Walter Burton
Virginia
33
Comments
-0.407
Avg Sentiment
3
Positive
14
Neutral
16
Negative
Virginia
Author/editor too much of a "try-hard," as the kids say. Really poor puzzle. I haven't commented on here in ages. Today I was compelled by the hope that my small voice would add to the pile asking the editors to give extra scrutiny to this person's future submissions. This is customer feedback. You don't have to like it, or agree with it, or even "print" it.
The clue for HIERARCHAL is wrong. According to MW, the word "hierarch" is a noun that denotes a leader. Someone at or near the top of a hierarchY. The adjective "hierarchal" refers to these leaders. A hierarchAL table is one where all the hotshots sit. A hierarchICAL table is one where the seating is arranged according to status. Easy to confuse, but ... editing?
ORBED? Really? ðĪŠðĪĶââïļ
Jetsam, not flotsam. And the cluing was weirdly inconsistent. Doubt many were able to find a vibe with this one.
Rather than drag the constructor, I'll just note that Will Shortz is a distractingly inconsistent editor. Which day of the week is it? Don't look to the day's NYT crossword for a clue.
So, let me get the rules straight. If I submit a comment expressing my disappointment with the day's puzzle---no attacks or hateful language, just a simple opinion---will it get deleted (again), unless I include an explanatory essay? Because I don't want to write an essay for every puzzle I find sub-par. But I hope the editors value my feedback.
What a stinker. Not a Thursday; not worthy of the NYT.
@Fritz: Me neither, regarding STERN. I also don't get why the layout of middle squares should be seen as DOTTED. Oh well. And I agree, better than the usual Saturday, of late.
@Raincoaster : I second the motion!
Divining rods yesterday, and now DNA tuners. Sounds like somebody went to a chiropractor recently. ð
@Dave : Think "use up."
@Steve L : The clue is wrong. "See my response?" Nah. Not digging through this poorly organized comments section.
@CaptainQuahog : "Do you consider M-W to be the end-all of dictionaries?" Of course not. Derp. But it's gospel in these halls. Rookie slip from Shortz, et al.
Finished it as quickly as a normal Monday. Cute and all, but, still, booooooh!
@Paul Turner : Glad to find this as the top comment. ð
@SanityPlease : "Kiting" is a term for writing bad checks.
"Misdirect?" The Hoff never had a moustache!
@Nitpicker : Tricky, or just a poor puzzle?
@Walter Burton : Oh, never mind. Having actually read the column now, I see she was just remarking on Hawaiian language spelling. Hawaiian words are not only crazy with vowels, making them difficult to spell for some, but they're tonally humorous for native English speakers.
Pet peeve: Janky plurals like OJS. Sloppy.
@Bill: Yep. There was another incorrect clue that used "di" instead of "de." To me, that sort of stuff signals that the puzzle author/editor doesn't care about the craft.
@Nat K : Nah. It was a poor puzzle, not a difficult puzzle.
@Andrew: What are YOU taking about?
@Raincoaster : Second!
@Joinville : People who don't share your opinion are "bent out of shape?" 10-4.
@Chiara : I first put KPH, as MPH would be hilariously fast.
@SP: "At face value?" Come on, man. Good grief. ð
@Cici : Because "sapiens" is not plural. Not in this case. The name of the species of "homo sapiens sapiens," or just "homo sapiens." A single human is a (member of) homo sapiens.
Typo: is, not of Here's some extra text for the emus.
Ed: Good for you. In my opinion, IJ is exactly what it says on the tin, and a complete waste of time.
@Susan : Because if you didn't already know the theme, you'd likely find that clue a big misdirect, as it literally resolves to "hiking."
The (Android) app won't close-out my solved puzzle. Got the music, can no longer edit, but the seconds just keep ticking away.
I solved the puzzle, got the music and the congrats, but the timer's still going, the puzzle's not marked complete, and I can't change any entries. Be a shame to break a streak because of a bug.
All 33 comments loaded