Ryan solves the NYT, Wed 11-11-9
Amy Reynaldo!!! We want to know. How on Earth did you solve Bob Klahn’s Saturday puzzle in 7 minutes? Seriously. Let us know. Odalisque is just a word that you can come up with? Reveal your secrets. Reveal your “syst”. Either email us, comment on the blog or be a guest on our podcast. You cannot keep these secrets to yourself any longer.
Today’s puzzle was constructed by Kelsey Blakely and featured an ingenious theme that took me a while to wrap my head around.
39A. Start of a count…or the letter frequencies in 17-, 30-, 46- and 64-Across (ONE TWO THREE FOUR). One, two, three, four? That’s amazing! I’ve got the same combination on my luggage!
After I filled in the entry I had no idea what it could mean. Now, it seems fairly obvious but at the time it was a mystery. Turns out, all four theme entries are made up of one letter that appears 1 time, one letter that appears 2 times, one letter that appears 5 times (Three, sir.) 3 times and one letter that appears 4 times. Very clever. Would someone like to explain to me how one comes up with entries like this?
17A. User of barley malt (BEER BREWER).
30A. Emphatic boast of responsibility (I DID INDEED).
46A. One way to be armed (TO THE TEETH).
64A. “And away go troubles…” company (ROTO ROOTER).
I think this is one of those themes that I enjoy more upon reflection than I did while actually solving the puzzle.
Other highlights:
10A. Where “La Dolce Vita” was filmed (ROMA). My plan is to eventually post all of our vacation pictures here on the blog, one clue at a time. Here I am outside one of the best gelaterias in ROMA.
20A. Sharing properties (SIMILAR). Man, I really thought this was going to be SUBLETS or something.
37A. Turf group (GANG). Ba-da-da-da-daaaaa, ba-da-da-da-duh-da-daaaaa.
38A. Slo-___ fuse (BLO). I have no idea what this is. I just googled it and I still have no idea.
51A. Marvel Comics villain with an eyeball-like helmet (ORB). This guy I’ve never heard of. Apparently, he was stunt motorcycle rider who slid 25 yards on his unprotected face after an accident. He was fine for the first 24 but that last yard left him hideously disfigured. This next bit is straight from wikipedia: “After his recovery, for reasons never adequately explained, Shannon was given a powerful motorcycle helmet by They Who Wield Power. The helmet, which was modeled to look like a giant eyeball, could hypnotize people. A later version could also shoot powerful laser beams from its pupil.” So, there you go. Origin story solved.
63A. ___ Jannings, Best Actor of 1928 (EMIL). How come when I hear the name “Emil Jannings” I think of figure skaters?
7D. Gilder’s need (TOW). I read this as GILDER’s need. This confused me as GILDER makes me think of only one thing (even though it’s spelled differently).
INIGO: You’re sure nobody’s following us?
VIZZINI: As I told you, it would be absolutely, totally, and in all other ways, inconceivable. No one in Guilder knows what we’ve done. And no one in Florin could have gotten here so fast. Out of curiosity, why do you ask?
INIGO: No reason. It’s only, I just happened to look behind us, and something is there.
41D. China’s Lao-___ (TSE). Not to be confused, of course, with Lao Che, the Chinese gangster who tricked Indiana Jones into giving him the remains of Nurhaci, first emperor of Manchu Dynasty. Totally different guy.
56D. “Less filling’” brand (LITE). Wha? I don’t get this. Isn’t something like MILLER LITE the brand? LITE is just the adjective of the brand, right?
Fun puzzle, today.
Next stop, Thursday.
