Constructed by: Manaal Mohammed
Edited by: Will Shortz
Not your puzzle? Try today’s … Today’s Theme: Use Your Noodle Themed answers are common phrases reinterpreted with reference to types of NOODLE: Read on, or jump to … Want to discuss the puzzle? Then … Bill’s time: 22m 10s Bill’s errors: 0
Mocha is a port city in Yemen on the Red Sea and was once the principal port for the capital city of Sana’a. Mocha was the major marketplace in the world for coffee until the 1600s, and gave its name to the Mocha coffee bean, which in turn gave its name to the mocha brown color, and the flavor of coffee infused with chocolate.
One doffs one’s hat, usually as a mark of respect. To doff is to take off, with “doff” being a contraction of “do off”. The opposite of “doff” is “don”, meaning “to put on”.
Edward McIlhenny created Tabasco Sauce in 1868. He recycled old cologne bottles as a container for the sauce so that he could present it to friends, and when he went into business he ordered new cologne bottles for the commercial product. Even today, the Tabasco Sauce bottle bears a striking resemblance to the bottle used to distribute 4711 cologne. The Bloody Mary is one of my favorite cocktails, perhaps because it seems to taste so differently depending on who makes it. It has numerous ingredients above and beyond the requisite vodka and tomato juice, and has been described as “the world’s most complex cocktail”.
Rotelle is a type of pasta with a shape resembling spoked wheels. The term “rotelle” comes from the Italian for “small wheel”.
Our word “roster”, meaning “list, register”, actually comes from the same root as our word “roast”, would you believe. “Roster” came into English from the Dutch “rooster”, meaning “table, list”. An alternative use of the Dutch “rooster” was “gridiron”, from the “roosten” meaning “to roast”. The connection is that a roster of names is often listed on a sheet of paper that has grid lines resembling the marks left by a gridiron on roasted meat. Quite interesting …
Manatees, also known as “sea cows”, are very large marine mammals that can grow to 12 feet in length. The manatee is believed to have evolved from four-legged land mammals and probably shares a common ancestor with the elephant.
In many cases, the name given to a type of pasta comes from its shape. However, the name macaroni comes from the type of dough used to make the noodles. Here in the US, macaroni is usually elbow-shaped, but it doesn’t have to be.
Estimated time of departure (ETD)
Our expression “high jinks”, meaning “prank, frolic”, was once the name of an 18th-century Scottish drinking game, would you believe? A bad score on a dice and you had to take a drink, or do something undignified.
Suze Orman is a financial advisor who has gotten her message out on television, in books and on the speaking circuit. She often appears on PBS, and indeed is the most successful fundraiser public television has ever had.
“Lasagna” was originally the name of a cooking pot, but the term came to mean a dish that was cooked in it. “Lasagna” also became the name of the flat noodle used in the dish. If you order lasagna on the other side of the Atlantic, you’ll notice the “lasagne” spelling, the plural of “lasagna”. The plural is used as there is more than one layer of pasta in the dish.
Judea was the southern part of the historic Land of Israel.
Movie director Martin Scorsese is very much a New York City native, and is well-known for directing movies set in the Big Apple. Among the list of great Scorsese films are “Taxi Driver”, “Raging Bull”, “Goodfellas”, “Cape Fear”, “Casino” and “The Departed”. Film director Spike Lee was born in Atlanta, Georgia but has very much made New York City his home and place of work. Most of Lee’s films are set in New York City, including his first feature film, 1986’s “She’s Gotta Have It”. That film was shot over two weeks with a budget of $175,000. “She’s Gotta Have It” grossed over $7 million at the US box office.
Fettuccine is a popular type of pasta in Italy, particularly in Rome. It is a flat noodle similar to the smaller tagliatelle that is more popular in Bologna. The most common dish made with fettuccine in North America is Fettuccine Alfredo.
A blind carbon copy (bcc) is a copy of a document or message that is sent to someone without other recipients of the message knowing about that extra copy.
The seeds of the Theobroma cacao tree are cacao beans. The beans can be dried, and crushed. The resulting pieces are sold as cacao nibs.
Ross Geller is the character on “Friends” played by David Schwimmer. The role was actually written with Schwimmer in mind, and so Ross was the first of the “Friends” to be cast. Paleontology is the study of prehistoric life. My favorite “paleontologist” is Dr. David Huxley played by Cary Grant opposite Katharine Hepburn in the wonderful 1938 comedy “Bringing Up Baby”.
The Old West train and bank robber Robert Parker was better known by the name Butch Cassidy. His partner in crime Harry Longabaugh was known as the Sundance Kid. Famously, the exploits of Butch and Sundance were reenacted in the marvelous 1969 film “Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid”.
Mae Jemison was a crew member on the Space Shuttle Endeavour on a 1992 mission, and as such became the first African-American woman to travel in space. She is also a big fan of “Star Trek” and appeared on an episode of “Star Trek: The Next Generation”. That made Jemison the first real astronaut to appear on any of the “Star Trek” shows.
“Potiguaya” is the Mexican-Spanish word for “marijuana leaves”. The slang name “pot” comes from “potiguaya”.
Rotini is a corkscrew-shaped pasta that is often used in pasta salads. Even though “rotini” sounds like it comes from a word meaning “twist, rotate”, the word “rotini” doesn’t exist in Italian other than as the name for the pasta.
Sabra Dipping is a company that specializes in the production of hummus and guacamole. If I can’t get homemade hummus or guacamole, then Sabra is the way to go …
An initial public offering (IPO) is a significant event for a company as it marks the first time it becomes a publicly traded company. IPOs are often accompanied by a so-called “lock-up period.” This is a period of time, typically 90 to 180 days after the IPO, during which company insiders, such as executives and early investors, are not allowed to sell their shares on the open market. The purpose of the lock-up period is to prevent a flood of shares from hitting the market and potentially driving down the price of the stock.
Sara Bareilles achieved success with her 2007 “Love Song” with the help of the iTunes online store. In one week in June of that year, iTunes offered the song as “free single of the week” and it quickly became the most downloaded song in the store, and from there climbed to the number spot in the charts.
“Locus” (plural “loci”) is Latin for “place”, and is used in English with the same meaning. The term can also be used to describe a center of power or activity. In mathematics, a locus is a set of points that satisfy some property. For example, a locus might be a straight line, part of a line, a surface, or perhaps a curve.
Farfalle is commonly referred to as bow-tie pasta because of its shape. The name comes from the Italian “farfalla” meaning “butterfly”.
Hot yoga is performed under relatively hot and humid conditions. The actual temperature and humidity levels are often chosen to resemble those found in India, where yoga originated. “Asana” is a Sanskrit word that translates literally as “sitting down”. The asanas are the poses that a practitioner of yoga assumes. The most famous is the lotus position, the cross-legged pose called “padmasana”.
O. Henry’s short story called “The Gift of the Magi” was first published in 1905. It tells of a relatively poor, newly-married couple who want to buy each other a gift for Christmas. The wife’s pride and joy is her long blonde hair, while the husband’s most treasured possession is his grandfather’s gold pocket watch. The wife sells her hair to buy her gift, and the husband sells his watch to buy his gift for his spouse. The wife is given a set of combs, hair accessories that are useless now that her hair is short. The husband gets a platinum fob chain for the watch that he no longer owns.
Carl Jung was a Swiss psychiatrist, and the founder of analytical psychology. Jung was very much associated with the analysis of dreams, and also introduced us to the psychological concepts of introversion and extroversion.
The conga line is a dance that originated as a Cuban carnival march. It became popular in the US starting in the thirties. The dance is apparently named after the Congo region of Africa, and it was originated by slaves who were brought from there to Cuba.
“Mommie Dearest” is a 1978 memoir written by Christian Crawford, the daughter of actress Joan Crawford. The book did not paint Joan in a good light, with claims of alcoholism and neglect of her four children.
“Come from Away” is a 2013 musical that is based on the true story of what happened when 38 planes were ordered to land on the island of Newfoundland following the 9/11 attacks in the US. After the planes landed at Gander airport, the small town of Gander had to cope with almost 7,000 stranded passengers, a number that was about double the town’s population. “Six” is a musical that tells the story of the six wives of King Henry VIII of England written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss when they were both students at Cambridge University. Each of the six wives has her own unique style of music. Anne Boleyn’s songs have a rock and pop feel, while Catherine of Aragon’s songs have a Spanish influence.
The hula is a native dance of Hawaii that uses arm movements to relate a story. The hula can be performed while sitting (a noho dance) or while standing (a luna dance).
Teaching assistant (TA)
Dallas/Fort Worth (DFW)
Giacomo Puccini’s 1896 opera “La bohème” tells of a love affair between a poor poet named Rodolfo, and an even poorer seamstress named Mimi. There isn’t a happy ending …
We use a base-ten numbering system, with ten digits (0 – 9). The binary system, or base-two, uses just two digits (0 & 1). The binary system is used at a fundamental level in computing, because the number 0 and 1 can be represented by microcircuits being switched “on” or “off”.
Atta is a whole-wheat flour used to make flatbreads in South Asian cuisine, such as chapati and naan. “Atta” is the Hindi or Urdu word for “dough”.
There is actually a real snake oil, a Chinese medicine made of fat extracted from snakes. You can buy snake oil at traditional Chinese pharmacies and it is supposed to be very efficacious in the treatment of joint pain. Snake oil was introduced into the US by Chinese laborers working on the construction of the Transcontinental Railroad. Medicine salesmen started to ridicule the snake oil as it competed with their own remedies, and in time the term “snake oil” became associated with any cure-all potion.
The St. Louis Cardinals Major League Baseball team plays at Busch Stadium. Busch Stadium is the third stadium in the history of St. Louis to have the Busch name. The first two were named for Gussie Busch, the brewing magnate and former Cardinals team owner. The current stadium is named for the brewery though, and not Gussie per se.
Neopets.com is a website where one can own a virtual pet. I wouldn’t bother if I were you …
“All Quiet on the Western Front” is a 1928 novel by German WWI veteran Erich Maria Remarque. In the book, Remarque describes the awful trials experienced by German soldiers during the war, and then after the war as they try to return to civilian life. The book was adapted into a Hollywood movie of the same name in 1930. The film won Oscars for Outstanding Production and for Best Director (Lewis Milestone).
A group of cats can be referred to as a clowder or a glaring. A male cat is a tom or tomcat, and a neutered male is a gib. An unaltered female cat is a queen, and a spayed female might be referred to informally as a molly. A young cat is a kitten.
The Arizona Cardinals were founded in 1898 as the Chicago Cardinals. That makes the Cardinals the oldest, continuously-run, professional football team in the whole country.
A Cuban sandwich almost always includes Cuban bread filled with roast pork, glazed ham, Swiss cheese and sliced dill pickles. The Cuban was designated the city of Tampa’s signature sandwich in 2012.
Fire ants are stinging ants, and many species are known as red ants. Most stinging ants bite their prey and then spray acid on the wound. The fire ant, however, bites to hold on and then injects an alkaloid venom from its abdomen, creating a burning sensation in humans who have been nipped.
The acronym “STEM” stands for the disciplines of science, technology, engineering and mathematics. An alternative acronym with a similar meaning is MINT, standing for mathematics, information sciences, natural sciences and technology.
The House of Medici was a dynasty from the Italian Republic of Florence. The Medici family went into the world of finance and built the largest bank in Europe in the 15th century. Significantly, the Medicis produced four Popes around this time, and then the family moved from the status of common citizens to become hereditary Dukes of Florence. By the middle of the 18th century the family ruled the Grand Duchy of Tuscany, but ended up fiscally bankrupt.
The heft of something is its weight, its heaviness. The term “heft” is derivative of the verb “to heave” meaning “to lift, raise”.
“Barry” is a dark comedy TV series starring Bill Hader as an Ohio hitman who questions his life of crime. Veteran actor Henry Winkler plays an award-winning supporting role as the teacher of an acting class that the hitman joins.
What was originally called the “Magic Cube” became better known as “Rubik’s Cube”, and was named for its inventor Ernő Rubik. Rubik’s Cube is the world’s biggest selling puzzle game, with over 350 million sold in just over 30 years.
Instagram (often abbreviated to “Insta”, or “IG”) is a photo-sharing application, one that is extremely popular. Instagram started in San Francisco in 2010. Facebook purchased Instagram two years later, paying $1 billion. The billion-dollar Instagram company had just 13 employees at the time of the sale …
“Bon mot” translates from French as “good word”. We use “bon mot” (and sometimes just “mot”) to mean “quip, witticism”.
“Nytol” is a brand name for the drug diphenhydramine which is primarily used as an antihistamine. The drug also has a strong hypnotic effect and is used by some people as a non-prescription sleep aid.
The term “in re” is Latin, and is derived from “in” (in) and “res” (thing, matter). “In re” literally means “in the matter”, and is used to mean “in regard to” or “in the matter of”.
“Éclat” can describe a brilliant show of success, as well as the applause or accolade that one receives for that success. The word “éclat” derives from the French “éclater” meaning “to splinter, burst out”.
The body mass index (BMI) is the ratio of a person’s height to his or her mass.
The carat is a unit of mass equal to 200 mg (0.2 grams). It is used in sizing gemstones.
In terms of population, Cali is the third-largest city in Colombia (after Bogotá and Medellin). Santiago de Cali (the full name for the city) lies in western Colombia. Apparently, Cali is a destination for “medical tourists”. The city’s surgeons have a reputation for being experts in cosmetic surgery and so folks head there looking for a “cheap” nose job. Cali has also been historically associated with the illegal drug trade and money laundering.
Gomoku (also called “Gobang” and “Five in a Row”) is a strategy game played on a board or with pencil and paper. The game originated in Japan, and the name “Gomoku” translates as “five pieces”. It sounds like tic-tac-toe but with the goal to get five of one player’s marks/pieces in a row.
Acacia is a genus of trees and shrubs that is also known as thorntree, whistling thorn and wattle. The acacia is the primary food source for the giraffe in the wild, with the animal eating the leaves high in the tree, leaves that are inaccessible to competing species. The natural gum from two species of acacia tree is known as gum arabic, which is used in the food industry as a stabilizer.
A tyro (also “tiro”) is a beginner or a novice. “Tyro” comes into English from Latin, in which language “tiro” means “recruit”.
A gerund is a form of a verb that can be used as a noun. For example, the gerund of the verb “to solve” is “solving”, as in the phrase “we really enjoyed the solving of the crossword”.
In a sushi restaurant, the dish called “toro” is the fatty tissue from the belly of the bluefin tuna.
An Internet address (like NYXCrossword.com and LAXCrossword.com) is more correctly called a uniform resource locator (URL).
Back in the early 17th century, a referee was someone who examined patent applications. We started using the same term for a person presiding over a sporting event in the 1820s. “Referee” is a derivative of the verb “to refer”, and literally describes someone who has the authority to make a decision by “referring” to a book, archive etc. Read on, or … 1 Drinks named after a city in Yemen : MOCHAS 1 “___ Dearest” (1981 film) : MOMMIE Leave a comment (below), or … Comments are closed.
… a complete list of answers
… leave a commentToday’s Wiki-est Amazonian Googlies
Across
1 Drinks named after a city in Yemen : MOCHAS
7 Remove, as a cap : DOFF
11 Bloody Mary ingredient : TABASCO
22 Cookbook for rotelle lovers? : MEALS ON WHEELS
25 Play lists? : ROSTERS
26 Creature thought to inspire mermaid legends : MANATEE
27 Olive oil for a macaroni salad? : ELBOW GREASE
36 Gate listing, for short : ETD
37 Bit of high jinks : CAPER
41 Best-selling personal finance guru : SUZE ORMAN
45 Advice for saucing a lasagna? : GET BETWEEN THE SHEETS
50 Region of ancient Palestine : JUDEA
53 Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee, for 67-Across : ALUMNI
[67A Where Ross taught paleontology on “Friends,” for short : NYU] 55 Running fettuccine dough through the pasta machine? : RIBBON CUTTING
61 Concealed field, for short : BCC
62 Cacao bit : NIB
67 Where Ross taught paleontology on “Friends,” for short : NYU
76 Butch Cassidy, famously : OUTLAW
77 Astronaut Jemison : MAE
79 Baked, so to speak : ON POT
80 Kitchen disaster with rotini? : SPIRALS OUT OF CONTROL
92 Hummus brand : SABRA
96 Big news for a co. : IPO
97 Singer Bareilles : SARA
99 Sets of mathematical points : LOCI
100 With 108-Across, aftermath of a farfalle dinner? : BUTTERFLIES … 108 See 100-Across : … IN YOUR STOMACH
107 Asanas in a sauna, say : HOT YOGA
113 Like O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi” : IRONIC
115 Jungian topic : SELF
116 Some party lines : CONGAS
Down
1 “___ Dearest” (1981 film) : MOMMIE
2 Like the musical “Come From Away” or “Six” : ONE-ACT
4 Hip things to do in Hawaii? : HULAS
5 Part of T.A.: Abbr. : ASST
7 Texas metroplex, to locals : DFW
12 “La Bohème” subject : AMORE
13 The “x” in x2 : BASE
14 Roti flour : ATTA
16 Things that snake oil salesmen sell : CURE-ALLS
20 Cardinals’ org. : MLB
23 Early 2000s virtual animal companion : NEOPET
28 “All Quiet on the Western Front” setting, for short : WWI
31 Tom callin’s? : MEOWS
35 Cardinals’ org. : NFL
37 Ham-and-cheese sandwich : CUBAN
39 Word with fire or red : … ANT
41 Education acronym : STEM
42 Dynasty name in Italian history : MEDICI
44 Bulk : HEFT
47 “Barry” airer : HBO
48 Rubik who created the Rubik’s Cube : ERNO
54 Photo-sharing social media accounts, for short : INSTAS
57 Snappy quip : BON MOT
59 Bedtime brand : NYTOL
75 Legal memo header : IN RE
78 Flair : ECLAT
86 Weight-to-height meas. : BMI
89 Pearl units : CARATS
91 Third-largest city of Colombia : CALI
93 Japanese board game also called Five in a Row : GO BANG
94 Tree that yields gum arabic : ACACIA
101 Beginner : TYRO
103 Gerund end : -ING
106 Fatty tuna, on a sushi menu : TORO
109 Link letters : URL
110 One making calls, informally : REF
… return to top of pageComplete List of Clues/Answers
Across
7 Remove, as a cap : DOFF
11 Bloody Mary ingredient : TABASCO
18 Deluge : ONRUSH
19 Collection of threads, of a sort : FORUM
21 Person pursuing passion, not pay : AMATEUR
22 Cookbook for rotelle lovers? : MEALS ON WHEELS
25 Play lists? : ROSTERS
26 Creature thought to inspire mermaid legends : MANATEE
27 Olive oil for a macaroni salad? : ELBOW GREASE
29 Chills : ICES
30 Lose it : GO MAD
33 Clothing style with retro and preppy influences : TWEE
34 Camel relative : TAN
36 Gate listing, for short : ETD
37 Bit of high jinks : CAPER
38 “You think?” : WAS IT?
40 Fairy tale antagonist : WOLF
41 Best-selling personal finance guru : SUZE ORMAN
43 Electrify : THRILL
45 Advice for saucing a lasagna? : GET BETWEEN THE SHEETS
50 Region of ancient Palestine : JUDEA
51 Down : SAD
52 Competition for boxers : BRIEFS
53 Martin Scorsese and Spike Lee, for 67-Across : ALUMNI
55 Running fettuccine dough through the pasta machine? : RIBBON CUTTING
61 Concealed field, for short : BCC
62 Cacao bit : NIB
65 Pigeon’s sound : COO
66 Rubber-stamps : OK’S
67 Where Ross taught paleontology on “Friends,” for short : NYU
68 Self-serve spots at pasta bars? : SHELL STATIONS
73 Star clusters? : A-LISTS
76 Butch Cassidy, famously : OUTLAW
77 Astronaut Jemison : MAE
79 Baked, so to speak : ON POT
80 Kitchen disaster with rotini? : SPIRALS OUT OF CONTROL
86 Hits on the head, informally : BOINKS
87 Topic of a traveler’s inquiry : HOTEL RATE
88 Keepsakes for some of the world’s greatest dads? : MUGS
89 Appropriate rhyme for “stash” : CACHE
92 Hummus brand : SABRA
93 “Ugh!” : GAH!
96 Big news for a co. : IPO
97 Singer Bareilles : SARA
98 Storage story : ATTIC
99 Sets of mathematical points : LOCI
100 With 108-Across, aftermath of a farfalle dinner? : BUTTERFLIES …
105 Canvas carry-on : TOTE BAG
107 Asanas in a sauna, say : HOT YOGA
108 See 100-Across : … IN YOUR STOMACH
111 Question from a poker dealer : IN OR OUT?
112 Horror or humor : GENRE
113 Like O. Henry’s “The Gift of the Magi” : IRONIC
114 Signifies : DENOTES
115 Jungian topic : SELF
116 Some party lines : CONGASDown
2 Like the musical “Come From Away” or “Six” : ONE-ACT
3 Stretched out to see : CRANED
4 Hip things to do in Hawaii? : HULAS
5 Part of T.A.: Abbr. : ASST
6 Style of alternative rock with psychedelic influences : SHOEGAZE
7 Texas metroplex, to locals : DFW
8 Expression of amazement : OOH!
9 Let go : FREED
10 Truck stop purchase : FUEL
11 ___ audience : TARGET
12 “La Bohème” subject : AMORE
13 The “x” in x2 : BASE
14 Roti flour : ATTA
15 Takes care of something : SEES TO IT
16 Things that snake oil salesmen sell : CURE-ALLS
17 Surgery spots, for short : ORS
20 Cardinals’ org. : MLB
23 Early 2000s virtual animal companion : NEOPET
24 Lushes : SOTS
28 “All Quiet on the Western Front” setting, for short : WWI
31 Tom callin’s? : MEOWS
32 Unpaid debt : ARREAR
35 Cardinals’ org. : NFL
37 Ham-and-cheese sandwich : CUBAN
38 Washed out, maybe : WAN
39 Word with fire or red : … ANT
40 Forcibly pull : WREST
41 Education acronym : STEM
42 Dynasty name in Italian history : MEDICI
43 Song words after “God Bless” or “Party in” : … THE USA
44 Bulk : HEFT
45 Narrow ravine : GULCH
46 Bring out : EDUCE
47 “Barry” airer : HBO
48 Rubik who created the Rubik’s Cube : ERNO
49 Ill : SICK
50 Pokes : JABS
54 Photo-sharing social media accounts, for short : INSTAS
56 “That su-u-ucks!” : BOO!
57 Snappy quip : BON MOT
58 Motivational content, in modern slang : INSPO
59 Bedtime brand : NYTOL
60 Blast of wind : GUST
63 “___ do” : IT’LL
64 Meadow sounds : BAAS
69 Some large cuts : LOINS
70 Browse social media without commenting or posting : LURK
71 Low digit : TWO
72 Like AAA, among all bond ratings : SAFEST
74 “Whole ___ Red” (2020 chart-topping album for Playboi Carti) : LOTTA
75 Legal memo header : IN RE
78 Flair : ECLAT
80 Stock option? : SOUP BONE
81 Stuff oneself with : PIG OUT ON
82 [I’m thinking …] : [UHH …]
83 Low digit : TOE
84 Global revolutions? : ORBITS
85 Like some sedatives : NARCOTIC
86 Weight-to-height meas. : BMI
89 Pearl units : CARATS
90 One form of bark : ARF
91 Third-largest city of Colombia : CALI
93 Japanese board game also called Five in a Row : GO BANG
94 Tree that yields gum arabic : ACACIA
95 Soprano’s feats : HIGH CS
97 Transition : SEGUE
98 Together : AS ONE
99 Shade of yellow : LEMON
101 Beginner : TYRO
102 Horn sound : TOOT
103 Gerund end : -ING
104 Distinctive features of a chameleon : EYES
106 Fatty tuna, on a sushi menu : TORO
107 Stashed : HID
109 Link letters : URL
110 One making calls, informally : REF
… return to top of page
13 thoughts on “0813-23 NY Times Crossword 13 Aug 23, Sunday”
BMI = body mass (in kilograms) ÷ body height² (in meters²)
BMI is used to categorize a person as underweight, normal weight, overweight, or obese.
41:51, no errors. A perplexing, punny pasta puzzle.
Hesitant to enter 86D, since BMI is, technically, not a measurement but a calculated ratio of two measurements. (I know…picky, picky, picky).
Measurement, proportion, ratio. Webster’s.
The last letter I put in was a guess (the “G” of “GAH” and “GOBANG”) at which point I got the dreaded “almost there” message. After much searching (of my soul as well as the puzzle, and with the timer ticking away all the while … 😳), I realized that perhaps the “M” of “MOTEL RATE” and “UMH” should have been an “H”, giving “HOTEL RATE” and “UHH”, so I changed it and the timer then gave me a completion time of 31:09. (And, now that I have told you exactly what happened, @Nick and @Glenn will no doubt, in time, tell you how I should have reported it … 😜.)
“searching of my soul as well as the puzzle..” That’s called a zeugma. That would be a nasty word to use in crossword puzzle.
Let’s put in a way that the logic is inescapable:
1. If you had got the success jingle at the moment you entered the ‘g’, you would have called that ‘no errors’ i.e ‘0 errors”.
2. Therefore, since you had an error on the grid at the same moment as you would have declared ‘0 errors’ how is that not ‘1 error’?
You’re engaging in a double standard by calling it ‘0 errors’ if you ‘win’, but not declaring ‘n errors’ if the number of errors, at the identical moment you would declare ‘0 errors,’ is more than 0.
QED.
@Nick …
Did I not clearly acknowledge that I made an error? Did I not clearly state exactly what happened? I contend that I must have; otherwise, you would not be able to take issue with my post.
I do understand your point: I did not add “1 squerror” to the summary of my results. Shame on me. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. But, since I feel that searching for, finding, and correcting my occasional errors (given the minimal aid provided by the “almost there” message) is of value to me, I’ll probably continue to report my errors in the way that I choose … 🧐. Again, I refuse to view what we do here as a “pissing contest”, but as an individual learning experience.
And, yes, “zeugma” is an interesting word. (It’s also the name of an ancient Turkish city. Who knew? … 🙂)
You placed the chip on your shoulder and dared me to knock it off. You do seem to have a chip on your shoulder. Some time ago I criticized look-ups as cheats, and that set you off. I was just minding my own business til then.
All I’m saying, since you brought up the topic again, is you’re quantifying your errors only if they are 0. That’s a double standard. But it’s no skin off my ass if you do it. Go ahead.
I’m not going to get into psychoananalysing why you have that tic. Maybe you’re a perfectionist. I don’t know, and I don’t wanna know.
I don’t buy the “learning” thing. You could declare the number of errors and still hunt them down. Also, if it were really about the intrinsic value of learning you could just read a lot of books. The puzzle is a kind of game or contest even if just with yourself.
The “learning” I’m talking about here has to do with getting better at detecting and avoiding questionable entries as I use the NYT app, so as to avoid getting the “almost there” message. (Except when I’m traveling, I print copies of all the other puzzles that I do and work them on paper, where all my years of practice have given me a well-honed set of techniques for the task.)
And, again, I do quantify my errors. In this case, for example, I stated exactly what the error was and what had to be done to correct it.
Sometimes the play-on-words theme gets a bit tiresome but today it was kind of fun. No errors and easy on the ol’ noodle.
22:00, 2 errors. No excuses, I made 2 errors.
68:20, 3 squerrors:
SHOEGA(Z)E/SU(Z)EORMAN, (G)AH/(G)OBANG and TO(R)O sushi tuna, all esoteric to me. For the O’Henry cross on TORO I had iconic instead of ironic.
I started to nod off less than halfway through and stopped the clock to catch a few winks. I can see by the system time I left off at 7:21 and resumed at 7:48 so I was out 27 minutes.
Part 128:00
Part 2 40:20
Almost finished with no errors.
Like @davek – missed GOBANG. Then messed up on IRONIC. Went with ICONIC.
That means I messed up TORO.
enjoyed it!
Ugh. My mistake for taking the bait again.
I’m just here about the crossword.
Have a happy life.