[R] [off-topic] crossword

[Enrico Schumann]

On Fri, 13 Dec 2024, Bill Dunlap writes:

> Crossword answers have to be drop-in replacements for the clue in a
> sentence.  Hence replacing
>    "She writes in C and R, say."
> with
>    "She codes"
> would work, but "She coder" would not.
>
> (If one interpreted C and R as the names of third party candidates for
> office, then "She votes" would work,
> but the across words made "codes" a more reasonable answer.)
>
> I was impressed that they expected the typical NYT reader to know that R
> was a programming language.
>
> -Bill

They expect them to be long-time readers :-)
https://archive.nytimes.com/www.nytimes.com/2009/01/07/technology/business-computing/07program.html


> On Fri, Dec 13, 2024 at 11:40 AM <avi.e.gross using gmail.com> wrote:
>
>> Since this is a discussion about a specific crossword puzzle the right
>> answer has to fit with any words coming in from the other direction or it
>> gets cross.
>>
>> I thought the clue hinted it started with C and ended with R and that the
>> languages were chosen for no reason other than that they helped make a
>> clue. It would otherwise be equally valid to choose COBOL and RUST. This
>> has nothing specific about R, or C, for that matter. Anyone who writes code
>> for computers in any language can be called a CODER.
>>
>> But since CODES and CODER and many other words like PRINT may make sense,
>> it still can be necessary to have it fit the crossword puzzle. Since it
>> mentioned R and not it's cousin S, I think CODER is more likely the answer
>> than CODES.
>>
>> Not that it changes our lives in the slightest way. I suspect people who
>> are dedicated cruciverbalists need not know anything about the C and R
>> languages or even programming in general. They are supposed to figure out
>> it is an ODE between C and R.
>>
>> -----Original Message-----
>> From: R-help <r-help-bounces using r-project.org> On Behalf Of Olivier Crouzet
>> Sent: Friday, December 13, 2024 9:51 AM
>> To: r-help using r-project.org
>> Subject: Re: [R] [off-topic] crossword
>>
>> Thank you all for the helpful and enlightening comments. One question
>> though, isn't "say" a synonym in oral forms of american english for
>> "for example"? Which would translate to:
>>
>> > Writes in C or R, [for example].
>>
>> which would involve that C and R are possible examples of the usage
>> contexts considered here in which someone would "write"?
>>
>> This would then make perfect sense to me for the proposed answer:
>> "codes".
>>
>> Yours.
>> Olivier.
>>
>>
>> On Fri, 13 Dec 2024
>> 08:02:32 +0000 CALUM POLWART <polc1410 using gmail.com> wrote:
>>
>> > Well to complicate things, I don't think RULES is the answer.
>> >
>> > This is a cryptic crossword clue. They usually contain the answer
>> > twice (well... Cryptically!!)
>> >
>> > Writes in C or R, say.
>> >
>> > I think the answer is CODER
>> >
>> > If you look up the definition of say in the dictionary one option is:
>> >
>> >
>> >
>> >    1. give instructions to or direct somebody to do something with
>> >    authority (verb)
>> >
>> >
>> > That's the simple part of the clue. (Notice the comma cryptic clues
>> > have two parts giving the "same" answer)
>> >
>> > The more complex part I think is  that and 'ode' (a poem that is
>> > written like it is said or something) is written in between C and R
>> > giving C ODE R,
>> >
>> > ...
>> >
>> >
>> > Very happy to be corrected...
>> >
>> >
>> > (Oh and as a third part a coder writes in C or R... I hope the
>> > JavaScript kids are listening ;-) )
>> >
>> > On Fri, 13 Dec 2024, 04:26 Ebert,Timothy Aaron, <tebert using ufl.edu>
>> > wrote:
>> >
>> > > I do not understand the question and I do not understand the answer.
>> > > Possibly one confounds the other.
>> > >
>> > > -----Original Message-----
>> > > From: R-help <r-help-bounces using r-project.org> On Behalf Of Erin
>> > > Hodgess Sent: Thursday, December 12, 2024 11:56 AM
>> > > To: Bill Dunlap <williamwdunlap using gmail.com>
>> > > Cc: r-help using R-project.org
>> > > Subject: Re: [R] [off-topic] crossword
>> > >
>> > > [External Email]
>> > >
>> > > RULES!
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > Erin Hodgess, PhD
>> > > mailto: erinm.hodgess using gmail.com
>> > >
>> > >
>> > > On Thu, Dec 12, 2024 at 9:42 AM Bill Dunlap
>> > > <williamwdunlap using gmail.com> wrote:
>> > >
>> > > > The New York Times crossword this morning had the clue (51 down, 5
>> > > > letters) "Writes in C or R, say".
>> > > >
>> > > > -Bill
>> > > >
>>
>> --
>>   Olivier Crouzet, PhD
>>   http://olivier.ghostinthemachine.space
>>   /Maître de Conférences/
>>   @LLING - Laboratoire de Linguistique de Nantes
>>     UMR6310 CNRS / Université de Nantes

-- 
Enrico Schumann
Lucerne, Switzerland
http://enricoschumann.net