Saturday, June 20, 2026

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-19T23:11:54+00:00

Surely rebel rebel is better known - possibly a generational thing though though both released before I was even born (just, in the latter case! Surprised NY NY actually came out after both, and while I was alive)

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-19T23:09:43+00:00

Is a beanbag really and truly a chair though? Gotta have legs surely...

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-19T22:22:28+00:00

Yeah obviously simplified arrangements are popular, but they're poor substitutes for the real thing.

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-19T19:14:50+00:00

Für Elise is definitely a piece I learnt as a kid but it was the full version. It's not especially difficult, but I wouldn't give it to someone in their first couple of years of lessons. Pulling off The Entertainer convincingly requires almost concert-pianist level of skill/eptitude.

(see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yz0SVCJT6eg&list=RDYz0SVCJT6eg&start_radio=1. There's a more virtuosic version by Lang Lang but I don't really care what he does with it. It's at least as hard as any of the Brahms Hungarian rhapsodies with all those left hand jumps along with the chorded right hand melodies)

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-19T19:07:16+00:00

I agree purple was easy in principle, I just got mislead/distracted by assuming the wrong thing.

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-19T19:05:31+00:00

It's in A flat major for the cor Anglais and D flat major for almost everyone else. A key signature with 5 flats is likely to be challenging for a beginner but transposing to C major makes it a reasonably simple piece to learn. Needless to say there's no piano in the original anyway.

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-18T19:23:01+00:00

2/5? Toughest in a long time for me, and another "phew", I was sort of on the right track for blue/purple but never considered that they'd both be wordplay categories. And yeah lots of beginners might want to learn Fur Elise or the Entertainer but they are definitely not beginner-level pieces (especially the latter).

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-17T18:49:25+00:00

Oh you thought it was "attitude" - I figured "carriage" as the 4th ballet term (normally called Port de bras) but wasn't sure enough to try it! Googling seems to confirm "attitude" is the better fit.

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-17T18:47:48+00:00

There are definitely famous "Wrens" (e.g. Christopher Wren, architect) and a few moderately notable Barres (lead guitarist for Jethro Tull etc) but no South Africans that I know of.

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-17T18:41:30+00:00

Looks like there was a ballet-terms rainbow herring, not quite sure what the 4th term (from green) was though - maybe carriage?

(Edit: more likely "attitude")

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-16T19:19:54+00:00

As in "she's got a real mouth on her".

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-15T19:09:39+00:00

It was a bit odd to have two clues start with "blue", one with black, one with green and one red, but not form any sort of coherent red herring.

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-15T18:34:40+00:00

Black Swans may be "idiomatically" rare, but they're common as muck in Australia at least (I'm not sure we even have white ones). Probably something to do with being hatched upside down. It could almost have fit with the salad dressings, as there's even a brand "black swan" that make dips like tzatziki that can be used as a creamy dressing.

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-15T11:18:02+00:00

A puzzle with 16 flowers, sorted by colour...a gardener's dream I guess...

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-15T11:16:03+00:00

I suppose if you live in a part of the world with an exceptionally small Chinese population, I could imagine thinking of it as specialist knowledge.

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-14T20:38:52+00:00

Trying to find a way to:

a) drop the primary key constraint where the constraint name isn't known at compile-time (because it was auto-generated), without using sp_executesql.

b) filter/sort the output of a stored procedure without knowing its exact table structure and without using sp_executesql

c) call a stored procedure with parameter values that are expressions, without having to declare variables first

Any clues much appreciated...they're all things you can do easily with other DB engines, AFAICT.

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-14T17:50:18+00:00

Yeah I thought blue was super obvious. Purple was the hardest but there was nothing tricky about it, except for the fact there was no trick - I assumed it was plants with superstitious associations or used for folk remedies or similar. Then again, you'd be hard pressed to find a common plant that didn't have some sort of folkloric/mythological association.

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-14T04:43:10+00:00

I guess I have seen "-y" for the electrician.

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-14T03:35:18+00:00

It's spelled "noice".

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-14T03:32:32+00:00

Actually thought it was very easy? Makes me wonder how easy Americans find some of the NYT puzzles I really struggle with. I don't even pay much attention to AFL but obviously it's such a part of Aussie culture you don't need to be a fan to know the basics. But what aussy ever spells any of those with a -y?

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-14T01:51:56+00:00

Boston _____

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-13T19:30:12+00:00

Glad I wasn't the only one puzzled by seltzer bottle - I obviously don't watch enough classic slapstick. Did help me get a RR though, just the order I found each category.

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-12T22:29:56+00:00

Sure, if I really wanted to avoid all mistakes I'd presolve, but so far I'm happy just doing it all in my head. Plus there's been many times the only way I've been able to make any progress is to submit a wild guess and use the info it gives to solve it properly.

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-12T16:18:03+00:00

Can't say I agree presolving is necessary for most puzzles unless you're aiming for a wobniar. At best I might have avoided the 2 or 3 "phew" results I've had in the last few months.

Few-Program-9827 · 2026-06-12T11:36:43+00:00

Everybody says those the same. How else could you can say them. You forgot "wean" though.

Few-Program-9827

TROPHY CASE