Wow! This runt is squeaky clean. I managed to supply my own desperation during the solve, though. I tried hard to make Eskimos work at 11-Across and tried various spellings of Tsarina at 3-Down.
yep. M&A was alarmed, when all the grid words came out to be more or less acceptable. Makes creatin the customary el runto double-?? clues a bit more challenging. Thank heavens for 7-A and 15-A interpretation alternatives. And mucho thanx for the feedback. Nice to know some folks are still over here takin a look.
@Roo-- I did a little research on this new NYT puzzle. Gleaned out the following info:
* Puzzles are indeed runt-sized. Sample I saw was 5x5. Yo! -- It had UNCHECKED SQUARES! * NYTRuntpuzs are to be written and edited by Joel Fagliano. * They can only be accessed via iPhone. * Puzzle challenge level said to be moo-cow easy. So, use of the coveted double-?? clues is doubtful. * Puzzles are free; no subscription is necessary.
I applaud this initial step by the NYT, to become competitive in the non-lucrative Runtpuz marketplace.
@M&A In order for me to accurately convey the brilliance of your Welcome Wagon runtpuz it is necessary to compare it to something. Why not today's NYT mini puzzle: www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=5813&id2=151 which was a perfectly acceptable puzzle but it played like Pat Boone to your Mick Jagger.
I do have one question about the {Take it up} clue and will ask it on the secret constructor area of this blog.
p.s. @r.alph: I was countin up how many of these little puzs I've cranked out, so far. Nets out around 75 or so, by my count. Gross. That's like nine Sunday NYT's! I need a rest.
But, I also noticed that two of @muse's magnificent runt puzzles have been accidentally included in the M&A List, and left out of her own list. Could that possibly be fixed up, at some convenient point? (Bein good friends, @muse and m&e have each other's back.)
@r.alph: I echo M&A's thanks for providing the mini. Didn't think I'd ever do one since I don't own any I-things.
@M&A: 5:21 to solve your "Flattery" runt. I like to be puzzled by puzzles. Yours required some thought unlike that mini. I'm not sure yet what the Times is doing with this format.
If we start discussing NY Times puzzles here will r.alph get hate mail?
Thanx, @Ray J. I suspect that these NYT Minis are aimed at being lite and fun in a way aimed at easing more people into trying out a NYT crossword. As in people that might have been previously intimidated by the whole aura of "NY Times Crossword Puzzle" as a very difficult undertaking. Hard to be intimidated by a 5x5 grid that costs nothing to experience and is pretty easy.
I'm wondering if this mini puz will appear in the printed version of NYT puzzles? Don't think it has, so far. Don't see any bloggers like Rex, Fiend and WordPlay even talking about the little jewels, so far.
My runtpuzs were originally intended to be: * Goofy. To reflect its goofy author. * Different. To explore what weird stuff could be done in a runty grid size. That's the part that sorta hooked me in. Still does. * Of questionable quality. To show Rex how good the NYT puzs are, relatively speaking. Not sure Rex ever worked one, tho -- so have tried to ease off this checklist item, a little bit. But I love double-?? clues, and breaking rules a dash, so still hooked on that part. * Above all, not taking itself seriously. That's why getting sorta chased off the Parkerville site didn't concern me much. Just helped bolster its runty, underdog, goofball, scruffy, junkyard persona. * Fun to solve. That's a tough nut to crack, when flirting with all of the previous objectives. Not sure I always succeed, but the people here sure don't treat you mean...
I've enjoyed them. The ist one I ever tried was the one that was blank across the equator [that was around he time of ZZZZOINKS, my comment] and that scared me off for quite a long time. It was you-guys' chit-chat that finally drew me back, and I've liked the wierdness ever since. A lot of ace tricks in 'em.
Here's a runt that's been gathering dust for weeks 'cause I've been too busy (read lazy) to write clues. I think it will play easy even if you didn't have Mr. Gold for trig. I was surprised to find that 1-Across appeared 3 times back in the seventies when I analyzed it at xwordinfo. Not so surprised to see that 19-Across has appeared over 100 times.
Well, crud! I coulda sworn that I fixed that mistake. Yep, @M&A, 1-A should reference 10-A and 19-A. If anyone can think of a way to make the mnemonic work with 18-A I'd like to know about it. Third time's the charm. I hope.
www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=5844&id2=830
Gobbled up up?? is how I pictured it working. Those ??-clues can be dangerous in the hands of a rank amateur like me.
Thanks, @r.alph! I wondered how well known the mnemonic was when I made this runt. It was drilled into me in high school and there are a bunch of websites that explain it, so I thought it was legit. High school for me was the late 70's, btw.
Thanks again for posting the mini. 31 secs to solve that little gem.
Best mini so far, IMO. No black squares! Took me 1:34. This one might be more likely to favorably impress potential NYT crossword solvers -- altho it also seems slightly harder. Delicate balance. Thanx, @r.alph. M&A
Very nice! I generally amble my way through puzzles but something about these minis cries out "fill me in and make it fast". 53 secs for me today.
@M&A: "Delicate balance." is spot on. If you find yourself stuck in puzzles this small there are only a few crosses available to bail you out. It hasn't happened yet and I imagine the last thing Joel F. wants is to turn away solvers with obscure crosses.
Thanx, @r.alph. Did this excellent little one in 1:07. Is the 1-D clue correct? Didn't make much sense, to me. No theme in this WedMiniPuz -- unlike the TuesMiniPuz. Right?
I think the NYT should bite the bullet and do the following to their minis: * Go to a 7x7 grid size. Will help avoid unchecked squares, which can cause "UGG vs. UGS"-type ugliness. Even tho M&A always tries to think small, I found 7x7 to be the minimal workable size that would accomodate interesting themes. * Use a dash more humor, somehow. "Brooklyn baller" is a good step in the right direction. * Use the double-?? clue. Secret weapon, for scruffy little puzs. Gives them character. Sorta like havin a glass eyeball...
Believe it or not I had the exact same time as M&A on this mini. PBS vs. BBC at the outset cost a few seconds. The clue for 1-D seemed off to me too. Maybe "progressive" should have been plural.
Yep, @M&A: Getting 3 shades in a 5x5 is good stuff.
One of the answers in this mini made me think of an excellent Patrick Marrell puzzle that I did from the archive just last night. It was from May 13, 2004 if you wish to check it out.
@M&A: Lots to like in your latest daring experiment. The clue for 9-A is great!
I'm still scratching my head over the 1-D, 12-A combo, though. All of the other paired answers seem to fit the pattern where each answer fills in one of the blanks in the clue.
SPOILER ALERT - stop reading if you don't want to see some of the answers.
Here's what I see: *Steak and KIDNEY pie CHART *Hi-RES monitor LIZARD *Captain's LOG BOOK entry KEY *Petting ZOO Park AVE - Question: is park not capitalized on purpose? I ask because I suppose it's possible to have a park ZOO. Petting AVE? Nah. *Only COLORED water BED - Is "only colored water" something that I should be familiar with? Water colored and water bed work but then that leaves "Only" without a mate.
I'm probably overthinking this one.
That is definitely a lot of theme material in one little runt. Way to go.
Oh yeah - 4:36, btw. Thanks for the extra fun your runtz always provide!
Yep. I worried about the universality of the "colored water" concept. It is a substitute for whiskey, in some scams, etc. Also agonized over whether to capitalize "park". (Zoo park, vs. Park Ave., so one of each persuasion.) Also wasn't sure whether to somehow hint at the Ave. abbr.
In the end, I decided -- since the whole thing was so loony, anyway -- not to lose any sleep over such gory details. Just chalked it all up to "runtpuz snarl". Delighted to hear the whole mess was at least solvable! Thanx.
M&A
p.s. Full Disclosure -- M&A has nothing in any way whatsoever to do with making these new NYT mini puzs. M&A is not Joel Fagliano or Will Shortz. Not even close.
p.p.s.s. These NYT big puzzles have *really really* been specializing in common, simple theme ideas this week. Haven't commented much over there at Parker Zoo lately, since I wasn't real inspired. ThursPuz sure needs to have an attitude, to lift up this week's litter of non-runts...
@M&A: I think you made the right choice to not lose any sleep over the picky things I asked about. The runt was solvable, after all, and it made me smile. I'm glad the colored water is whiskey and not the other possibility I was pondering.
I don't comment much at Rex's site because I usually solve later in the day and by the time I read Rex and the comments anything I might have added to the conversation has already been said. I do enjoy reading it all, though.
I loved the recontinue runt. I like runts because there are no absolutes. IMO it is perfectly okay to not capitalize Park. As long as I can solve it I'm happy.
I really think that solving these runts is making me a better solver. For example, I did not have much trouble with the missing Ns in Saturday's puzzle perhaps because your clue-typoed runt a while ago prepared me to accept that there was something wrong with the clues.
Your runts are jazz, the NYT mini is elevator music.
@r.alphbunker - Thanks for asking about the "Magic box" and the earlier "Take it up?" - I had both entries right but didn't understand them. The "box" is just one I hadn't heard of, but I never would have gotten "it" on my own. @M&A - Thanks for the puzzles and the explanations.
I filled in the "freebies" that you gave us and then came to a screeching halt. Lots of tough and tricky clueing made this a challenge. Crawled across the finish line in 9:57. Eight ??-clues!!
Yep. This was a constant concern, here at Runtpuz Builders & Party Masks. This "Musing" runt had so many themers and "twi-runt unthemers" (yo, @r.alph), that it didn't leave us many places to serve up the customary fighting-chance freebies. Maybe we got too greedy?
At least no one so far has griped about WEY. (Except for my collaborateur deluxe.) I woulda thought that most folks had heard of Rock-Ola jukeboxes. Didn't U guys also burn up a lot of yer youth hangin out in smoky bars? Where else U gonna learn how to shoot pool and sorta meet girls?...
Yew don't need to be concerned about WEY. I think most savvy runt solvers look in all directions when those ??-clues show up.
In college I minored in playing foosball in smoky bars so I understood the jukebox answer when I finally got it. Getting it was quite a challenge, though.
Bravo to the mini SatPuz; it had a nice little theme, this time. I know of at least two other minis that have had a theme -- maybe they all do, and I'm sometimes missin it? 0:52 on this one. My first mini under a minute. Wonder how fast Dan F. does these?
Thanks, @r.alph. Keep em comin, if U want to. Fascinating, to see what the competition is crankin out.
Joel F was probably inspired to create this one as a tribute to M&A's latest runt.
I've said before that I'm no speed solver. I normally don't put anything in a grid unless I can confirm it with a cross, but with these minis I've been taking a leap of faith and going with my first instinct. This has allowed me to finish most of the minis by only reading about half the clues. 29 secs today.
@r.alph: Nice collection of punny clues you have put together. Some of those MAP clues are terrific.
If the occasion ever arises where I need to clue ELSA I will probably be looking at something like "Scrambled Frogman??". Is there a breakfast test here in runtville?
Arg. Hard to find this. Didn't know whether to look on runtz.org or here. Worth hunting down! Figured it out about 1/4 of the way in, but had to finish up guessing on sq.13, still don't know what that is, across or down.
Thought that if you wanted to use this trick again, maybe 'Titular head'? = WC
Wee-el, I guessed rightly, because I got my little reward bell, but didn't know why till now. btw, I really liked how you-all cut up the LA-DY in the Musings on M&Agic.
Now I have to find where's the new Gruntz alert puzzle. Think I need a roadmap. Are the new runtz also on the runtpuz.org page
Sunday NYT mini http://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6006&id2=58 Once 2D was in it was just a question of how fast I could poke at the iPad screen. I don't call answer entry on an iPad "typing"
@Leapfinger The distribution system for runts is rather inefficient. I hear of a new M&A runt either through this blog or if M&A posts it on "The Other Blog". (@rayj : Don't want to risk any hate mail here:-). When I solve it, I then add it to the M&A link over at runtpuz.org. Someday runtpuz.org and this blog may merge but for now they are separate entities.
And thanks. Best I know, it's been a while since I served as an inspiration.
btw, I do like your solving videos, watch them open-mouthed like like little action films. The cursor tracks what you're looking at? Howzat happen? CascoK didn't do half bad, but he should have finessed that lingering Y from EYEPIT long before he did. It just hung there, I think it being there was prolly a distraction.
Hey, man, that was great!! At first, I thought this was stuff you sat down and thought up yourself. I was so impressed! Then I got a touch of realistic --- this is what you pull out of the archives, anything with a ? attached, right? I'm still impressed.
Fun to read. Thinking of cataloguing runt clues also?
The actual clue for 1D was something like #@!$#!%. But since this is a family site I edited it (actually just typed puzzle in fast so 1D is actually an unchecked clue)
BTW, your latest runt was #@!$#!% unbelievable. If the world finds a renewable energy source like you our problems are over!
I think plastiqe, considerin' how much seems to blow up under me. That, and liberal use of mental floss.
Probly a lot is due to having read 'I'm in Marsport Without Hilda' [Asimov] at a young age. Even now, I recognize a lot of Spaceoline effects at play. That, and early readings of SJ Perlman. I remember my double-take on his mention of traveling to 'the Land of the Surds and Cosines'.
I knew it was gonna mean trouble for me when youse guys set up another site. Love yer stuff, but will have to hush my mouth most daze, just quietly do the runts
I'm guessing you-all are in ouch with m'Amuse? Been worrying about her and the WV kids since that msg of hers; it just ain't right.
You are cranking these out so fast that I'm having a hard time keeping up. I particularly liked your "Cloud" puzzle. I laughed out loud when I read the clue for 21D. Good stuff!
I think my last runt's theme was so weird, that it made the puz pretty much unsolvable. Mea culpa. Feel free to reveal the Pepsi anointment ritual answer. It's too desperate for y'all to spend much quality time on. That will hopefully get U going. U have hereby been given Pepsi dispensation. [buuurp]
M&A will now take some time off, to give everyone a chance to catch up. I was tryin to see what it felt like, to crank out a quasi-mini puz every day. Brutal -- leads to excessive desperation. Don't know how Joel Fagliano does it.
@Leapf: Am truly impressed that anyone could come up with the Pepsi ritual answer, in the middle of that mess. U musta had a vision.
Looks like @r.alph is religiously ponderin whether a runtpuz with this much gunk on it deserves a runtpuz.org slot. Well pondered. But, then again, we *are* talkin runtpuzs, here, after all... No whee, Jose?
Liked today's NYT regular-sized ThursPuz... reminds me of a runtpuz that @r.alph made a "special" answer grid for.
Sure miss @muse. But, alas, she is overworked and undertempcontrolled. Yet... How can she not be moved to comment on a puz that serves her up both EROW and SISO, symmo-placed?? Near-epic. I give and give and give... ;)
@r.alph: Yeah... Many others will probably be sorry, too. har.
Do any of the other blogs, with their endlessly long lists of crossword resources, ever even mention runtpuz.org? Probably not. I mean, shoot -- Amy might be a "crossword fiend", but she ain't crossed over to the dark side yet. So far, I don't think even the NYT minis have gotten so much as an accidental passing of gas. It's parta what y'all in the puzzerati like @muse call the "Underground"; or what M&A calls the "Umnope".
M&A "Too Far Underground for the Puzzerati To Dig"
p.s. As always, all the thanx in the world goes out to @r.alph, for providing yer tired, yer poor, yer runty masses yearnin to breathe free, this new place to call Home. Not to mention wretched refuse.
runtpuz.org is going to evolve. I am working on a crossword program like the one at xwordinfo.com that will produce a movie after you finishing solving the puzzle. The movie will be able to be viewed in the browser and also, optionally, uploaded to my server. Once that is done somebody can request a side by side playback of their solution with somebody else who has uploaded their solution to the same puzzle.
So, for example, you can solve a NYT puzzle, create a movie and upload it tagged with "M&A". I solve the same puzzle later, create a movie and check if there is an "M&A" solution on the server. If so I can play it side by side with my solution to compare our experiences.
Once this program is working it should make runtpuz.org different enough from other blogs to attract attention.
Good idea. I will put fruit and egg icons along the edge of the grid. Clicking on one during the solve will associate the image with the answer that has the highlight. When the movie is played back the selected icons will be "thrown" against the puzzle. The sky's the limit as to how elaborate the visual effects can be.
hmm, comment box doesn't open when I hit 'reply', so I'll use what's available. Could be one of those crashed plug-ins.
@r.alph: FWake? Guessing you aren't trying to mollify me. May I suggest a pizza icon, case someone gets hongry for a snack, feels low on saturated fats?
I've found I do best on M&A runts if I go into mental free-float; seems to work for me. Had to switch gears for RayJ's, but got her done, except [arg] for revealing center square. HAL 9000=2001?
@muse's protracted problems been on my mind, esp since 8 kinds of wretched excess if you look other places. One reason I didn't care for the @chaz bit of satire late 9/3 blog --- wasn't big on respect for teachers.
I'm assuming you guys are loose enough to allow other blogs to be mentioned here?
TYRANNIES-R-US, Rex. [I've been sitting on that one]
@Leapfinger: My diff eq instructor once told me that my thinking was too linear. Or was it my linear algebra instructor who said my thinking was too different? Nope, it was the first one. I bet no one ever told M&A that.
Yep. Hal 9000 = 2001. M&A came up with a better clue in his "Runty Entertainment??" puzzle, btw.
That was a good clue, but a lot more gettable. Guess there have to be some gettable clues in MnA runts, so people won't slash their wrists, like for that blank equator puzzle. ____9000 could have been all kinds of things, eg 18(Indy races).
Sometimes I just read the clue too quickly; in today's mini, couldn't see how 2D was an apt name for an elephant woman. Was looking for some kind of feminized Jumbo.
lol about people critiquing others' ways of thinking; could be what we do best. I remember some pretty dopey arguments I've had with teachers.
Joel don't need no stinking advice from the likes of me, but I woulda maybe considered using SPAR or STAR at 1A. The aw in AWAY doesn't fit the others. Or is that meant as a feature? Or is that J really important for some reason?
For @M&A - If you feel like trying your hand at a cryptic, this Saturday's Wall Street Journal puzzle practically has your name on it: http://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/puzzle20140906.pdf
Hey! I was in a blue funk in my brown study just the other day! Had a harder time on the Right than on the Left, but overall, a nice little orrery you got there!
It took me a few too many minutes to discover who the "she" in question was in this terrific runt. Mr. Dente and the bootlegger clues were excellent! Great runt clue at 19A.
SE is not where I would have predicted solving issues. But everyone is different.
Thanx for tourin my duplexes, and for the feedback.
Kinda interesting how U can have a solid wall down the middle, and the puz'll still play like one oversized runt. I guess it lacks that certain "elegance" that everybody talks about. Some day I will have to attempt a runtpuz with "elegance", instead of a puz with "runty elegance"... har.
Scuuurabbly! Took me 1:31. This level of performance will not get me a trophy in the NYT MiniPuz tournament. Methinks I faltered a bit, as I realized this mini was U-less.
My new goal in life: To make a runtpuz that's as hard and controversial as The Blindauer Beast, NYT ThursPuz. I may want to call it something like "Lollapuz-loser". (But, understand in any case -- I consider Patrick's puz a Lollapuz-winner.)
Saw only 3 black squares and said uh-oh, but it solved a treat, and had a couple of great lines.
Wasn't coming up with anything for 8a till I remember whodunit. 1a reminded me of that line from Trading Places': Look at that Ess-car go!', except instead of a Snail, we got a Millipede. Had wanted 'shortage' starting out; they're related, right?
Thought 16a was a cheat at first, then realized that's a horse's hoof, so you're covered.
8a to 9a: uh-huh, runts getting a little racy, here. Liked 1d and 11a clues; 7d was the silliest ever, gets an extra cookie.
Pub theme! 0:51, for me. Intriguing, that so far the NYT minis will do unchecked squares but not 2-letter words.
Tanks, @r.alph. M&A
p.s. Thanx, @Leapf, for yer thorough Stumpy Stumper analysis. Made that runt using the technique suggested by the folks at Mental Floss: Kept putting words into the grid, until nothing more would fit. Then blacked out the three squares that were left over. Works pretty neat!
Been out due to technical problems, had a fight getting back here, starting to catch up. 10A was a tossup -- ? JUJITSU, and sure thought 9D would be MS Kind of scary to be solving these little guys, you know?
The Quest for a runt-sized answer to The Blindauer Beast continues. This is proving to be a most challengin challenge to pull off. Consider this offering...
www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6394&id2=201
Author's Notes: OK. So this one's close to loopy enough, but the fill quality is pretty desperate. I just couldn't quite bring myself to hang the vaunted "Lulu-Puz-Oolala" prize medal on it. The quest continues. Man, do I ever need an extra cinnamon roll... Meantime, enjoy whatever this is.
Wed Sep 17 NYT Mini www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6404&id2=853 Had to Google to finish. A rapper crossing a brand of teenage doll did me in. Also unchecked letter in celebrity website forced me to google. This one is definitely an outlier
3:20 for M&A. Finished, but had an incorrect letter, which was uncrossed, in the SW corner -- so I naturally started guessin. 26 letters later, I was home free.
Personally, I would sooner have fingernails removed with white hot, dull jackhammers, than frequent a celebrity gossip website. Any good gossip on the Shortzmeister out there?
Not sure this one serves as a glowing, welcoming beacon for gettin more folks to join the big party. But, hey -- young solvers might've had much less trouble, and thought the whole thing was cool. De bustagut.
@r.alph: Thanks for posting the minis! I know it must take some work to do it.
I was going to complain about the frequency of 1D in NYT puzzles, but then I compared it to eel. Not even close. Besides, everybody knows that a blog is no place for a rant.
@M&A: Har! This runt reminds me of an old lady-friend of mine whose hay field was cut in two by a county road. On the side of an outbuilding near the road she hand painted a huge sign that said "GREAT GRASS FOR SALE".
Totally unrelated to the runt: What is the female equivalent of "gentleman farmer". Anyone?
Looking over the puz post-solve, I don't see why it took me so long to catch on, yet it did. Never saw 15A coming so that took me by surprise when it appeared from the downs.
Sunday Sept 21 Mini http://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6519&id2=641 IMO, cutest theme so far. @M&A Will update runtpuz.org soon. Am swamped with teaching a course on Javascript. Have assigned the students to write a program that displays the grid to this mini and lets the user select squares and enter letters.
Monday, Sep 22 NYT Mini http://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6520&id2=248 Got tricked by 5D. The iPad program has the annoying feature that once the grid is full, it immediately tells you if there is a mistake. It doesn't let you review the grid first.
1:21. I tacked the wrong ending on 3-D, so kinda got blind-sided, when I filled in my final entry at 5-D, and no pretty melody played. Panicked. Tried to think up another answer to 5-D. EXCEL? EXUDE? EXACT? EXPUT? EXLAX? Seconds flew by, alarmingly. Sweated out a pint of precious bodily fluids.
Neat wide-open grid.
I get sad to think of that poor TuesMiniPuz, all alone, lost, floatin desultorily, in The Cloud forever. Makes M&A feel so lucky, that @r.alph has archived the Runtz for all time, in his Old Squealin Runtz Rest Home. Probably annoys the pants off legit constructioneers everywhere, as a bonus. Does give Dan F. a great source for tournament practice puzs, tho.
Speakin of rest homes, I hear Rex evidently may retire his blog, after a couple more years. Nah. I bet if we all buy him a few beers and get him hammered, he'll forget what year it is and keep goin...
runtpuz.org has a new feature. Click the top link "Crowd-sourcing runtpuzzes" and you will see M&A's very first runtpuz. Solve it as usual and then click the Playback button to see an analysis of your solution. Click the fast forward button to see the solution flash before your eyes. Try the other buttons.
I have begun serious work on this program because Rex Parker is going to retire his blog in two years and there has to be something to replace it. I want us to be a contender.
Eventually the program will allow solvers to enter comments on their answers and upload their solution to my server where it will be combined with other solutions to form a canonical solution of the puzzle. Gone will be the expert commenting on high. The crowd will now determine the merit of the puzzle.
Wow. I like the sound of that canon. With this kind of advance planning, no reason you shouldn't be a contender. If it happens, can Cletus and Clovis come back?
@r.alph: Don't see a Crowd-sourcing option just quite yet. (Maybe something or other needs to refresh itself.) Anyhow, I like the primo mad-scientist vibe of your power play plan. Automated mob rule. Screw The Cloud. U will have begat The Crowd. har!
@Leapfinger My name is a portmanteau of two blue collar icons. In the fifties I had to live with "Hey Ralphie" because of Ralph Cramden and in the 70's it was "Any relation to Archie?". I am sure that has pushed me in the populist direction. I have looked for Archie Cramden on the Internet with no luck.
If you are going to be anywhere near Fairfield, IA on your trip please let me know and I will come to meet you. You can either call me (I am in the phone book) or let me know where we can meet by posting time and place here.
Thanx, @r.alph. We won't be even remotely close to Fairfield (or Vegas) on this road trip. But really do appreciate the friendly offer. Crossword folks are the nicest peoples. Perhaps another time, tho.
Found a really nice book of 10 x 10 crossword puzzles by Trip Payne. These are challenging but doable puzzles. Out of print copies seem to be available at Amazon. Of course it is alway risky buying a used book of crossword puzzles, sight unseen. One puzzle had the clue {U-shaped food} _ _ _ _ Sit and Solve #1
@r.alph: Hey, maybe old Trip was the father of Sunday-sized runtpuzs. Only {U-shaped food} I got is watermelon RIND. Will contemplate further, during new trip.
Mon, Sep 29, 2014 NYT Mini http://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6665&id2=109
@M&A I have also made a backup of all of your runt and put the zip file here http://www.mumde.net/runtpuz/ma.zip Now we don't have to worry about xwordinfo.com deleting them.
@M&A Nice'un. With any luck the next one will be solved with my animation program. Jim Horne graciously gave me permission to reverse engineer his Xword Info Solver so that it will record the puzzle as you solve it.
Look forward to that. 1:34 for me, on the latest Mini (thanx). Had some minor difficulty -- not unlike findin a Spanish dance and Greek crier and a needle in a double quintstack.
p.s. @r.alph: Only if it's not too much trouble... I recently received a nice note from Anais (Doubledot) Nin, pointing out that I wrong-sexed her, in my recent "Bone Clocks" runtpuz. Shoulda called it "Boner Clocks", I reckon. Anyhoo, here is a corrected version, in case you'd care to make the replacement in the M&A Collection:
1:21. Coulda been slightly faster, but had an unchecked incorrect letter (YaeiouLP). Hey! Thanx for the rapid response "Bone Clocks" fix. Angela Anais Doubledots can rest easier, tonight.
@M&A Made a movie of my solution to the Beyond Thunderdome puzzle. Look at your puzzles at runtpuz.org and click on the "r.alph's solution" link to see my comments and solution sequence. As program evolves you will have the ability to respond to my questions while viewing the movie.
@Leapfinger Next week you will be able to make movies also. Right now the program has too many bare wires and using it may shock you.
Nifty program, @r.alph. Great comments; overall mucho nicer, than what one normally gets from @63.
If {Cross shape} had been {Cross condition}, it woulda been too easy; and M&A did trot out the "?", after all, to try and compensate. {Like some units} seemed kinda punk to me, in the sense that "units" can be so generic, that I figured it wasn't gonna be much help.
Cool report on the long times spent starin at some individual clues. U must have a stubborn streak in U, like M&A does.
Tues, Oct 7, 2014 NYT Mini http://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6859&id2=739
All of M & A's puzzles can now be animated http://sanskritlibrary.com:8080/CrowdSource/ Click the "M & A runt puzzes", choose a runtpuz, solve it and then click the playback button to review your solve. Next week I hope to add the ability to upload your solution so it can be compared with other solutions
Tried the sanskrit-based program on a runt -- worked great, but not sure how/if I can add comments yet. Laughed my pants off, that it took me 4:50 to do my own 2-month-old runtpuz. The only thing efficient about my mind is how fast it's going.
We need to come up with a name for this crossword puzzle program. I propose "Keepfinger" or KF for short. Any suggestions?
IMO, the ideal way to enter comments is just to speak them out as you are solving the puzzle and then have them automatically transcribed so they can be edited later. I am going to experiment with using a GoPro video camera to videotape me doing the puzzle. GoPro also records audio.
It would be nice to have plugin interface for KF. The interface would allow certain "events" to pass from the KF to the plugin. There could be a plugin that would annotate the GoPro video with the events. One such event would be a desperation event which would be triggered when the solver moves around a lot without entering any correct letters. Another event could be a catalyst event generated when there is a sudden burst of correct entries after a period of desperation.
A plugin interface would strengthen our claim that we are serious contenders for taking over when RP retires. I view RP as Charlemagne and the crossword blogosphere as Europe. I want to get France not Luxembourg.
Until the speaking interface is figured out I will implement a typing interface for KF. Hope this happens in the next couple of weeks.
Dang, 27 minutes late to the party and someone Already stole my KFC! KF's a r.alpha-quality pun, but keep it as an abbrev, OK? because to much honour for even a semi-eponym for me.
Laughed myself silly @ the 'France not Luxembourg' point. From wii to WWII.
Don't know about that 'just speaking' part, unless a bunker slipped some audio equipment into my sofa upholstery when I wasn't looking, but it's probably better that I hold back some commentary.
@r.alph... har. Could depend on one's definition of good.
Top recommended clues for TACO: * Disheveled coat?? * Bell opener? * Starter with chips? * Order most likely to be filled * Soft-shelled Gulf of Mexico sight * Tuco's typo * Catacomb center? * What Tacoma and Rita Coolidge have in common?? * Crunchy crossword go-with * Tequila consumer's treat * It's usually folded at the local diner * Kind of soup or salad
One feature of KF that I would like to implement after the commenting has been added is to have the ability to use clues of different levels of difficulty. This can be automated because I have all the clues for all the words that have ever appeared in a NYT puzzle during the Shortzian era. For each clue I also have the day(s) of the week in which it was used. The later in the week, the more challenging the clue. If you are so inclined I could also use M & A clues for certain lucky answers.
Back to TACO. If you were to look at a taco as it approaches your mouth what shape would you see?
Hmm. Depends on one's definition of lucky, I reckon, but ok. Did U already have a passel of backlogged puzs with TACO in em, or somethin?
Occurs to me that {It invariably gets heated up after being shelled} would be a nice SatPuz TACO clue. ...Day-um, @r.alph; it's like U created a brain-worm, with this doggone TACO-clue nonsense.
I wonder if it would be possible to make a runtpuz where all the clues could be answered as TACO, but none of em turn out to be TACO...
M&A "Always Overthinkin It"
p.s. Don't forget that latest "Mixed Doubles" runtpuz. (It'll make yer KF cough up stuff.)
M & A This will help with the brain-worm http://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6914&id2=382
I plan to solve the Mixed Doubles puzzle when KF has support for comments which will probably be this weekend.
Here is how I plan to handle comments in KF. Any suggestions are welcome
I do not like commenting as I solve. I am thinking of letting the solver type a ! for clues/answers that you might want to comment on later. The ! will not appear in the grid. When they finish the solver can go to a page that will list the clues/answers in the following order:
1. The ones that you flagged with a ! 2. Answers you cheated on 3. The ones that you entered incorrect letters for 4. Long answers > 7 letters 5. Clues with question marks. 6. Everything else in alphabetical order sorted by answer length
Clicking a clue/answer will bring up a textbox where you can enter a comment
Presumably this ordering will put the most comment worthy clues/answers first.
har. ...* U-shaped food. Better than any of mine, by far. 10:56 on that whole RuntTrip.
Most people probably wouldn't want to comment, during the solve, especially if they are after a swift solve time. So, sounds like U are on the right track.
1:04 here. The clue for 7-A, "The Mysteries of +++" (2014 NBC debut), made absolutely no sense to me. Were the +++ characters supposed to be a fill-in-the-blank? Not that that woulda helped me much at all, anyway...
I think @r.alph is quarantinin my ultra-challengin "Mixed Doubles" runt puzzle for a few days, in case it starts to show disgustin symptoms. He does not wish to infect the KF Control (KFC) Center or the citizens of Fairfield. Best to err on the side of caution.
But... For those desperately huntin for runtin, here is my 50th themeless runt creation (also available in a sleeveless model). I have now made (not sure about published) 100 RUNTPUZS! This milestone gives strong testimony to the wonders that the human mind is capable of producin, if not properly sedated...
www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6943&id2=731
Do not be misled by the puz's title. Or do. Whatever.
You're miles ahead of me, r.alph, and besides, I don't know what all is possible.
One thing I notice is that A-L flags wrong entries that are checked, while xwordinfo doesn't; one reason why my runt solves always look a lot cleaner than they are ;)
I don't know if it's possible to add that feature into the set-up. I do know it helps me remember if I actually entered a word, or only thought about it.
Maybe some way [other than a flag] to indicate a given entry is a do-over?
NYT FriPuz was themed, so here's a wee themeless fix...
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=5641&id2=272
M&A
p.s.
DeleteIf U could not believe what U saw here, be sure to check out:
runtpuz.org
There is enough disbelief there, to last U a lifetime.
M&A
Tough! Couldn't believe "walrUSES" wouldn't fit. Really liked the blast of snarkies.
DeleteWow! This runt is squeaky clean. I managed to supply my own desperation during the solve, though. I tried hard to make Eskimos work at 11-Across and tried various spellings of Tsarina at 3-Down.
ReplyDeleteWEE TRY is fantastic!
yep.
DeleteM&A was alarmed, when all the grid words came out to be more or less acceptable. Makes creatin the customary el runto double-?? clues a bit more challenging. Thank heavens for 7-A and 15-A interpretation alternatives.
And mucho thanx for the feedback. Nice to know some folks are still over here takin a look.
M&A
Lewis inspired me to find one of these, and make a runtpuz out of it...
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=5690&id2=41
This one probably won't be easy, until U figure out what "one of these" means.
M&A
p.s. @Lewis, and other interested folks:
DeleteThe grid was a public-domain find, btw. I don't think I have the chops to do that, all by myself.
M&A
@M&A - Liked it - quite a feat. Went fast, once I understood what was up.
DeleteHoly smokes!!! Did you read that Anon post on Rex's blog? After I did, I found it in my e-mail also! The NYT is now having/offering 5x5 runt puzzles!
ReplyDeleteM&A, time to call the lawyers! Surely someone can be sued over this?
Unless M&A secretly works for the NYT............................
RooMonster
@Roo-- I did a little research on this new NYT puzzle. Gleaned out the following info:
Delete* Puzzles are indeed runt-sized. Sample I saw was 5x5. Yo! -- It had UNCHECKED SQUARES!
* NYTRuntpuzs are to be written and edited by Joel Fagliano.
* They can only be accessed via iPhone.
* Puzzle challenge level said to be moo-cow easy. So, use of the coveted double-?? clues is doubtful.
* Puzzles are free; no subscription is necessary.
I applaud this initial step by the NYT, to become competitive in the non-lucrative Runtpuz marketplace.
M&A
Here is a Welcome Wagon runtpuz, in honor of the new kid on the block...
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=5796&id2=784
M&A
@M&A
ReplyDeleteIn order for me to accurately convey the brilliance of your Welcome Wagon runtpuz it is necessary to compare it to something. Why not today's NYT mini puzzle:
www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=5813&id2=151
which was a perfectly acceptable puzzle but it played like Pat Boone to your Mick Jagger.
I do have one question about the {Take it up} clue and will ask it on the secret constructor area of this blog.
Wow, thanx for the NYT mini, in a form where we can actually get at it. (I ain't got no iOSPhone.) Did that one in 1:36.
Deleter.alph, U just can't make this runt saga stuff up! har.
M&A
p.s.
Delete@r.alph: I was countin up how many of these little puzs I've cranked out, so far. Nets out around 75 or so, by my count. Gross. That's like nine Sunday NYT's! I need a rest.
But, I also noticed that two of @muse's magnificent runt puzzles have been accidentally included in the M&A List, and left out of her own list. Could that possibly be fixed up, at some convenient point? (Bein good friends, @muse and m&e have each other's back.)
Mucho thanx, mon amigo.
M&A
Fixed. Thanks for pointing this out.
Delete@r.alph: I echo M&A's thanks for providing the mini. Didn't think I'd ever do one since I don't own any I-things.
Delete@M&A: 5:21 to solve your "Flattery" runt. I like to be puzzled by puzzles. Yours required some thought unlike that mini. I'm not sure yet what the Times is doing with this format.
If we start discussing NY Times puzzles here will r.alph get hate mail?
Thanx, @Ray J. I suspect that these NYT Minis are aimed at being lite and fun in a way aimed at easing more people into trying out a NYT crossword. As in people that might have been previously intimidated by the whole aura of "NY Times Crossword Puzzle" as a very difficult undertaking. Hard to be intimidated by a 5x5 grid that costs nothing to experience and is pretty easy.
DeleteI'm wondering if this mini puz will appear in the printed version of NYT puzzles? Don't think it has, so far. Don't see any bloggers like Rex, Fiend and WordPlay even talking about the little jewels, so far.
My runtpuzs were originally intended to be:
* Goofy. To reflect its goofy author.
* Different. To explore what weird stuff could be done in a runty grid size. That's the part that sorta hooked me in. Still does.
* Of questionable quality. To show Rex how good the NYT puzs are, relatively speaking. Not sure Rex ever worked one, tho -- so have tried to ease off this checklist item, a little bit. But I love double-?? clues, and breaking rules a dash, so still hooked on that part.
* Above all, not taking itself seriously. That's why getting sorta chased off the Parkerville site didn't concern me much. Just helped bolster its runty, underdog, goofball, scruffy, junkyard persona.
* Fun to solve. That's a tough nut to crack, when flirting with all of the previous objectives. Not sure I always succeed, but the people here sure don't treat you mean...
M&A
I've enjoyed them. The ist one I ever tried was the one that was blank across the equator [that was around he time of ZZZZOINKS, my comment] and that scared me off for quite a long time. It was you-guys' chit-chat that finally drew me back, and I've liked the wierdness ever since. A lot of ace tricks in 'em.
DeleteHere's a runt that's been gathering dust for weeks 'cause I've been too busy (read lazy) to write clues. I think it will play easy even if you didn't have Mr. Gold for trig. I was surprised to find that 1-Across appeared 3 times back in the seventies when I analyzed it at xwordinfo. Not so surprised to see that 19-Across has appeared over 100 times.
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=5826&id2=857
Probably shouldn't have a numbering error in a so-called math runt. Use this one instead. Sorry about that.
Deletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=5827&id2=463
Think maybe there is still a numbering error. Shouldn't 1-A clue reference 19-A, instead of 18-A?
DeleteA fun challenge. Got the right-hand side of puz quickly. SW corner and 3-D put up a fight. Had POP at 18-A for too long...
Still tryin to digest the 15-D clue. Woulda thought "Gobbled up??"
Thanx
M&A
I think it is an unchecked clue.
DeleteOn second thought... "Gobbled up up??" ... "Downed up??" "Bolted (down) (up)??"... day-um ...
DeleteM&A
Well, crud! I coulda sworn that I fixed that mistake. Yep, @M&A, 1-A should reference 10-A and 19-A. If anyone can think of a way to make the mnemonic work with 18-A I'd like to know about it. Third time's the charm. I hope.
Deletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=5844&id2=830
Gobbled up up?? is how I pictured it working. Those ??-clues can be dangerous in the hands of a rank amateur like me.
Thanks for the feedback.
@Ray J
ReplyDeleteGood one. Perhaps the first educational runtpuz. I had never heard of the mnemonic and I was a math major in college.
Here is Sunday mini. Will post them for a week or until the NYT legal department contacts me.
http://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=5829&id2=794
Thanks, @r.alph! I wondered how well known the mnemonic was when I made this runt. It was drilled into me in high school and there are a bunch of websites that explain it, so I thought it was legit. High school for me was the late 70's, btw.
DeleteThanks again for posting the mini. 31 secs to solve that little gem.
Monday NYT mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=5860&id2=590
Best mini so far, IMO. No black squares!
DeleteTook me 1:34.
This one might be more likely to favorably impress potential NYT crossword solvers -- altho it also seems slightly harder. Delicate balance.
Thanx, @r.alph.
M&A
Very nice! I generally amble my way through puzzles but something about these minis cries out "fill me in and make it fast". 53 secs for me today.
Delete@M&A: "Delicate balance." is spot on. If you find yourself stuck in puzzles this small there are only a few crosses available to bail you out. It hasn't happened yet and I imagine the last thing Joel F. wants is to turn away solvers with obscure crosses.
Tuesday's mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=5882&id2=224
51 secs with a wrong square at 7-Down. I put an S where the second G belongs. Mini DNF.
DeleteThanks, @r.alph
Wednesday's mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=5904&id2=975
Thanx, @r.alph. Did this excellent little one in 1:07. Is the 1-D clue correct? Didn't make much sense, to me. No theme in this WedMiniPuz -- unlike the TuesMiniPuz. Right?
DeleteI think the NYT should bite the bullet and do the following to their minis:
* Go to a 7x7 grid size. Will help avoid unchecked squares, which can cause "UGG vs. UGS"-type ugliness. Even tho M&A always tries to think small, I found 7x7 to be the minimal workable size that would accomodate interesting themes.
* Use a dash more humor, somehow. "Brooklyn baller" is a good step in the right direction.
* Use the double-?? clue. Secret weapon, for scruffy little puzs. Gives them character. Sorta like havin a glass eyeball...
M&A
p.s.
Delete...Speaking of not makin much sense: Here is a Runtpuz Daring Experiment, inspired by the NYT regular-sized TuesPuz's 59-Down:
www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=5907&id2=912
M&A
Sorry in advance, if I overdid it on the theme material.
Believe it or not I had the exact same time as M&A on this mini. PBS vs. BBC at the outset cost a few seconds. The clue for 1-D seemed off to me too. Maybe "progressive" should have been plural.
DeleteYep, @M&A: Getting 3 shades in a 5x5 is good stuff.
One of the answers in this mini made me think of an excellent Patrick Marrell puzzle that I did from the archive just last night. It was from May 13, 2004 if you wish to check it out.
Thanks, @r.alph
@M&A: Lots to like in your latest daring experiment. The clue for 9-A is great!
DeleteI'm still scratching my head over the 1-D, 12-A combo, though. All of the other paired answers seem to fit the pattern where each answer fills in one of the blanks in the clue.
SPOILER ALERT - stop reading if you don't want to see some of the answers.
Here's what I see:
*Steak and KIDNEY pie CHART
*Hi-RES monitor LIZARD
*Captain's LOG BOOK entry KEY
*Petting ZOO Park AVE - Question: is park not capitalized on purpose? I ask because I suppose it's possible to have a park ZOO. Petting AVE? Nah.
*Only COLORED water BED - Is "only colored water" something that I should be familiar with? Water colored and water bed work but then that leaves "Only" without a mate.
I'm probably overthinking this one.
That is definitely a lot of theme material in one little runt. Way to go.
Oh yeah - 4:36, btw. Thanks for the extra fun your runtz always provide!
SPOILER ALERT, back at yah...
DeleteYep. I worried about the universality of the "colored water" concept. It is a substitute for whiskey, in some scams, etc.
Also agonized over whether to capitalize "park". (Zoo park, vs. Park Ave., so one of each persuasion.) Also wasn't sure whether to somehow hint at the Ave. abbr.
In the end, I decided -- since the whole thing was so loony, anyway -- not to lose any sleep over such gory details. Just chalked it all up to "runtpuz snarl". Delighted to hear the whole mess was at least solvable! Thanx.
M&A
p.s. Full Disclosure -- M&A has nothing in any way whatsoever to do with making these new NYT mini puzs. M&A is not Joel Fagliano or Will Shortz. Not even close.
p.p.s.s.
These NYT big puzzles have *really really* been specializing in common, simple theme ideas this week. Haven't commented much over there at Parker Zoo lately, since I wasn't real inspired. ThursPuz sure needs to have an attitude, to lift up this week's litter of non-runts...
@M&A: I think you made the right choice to not lose any sleep over the picky things I asked about. The runt was solvable, after all, and it made me smile. I'm glad the colored water is whiskey and not the other possibility I was pondering.
DeleteI don't comment much at Rex's site because I usually solve later in the day and by the time I read Rex and the comments anything I might have added to the conversation has already been said. I do enjoy reading it all, though.
I loved the recontinue runt. I like runts because there are no absolutes. IMO it is perfectly okay to not capitalize Park. As long as I can solve it I'm happy.
DeleteI really think that solving these runts is making me a better solver. For example, I did not have much trouble with the missing Ns in Saturday's puzzle perhaps because your clue-typoed runt a while ago prepared me to accept that there was something wrong with the clues.
Your runts are jazz, the NYT mini is elevator music.
Thursday Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=5923&id2=672
It is cheating to use a calculator on this one! :-)
@r.alph: The following runtpuz was a non-collaboration between two constructors who clearly wish to remain anonymous...
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=5932&id2=600
Thanx for enabling this.
M&A
No idea about answer to {Magic box full of disembodied entertainers}. Please explain on the secret page
ReplyDeleteDropped the hint, over at the secret page.
DeleteM&A
@r.alphbunker - Thanks for asking about the "Magic box" and the earlier "Take it up?" - I had both entries right but didn't understand them. The "box" is just one I hadn't heard of, but I never would have gotten "it" on my own.
Delete@M&A - Thanks for the puzzles and the explanations.
Friday Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=5942&id2=252
Needed crosses to get 1A
1:01 to solve the mini today.
DeleteSame here @r.alph re: 1A. I don't get it, but I'm not a gamer.
Thanks, @r.alph!
@M & A
ReplyDeleteI responded to your hint on the secret page
@M&A and Mysterious Collaborator:
ReplyDeleteI filled in the "freebies" that you gave us and then came to a screeching halt. Lots of tough and tricky clueing made this a challenge. Crawled across the finish line in 9:57. Eight ??-clues!!
Thanks for the workout.
Yep. This was a constant concern, here at Runtpuz Builders & Party Masks.
DeleteThis "Musing" runt had so many themers and "twi-runt unthemers" (yo, @r.alph), that it didn't leave us many places to serve up the customary fighting-chance freebies. Maybe we got too greedy?
At least no one so far has griped about WEY. (Except for my collaborateur deluxe.) I woulda thought that most folks had heard of Rock-Ola jukeboxes. Didn't U guys also burn up a lot of yer youth hangin out in smoky bars? Where else U gonna learn how to shoot pool and sorta meet girls?...
M&A
Yew don't need to be concerned about WEY. I think most savvy runt solvers look in all directions when those ??-clues show up.
DeleteIn college I minored in playing foosball in smoky bars so I understood the jukebox answer when I finally got it. Getting it was quite a challenge, though.
Saturday NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=5969&id2=388
Too easy
Bravo to the mini SatPuz; it had a nice little theme, this time.
ReplyDeleteI know of at least two other minis that have had a theme -- maybe they all do, and I'm sometimes missin it?
0:52 on this one. My first mini under a minute.
Wonder how fast Dan F. does these?
Thanks, @r.alph. Keep em comin, if U want to. Fascinating, to see what the competition is crankin out.
M&A
Check out the new "Punny clues from previous puzzles for today's answers" link at runtpuz.org
ReplyDeleteAt runtpuz.org we consider any clue that does not end in a "?" questionable.
Joel F was probably inspired to create this one as a tribute to M&A's latest runt.
ReplyDeleteI've said before that I'm no speed solver. I normally don't put anything in a grid unless I can confirm it with a cross, but with these minis I've been taking a leap of faith and going with my first instinct. This has allowed me to finish most of the minis by only reading about half the clues. 29 secs today.
@r.alph: Nice collection of punny clues you have put together. Some of those MAP clues are terrific.
If the occasion ever arises where I need to clue ELSA I will probably be looking at something like "Scrambled Frogman??". Is there a breakfast test here in runtville?
At long last... a runtpuz with some vestige of entertainment value! Altho -- if U don't like movies and television, U are soooooo screwed...
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=5993&id2=352
M&A
p.s.
@r.alph: Liked your ? alternate universe NYT SatPuz clues.
Coming soon -- ?? alternate universe-clued NYT mini puz??
Arg. Hard to find this. Didn't know whether to look on runtz.org or here. Worth hunting down! Figured it out about 1/4 of the way in, but had to finish up guessing on sq.13, still don't know what that is, across or down.
ReplyDeleteThought that if you wanted to use this trick again, maybe 'Titular head'? = WC
Liked it a lot!
@Leapfinger: Interestingly, both Across and Down answers start with "Star". Hoping U used "The Force", and guessed wisely.
DeleteM&A
Wee-el, I guessed rightly, because I got my little reward bell, but didn't know why till now. btw, I really liked how you-all cut up the LA-DY in the Musings on M&Agic.
DeleteNow I have to find where's the new Gruntz alert puzzle. Think I need a roadmap. Are the new runtz also on the runtpuz.org page
Sunday NYT mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6006&id2=58
Once 2D was in it was just a question of how fast I could poke at the iPad screen. I don't call answer entry on an iPad "typing"
@Leapfinger
The distribution system for runts is rather inefficient. I hear of a new M&A runt either through this blog or if M&A posts it on "The Other Blog". (@rayj : Don't want to risk any hate mail here:-). When I solve it, I then add it to the M&A link over at runtpuz.org. Someday runtpuz.org and this blog may merge but for now they are separate entities.
@r.alph: Is it just me, or was that 1-D mini clue {oaths} especially interesting? Can't believe they did that. thUmbsUp.
DeleteM&A
Yep, 1D threw me for a loop. Had to read all the clues today to solve this wide open mini. 50 secs.
DeleteI see Joel doubled up on Lorne Michaels today.
It was a capital idea
Delete@Leapfinger
ReplyDeleteHave you checked out the puns link at runtpuz.org? You were definitely one of the inspirations for creating it.
I have not but I will.
DeleteAnd thanks. Best I know, it's been a while since I served as an inspiration.
btw, I do like your solving videos, watch them open-mouthed like like little action films. The cursor tracks what you're looking at? Howzat happen?
CascoK didn't do half bad, but he should have finessed that lingering Y from EYEPIT long before he did. It just hung there, I think it being there was prolly a distraction.
Hey, man, that was great!! At first, I thought this was stuff you sat down and thought up yourself. I was so impressed! Then I got a touch of realistic --- this is what you pull out of the archives, anything with a ? attached, right? I'm still impressed.
DeleteFun to read. Thinking of cataloguing runt clues also?
@Joel Fagliano: I promise not to do this again. Thanks for the inspirational starter grid...
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6016&id2=709
M&A
p.s.
Still can't believe that 1-D clue. Day-um, I loved that...
Always like to come across a good dey's sleep. Sey, R 'spoiler alerts' req'd in this locale?
DeleteKinda had a run of Lorne-Loren-Lorna Doone Done Dun & Bradstreet, supporting role by Irene Dunne, not one thing left out ta rot. Now I'm dun.
Sorry bout this. Shan't happen again.
@M&A
ReplyDeleteThe actual clue for 1D was something like #@!$#!%. But since this is a family site I edited it (actually just typed puzzle in fast so 1D is actually an unchecked clue)
BTW, your latest runt was #@!$#!% unbelievable. If the world finds a renewable energy source like you our problems are over!
Monday NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6019&id2=764
@Leapfinger
Do you solve on paper or plastic?
hoho.
DeleteI think plastiqe, considerin' how much seems to blow up under me. That, and liberal use of mental floss.
Probly a lot is due to having read 'I'm in Marsport Without Hilda' [Asimov] at a young age. Even now, I recognize a lot of Spaceoline effects at play. That, and early readings of SJ Perlman. I remember my double-take on his mention of traveling to 'the Land of the Surds and Cosines'.
I knew it was gonna mean trouble for me when youse guys set up another site. Love yer stuff, but will have to hush my mouth most daze, just quietly do the runts
I'm guessing you-all are in ouch with m'Amuse? Been worrying about her and the WV kids since that msg of hers; it just ain't right.
Be seein' ya, Azure were.
Happy Labor Day, folks! Here's the labor (parts not included) ...
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6035&id2=406
M&A
"Still Tryin To Understand The Cloud"
You are cranking these out so fast that I'm having a hard time keeping up. I particularly liked your "Cloud" puzzle. I laughed out loud when I read the clue for 21D. Good stuff!
DeleteThank you!
Tues NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6044&id2=452
Totally inspired by 1-A and 16-A in today's regular NYT TuesPuz...
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6057&id2=158
M&A
Wed NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6071&id2=470
Two unchecked squares and non-symmetic!
And a nice, ambitious little theme.
DeleteI admire its runtiness.
M&A (1:04)
I think my last runt's theme was so weird, that it made the puz pretty much unsolvable. Mea culpa. Feel free to reveal the Pepsi anointment ritual answer. It's too desperate for y'all to spend much quality time on. That will hopefully get U going. U have hereby been given Pepsi dispensation. [buuurp]
ReplyDeleteM&A will now take some time off, to give everyone a chance to catch up. I was tryin to see what it felt like, to crank out a quasi-mini puz every day. Brutal -- leads to excessive desperation. Don't know how Joel Fagliano does it.
M&A
I actually got the Pepsi one, and I'm not even a Baptist. Had trouble with 8d, though, probably because Ms J doesn't whee me quite as much as you.
DeleteI mean, as much as she does you.
Oh hell, never mind
I was worried that you were entering your "Finnegan's Wake" period.
Delete@Leapf: Am truly impressed that anyone could come up with the Pepsi ritual answer, in the middle of that mess. U musta had a vision.
DeleteLooks like @r.alph is religiously ponderin whether a runtpuz with this much gunk on it deserves a runtpuz.org slot. Well pondered. But, then again, we *are* talkin runtpuzs, here, after all...
No whee, Jose?
Liked today's NYT regular-sized ThursPuz... reminds me of a runtpuz that @r.alph made a "special" answer grid for.
Sure miss @muse. But, alas, she is overworked and undertempcontrolled. Yet... How can she not be moved to comment on a puz that serves her up both EROW and SISO, symmo-placed?? Near-epic. I give and give and give...
;)
M&A
Sorry, it's linked to on runtpuz.org now.
Delete@r.alph: Yeah... Many others will probably be sorry, too. har.
DeleteDo any of the other blogs, with their endlessly long lists of crossword resources, ever even mention runtpuz.org? Probably not. I mean, shoot -- Amy might be a "crossword fiend", but she ain't crossed over to the dark side yet. So far, I don't think even the NYT minis have gotten so much as an accidental passing of gas. It's parta what y'all in the puzzerati like @muse call the "Underground"; or what M&A calls the "Umnope".
M&A
"Too Far Underground for the Puzzerati To Dig"
p.s.
DeleteAs always, all the thanx in the world goes out to @r.alph, for providing yer tired, yer poor, yer runty masses yearnin to breathe free, this new place to call Home. Not to mention wretched refuse.
M&A
NYT Mini Thursday
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6109&id2=864
A question mark clue at 4-D! And a plural abbrev. Well, now. These minis are startin to get feistier! Desperation is such a slippery slope...
ReplyDeleteM&A (0:43 of fun)
runtpuz.org is going to evolve. I am working on a crossword program like the one at xwordinfo.com that will produce a movie after you finishing solving the puzzle. The movie will be able to be viewed in the browser and also, optionally, uploaded to my server. Once that is done somebody can request a side by side playback of their solution with somebody else who has uploaded their solution to the same puzzle.
ReplyDeleteSo, for example, you can solve a NYT puzzle, create a movie and upload it tagged with "M&A". I solve the same puzzle later, create a movie and check if there is an "M&A" solution on the server. If so I can play it side by side with my solution to compare our experiences.
Once this program is working it should make runtpuz.org different enough from other blogs to attract attention.
Far out, @r.alph. Sounds impressive.
ReplyDeleteSo, in a solvin movie for the likes of "Runtz and Gruntz and Such", how do they depict folks throwin old fruit and stuff at the grid?
Thanx,
M&A
Good idea. I will put fruit and egg icons along the edge of the grid. Clicking on one during the solve will associate the image with the answer that has the highlight. When the movie is played back the selected icons will be "thrown" against the puzzle. The sky's the limit as to how elaborate the visual effects can be.
ReplyDeletehmm, comment box doesn't open when I hit 'reply', so I'll use what's available. Could be one of those crashed plug-ins.
ReplyDelete@r.alph: FWake? Guessing you aren't trying to mollify me. May I suggest a pizza icon, case someone gets hongry for a snack, feels low on saturated fats?
I've found I do best on M&A runts if I go into mental free-float; seems to work for me. Had to switch gears for RayJ's, but got her done, except [arg] for revealing center square. HAL 9000=2001?
@muse's protracted problems been on my mind, esp since 8 kinds of wretched excess if you look other places. One reason I didn't care for the @chaz bit of satire late 9/3 blog --- wasn't big on respect for teachers.
I'm assuming you guys are loose enough to allow other blogs to be mentioned here?
TYRANNIES-R-US, Rex.
[I've been sitting on that one]
@Leapfinger: My diff eq instructor once told me that my thinking was too linear. Or was it my linear algebra instructor who said my thinking was too different? Nope, it was the first one. I bet no one ever told M&A that.
DeleteYep. Hal 9000 = 2001. M&A came up with a better clue in his "Runty Entertainment??" puzzle, btw.
That was a good clue, but a lot more gettable. Guess there have to be some gettable clues in MnA runts, so people won't slash their wrists, like for that blank equator puzzle.
Delete____9000 could have been all kinds of things, eg 18(Indy races).
Sometimes I just read the clue too quickly; in today's mini, couldn't see how 2D was an apt name for an elephant woman. Was looking for some kind of feminized Jumbo.
lol about people critiquing others' ways of thinking; could be what we do best. I remember some pretty dopey arguments I've had with teachers.
Friday NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6126&id2=231
@Leapfinger
Anything about crossword puzzles is okay on this site. Puns are also welcome.
Sat NY Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6148&id2=864
Took about a minute to get intersection of 8A and 7D
8A was the only clue I didn't read today. Thankfully it filled itself in with the crosses 'cause I'm not sure I'd have gotten it otherwise.
Delete0:46 today.
Thanks, @r.alph
Sun NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6179&id2=543
Easy.
Mon NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6206&id2=562
I prey they don't get any easier.
DeleteJoel don't need no stinking advice from the likes of me, but I woulda maybe considered using SPAR or STAR at 1A. The aw in AWAY doesn't fit the others. Or is that meant as a feature? Or is that J really important for some reason?
Delete0:31
Thanks, @r.alph
For @M&A - If you feel like trying your hand at a cryptic, this Saturday's Wall Street Journal puzzle practically has your name on it:
ReplyDeletehttp://online.wsj.com/public/resources/documents/puzzle20140906.pdf
Okay, so these guys just would not all fit into one, single occupant runtpuz...
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6215&id2=607
M&A
Hey! I was in a blue funk in my brown study just the other day! Had a harder time on the Right than on the Left, but overall, a nice little orrery you got there!
Delete"Tetris Comes to Runtztown"
U coulda done me a favour with 15D clue '___ Gerais'
Delete8D, 2
;D
It took me a few too many minutes to discover who the "she" in question was in this terrific runt. Mr. Dente and the bootlegger clues were excellent! Great runt clue at 19A.
DeleteThanks, @M&A
Obvious duplex sequel...
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6222&id2=322
M&A
p.s.
What can I say? It was either 13-A, or an unchecked square.
What would Patrick Berry do?
Made a nice matched pair of bookends.
DeleteTuck me almost half the time to fill in the SE in the left one
SE is not where I would have predicted solving issues. But everyone is different.
DeleteThanx for tourin my duplexes, and for the feedback.
Kinda interesting how U can have a solid wall down the middle, and the puz'll still play like one oversized runt. I guess it lacks that certain "elegance" that everybody talks about. Some day I will have to attempt a runtpuz with "elegance", instead of a puz with "runty elegance"...
har.
Tue NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6234&id2=304
Scuuurabbly! Took me 1:31. This level of performance will not get me a trophy in the NYT MiniPuz tournament. Methinks I faltered a bit, as I realized this mini was U-less.
DeleteThanx, @r.alph
M&A
Wed M&A Mini
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6269&id2=644
Thu NYT mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6274&id2=28
Some very current stuff in this one
1:07 for me. Stared at 2-D for too long. Then let everything else fill it in, via the backdoor.
DeleteThanx,
M&A
My new goal in life: To make a runtpuz that's as hard and controversial as The Blindauer Beast, NYT ThursPuz. I may want to call it something like "Lollapuz-loser". (But, understand in any case -- I consider Patrick's puz a Lollapuz-winner.)
ReplyDeleteMeanwhile, here is a mere Stumpy Stumper...
www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6296&id2=662
M&A
"Constantly Having Changes of Heart"
Saw only 3 black squares and said uh-oh, but it solved a treat, and had a couple of great lines.
DeleteWasn't coming up with anything for 8a till I remember whodunit.
1a reminded me of that line from Trading Places': Look at that Ess-car go!', except instead of a Snail, we got a Millipede. Had wanted 'shortage' starting out; they're related, right?
Thought 16a was a cheat at first, then realized that's a horse's hoof, so you're covered.
8a to 9a: uh-huh, runts getting a little racy, here.
Liked 1d and 11a clues; 7d was the silliest ever, gets an extra cookie.
Sat NYT Mine
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6312&id2=422
Pub theme! 0:51, for me.
ReplyDeleteIntriguing, that so far the NYT minis will do unchecked squares but not 2-letter words.
Tanks, @r.alph.
M&A
p.s.
Thanx, @Leapf, for yer thorough Stumpy Stumper analysis. Made that runt using the technique suggested by the folks at Mental Floss: Kept putting words into the grid, until nothing more would fit. Then blacked out the three squares that were left over. Works pretty neat!
That was my favourite part, too.
DeleteSun NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6331&id2=119
Liked {Time-honored, as Blue Eyes (? x 1.5)} in the Stumpy Stumper. Could also be Time-honored, as Blue Eyes (??? / 2)
ReplyDeleteThere was something stumpy about 16A {Very low, digit wise}
Had a 0:38 on that latest NYT mini. This evidently means that Dan F. could solve the same puz before seeing it.
Delete@r.alph, dang -- you see through/catch all my best runtpuz stuff.
Thanx, again.
M&A
M&A themeless pygmy poser, totally inspired by @r.alph's comments...
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6354&id2=477
Still not quite worthy of comparison to The Blindauer Beast? Thought not. Must. Keep. Tryin.
M&A
Been out due to technical problems, had a fight getting back here, starting to catch up.
Delete10A was a tossup -- ? JUJITSU, and sure thought 9D would be MS
Kind of scary to be solving these little guys, you know?
Mon NYT mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6381&id2=495
@M & A
I was shocked when I googled "define {answer to 10A}" Does this have anything to do with use of pi in the clue rating.
Liked ? + ? + har
Tue Sep 16, 2014 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6382&id2=102
2D. Anais, oui?
DeleteThanks, r.alph
@r.alph: Thanx for the minis. 0:45 on Monday and 0:49 on Tuesday. No doubt due to designed-in increasin difficulty levels.
ReplyDeleteU were "shocked" ? + ? + har
Wait til U see what comes next...
M&A
The Quest for a runt-sized answer to The Blindauer Beast continues. This is proving to be a most challengin challenge to pull off. Consider this offering...
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6394&id2=201
Author's Notes: OK. So this one's close to loopy enough, but the fill quality is pretty desperate. I just couldn't quite bring myself to hang the vaunted "Lulu-Puz-Oolala" prize medal on it. The quest continues. Man, do I ever need an extra cinnamon roll...
Meantime, enjoy whatever this is.
M&A
This ought to put bonbbnets all over runtzville. Nicely done!
DeleteCertainly glad U got a buzz from it.
DeleteM&A
Yup, solved by leaps & bounds.
DeleteWed Sep 17 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6404&id2=853
Had to Google to finish. A rapper crossing a brand of teenage doll did me in. Also unchecked letter in celebrity website forced me to google. This one is definitely an outlier
3:20 for M&A. Finished, but had an incorrect letter, which was uncrossed, in the SW corner -- so I naturally started guessin. 26 letters later, I was home free.
DeletePersonally, I would sooner have fingernails removed with white hot, dull jackhammers, than frequent a celebrity gossip website. Any good gossip on the Shortzmeister out there?
Not sure this one serves as a glowing, welcoming beacon for gettin more folks to join the big party. But, hey -- young solvers might've had much less trouble, and thought the whole thing was cool. De bustagut.
The celebrity website (I think of it more as a TV gossip show) has seen lots of attention in the news lately due to its release of the video showing the NFL player knocking out his fiancée in an elevator. I read the comments before solving the puz so I had that one in the bag before starting. My bad.
ReplyDeleteThursday NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6481&id2=247
I thought we had a football mini at first. Glad we didn't. Liked it.
Delete0:51 for me.
Sat Sept 20 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6482&id2=971
Looks like the Friday puzzle is lost. The minis are not archived
@r.alph:
DeleteThanks for posting the minis! I know it must take some work to do it.
I was going to complain about the frequency of 1D in NYT puzzles, but then I compared it to eel. Not even close. Besides, everybody knows that a blog is no place for a rant.
0:54
@r.alph: A lost mini puz?!? Poor little thing. Never fear...
DeleteIt no doubt looked a lot like this one:
www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6510&id2=596
M&A
p.s. The last couple of NYT minis took me just a tad over a minute apiece.
The reply button above is not working.
ReplyDelete@M&A: Har! This runt reminds me of an old lady-friend of mine whose hay field was cut in two by a county road. On the side of an outbuilding near the road she hand painted a huge sign that said "GREAT GRASS FOR SALE".
Totally unrelated to the runt: What is the female equivalent of "gentleman farmer". Anyone?
Looking over the puz post-solve, I don't see why it took me so long to catch on, yet it did. Never saw 15A coming so that took me by surprise when it appeared from the downs.
Thank you!
@RayJ: "Land lady?"
ReplyDeleteThanx for the feedback,
M&A
Sunday Sept 21 Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6519&id2=641
IMO, cutest theme so far.
@M&A Will update runtpuz.org soon. Am swamped with teaching a course on Javascript. Have assigned the students to write a program that displays the grid to this mini and lets the user select squares and enter letters.
Monday, Sep 22 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6520&id2=248
Got tricked by 5D. The iPad program has the annoying feature that once the grid is full, it immediately tells you if there is a mistake. It doesn't let you review the grid first.
Runt that might be of interest to @bookmark...
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6533&id2=954
@r.alph: Sorry, if I'm burying U in runts. Will ease off, for a time.
M&A
Wed Sep 24 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6580&id2=393
Missed Tuesday. Once a new mini comes in the previous mini disappears
1:21.
ReplyDeleteI tacked the wrong ending on 3-D, so kinda got blind-sided, when I filled in my final entry at 5-D, and no pretty melody played. Panicked. Tried to think up another answer to 5-D. EXCEL? EXUDE? EXACT? EXPUT? EXLAX? Seconds flew by, alarmingly. Sweated out a pint of precious bodily fluids.
Neat wide-open grid.
I get sad to think of that poor TuesMiniPuz, all alone, lost, floatin desultorily, in The Cloud forever. Makes M&A feel so lucky, that @r.alph has archived the Runtz for all time, in his Old Squealin Runtz Rest Home. Probably annoys the pants off legit constructioneers everywhere, as a bonus. Does give Dan F. a great source for tournament practice puzs, tho.
Speakin of rest homes, I hear Rex evidently may retire his blog, after a couple more years. Nah. I bet if we all buy him a few beers and get him hammered, he'll forget what year it is and keep goin...
M&A
runtpuz.org has a new feature. Click the top link "Crowd-sourcing runtpuzzes" and you will see M&A's very first runtpuz. Solve it as usual and then click the Playback button to see an analysis of your solution. Click the fast forward button to see the solution flash before your eyes. Try the other buttons.
ReplyDeleteI have begun serious work on this program because Rex Parker is going to retire his blog in two years and there has to be something to replace it. I want us to be a contender.
Eventually the program will allow solvers to enter comments on their answers and upload their solution to my server where it will be combined with other solutions to form a canonical solution of the puzzle. Gone will be the expert commenting on high. The crowd will now determine the merit of the puzzle.
Wow. I like the sound of that canon. With this kind of advance planning, no reason you shouldn't be a contender. If it happens, can Cletus and Clovis come back?
DeleteYou're just an old populist, aren't you, r.alph?
@r.alph: Don't see a Crowd-sourcing option just quite yet. (Maybe something or other needs to refresh itself.)
ReplyDeleteAnyhow, I like the primo mad-scientist vibe of your power play plan. Automated mob rule. Screw The Cloud. U will have begat The Crowd. har!
M&A
@M&A
ReplyDeleteThe link is at the very top of the page. If you don't see it, type in runtpuz.org again and hit enter.
Fri Sept 26 Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6604&id2=357
Hey All!
ReplyDeleteCheck out my new Runt. Was feeling frisky when I clued it! Over there at runtpuz,org. Thanks, Ralph.
RooMonster
@Roo-- Day-um! Tough clues. Took me 6:15 to grind thru it. Liked the scrabbly grid. Some solid, runty work. Thanx.
ReplyDelete@r.alph: Crowd-sourcing appeared on my runtpuz.gov screen this am. Tried it out and it worked great. Lookin forward to phase two.
M&A
Sat Sep 27 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6641&id2=145
@Leapfinger
ReplyDeleteMy name is a portmanteau of two blue collar icons. In the fifties I had to live with "Hey Ralphie" because of Ralph Cramden and in the 70's it was "Any relation to Archie?". I am sure that has pushed me in the populist direction. I have looked for Archie Cramden on the Internet with no luck.
Sun, Sep 28, 2014 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6656&id2=63
Yowch. Three themers, which I didn't know any of. And a ? clue for a 4-D word with an unchecked square. Double yowch.
DeleteOn the other hand, loved the inherent runtiness of the unsymmetric grid.
1:22 for me, after laying down a barrage of intense guessing.
Thanx, @r.alph.
M&A
M&A
ReplyDeletere: your road trip.
If you are going to be anywhere near Fairfield, IA on your trip please let me know and I will come to meet you. You can either call me (I am in the phone book) or let me know where we can meet by posting time and place here.
Thanx, @r.alph. We won't be even remotely close to Fairfield (or Vegas) on this road trip. But really do appreciate the friendly offer. Crossword folks are the nicest peoples.
DeletePerhaps another time, tho.
M&A
Found a really nice book of 10 x 10 crossword puzzles by Trip Payne. These are challenging but doable puzzles. Out of print copies seem to be available at Amazon. Of course it is alway risky buying a used book of crossword puzzles, sight unseen. One puzzle had the clue {U-shaped food} _ _ _ _
ReplyDeleteSit and Solve #1
@r.alph: Hey, maybe old Trip was the father of Sunday-sized runtpuzs.
DeleteOnly {U-shaped food} I got is watermelon RIND. Will contemplate further, during new trip.
M&A
Mon, Sep 29, 2014 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6665&id2=109
@M&A
I have also made a backup of all of your runt and put the zip file here
http://www.mumde.net/runtpuz/ma.zip
Now we don't have to worry about xwordinfo.com deleting them.
Tue, Sep 30 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6683&id2=199
Wed, Oct 1 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6704&id2=227
Thu, Oct 2 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6720&id2=869
Road runt.
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6731&id2=245
M&A
Hey, tough grid, tough clues. I think I'm out of practice, about a dozen of my first fills were wrong.
DeleteHope you won't mind if I take 16a and 17d personally? Thanks, and I won't say how long those took for me to catch on.
@M&A Nice'un.
ReplyDeleteWith any luck the next one will be solved with my animation program. Jim Horne graciously gave me permission to reverse engineer his Xword Info Solver so that it will record the puzzle as you solve it.
Fri, Oct 3 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6765&id2=861
Loved the clue for 8A
Sat, Oct 4 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6771&id2=969
Road runt II: Beyond Thunderdome.
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6784&id2=558
M&A
Sun, Oct 5 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6819&id2=15
xwordinfo.com claimed this was a double quintstack
@M&A
If all goes well, I will record my solve of your latest runt with my program later today.
Look forward to that.
Delete1:34 for me, on the latest Mini (thanx). Had some minor difficulty -- not unlike findin a Spanish dance and Greek crier and a needle in a double quintstack.
M&A
p.s.
ReplyDelete@r.alph: Only if it's not too much trouble...
I recently received a nice note from Anais (Doubledot) Nin, pointing out that I wrong-sexed her, in my recent "Bone Clocks" runtpuz. Shoulda called it "Boner Clocks", I reckon. Anyhoo, here is a corrected version, in case you'd care to make the replacement in the M&A Collection:
www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6820&id2=621
Thanx,
M&A
"It's a Girl!"
Mon, Oct 6 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletewww.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6824&id2=282
Self-referral puzzle
@M&A
Have updated "Bone Clocks" link (you may need to refresh page to see it)
1:21. Coulda been slightly faster, but had an unchecked incorrect letter (YaeiouLP).
DeleteHey! Thanx for the rapid response "Bone Clocks" fix. Angela Anais Doubledots can rest easier, tonight.
M&A
@M&A
ReplyDeleteMade a movie of my solution to the Beyond Thunderdome puzzle. Look at your puzzles at runtpuz.org and click on the "r.alph's solution" link to see my comments and solution sequence. As program evolves you will have the ability to respond to my questions while viewing the movie.
@Leapfinger
Next week you will be able to make movies also. Right now the program has too many bare wires and using it may shock you.
Nifty program, @r.alph. Great comments; overall mucho nicer, than what one normally gets from @63.
DeleteIf {Cross shape} had been {Cross condition}, it woulda been too easy; and M&A did trot out the "?", after all, to try and compensate.
{Like some units} seemed kinda punk to me, in the sense that "units" can be so generic, that I figured it wasn't gonna be much help.
Cool report on the long times spent starin at some individual clues. U must have a stubborn streak in U, like M&A does.
M&A
I guess 'Animations' isn't the right place to look, because I didn't see "r.alph's solution".
DeleteDrop me some more breadcrumbs, please?
Tues, Oct 7, 2014 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6859&id2=739
All of M & A's puzzles can now be animated
http://sanskritlibrary.com:8080/CrowdSource/
Click the "M & A runt puzzes", choose a runtpuz, solve it and then click the playback button to review your solve.
Next week I hope to add the ability to upload your solution so it can be compared with other solutions
0:42 on that TuesMini.
DeleteTried the sanskrit-based program on a runt -- worked great, but not sure how/if I can add comments yet.
Laughed my pants off, that it took me 4:50 to do my own 2-month-old runtpuz. The only thing efficient about my mind is how fast it's going.
M&A
Cool!! 5:24 for the Noodle Nudger.
DeleteIs therea prize for the longest starting stare time?
@M & A, @Leapfinger
ReplyDeleteWe need to come up with a name for this crossword puzzle program. I propose "Keepfinger" or KF for short. Any suggestions?
IMO, the ideal way to enter comments is just to speak them out as you are solving the puzzle and then have them automatically transcribed so they can be edited later. I am going to experiment with using a GoPro video camera to videotape me doing the puzzle. GoPro also records audio.
It would be nice to have plugin interface for KF. The interface would allow certain "events" to pass from the KF to the plugin. There could be a plugin that would annotate the GoPro video with the events. One such event would be a desperation event which would be triggered when the solver moves around a lot without entering any correct letters. Another event could be a catalyst event generated when there is a sudden burst of correct entries after a period of desperation.
A plugin interface would strengthen our claim that we are serious contenders for taking over when RP retires. I view RP as Charlemagne and the crossword blogosphere as Europe. I want to get France not Luxembourg.
Until the speaking interface is figured out I will implement a typing interface for KF. Hope this happens in the next couple of weeks.
Kinda like it. An individual Keepfinger session Capture could then perhaps be called a KFC.
DeleteMeanwhile, here's one that'll cook yer KFC extra-crispy...
www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6876&id2=988
M&A
Dang, 27 minutes late to the party and someone Already stole my KFC!
DeleteKF's a r.alpha-quality pun, but keep it as an abbrev, OK? because to much honour for even a semi-eponym for me.
Laughed myself silly @ the 'France not Luxembourg' point. From wii to WWII.
Don't know about that 'just speaking' part, unless a bunker slipped some audio equipment into my sofa upholstery when I wasn't looking, but it's probably better that I hold back some commentary.
This is really looking good, r.alph!!
Wed, Oct 8 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6880&id2=767
0:48. Weird -- four unchecked squares, all with the same letter in em.
DeleteM&A
Thu Oct 9 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6904&id2=731
@M & A
Can you think of a good clue for TACO?
@r.alph...
Deletehar. Could depend on one's definition of good.
Top recommended clues for TACO:
* Disheveled coat??
* Bell opener?
* Starter with chips?
* Order most likely to be filled
* Soft-shelled Gulf of Mexico sight
* Tuco's typo
* Catacomb center?
* What Tacoma and Rita Coolidge have in common??
* Crunchy crossword go-with
* Tequila consumer's treat
* It's usually folded at the local diner
* Kind of soup or salad
M&A
p.s.
Delete...
* Tijuana taxi fare?
p.p.s.s.
1:02 on that ThursMini. Rat fudge.
(I really really don't like goin over 1 minute on these boogers.)
M&A
@M & A
ReplyDeleteThose are great TACO clues.
One feature of KF that I would like to implement after the commenting has been added is to have the ability to use clues of different levels of difficulty. This can be automated because I have all the clues for all the words that have ever appeared in a NYT puzzle during the Shortzian era. For each clue I also have the day(s) of the week in which it was used. The later in the week, the more challenging the clue. If you are so inclined I could also use M & A clues for certain lucky answers.
Back to TACO. If you were to look at a taco as it approaches your mouth what shape would you see?
Hmm. Depends on one's definition of lucky, I reckon, but ok. Did U already have a passel of backlogged puzs with TACO in em, or somethin?
DeleteOccurs to me that {It invariably gets heated up after being shelled} would be a nice SatPuz TACO clue. ...Day-um, @r.alph; it's like U created a brain-worm, with this doggone TACO-clue nonsense.
I wonder if it would be possible to make a runtpuz where all the clues could be answered as TACO, but none of em turn out to be TACO...
M&A
"Always Overthinkin It"
p.s. Don't forget that latest "Mixed Doubles" runtpuz. (It'll make yer KF cough up stuff.)
M & A
ReplyDeleteThis will help with the brain-worm
http://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6914&id2=382
I plan to solve the Mixed Doubles puzzle when KF has support for comments which will probably be this weekend.
Here is how I plan to handle comments in KF. Any suggestions are welcome
I do not like commenting as I solve. I am thinking of letting the solver type a ! for clues/answers that you might want to comment on later. The ! will not appear in the grid. When they finish the solver can go to a page that will list the clues/answers in the following order:
1. The ones that you flagged with a !
2. Answers you cheated on
3. The ones that you entered incorrect letters for
4. Long answers > 7 letters
5. Clues with question marks.
6. Everything else in alphabetical order sorted by answer length
Clicking a clue/answer will bring up a textbox where you can enter a comment
Presumably this ordering will put the most comment worthy clues/answers first.
har. ...* U-shaped food. Better than any of mine, by far.
Delete10:56 on that whole RuntTrip.
Most people probably wouldn't want to comment, during the solve, especially if they are after a swift solve time. So, sounds like U are on the right track.
M&A
Fri, Oct 10 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6922&id2=704
I recommend not starting this until you have 2 minutes free.
1:04 here.
DeleteThe clue for 7-A, "The Mysteries of +++" (2014 NBC debut), made absolutely no sense to me. Were the +++ characters supposed to be a fill-in-the-blank? Not that that woulda helped me much at all, anyway...
M&A
Two minutes? Took me 40 seconds, and you all know how slow I am!
DeleteI think @r.alph is quarantinin my ultra-challengin "Mixed Doubles" runt puzzle for a few days, in case it starts to show disgustin symptoms. He does not wish to infect the KF Control (KFC) Center or the citizens of Fairfield. Best to err on the side of caution.
ReplyDeleteBut...
For those desperately huntin for runtin, here is my 50th themeless runt creation (also available in a sleeveless model). I have now made (not sure about published) 100 RUNTPUZS! This milestone gives strong testimony to the wonders that the human mind is capable of producin, if not properly sedated...
www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6943&id2=731
Do not be misled by the puz's title. Or do. Whatever.
M&A
"Improperly Sedated and Lovin It"
Wondering if scullers experience 1A-6D when someone shoots past them, or does that only happen in a 9A?
DeleteCongratulations on your 50th, M'n'A. V for Victory?
Sat, Oct 11 NYT Mini
ReplyDeletehttp://www.xwordinfo.com/Solve?id=6949&id2=840
M & A
Your latest puzzles are now available on KF. I am going to solve them when KF has comments which should be this weekend.
@Leapfinger
Thanks for your encouragement. If you have any ideas for features of KF please let me know.
0:44, for M&A. Now, that's more like it.
DeleteThanx, @r.alph. Can't wait to see your KFComments on "Mixed Doubles". May need to use French euphemisms.
M&A
You're miles ahead of me, r.alph, and besides, I don't know what all is possible.
DeleteOne thing I notice is that A-L flags wrong entries that are checked, while xwordinfo doesn't; one reason why my runt solves always look a lot cleaner than they are ;)
I don't know if it's possible to add that feature into the set-up. I do know it helps me remember if I actually entered a word, or only thought about it.
Maybe some way [other than a flag] to indicate a given entry is a do-over?