Tag Archives: Alan Arbesfeld

NYT Crossword Puzzle 6-29-21 Complete (contains spoilers)

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It took me a while to get the theme of this puzzle, but everything fell into place when I did. And now I’m up to a 23-day streak. I’m going back to play board games tonight after missing last week’s night because I had to work late unexpectedly. Tonight may be another night of having to watch as my friends solve the Saturday crossword, but that’s OK.

I pulled out 4A Small piano: SPINET because it’s wrong! A piano by definition is A large keyboard musical instrument with a wooden case enclosing a soundboard and metal strings, which are struck by hammers when the keys are depressed. The strings’ vibration is stopped by dampers when the keys are released and can be regulated for length and volume by two or three pedals.

A spinet plucks the strings when the keys are depressed.

It’s wrong and it’s bad and it’s wrong.

The theme of this puzzle is out of order!

17A Toy with a spring, literally: THEJACKBOX. Quiplash is the best of the those and then Drawful and Fibbage are second? Maybe with Fibbage second-minus. Anyway, it’s THE(JACK)BOX or JACK literally in THE+BOX. Jack in the box.
24A Put an early stop to, literally: THENIPBUD. THE(NIP)BUD->NIP literally in THE+BUD. Nip in the bud.
31A Interfere, literally: THEBEWAY. THE(BE)WAY->BE literally in THE+WAY. Be in the way.
40A Undecided, literally: THEUPAIR. THE(UP)AIR->UP literally in THE+AIR. Up in the air.
48A Unrealistic, as wishes, literally: THEPIESKY. THE(PIE)SKY->PIE literally in THE+SKY. Pie in the sky.
55A “Years ago …,” literally: THEBACKDAY. THE(BACK)DAY->BACK literally in THE+DAY. Back in the day.

Finished this one in 22:30

DayThis WkBestAverage
Monday13:263:499:30
Tuesday22:305:5213:46
Wednesday7:3817:38
Thursday13:0930:17
Friday16:2335:58
Saturday27:4337:21
Sunday15:111:00:17

NYT Crossword 7-27-20 Complete

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Pretty easy Monday puzzle. Took me a little over seven minutes. I’m happy that it’s the part of the week that lets me fill the boxes quickly.

I learned of the existence of someone today: 52D Actress Anne of “Wag the Dog.” (HECHE). I looked her up and saw that she was in a relationship with Ellen from 1997-2000. I also haven’t seen Wag the Dog, so I can be excused for not knowing about her.

Baseball season has started, and I hope that there will be a lot of baseball clues in upcoming puzzles.

And on the topic of baseball: It used to be where there were player-managers on Major League Baseball teams. That is to say that there used to be players who were on the team who had to decide about themselves if they should play or sit. They also had to be teammates and their teammates’ boss.

There are no more of those in Major League Baseball, but I do not think it is prohibited. The manager wears a uniform just like a player wears a uniform. (Side note: I was happy that Dave Roberts got to wear 30 again for the Dodgers when he became the manager. I miss the days when I could see him wearing that number in center field.) The coaching staff wears the team’s uniform. Nobody but the players are members of the union, right? Can coaches be part of the MLBPA? If there is another player-manager, would it be a violation for management to be part of the union for players?