ACROSS LITE PUZZLE: [ WE CAN WORK (IT) OUT]
PROGRAM: [Across Lite]
PROGRAM: [Java]
PRINTOUT PUZZLE: [ WE CAN WORK (IT) OUT]
PROGRAM: [Adobe Acrobat]
Before we get to business, just a quick reminder I have today’s New York Times puzzle. And since I’m good like that, you can get it: here.
Next up: it’s time for another entry in the BEQ.com Fan of the moment Photo Essay thingy. I really should come up with a suitable blanket phrase for this recurring feature, but I’m at a loss. No matter, Please give it up for Wyna Liu of New York City. She’s not in the Hudson, though. Wyna writes: “Recently got back from a cruise with a stop at Jerusalem and the Dead Sea. A friend told me people like to do crosswords while floating around so I printed out a few before I left. I think this one was Cheat Sheet? Got a few clues in before flipping over and getting everything wet. Was happy that I got to CSONKA though, reminded me of both football and American Gladiators.”
Now there’s commitment to puzzling, and then there’s commitment to puzzling. Are my pockets overstuffed with sudoku when I’m leaving my house? Yes, yes they are. A man’s gotta be distracted somehow when he’s forced to go shopping with his wife. Do I do them whilst driving a car? Yes, yes I do. But have I ever done them while swimming? Never. Anybody whose gone with me to the beach, knows I’m not a beach person. I wear turtlenecks, blue jeans and huge brimmed hats to a beach. I wear sunscreen with SPF numbers in the low 100s. I don’t tan, I get cancer. And when it comes to, you know, actually getting into the water, I torture myself by submerging myself slowly, one skin cell at a time. Basically, if the water isn’t like bath temperatures, I’m a baby.
Where was I? Oh yeah, Wyna. She sent this other pic as well. Nice to get her in action plus the landscape. So yeah, the bar has
been set, ladies and germs. We’ve now had
a confirmed BEQ sighting in Jerusalem. I’m offering a free lifetime subscription to this here site to anybody who has a BEQ sighting
on the International Space Station. Keep those photos coming in! Anyway, for Wyna’s bravado, she gets a copy of “Diagramless.”
Quickly, thanks to all who were able to help
in the dead laptop fund. Tip jar’s always
open (hint, hint). In the meantime: share
the puzzle. New one on Monday.
Fun puzzle. Tried NIPS, PUFF, WHIZ, before CURL( thought it was WHIZ for sure)
The best puzzle you published today. By a mile. Love that NYT is on the *margin* of this grid. With slight recluing, it would have been a perfect T/W puzzle. Way to do the “phrases that end with …” theme up right.
To John’s list, I’ll add CURD.
rp
Tuesday/Wednesday, Rex? With *massive* recluing. Took me longer than his themeless NYT today.
I was in the CHEESE NIPS camp, but did notice right off that SQUAT was a lifting move and briefly pondered why my trainer never has me do NIPS.
Beautifully executed theme, Brendan. I miss Juan EPSTEIN.
My trouble spot was the SW corner. Had SPASMS first, then SPATES crossing FIE; didn’t know the crossing music answers. But in the end it all came together.
I say Wednesday. Recluing is recluing. There’s nothing even remotely outlandish or tough in the grid, and the word count/black square count feels …just right.
i’m with amy. VANITY PRESS, never heard of that. MC LYTE? no clue. HEY YA … nope. RENFRO? there was an old football player named that, but i’ll go ahead and suggest there are no tuesday-famous RENFROs.
I’m with Rex. I didn’t quite get the NE, since I went straight for MFA, but overall I thought it would work for a Wednesday.
I got to CHEESECURL near the end, so I knew I was looking for an exercise. I still had to study on it some before getting the right one. My favorite answer was CAPNCRUNCH. I always like the CRUNCH berries best, myself, and usually ended up with a bunch of picked-over squares at the end of the box.
I didn’t understand ERAS, though. How are they measures of either control or arm strength?
@ treedweller:
I’m assuming that “eras” refers to the pitching statistic ERA in baseball. Only BEQ can confirm, but that was my interpretation when it ended up as such.
I was going for baseball.
I just got it–never mind.
and even though there are two answers to my question that officially posted almost 20 minutes before my reply, I swear neither was visible thirty seconds before I posted the follow-up. But thanks for both.
Crazy themeness here, and MC Lyte brought me back a bit… had one heck of a time with the fill today though.
I agree, this was tougher than the “tougher” Times puzzle – a lot of small, tricky answers hiding in there to trip you up. Felt like a mess of little thumbtacks tossed in the road to slow you down. Pretty cool stuff.
this was a fun puzzle, but i really want to hand it to you (and i suppose will shortz) for the times puzzle today. the funnest friday themeless they’ve published in…well, months at least. i don’t really keep track, but pithy superlatives aside, that puzzle was all about the cluing: almost every one of them made me smile outright or upon aha! looking over the grid after completing it, i didn’t see a ton of amazing words, but what was there or the way it was clued was usually contemporary without being too niche, which is what the blog is for, or too stodgy/old/out of the loop, which is where the times’ attempts to go popcult too often land. and everywhere in evidence, with just enough emphasis, not too much, just enough, was your wry wit. it’s puzzles like this that really make one feel like the future of the times puzzle is in good hands. kudos.
hmm, I don’t know what is wrong with me. I am not a fast solver by any stretch, but your NYT took me 54:55 today (loved it though) and your BEQ site one took me “only” 11:29. I thought they were both fantastic and I was so pleased when I saw your name on the NYT last night since I knew I was going to enjoy it. Great work as usual. Thanks again.
Thank you for both puzzles! Today’s NYT was harder than most Saturday’s for me! And definitely harder than almost any blog puzzles! But a work of art! Enjoyed today’s Medium-hard Medium too. Surprised that IT wasn’t being worked out… shouldn’t have been. Like Amy, found that bottom-right by far the hardest! Had heard of VANITYPUBLISHING so PRESS wasn’t too big a stretch with aid of the theme. Plus there was EPSTEIN and the cool word I’d never heard of SKIBUM. BTW, which ANDRETTI is 3d, hopefully not Michael, had a brief stint in Formula 1 and was embarrassing.
PS: Sorry to hijack your blog, but this puzzle was gathering dust on my hard-drive, and dovetails neatly with your puzzle, so I decided on a bit of vanity publishing of my own: http://www.crosswordfiend.com/forum/viewtopic.php?f=14&t=346&sid=d0925bb81f73e8b97c0d27dc86067a44. Hope you don’t mind. It’s not a BEQ, but you can always ask for your money back… Oh and thanks Amy for a free spot to park sub-standard crosswords.
Is Milli Rilli Vanilli?
Another fine puzzle which felt more like a tough Thurs. to me. No real problems but quite a bit of inferencing/guessing. Easier for me than the NYT which I blew in the NE.
SW corner caused me problems. Like Amy, I also had SPATES first, making me think the song could have a title like “Tell But Mama”. 🙂
The NYT was straightforward enough, but took me about 6 minutes longer.
Dear Mr. Quigley
Please take my time of the leader list for 162. I meant to enter 2 hours and 15 minutes, not 2 minutes and 15 seconds. (!) I am NOT really good at this.