google.com, pub-2774194725043577, DIRECT, f08c47fec0942fa0 L.A.Times Crossword Corner: A Few Updates

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Apr 5, 2008

A Few Updates

1) Yesterday (Friday, April 4)'s GETTING ON puzzle constructor Robert A. Doll is a real person, not a pseudonym as I originally thought. Orange just blogged about his Washington Post puzzle on March 16, 2008.

2) Blogger comments glitch: It turns out that people have been experiencing similar problems in other blogs too (Rex Parker's NYT for example). I was worried that I did something wrong with my settings. Hope Blogger fixes this problem soon.

3) My gripes about OTT, OTTO, ODIUM and RADIUM: Here is Orange's take: "I don't think it's clumsy to have similar strings of letters in multiple answers, as long as they're not forms of the same word. OTT and OTTO are different, and ODIUM and RADIUM are entirely different, too. The big no-no is repeating the same word with the same root, like having OUTOFTIME and TIMER in the same puzzle."

4) My complaint about Sapporo sash clue: Orange said "many constructors and editors like short clues to rhyme or have alliteration. Thus, [Pig's digs] for a STY, and [Sapporo sash]. [Tokyo sash] basically means the same thing, but the clue doesn't have alliteration. Not sure why they're so fond of it!"

So, some of my grumblings are not on sold ground, and sometimes they are not right. But I am writing honestly about what's really going on in my mind.

If you disagree with my view, or spot any mistake, whether it's typo, clumsy theme summary, or wrong entry (I typed in Calls on the RED carpet for yesterday's CHIDES clue, did not realize it 'til Orange asked me), or incorrect grammar (I had this big past tense & present perfect confusion until Hugh Brown sent me a detailed explanation in mid March), please don't hesitate to let me know. I am willing and eager to learn.

Thank you for swinging by every day. I've learned a lot from you guys.

C.C.

5 comments:

Sahara said...

Hi C.C, I started doing cross wold puzzle since Feb. 2008, and sometimes I looked at your blog for answers. I saw your explanation on Canton a couple of days ago, and naturally I thought you were a foreigner who spent some years in Canton, China. Until today I was reading your profile, and fount out you are a Chinese girl who is from China - just like me, and you started doing cross word puzzle just two months before I did. But I have to tell you that you are GGGGOOD. I know it's hard for us - who didn't come from here. A lot of words and names we learned in Chinese, and not familiar with the English words and terms. To me doing the cross word puzzle is both learning and entertaining. I'm glad I found someone who is so similar to me. Cheers!

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Hi sahara,
Thanks for swinging by and leaving a message.

D'accord. I find crossword to be a very effective tool to learn English and understand American culture.

Hope you don't mind this question: how long have you been in the US?

Anonymous said...

I started doing crosswords in 1981 (9th grade). I'm still not an expert. I do the washington post crossword and they have the tribune crossword three days a week. keep up the good work C.C.

Zhouqin (C.C.) Burnikel said...

Anonymous @ 3:15pm,
Thanks for the comments.

Does Washington Post carry the TMS puzzle on Monday, Wednesday & Saturday?

Sahara said...

Hi C.C., I'm form BJ, and have been here for almost 15 years, but still learning, as your said both the language and the culture, and having a lot of fun by doing them.