- "Men in their forties are like the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzle: tricky, complicated, and you're never really sure you got the right answer." ~Carrie Bradshaw in Sex in the City
-
"When I used to commute into NYC, I’d sometimes play 'crossword golf,' a simple game I concocted to add an extra challenge to early-week puzzles. The object is to get as low a score as possible...:
- PAR: A clue can be read once for free.
- BOGEY: Coming back and rereading a clue adds a stroke.
BIRDIE: Filling in an answer without reading its clue deducts a stroke.- EAGLE: Filling in a theme answer without reading its clue deducts two strokes.
"Q. Is it 'cheating' to consult a dictionary or other reference sources when stumped by a crossword puzzle clue?
A. It's your puzzle. Solve it any way you want."
~Will Weng (2nd NYT Crossword Ed.; as quoted by Will Shortz)
Summary: choose level of difficulty appropriate for you- 'commuter' puzzle = same weekday difficulty, e.g., Mail Tribune, USA Today
- NYT, LAT: Mon = 'easiest', ..., Sat = 'most difficult'; NYT Sun = ~'Thu'
- You can make any puzzle easier, e.g., by asking a partner/friend or using Tools later
- -- or harder, e.g., Crossword Golf
- If you want to improve, balance challenge and frustration
example puzzle: NYT (Sun), 1/23/2011 [$: .puz]
= "1/30/11" (Mail Tribune) [.pdf] (filled in by Steve)
[puzzle] [solution]
Interview with Rich Norris (LA Times) 3/23/2009- Cartoon: How to Solve the NYT Crossword Puzzle by Patrick Merrell [FLOWCHART]; 1/24/2009
- The Two Ronnies - Crossword ;-)[video: 5:15]; 12/22/2007
- How to Solve the New York Times Crossword Puzzle (Will Shortz); 4/8/2001
- Word Buff: 1. Select the Right Crossword Puzzles
- Feyer: 1. Find the puzzles that are right for you; 3. Challenge yourself
