Comments for Diary of a Crossword Fiend http://www.crosswordfiend.com/blog The best crosswords in newspapers and online Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:10:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.3 Comment on Sunday, 2/5/12 by jane lewis http://www.crosswordfiend.com/blog/2012/02/04/sunday-2512/#comment-121033 jane lewis Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:10:58 +0000 http://www.crosswordfiend.com/blog/?p=26259#comment-121033 i must confess that, after i did merl's crossword, i thought of stokely (sp?) carmichael instead of carl stokes. i must confess that, after i did merl’s crossword, i thought of stokely (sp?) carmichael instead of carl stokes.

]]> Comment on Sunday, 2/5/12 by AV http://www.crosswordfiend.com/blog/2012/02/04/sunday-2512/#comment-121032 AV Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:08:28 +0000 http://www.crosswordfiend.com/blog/?p=26259#comment-121032 I am the lone 4-starrer here for the NYT, my experience being similar to Jim Horne's. Loved the concept and the redirection was worth it as I tried to guess what those short words + State would end up as. Yet, I gave this a 4-stars (instead of my usual 5-star opinion of Mr. Deber, who has given us some sensational puzzles in the past) because of the execution, which I thought was just a little awkward. There were too many iffy entries, and it seemed like he started the construction with the top three acrosses fitting the theme and then struggled to find other spots to fill in the rest. Given that the choices for such words are not that limited, I think he could have done better in the grid-fill. The above clearly did not detract from the wonderful theme, and I am one of those solvers who will excuse many little faults if the theme is novel and well-thought-out. If you have not looked up Mr. Deber in the NYT database, it is worth your time to tackle some very interesting themes (and most of them are extremely well-executed). I am the lone 4-starrer here for the NYT, my experience being similar to Jim Horne’s. Loved the concept and the redirection was worth it as I tried to guess what those short words + State would end up as.

Yet, I gave this a 4-stars (instead of my usual 5-star opinion of Mr. Deber, who has given us some sensational puzzles in the past) because of the execution, which I thought was just a little awkward. There were too many iffy entries, and it seemed like he started the construction with the top three acrosses fitting the theme and then struggled to find other spots to fill in the rest. Given that the choices for such words are not that limited, I think he could have done better in the grid-fill.

The above clearly did not detract from the wonderful theme, and I am one of those solvers who will excuse many little faults if the theme is novel and well-thought-out.

If you have not looked up Mr. Deber in the NYT database, it is worth your time to tackle some very interesting themes (and most of them are extremely well-executed).

]]> Comment on Sunday, 2/5/12 by Gareth http://www.crosswordfiend.com/blog/2012/02/04/sunday-2512/#comment-121031 Gareth Sun, 05 Feb 2012 18:05:14 +0000 http://www.crosswordfiend.com/blog/?p=26259#comment-121031 LAT: First two theme entries I came to I wanted riceKRISPIES and ANKLEbracelet: when neither fit I assumed something very sneaky was up. Turns out it's similar theme to the one I had in the NYT a couple of weeks back only not so cramped! I don't remember considering any of those answers, though it was nearly two years ago... CAPECANAVERAL struck me as particularly elegant! COCOAKRISPIES I figured out at the end via the theme, they're sold as COCOAPOPS here with a monkey mascot. LAT: First two theme entries I came to I wanted riceKRISPIES and ANKLEbracelet: when neither fit I assumed something very sneaky was up. Turns out it’s similar theme to the one I had in the NYT a couple of weeks back only not so cramped! I don’t remember considering any of those answers, though it was nearly two years ago… CAPECANAVERAL struck me as particularly elegant! COCOAKRISPIES I figured out at the end via the theme, they’re sold as COCOAPOPS here with a monkey mascot.

]]> Comment on Free Puzzle Contest – “My Big Fat Fun Wedding” by Sam Donaldson http://www.crosswordfiend.com/blog/2012/02/01/free-puzzle-contest-my-big-fat-fun-wedding/#comment-121030 Sam Donaldson Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:57:33 +0000 http://www.crosswordfiend.com/blog/?p=26148#comment-121030 @jefe: Oops, you're right--it should be "Celestial Seasonings." Thanks for pointing that out! And hey, dead celebrities can be the life of the party. @jefe: Oops, you’re right–it should be “Celestial Seasonings.” Thanks for pointing that out!

And hey, dead celebrities can be the life of the party.

]]> Comment on Sunday, 2/5/12 by ArtLvr http://www.crosswordfiend.com/blog/2012/02/04/sunday-2512/#comment-121027 ArtLvr Sun, 05 Feb 2012 17:07:10 +0000 http://www.crosswordfiend.com/blog/?p=26259#comment-121027 I agreed, NYT was only so-so as I don't care for jump-arounds, plus starting at the bottom I saw a SPA jump-across to DEmon (for SPADE) which was merely a misleading coincidence! My favorite today was Longo's Post Puzzler -- even if I commenced wIth only two gimmes at MOOTS and DEEN, and also had the Justice as Taine far too long rather than TANEY. My other hang-up was ILLE for Latin That, as I had hic-HAEC-hoc in my head. However, the 3-stacks in all four corners were amazingly clever. Second favorite was Hook's Deutsch Treat, with cute clues like "What a grouch is out of?" SORTS! Honorable mention: Merl's PI salute to Black History Month. I agreed, NYT was only so-so as I don’t care for jump-arounds, plus starting at the bottom I saw a SPA jump-across to DEmon (for SPADE) which was merely a misleading coincidence! My favorite today was Longo’s Post Puzzler — even if I commenced wIth only two gimmes at MOOTS and DEEN, and also had the Justice as Taine far too long rather than TANEY. My other hang-up was ILLE for Latin That, as I had hic-HAEC-hoc in my head. However, the 3-stacks in all four corners were amazingly clever. Second favorite was Hook’s Deutsch Treat, with cute clues like “What a grouch is out of?” SORTS! Honorable mention: Merl’s PI salute to Black History Month.

]]> Comment on Sunday, 2/5/12 by Amy Reynaldo http://www.crosswordfiend.com/blog/2012/02/04/sunday-2512/#comment-121019 Amy Reynaldo Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:27:24 +0000 http://www.crosswordfiend.com/blog/?p=26259#comment-121019 @Will N: If it's always the last word, then who is Mr. or Ms. Fire? @Will N: If it’s always the last word, then who is Mr. or Ms. Fire?

]]> Comment on Sunday, 2/5/12 by pannonica http://www.crosswordfiend.com/blog/2012/02/04/sunday-2512/#comment-121011 pannonica Sun, 05 Feb 2012 16:17:50 +0000 http://www.crosswordfiend.com/blog/?p=26259#comment-121011 I'm thinking Sam's time on the CS is a typo. 3:56, maybe? I’m thinking Sam’s time on the CS is a typo. 3:56, maybe?

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