Dead tree solving - eco edition! 
Best of both worlds - paper and pencil/pen solving, but rather than curled up with the newspaper, you're curled up with your tablet/iPad/Android! Write, even draw, in the grid, directly on the screen. 

Perfect for rebus puzzles, like this one from a recent Thursday NYTimes puzzle. Use a stylus, for the feel of really writing, or just use your fingertip - it is remarkably easy and is your real writing... I filled this one out using my finger - the stylus is just there for show. (The rebus was MAN - as in TAXMAN at 54D...) If you would like to try it out, click on "About Me" on this page and send me an email.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

How puzzles spark conversation

Here is the Comments tab from my favorite "Queen of Mondays" latest Tuesday puzzle...
I tagged as I solved it, and then commented during the Instant Replay after I was done.

It really was one of the funnest puzzles I've done in ages - so many answers evoked nice memories or brought a chuckle (or downright ROTFLMAO!)..  Ralph solved too, so you can see his thoughts as well.  This takes a solitary solve and makes it a catalyst for some fun conversation! 
**SPOILER ALERT - if you haven't done the puzzle, go to www.cruciverb.com and solve it first!**


Summary

Overall comment
tita
Bubbly and bright puzzle. Great words scattered all over, many evoking fun memories. Loved it in spite of all those sports clues!!!!!!!! Even a sports natick at
LSU/USFL. "Failed" obscure sports thing? That's like getting directions in Ireland... Ya go until ya get to where Flynn's big stone barn used to be - then ya tirn right." Theme was fun, with 4 grid spanners.
ralph
Finished with TIANANMaN/ELISe. The Beethoven E that I know is Eroica. Classic Tuesday puzzle.

Write overs (word evolution)

tita
51D Passing remarks? [OhIs-->OBIT]
65A Small fry [sOTS-->TOTS]
45A 1989 Beijing protest site [TIANANuENSQUARE-->TIANANMENSQUARE]
38D Easy win [ROut-->ROMP]
26A TV witch series based on L.J. Smith novels [THESEkRETCIRCLE-->THESECRETCIRCLE]
18D Tiddlywink, e.g. [DISk-->DISC]
ralph
45A 1989 Beijing protest site [TIANANMaNSQUARE-->TIANANMENSQUARE]
29D Beethoven's "Für __" [ELISa-->ELISE]

Googled

tita
none
ralph
none

Late answers

tita
none
ralph
45A 1989 Beijing protest site
29D Beethoven's "Für __"
General comments

1A "Star Trek" milieu [SPACE]
tita
nice clue
gimme
Yes, I loved the original show, I admit it... Fun 1A!
2D "That was a close one!"[PHEW]
tita
nice clue
;)
3D Home of the Taj Mahal[AGRA]
tita
crosswordese
gimme

4D It can point you in the right direction[COMPASS]
tita
nice clue
gimme
I don't need a compass when sailing on my little lake...
ralph
nice clue

5D Student's Web address ending[EDU]
tita
crosswordese
gimme

6A Kermit, for one [FROG]
tita
nice clue
gimme
It isn't easy....(being green, that is...)
6D One of Baskin-Robbins' 31[FLAVOR]
tita
nice clue
gimme
As teens, my best friend and iI made friends with the sweet lady who owned the one by us. Brings back fond memories.
8D Blade on a boat[OAR]
tita

Nautical micro-theme.
9D Made a pained face[GRIMACED]
tita
nice clue

10A Droop [WILT]
tita
nice clue
Some of my transplanted lettuces are WILTing! :(
10D Bundle-up times[WINTERS]
tita
gimme
Especially in Minnesota, eh??
ralph

Why not clue it as a verb or somebodys name?
12D Recline lazily[LOLL]
tita
nice clue
LOL!
14A "Dear me!" [OHGOD]
tita

SOB/OHGOD...so sad!
15A Pinocchio, at times [LIAR]
tita
nice clue
Cute clueing
16A "__ out?": choice offered a pet [INOR]
tita
wow
nice clue
gimme
Every pet owner will love this!!
ralph
nice clue

17A Ships' drop-off location? [BERMUDATRIANGLE]
tita
nice clue
Great clue...crossing COMPASS, was thinking some kind of nautical or with Star Trek clue, that weird show with Leonard Nimoy about inexplicable stuff...
ralph
nice clue

18D Tiddlywink, e.g.[DISC]
tita
nice clue
And yet another great word in teh grid, and memory of childhood games...
19D Autobahn car[AUDI]
tita
nice clue
An A8 was our first car when we moved to Germany - how we loved the Autobahn!
25A Marquis de __ [SADE]
tita
nice clue
gimme
!
26A TV witch series based on L.J. Smith novels [THESECRETCIRCLE]
tita
obscure answer
pop name
Never ever heard of this, but easy to infer.
ralph

Never heard of it
26D Between, in poetry[TWIXT]
tita
nice clue
Fun word
27D "Ready or not, __ come!"[HEREI]
tita
nice clue
Another fond memory of childhood and the kid-rich neighborhood.
29D Beethoven's "Für __"[ELISE]
tita
nice clue
gimme
I was able to play this once upon a time
30D Land by the sea, in Saragossa[COSTA]
tita
nice clue
Isn't it ZARAGOZA? Did not know this spelling...
ralph

Spanish for coast?
31D Staples Center player[LAKER]
tita
obscure answer
sports
So much sports...Et tu, Andrea?
32D Prepare to change, as a wrong answer[ERASE]
tita
nice clue
Like we do while puzzling...
33A Like Dylan Thomas, by birth [WELSH]
ralph

Had Irish briefly but knew better.
34A Caustic drain unclogger [LYE]
tita
crosswordese
nice clue
Sure, it's xwordese, but I love it because it is the secret ingredient in Bavarian pretzel bread - Laugenbroetchen - that we have actually gotten pretty good at making...Danke schoen!
35A Fly in the clouds [SOAR]
tita
nice clue
How relaxing...
37A Helped with the dishes [DRIED]
tita
nice clue

37D Jurassic beast[DINOSAUR]
tita
nice clue

38D Easy win[ROMP]
tita
sports
ALmost got me...hat ROut, but noticed before submitting the puzzle and fixed it. I couldn't spell TIANANMEN properly otherwise.
39A Calypso cousin [SKA]
tita
crosswordese
Guess....it took me a few decades to finally memorize this bit of xwordese!
40A TV warrior princess [XENA]
tita
crosswordese
pop name
gimme
I actually have seen her show a few times... Memorable name...
41D San __ Fault[ANDREAS]
tita
nice clue
gimme
Ha ha!!!!!! You're so vain - I mean, You're so meta!! ;)
ralph

No faults here
42A Cyclades island [IOS]
tita
obscure answer
Was in a very recent puzzle - still needed crosses to get it, though...
43A Can't stomach [HATES]
ralph

Had to think about the S
44D Coin-operated cafeteria[AUTOMAT]
tita
nice clue
I was in Horn & Hardart in Manhattan once.
ralph

Precursor of the vending machine
45A 1989 Beijing protest site [TIANANMENSQUARE]
tita
nice clue
Not sure of spelling,, but crosses were fair.
ralph

This did me in but was the best answer in the puzzle.
46D Bedouin, e.g.[ARAB]
tita
gimme

47D Pasta piece[NOODLE]
tita
nice clue
Always a fun word in hte grid...though the clue isn't as fun as it could be... :(
48D Notable pen name in storywriting[SAKI]
tita
crosswordese
obscure answer
pop name
Did not know.
49A Roller coaster feature [DROP]
tita
nice clue

50A Brewer's kiln [OAST]
tita
crosswordese
Haven't seen this in puzzlesin a long time....
51A "Gone With the Wind" family [OHARAS]
tita
pop name
gimme

51D Passing remarks?[OBIT]
tita
nice clue
redirect
Almost fooled me...Briefly thought OhIs - as in Oh, hi!...
ralph
redirect

54A Just fine, at NASA [AOK]
tita
nice clue
gimme
I was a space-age baby - Walter Cronkite and any astronaut were my heroes!
54D Politico Landon and an extraterrestrial[ALFS]
tita
nice clue
pop name
Hah!!!
ralph
nice clue

56D "Damn Yankees" seductress[LOLA]
tita
crosswordese
nice clue
pop name
Oh so nice crossing BASEBALLDIAMOND! I remember Phil Silvers, and "Whatever LOLA wants, LOLA gets"...
59A "Field of Dreams" field [BASEBALLDIAMOND]
tita
nice clue
AHA!! got the theme! Second theme answer I completed. Sad that it is not nautical or mysterious in nature, but love that it is geometric!
ralph

Did not see where theme was going yet
60D The NCAA's Fighting Tigers[LSU]
tita
sports
natick
Sports Natick with USFL - say it ain't so..
61D Beast of burden[ASS]
tita
nice clue
!
62A Ingrid's "Casablanca" role [ILSA]
tita
crosswordese
pop name
gimme

63A Unsuccessful '80s gridiron org. [USFL]
tita
obscure answer
sports
natick

64A Caesar or Waldorf follower [SALAD]
tita
gimme

65A Small fry [TOTS]
tita

Nice - making us wonder if its plural or not...



2 comments:

  1. Andrea Carla MichaelsMay 22, 2012 at 11:51 PM

    Wow, thanks for such a thorough review and so happy it triggered so many positive memories, that's what it's all about, baby!

    Cracked up about "et tu, Andrea" re: sports!!
    As i said, mea culpa on LSU/USFL. And LAKER is because, like me, they are From Minnesota and moved to California!
    (at least it wasn't asking you to name an obscure player's nickname!)

    Anyway, cool site, neat invention, and glad to be a part of YOUR creativity!

    Wow, one of my nonrobot captchas is DORRIA as in the Andrea Doria! Maybe it's doing some spying crucimetrics itself! On second thought, maybe it's DORRLA who can tell with these F#%{^ng things!

    ReplyDelete
  2. @Andrea - thanks for stopping by - we mere mortals always love to get those little bits of insight into the constructors' minds...

    ReplyDelete