Ryan solves the NYT, Tue 2-24-9
Today’s Stephen Edward Anderson puzzle gave me a lot of trouble. My solve time was almost 14 minutes which, even for me, is pretty long for a Tuesday. The top left was totally confusing to me.
1D. 1 on the Mohs scale (TALC). I was attempting to use applied knowledge here. I thought the Mohs scale was that wind measurement scale that I’ve learned from crosswords. So I figured this was GUST. The Mohs scale actually measures mineral hardness. So I was completely wrong. I’m not sure if WIND has an opposite but if it does I’m betting that it’s MINERALS. Minerals just kind of lie there while wind travels through my apartment, dropping my core temperature to yeti-like levels.
Lower down in the puzzle:
28D. G.P.S. offering (MAP). I assumed this would be an abbreviation so I put RTE. Shouldn’t this be an abbreviation? Unless MAP is an abbreviation. Macrame Area Paper?
Those two errors cost me a lot of time and are exactly the kind of MISHAPs that will prevent me from beating Tyler in the upcoming ACPT.
The theme dealt with different ways to use your possessions. Specifically, your NECK, your PRIDE and your WARES.
21A. Strain to see over the top (CRANE ONES NECK).
41A. Eat humble pie (SWALLOW ONES PRIDE).
59A. Be a street peddler (HAWK ONES WARES).
A few other highlights (have to keep this short because, as I alluded to before, my computer room is absolutely, flipping freezing. We are completely at a loss of what to do. I think we’re going to have to take our landlord to court.):
6A. Sir’s complement (MAAM). Remember how Webster would call his caretakers MAAM and George? And Katherine Calder-Young Papadapolis finally asked why he called her MAAM instead of her real name? And Webster said because MAAM sounds so much like Mom? And it was so cheeseball you just wanted to rip your face off? Webster ran 150 episodes. Arrested Development ran 53. Someone should be ashamed.
14D. 1989 Bond girl Bouvier (PAM). Bit of an obscure clue for a Tuesday considering License to Kill is one of the least popular Bond movies.
Ok, that’s it for today. It’s just too cold to keep typing. Episode 42 of Fill Me In featuring and interview with Tyler Hinman will be out soon.
Next stop, Wednesday.
