The Wizard of Roz

NYT Sunday Puzzles – June 9th and 16th, 2013

thewizardofroz — Tue, 18 Jun 2013 03:08:58 +0000

Both these puzzles were a challenge for me, so I was shocked and pleased that I was able to finish them without any mistakes.

Title: Question Box

This puzzle included the following note: “When this puzzle is done, take the answers to the 10 starred clues and arrange them across and down in crossword fashion in the central 5×5 box. Due to software limitations, Across Lite and our other apps can only accept one solution, but two possibilities exist. The resulting five-letter word spelled out diagonally by the circles will answer the question asked at 23-, 34-, 91, and 107-Across.”

Riddle: If a giraffe has fourteen/ more than a walrus and/ a squirrel has half as/ many as a pig, what are they?

Answer: TEETH

Title: Fast One

This puzzle included the following note: “Complete the puzzle. Then connect the circled letters alphabetically from A to S to get an imaged related to the puzzle’s theme.”

Theme: Secretariat

The clue to the theme was provided by 64-Across: 95-Across who made the covers of Time, Newsweek, and Sports Illustrated in the same week.

13D. What 64-Across holds in the three legs of 46-Down = All time record
31A. Like 64-Across, in sports annals = Celebrated
37D. Straightaway for 64-Across = Home stretch
46D. What 64-Across won on June 9, 1973 = The Triple Crown
90D. Victory wear for 64-Across = Wreath
95A. Time and Newsweek’s cover description of 64-Across = Super Horse
98A. Bold Ruler, to 64-Across = Sire

It’s Our 45th Anniversary!

thewizardofroz — Sat, 08 Jun 2013 13:15:32 +0000

NYT Thursday Puzzle – June 6, 2013

thewizardofroz — Fri, 07 Jun 2013 21:02:29 +0000

The theme is provided by 66-Across: Quarrel… or a feature of five answers in this puzzle. Answer: Falling O[ut]. All the theme answers consist of two-word phrases where the second word is OUT. The “O” immediately follows the first word, but the “UT” take a 90-degree turn downward. Ergo, OUT is “FALLING.” Cute!

16A. Explain in detail = Spell O[ut]
19A. Begin a journey = Strike O[ut]
25A. Discovers = Ferret O[ut]
65A. Relax = Chill O[ut]

I was shocked at how easy this puzzle was and how quickly I finished. Under an hour – which is excellent for me. I actually figured out the 90-degree angle thingy well before I filled in 66-Across. There weren’t many challenges with the rest of the puzzle. The few answers I didn’t know directly I was able to get by filling in the surrounding ones.

55A. Hoopster Ming. Answer: Yao. I don’t follow basketball.

69A. Doc Brown in the”Back to the Furture” films. Answer: Emmett. I saw the first one but didn’t remember the character’s first name. I don’t think I’d have known his last name either though I do know the name of the actor who played him: Christopher Lloyd.

Patio Umbrella’s Up!

thewizardofroz — Sat, 01 Jun 2013 19:08:28 +0000

It marks the official start of Summer 2013 at our house.

Whoa! Time Has Really Flown By!

thewizardofroz — Thu, 30 May 2013 23:40:33 +0000

When this postcard and a related letter arrived, my reaction was shock.

I don’t know why but it was hard for me to process the reality that it’s been 50 years since I graduated from college.

Because Queens College was (and still is) a commuter school, I lived at home. At first, I took the bus and then drove there after I got my license and a car. I joined a sorority, AEΦ, but the relationships I had with those women proved to be rather superficial, and once we graduated, I never saw any of them again. Two of my close friends from high school also went to Queens though one of them transferred to an upstate college after freshman year. I remained friends with them for several years after graduation. But then both moved, one to the West Coast and the other to Europe, and we eventually lost contact.

Back in the day, Queens was tuition-free. There was a registration fee of $25 per semester + the cost of books, many of which I bought used. If you are thinking that it was a huge bargain, you would be entirely correct. Especially since academically, Queens was considered on a par with the Ivy League schools. In fact, the core curriculum during freshman and sophomore years was modeled after Columbia University’s.

I started out majoring in psychology, but that didn’t work out very well (a long story best left for another post), so I switched to English with a specialty in writing.

I did not attend my college graduation because I had left on what was supposed to be a three-month trip to Europe although it turned out nothing like the original plan (another saga best left for another time). My diploma was mailed to me.

I’ve never felt any kind of nostalgia for my college days, so I didn’t give a moment’s consideration to attending today’s commencement ceremonies or the special events for the Class of 1963 that, according to the letter, will take place in October.

By the way, I graduated when I was 20 years old. How did that happen? Well, for one thing, I made the Special Progress program (familiarly known as the “S.P.”) in junior high which condensed the 7th, 8th, and 9th grades into two years. Plus, my birthday is in October, so in June 1963 I was still 20.

My College Graduation Yearbook Photo:

NYT Thursday Puzzles – May 16th and May 23rd, 2013

thewizardofroz — Thu, 30 May 2013 04:01:23 +0000

The theme is a riddle whose answer is a joke-y play on words. Four other answers have three circles in a row. How they make sense relates to the riddle.

18-Across with 50-Across: How can one tell that this puzzle was up all night waiting to be solved? = It has circles under its eyes.

The answers to 14-A, 36-A, 50-A. and 62-A contain the word EYE under which are the circles. (The circle fills have no common theme.)
14A. Like typical law school programs = Three year
36A. “I haven’t made up my mind” = Maybe yes Maybe no
50A. See 18A. = …under its eyes
62A. Tennis players in actions = Volleyers

There was a controversy regarding this puzzle. The Puzzle page is now providing hints for solving what are considered tricky puzzle. While occasionally a puzzle is accompanied by a “Notepad,” it is always of a very general nature. However, in this case, the “hint” outright gave away the puzzle’s theme:

“In today’s puzzle, the word “MAN” can be added outside the left hand side of the puzzle at 20-,
28-, and 46-Across to complete these entries.”

I didn’t know anything about this new feature until I checked my answers with Rex Parker. Obviously, I was able to figure out the trick on my own. I’ll not be looking for these hints because for me, they would ruin the fun and challenge of doing the puzzles.

The clue to the theme answers is provided by 51 Across: Emergency shout… or a possible title for this puzzle. Answer: Man overboard.

20A. Language that gave us “kowtow” = (Man)darin Chinese
28A. Clutch performer? = (Man)ual transmission
46A. Discuss reasonable outcomes upfront = (Man)age expectations

A few interesting answers:

4D. Canadian P.M. Pierre Trudeau’s middle name. Answer: Elliott. An easy one for me.

25D. Baseball Hall-of-Famer nicknamed Knucksie. Answer: Niekro (Phil). Despite being a baseball fan and knowing who he is, it took me literally to the very end to get the answer. The “k” in his name was the last square I filled in. Don’t know why it didn’t come to me sooner.

28D. Funny Tracey. Answer: Ullman. I had trouble getting this one though I did see her occasionally on the tee vee many years ago.

30D. Thin metal sheet. Answer: Latten. This fits my “you learn something new every day” category.

Strawberry Picking 2013 at Battleview Orchards

thewizardofroz — Tue, 21 May 2013 19:03:29 +0000

I mentioned previously that strawberry picking at Battleview Orchards was scheduled to begin on Sunday, May 19th. Mother Nature, however, had a different plan since Sunday’s weather was rainy and chilly. Yesterday, I had other things to attend to. So, I headed over to Battleview this morning. It’s actually more like summer than spring today — that is to say, HOT! After I finished picking, I stopped into Battleview’s market to pick up a few things. On the way home, my car thermometer was reading 85!

As you can see, the strawberries are gorgeous! 3.480 lbs. @$3.25/lb. = $11.31. Luscious homemade strawberry ice cream is definitely in our immediate future!

First of Spring 2013’s New Jersey Strawberries at Battleview Orchards

thewizardofroz — Wed, 15 May 2013 18:50:04 +0000

On Monday, I stopped at Battleview Orchards to buy a few things. As I began to make my way towards the back, I suddenly stopped short. What have we here?! Oooh! Boxes of their own strawberries! I had seen the sign on the road alongside their fields and the one on the chalkboard outside announcing that strawberry picking would begin on May 19th. That’s why I was so surprised to see these strawberries as I didn’t expect them to begin selling the boxes for those who don’t want to go picking before that date. Well, there was no way I was holding out until this coming weekend with those luscious-looking morsels staring me in the face. So, I bought a large box. And, yes, delicious as always! Little doubt they will be gone just in time for me to go pick my own.

NYT Sunday Puzzle – May 12, 2013

thewizardofroz — Wed, 15 May 2013 04:30:08 +0000

Title: Simply Put

The main clue is provided by 29-Across: With 44-, 63-, 77-, and 93-Across, a piece of long-winded advice.

The quote running through those four across lines is as follows: Potential consequences of a plan or decision one cannot reverse should be heeded prior to the time an action is effectuated.

The far less convoluted version, a well-known adage, runs down the center of the grid.

24-Down: This puzzle’s long-winded advice, simply put. Answer: Look before you leap.

This puzzle was pretty easy. Only one clue about a person I’ve never heard of.

10 D. Fashion photographer Herb. Answer: Ritts

Two NYT Puzzles with a Mother’s Day Theme

thewizardofroz — Sun, 12 May 2013 21:20:21 +0000

Since this is Mother’s Day, it would have seemed likely that today’s Sunday puzzle would have had that as a theme. Turned out not to be the case. However, this past week, both the Wednesday and Thursday puzzles were about Mother’s Day — quite unusual for two consecutive puzzles to have the same theme.

17A. Interstitially, say = Between the lines
28A. Wearer of a red-starred tiara = Wonder Woman
47A. Marquee actress = Leading lady
58A. Happy Mothers Day
The answer to 17A. relates to the fill for the squares in the center of the puzzle: Hi Mom

The theme answers are things one might have done for Mother’s Day, all clued the same: Remembered Mom, in a way.

18A. Shipped gift
31A. Mailed card
48A. Called home
63A. Sent flowers

In addition, there is a clue for an answer that runs diagonally starting from 1.
Annual message = Happy Mothers Day