Comments on: Saturday, 3/6/10

By: John Haber

John Haber — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 21:47:27 +0000

I worked my way up from the bottom toward the top and left, although I guessed EFGH right away. No question some of it was the relative number of those proper names there. (How did I forget that Manet painted Mallarme? Maybe because I don’t believe I’ve seen the Chabrier portrait.) I also let myself be fooled by “tricks” (nice clue) to enter an S at the end, which then had me guessing another SF street, and so on into trouble. And then for reflecting, I_E had me hoping for “ice caps,” where reflection is an issue in acceleration of global warming. I also didn’t know AGNATE could be a noun. Anyhow, hard work but worth it.

By: Brad

Brad — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 19:09:33 +0000

TAI is often red snapper, and sometimes appears on the menu as “red fish.”

The Beltway is the Capital Beltway: I-495 around Washington D.C. A lot of defense contractors are located near the Beltway, particularly around McLean, Tyson’s Corner, Alexandria and other parts of Fairfax County (proximity to Dulles, as well as various government agency headquarters makes the location attractive).

Because of the obscene amount of money the DoD pays these folks, the nickname is well-earned.

By: Art Shapiro

Art Shapiro — Sun, 07 Mar 2010 01:26:01 +0000

I was so happy when SEWARD PENINSULA fit the Alaska clue – a first-pass “gimme”. Rats!

By: Meg

Meg — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 17:48:55 +0000

Amy: I totally enjoyed Patrick Berry’s WSJ puzzle, but I seem to recall doing this type without the added hint of whether the answer initially travels east, west, north or south. Those are really hard. Your fontsize 2.5 answer grid above has an error in the bottom left. GLENDALL. I hope Patrick posts some more free puzzles on his website. He’s a very clever constructor!

By: Gareth

Gareth — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 16:13:52 +0000

nyt: No time… got blue screen of death halfway through… the puzzle was so hard it melted my computer!

I found this puzzle another delight… despite it totally OWNING me, at least the first time round! Could get no toeholds, no long answers. And my first string of answers: correct ALPS anchored by wrong ALLOW and LOOSE didn’t help things, when the blue screen came @ +- 17 min had the 2 sides of the middle and basically nothing else… Restarting after, including retyping the answers the puzzle took another 8 min! Bizarre.

Was also thinking of toilet doors @ 17A, it seems like this was deliberate!
Weirdest wrong turn: LANATE… for some reason CRINAL popped into my head at the time. I don’t know if that’s what it means though – google’s answer: not quite!
Favourite entries: BEGENTLE, DENALISTATEPARK.
It felt like there was something of a lack of punning clues at the time?

By: bob stigger

bob stigger — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 15:10:41 +0000

According to the Alaska State Parks website, Denali SP has an area of about 500 square miles. RI has a land area of about 1000 square miles, but a total area (including water) of about 1500 square miles, so the clue is sort of right but not exactly. Bob

By: ktd

ktd — Sat, 06 Mar 2010 14:44:56 +0000

Really like MAGIC for “tricks”–very ELEGANT