hobby, but not so fun when the clue is just wrong! In rock climbing, the word “crag” refers to the area the cliffs are located, e.g. “yeah, I’m headed out to the crag this weekend,” not an individual climbing hold (e.g. crimp, jug, sloper, pinch).
Okay, noted.
This one really gets my goat. At 95D the clue was “Part of a woman’s anatomy named for Dr. Ernst Gräfenberg,” and the answer was G SPOT.
And here’s a comment by Matt: “It would be more appropriate to say ‘Part of a FEMALE’s anatomy…’ instead of ‘Part of a WOMAN’s anatomy…’ because we’re talking about biological sex here vs. gender, which is a sociological construct. In other words, not all people who identify as ‘woman’ would have ‘female’ genital structures.”
Jeez Louise, you moron!! It’s a fucking crossword puzzle — not a scientific journal! Jesus H. Christ!
[Okay. I’ve calmed myself down. George! — I could use a Diet Coke?]
Gnats fans are very sorry to bid farewell to outfielder Jesse Winker, traded to the Mets last night for a good-looking pitching prospect. We loved the Buffalo-born 30-year-old who was a darn good hitter and excellent clubhouse presence. And he has a daughter named Wren!
Happily, his last game with the Gnats was a 14-3 drubbing of the Cards, with Jesse going 2 for 3 with a ribbie. Knock ’em dead with the Mets, Wink! We enjoyed you while we could.
This was posted in the Dull Men’s Club by Michael Henderson: “I’ve seen some strange implements for daily ablutions and having a daughter, sister, partner and mother, I usually ask the fairer sex what they’re for, and the answers are usually pretty dull. I lay in the bath wondering what this was for – the gold metal thing, not the yellow, organic, juicy thing.”
Rosie Wren wrote: “Utterly disturbed at the idea of a juicy banana, couldn’t read the rest of the post.” And Tiffany Jerrell replied: “At least he didn’t say ‘moist.’” [Ha!]
Rod Hay wrote: “It’s an eye socket reamer before you insert your false eye from the 1800s. It helps ’round’ the internal shape of the empty socket and avoids irritation.” And Cyrus Attoun asked Hay: “Is it terrifying living inside that brain?”
Jenn Jenn states: When you find such items in the bathroom and you live with many females, the correct answer is not to ask any questions. Not a single one. You didn’t see it, it does not exist, there are no questions to be asked.
Ross Craig: “A juicy banana? The hell is wrong with you, man?”
But the consensus emerged: It’s for under the eyes. You dot some eye cream or serum and use the roller to absorb the cream/serum into the skin.
Of course! I think I need one. See you tomorrow!
The Wellington Files 