CROSSWORDS: Solving Strategies and Resources

Summary | Quotes; Pen or Pencil? | References

Summary

• Being born smart helps -- even though you can't change your parents
• Learn to recognize patterns, be creative and flexible
• Multi-tasking and memorizing dictionaries are not necessary
• Be confident -- using ink is optional
• Cartoon: How to Solve the NYT Crossword Puzzle by Patrick Merrell [FLOWCHART]; 1/24/2009
• How to Approach the Biggest Crossword You've Ever Solved: Puzzle Mania’s Super Mega Crossword
  The crossword is only 67 x 41. A mere 782 entries for solvers to ponder. How hard could it be?
  It may look overwhelming, but you’ve got this. Here are our tips for a successful solve.
  1. Solve the Super Mega Crossword any way you want. It’s your puzzle.
  2. If you are a normal human being, don’t expect to solve this crossword puzzle in one day.
  3. Sharing is caring. It may also make solving the puzzle more fun.
  4. Keep your favorite treat nearby. A reward system is invaluable.
  5. Start with the gimmes. Yes, I know there will be a lot of them.
  6. Yes, it is perfectly fine to look things up. People who tell you otherwise are not being good friends.
  7. Take a break when you get stuck.
  8. If you are not familiar with the types of crossword clues and how to solve them,
  now is a good time to learn; NYT; 12/16/2022;
• "There are many strategies for getting unstuck when solving a crossword.
  Solving with a friend can be very helpful (and fun), as you probably have
  different spheres of knowledge. When I first started solving crossword puzzles,
  I solved them with my husband, and we each had areas that we knew more about.
  
  You can also solve with help from Google. While some consider using the internet
  cheating, I am a firm believer that learning is a good thing -- and you’ll learn
  more from reading about something than throwing your puzzle aside because you
  don’t know the answer. I would recommend using tools like an encyclopedia or
  thesaurus rather than just searching for the clue verbatim, as they’ll help
  you actually learn the information rather than just getting the answer correct.
  I generally save the internet for trivia-based clues, where you either know
  the answer or you don’t.
  
  Many people recommend putting the puzzle aside and coming back to it later.
  I’m frequently surprised to discover that a clue that felt impossibly hard
  suddenly pops into my head when I look at it with fresh eyes. This is
  especially true of wordplay clues, which are harder to look up online
  without spoiling the answer.
  
  If you’re solving online, the check puzzle feature is a great tool.
  If you’ve made a mistake somewhere, it can help you sort things out.
  
  Finally, keep in mind that constructors and editors don’t really expect you
  to know many of the facts used in clues. We’ve written a million clues for,
  say, ETON, which shows up in many crosswords because of its convenient letter
  patterns. You can reasonably guess that’s the answer to any clue hinting at
  a school in England." ~Christina Iverson, Easy Mode newsletter, 1/12/2024

Quotes

• "Fill in the small squares... with words which agree with the following definitions."
  ~Arthur Wynne, first crossword puzzle, 12/1913. Sounds easy enough?
• "Puzzle creators actually want you to solve their puzzle," and how you do that....
  is up to you. There are no rules. You can click through letters on your keyboard
  with the 'error check mode' on or off; you can call a friend or you can look it up.
  You can solve the puzzle any way you choose. ~Jonathan Berkowitz
• I like to see the crossword puzzle as half-full...
  The solid black squares were the only ones I could figure out, so that's something.
• "How many dendrites does this guy... [Dan Feyer: multiple ACPT champion] have?" ~Merl Reagle;
  "[Dan Feyer] excelled at math as well as music, abilities that he thinks go together
  with crossword solving." ~NYT article NYT; 12/7/2011
• "Puzzling person" [WSJ, 2015]; "You, evidently" [NYT, 1994]... SOLVER
• "People who do crossword puzzles... just can't think outside the box." ~Anonymous
• "I'm good at crossword puzzles,...
  I'm not so good at people puzzles." ~Carrie Bradshaw, Sex and the City
• "Republican Sen. Tom Coburn, of Oklahoma... showed exceptional emotional versatility,
  working a crossword puzzle during the hearing and then choking back a sob
  during a prosaic statement about partisanship..." ~Dana Milbank
• "We wanted to see the connection between... being a good crossword solver
  and being great in your field." ~Christine O'Malley, Producer of WordPlay
• "Mental flexibility is... a great asset in solving crosswords. Let your mind wander." ~Will Shortz

Pen or Pencil? -- or (Over)Confidence

• "An optimist is... a man who starts a crossword puzzle with a fountain pen." ~Anonymous
• "Egotism, n:... Doing the New York Times crossword puzzle with a pen." ~Anonymous
  often attributed incorrectly to Ambrose Bierce who died ~1914, just as crosswords were invented,
  and before "crossword" was coined, or NYT had crosswords!
• "I don't smoke, I don't drink coffee,... and I don't need to have a drink at the end of the day.
  What I do need is to solve the crossword, every day, in ink." ~Ken Burns
• Bill Clinton was famous... for completing the Times crossword in a few minutes,
  flawlessly and in ink while simultaneously arguing with political leaders on the phone.
  ~New Yorker, 6/19/2006
• "They say Confucius... does his crossword with a pen" ~Tori Amos (lyric from 'Happy Phantom')
• I believe pencils are superior to pens,
  especially for filling out crossword puzzles... Does that make me erasist?
• Frank Sinatra letter to NYT crossword editor about using pen 9/19/1989
• "Well, so you don't get too cocky,... I myself often complete the TV Guide crossword puzzle."
  He puffed out his chest. "In pen." ~Shelly Laurenston
• "She didn't strike me as... a 'crossword in ink' kind of girl." ~Tom Clancy
• songs: I Do My Crosswords in Pen by On Broken Wings 2003;
  Doing Thursdays in Ink by John Schnall 2008

References

• Still stumped by two down on your daily crossword? Try walking up two flights of stairs, scientists suggests 1/14/2024
• 'National Crossword Solvers Day' is December 8
  Myles Mellor created day to help people fighting Alzheimer's Disease; 12/8/2023
• Crossword puzzle champ shares tips on solving puzzles Dan Feyer; video: 3:41; 11/9/2023
• NYT series: Mini to Maestro: Part 1: Beginner; Part 2: Intermediate; Part 3: Advanced 9/19/2022
• I Couldn’t Handle Failure. So I Decided to Embrace Losing. ACPT; 6/27/2022
• The puzzling life of AJ Jacobs
  in this week's Puzzlers' Book Club, we read the wide-ranging memoir of a noted solver, complete with hidden coded message; Guard; 5/9/2022
• WSJ Crossword Course: Part #1. Poetic Justice; Part #2. Chemical Change;
  Part #3. In Character; Part #4. Looking for That Spark WSJ; 8/27/2021
• Join Our 'Crosswords Live' Streams and Help Us Solve the Puzzles NYT; 8/25/2021
• Is it OK to 'cheat' when solving puzzles?
  Your ethical questions answered: can you use word-finders
  or ask friends or strangers in order to fill those final squares? Guard; 3/29/2021
• How to become an elite crossword puzzle solver {scroll down} Quigley, Birnholz, Gaffney; 9/14/2020
• Four Things I Know Doing Crossword Puzzles In Ink 7/14/2020
• How to Get Better at Crosswords Do Puzzles Every Day; Use an App;
  Know When -- and How -- to Cheat; Study Up; LH; 2/15/2019
• How to Solve The New York Times Crossword excellent tutorial, examples; Deb Amlen; NYT; 11/2017
• Improve crossword-solving skills 1/5/2019
• 9 crossword puzzle hacks you should know, according to New York Times puzzle creators
  1. If you're new to the New York Times crossword puzzle, start on Monday
  2. Fill in what you know first
  3. Know common crossword puzzle words
  4. Use the crossings
  5. If the clue is plural, the answer will probably end in "S"
  6. Look out for "veiled capitals"
  7. Hone your skills with practice
  8. Take breaks when you're stuck
  9. "Cheat" if you need to; 12/11/2018
• NYT Crossword Puzzle Maker's 5 Tips For A Razor Sharp Mind Will Shortz; HuffPo; 8/7/2015