Home of the New York Times Crosswords Forums participants

Welcome to the Cru’s home page! This web site is an unofficial adjunct to the New York Times Crosswords Forums hosted by Will Johnston (wijwij). It was created in February 1998, having its genesis in the participant information lists super-forumite Nancy Shack compiled and posted in the Today’s Puzzle forum. Norm Jensen then took her ideas and made the original Cru website out of them, from which this new site is based, with additions and changes based mostly on suggestions and discussions from other Cru members. Many thanks to all these fine people, and to our Hosts Emeriti Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon (Hex), who blessed the project and kept the atmosphere pleasant and provocative with their wonderful leadership.

Crossword Forum Links
specific forums, general information about the forums and the Cru home page, contact e-mail addresses for forum software problems, and so forth

Premium Crosswords Links
getting access to the NYT puzzle online, downloading the Across Lite software, and e-mail addresses for puzzle access problems and billing info

NYTimes.com Links
mostly links to various Member Center help pages for the web site that hosts the forum. Also, a link to the NYT “Company Store” — which has an entire page devoted to the most recent crossword books that the Times has published

The New York Times Crossword Reference by Barry Haldiman has information on every NYT crossword ever published (many of them downloadable), tons of extra puzzles to enjoy, Litzing info, online resources, and many more interesting links.

The 2006 documentary Wordplay focuses on the man most associated with crossword puzzles, New York Times puzzle editor and NPR puzzle-master Will Shortz. Director Patrick Creadon introduces us to this passionate hero, and to the inner workings of his brilliant and often hilarious contributors, including syndicated puzzle creator Merl Reagle. Along the way, the film presents interviews with celebrity crossword puzzlers such as Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, Jon Stewart, Ken Burns, NY Yankee Mike Mussina, and the Indigo Girls, who reveal their process, insight and the allure of the game. In addition to deconstructing this uniquely American institution, Wordplay takes us though the 2005 American Crossword Puzzle Tournament where almost five hundred competitors battled it out for the title “Crossword Champ” and showed their true colors along the way.