Ryan solves the NYT, Tue 10-7-8
The theme for this Kevin G. Der puzzle was “Phrases, the ends of which are shapes.”
17A. Ice cream holder (WAFFLE CONE)
32A. Diagram of nutritional needs (FOOD PYRAMID)
48A. Community of web journals (BLOGOSPHERE)
65A. Six-colored puzzle (RUBIKS CUBE)
So, I’m right about the theme, yes? It is “shapes”? I’m not missing something, am I?
I had a big trouble spot:
40A. Many pizza slices, geometrically (OCTANTS). I really didn’t understand this while I was solving. I misread the clue as I thought it was asking for how you would geometrically describe lots of pizza slices put together. So I figured if you put a bunch of slices together you get CIRCLES. This is not what was meant. An OCTANT is an eighth of a circle so the clue was referring to the way many slices can be individually described geometrically. Am I the only one who was baffled by this clue? I tell you what though, I do like pizza. Unfortunately, even though we live in New York City, we don’t have any good pizza places that deliver. We do occasionally get delivery from one of the big three chains: Crapinos, Crapza Hut or Papa Craps. To make it even worse, our local Crapza Hut refuses to cook the pizza all the way through so we’re usually left with a gloppy, underdone mess of an OCTANT. It’s enough to make you want to try their new Tuscani pastas. Authentic recipes like Bacon Mac N’ Cheese. I love how they describe the pastas as “restaurant quality”. Shouldn’t everything they sell be restaurant quality? It is a restaurant, right?
25D. ___ court (law school exercise) (MOOT). A MOOT court is a mock court where hypothetical cases are tried for law students. This I did not know.
37D. Looie’s underling (SARGE). This one I have no clue about. Wait, I’m looking it up. Hmmm, I have to say, I still don’t really know. Were they characters from the Flintstones?
I did enjoy the two long downs:
11D. Occasions to cry “Eureka!” (AHA MOMENTS)
31D. Short-lived economic expansion of the late 1990s (DOT COM BOOM)
Other than that, a pretty straightforward, enjoyable puzzle. What was with all the black squares though? Isn’t this a Kevin G. Der puzzle? And over 30 black squares? Dude must be getting lazy.
Next stop, Wednesday.
October 7th, 2008 at 10:00 am
The Army does not serve pizzas in octants. The Army does not serve Pizza. Pizza serves the Army. The Army follows orders (including pizza orders). It is well organized. At the bottom is a Private (Full Bird). His boss is the Sergeant (Sarge). His boss is a Lieutenant (Looie). His boss is a Major (Brass). His boss is a General (Top Brass). His boss is Dick Cheney (He who shall not be named). Dick has no boss.
October 8th, 2008 at 12:24 am
The Army serves pizza in lovely olive green hermetically sealed plastic packages labled as “Meal, Ready to Eat, Pizza”. Yum.
I thought Looie’s underling was either Dewey or Huey. Go figure.