CROSSWORDS: Debrief via Blogs, Discuss in Forums

Summary | Quotes
Blogs: Major | Misc. | Cryptics | Example

Summary

• There are many (ever-changing) blogs and forums with insights from expert solvers
  about clues and themes; these often include links to puzzles and
  the entire (even annotated) solution -- if you get really stuck
• Available for newer, 'major' puzzles, e.g., in US: NYT, LAT, WSJ, Univ.
• Some newspapers provide directly, e.g., NYT:Wordplay, WSJ, WashPost (WaPo)
• For other puzzles, check blogs (below)
  or search for "crossword", including title, author, date, and/or unique clues
• 'Want to Join My Crossword Group Chat?'
  a new generation of crossword enthusiasts has changed the way that puzzles are discussed.
  And they are determined to make their pastime a space where all are welcome; 8/31/2021

Quotes

• About WordPlay (blog):... Welcome to our conversation about word games.
  Here you'll find a new blog post for each day's crossword plus a bonus post for the Variety puzzle.
  Along with discussion about the day's challenge, you'll get backstage insights about
  puzzlemaking and occasional notes from The Times's puzzlemaster, Will Shortz.
  ~wordplay.blogs.nytimes.com
• "crossworld":... a loose collection of people who analyze puzzles the way others
  do hip hop lyrics or fantasy novels -- kibitzers about every major puzzle published
  in newspapers and digital subscription services. (not a religious org)

Current, Major Blogs / Forums

• Introducing Gameplay
  replacing WordPlay -- more inclusive of our new features and games; daily crossword column; NYT; 2/18/2022
• Wordplay's Freelance Writing Guidelines
  puzzles, gaming and tournaments, wordplay and language;
  historical and cultural surveys of the gaming and language worlds; NYT; 8/24/2021
• Wordplay Crossword blog NYT; 10/27/2008 -
• XWordInfo.com New York Times Crossword Answers, Stats, Observations;
  try Analyze mode; some pages ($); 1/1/1981 - 11/2023?
• XWord Info info
  discussion about xwordinfo.com, and about crossword puzzles in general -- not puzzles of the day
• Diary of a Crossword Fiend: NYT, LAT, Universal, BEQ, New Yorker, Fireball,
  AVCX, Xword Nation, Reagle; Amy Renaldo; 12/28/2009 - [right: download puzzles]
• NYXCrossword.com NYT; William Butler; 2014 -;
  WEB@NYTCrossword.com (archive); 2009-2015
• Rex Parker does the NYT Crossword 9/25/2006 -;
  Michael Sharp; Professor moonlights as crossword master
• Horace and Frances Discuss The New York Times Crossword Puzzle 2013 -
• NYT solvers' podcasts: Jean & Mike Do The NYT Crossword;
  videos: Solve with Steve!; Solve with Me: The Goosiverbalist
  The Daily Solve with Chris Remo; Robert vs the NYTXW
• Cruciverb: database & Crossword Community Center; [right: puzzles]
  Forum: Solving: Today's Puzzles (mostly LAT) [free account]
• Kevin McCann creator of cruciverb.com; 2014
• LA Times (LAT): Crossword Corner 2008 -
• LAXCrossword.com LAT; William Butler; 2014 -
• Sally's Take on the USA Today Crossword: 3/11-2024 -; 6/9/2020 - 3/10/2024
• XWord Muggles Forum discuss WSJ Weekly Crossword Contest (4/2019), other "meta"-style crosswords
• discord.com: Crosscord: Spoiler Channels:
  NYT, WSJ, LAT, New Yorker, USA Today, Universal, AVCX, WaPo, Boswords, Other [on right]
• Reddit discussion threads

Misc., Older Blogs

• Some answer-only blogs, e.g., NYT; Newsday; Newsday (2018-2019);
  Daily Crossword Answer: Canadiana, CHE, Jonesin, Joseph, LAT, Newsday, NYT, New Yorker,
  Premier, Sheffer, Univ., WashPost, WSJ; Guardian, Irish Times, The Sun, The Times, Telegraph
• American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (blog list)
• NYT Crossword in Gothic 3/2007 - 8/2015
• An Ex-Englishman Solves American Puzzles NPR; Ross Beresford (Crossword Man); 2009-2016
• CrosswordKathy: solving the Sun NYT so you don't have to Kathy Matheson; 3/8/2009 - 7/2014
• Eric & Abbie Fix the NYT Crossword 11/28/2010 - 6/3/2012
• Madness...Crossword and Otherwise Linda G.; 4/16/2007 - 6/24/2008
• A Journal of Crossword Database Management: the autofill project 4/2013 - 3/2014;
  life as a puzzle McClary; 3/2014 -
• Man vs. Puzzle Sean; (guy solves New York Times crossword, writes about it, saves world); 12/2013 - 2014
• LAT: Crossword Confidential Rex Parker; 2009-2011
• Puzzly Blog NYT, Reagle, Newsday, et al; 11/2013 - 3/2014
• Not A Blog Okay Maybe It Is; puzzle times; Dan Feyer; 2008 -
• Devil Cross 2014-2018
• Ryan & Brian Do Crosswords 2008-2011
• Sun Blocks New York Sun; 2008-2009
• New Grids on the Block New Yorker, indies; 2015-2018
• Crossword Crossing Puzzle Society; Steinberg; 2018
• National Puzzlers League
• Further Adventures of Jim Horne -2016
• CrosswordCity Gorski; -2011; CrosswordNation -2017
• Puzzlehead E. Peterson; -2017
• All for Words and Words for All Mackey brothers; -2016
• NYT Crossword Drawings

Cryptic Blogs

• BestForPuzzles: blog links
• Big Dave's Crossword Blog The Daily Telegraph, The Sunday Telegraph; older?
• Cru Cryptic Archive NYT 'Cru' Forums
• fifteensquared: Financial Times, Guardian, Independent, Inquisitor
• Guardian 2011 -
• The Hindu Crossword Corner India; CrosswordUnclued
• The Nation Cryptic Crossword Forum 7/2012 - 8/2015
• National Post Canada
• The Times: Times for the Times

Annotated Example: NYT 1/23/2011

• NYT WordPlay: constructor intro, reader comments
• Rex Parker does the NYT Crossword
• NYTCrossword
• NYT Crossword in Gothic
• XWord Info
• CrosswordKathy doing the Sun NYT so you don't have to
• Diary of a Crossword Fiend
• Eric & Abbie Fix the NYT Crossword