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The best way to locate an answer to a specific question is to use your web browser’s Find or Search function to search this page for what you need help with. You can also choose from one of these general categories to get started:
| Top “Cru-Tips” for Newbies | Definitions | NYT Policies on Puzzle Clues |
We hope you found these pointers helpful. You may also want to check out Popeye’s Tips for Newbies.
Useful Links
NEW! Across Lite 2 — free download for all platforms
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/litsoft.html
(earlier versions are also available from this page under the UNIX link)
Across Lite FAQ
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/litsoftfaq.html
basic FAQ via NYT site, or
http://www.litsoft.com/across/alite/AcrossFaq.html
extensive FAQ from LitSoft’s site
Across Lite — General Online Help
http://www.litsoft.com/across/alite/macman/howto.htm
includes just about everything involving Across Lite, from using the program and setting up your browser to creating your own puzzles
Across Lite for Windows
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/litwindows.html
download for Windows versions
http://www.litsoft.com/across/alite/support/win/help
on-line help files
http://www.litsoft.com/across/alite/support/win/help/html/upgrade_ref.htm
info on upgrading from version 1 to 2
Across Lite for Macintosh
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/litmac.html
download for Macintosh versions
(note that the NYT link above is version 2; Litsoft’s website still only has version 1.2)
http://www.litsoft.com/across/alite/support/mac/help
on-line help files
http://www.litsoft.com/across/alite/support/mac/help/html/upgrade_ref.htm
info on upgrading from version 1 to 2
Across Lite Discussion Board
http://www.litsoft.com/cgi-bin/yabb/YaBB.pl
Email for Across Lite problems and questions
acrossnyt@litsoft.com
for contacting Litsoft, the makers of Across Lite directly
Creating an Across Lite puzzle
http://www.litsoft.com/across/alite/macman/create.htm
for creating crosswords in Across Lite 1 format with no unusual grid entries
http://www.litsoft.com/across/alite/man/AcrossTextFormat.pdf
for creating crosswords in Across Lite 1 as well as Across Lite 2 formats for more flexibility in the grid entries
Text Format template for Across Lite 1 format
http://www.litsoft.com/across/alite/macman/aformat.htm
General Questions
What’s new in Across Lite 2?
You only need to upgrade if you’d like to take advantage of the new features. You can continue solving the puzzles as before with the version you have.
Are Across Lite 2 puzzles backward compatible with version 1?
Yes, you can solve Across Lite 2-formatted puzzles in Across Lite 1 but with the same solving limitation of only being able to enter the first letter of any answer in a box.
How can I enter unusual characters, numbers, or more than one letter per grid square in an Across Lite puzzle?
Across Lite 1:
Across Lite 1 only accepts the 26 letters of the alphabet, and just one character per grid box. To get around this limitation, just enter the first letter of the symbol you want to use. For example, if the puzzle requires a “rebus” character, such as entering a “star” or an ampersand (&) in the box, just enter an “S” (for “star”) or an “a” ("for “ampersand”). When you need to type more than one letter in a single box, just type the first letter. It may not look right, but when you have Across Lite check your puzzle for incorrect entries, the system won’t mark it as a wrong answer. It might also be helpful to you remember which squares hold special characters by marking them with a circle by typing an asterisk (shift-8) while the square is selected. (Type asterisk again if you want to turn the circle off.)
Also, since Across Lite 1 doesn’t accept numbers, typing in a number, will jump you to that numbered clue automatically.
Across Lite 2:
You can simply type in numbers as well as letters. To enter more than one character or a rebus symbol in a box, highlight the box and select Edit > Insert... from the menu.
What is the Notepad? And how do I know if I need to read it?
Across Lite 1:
Some puzzles require additional notes or instructions to be completed properly. If so, you’ll usually see a note in the title of the puzzle reading “(see Notepad).” You can view the Notepad by choosing “Notepad” under the “View” menu. You can also use it to write your own notes about the puzzle, if you choose to save it for yourself later. (same on Windows and Macintosh)
Across Lite 2:
After the puzzle’s title you will see a yellow Notepad icon indicating that there is information to be read there. You can read it by selecting View > Notepad from the menu.
How can I print a puzzle larger?
If your printer driver doesn’t allow reduction/enlargement, select File > Print from the menu and click the checkbox at the bottom that reads “Print using two pages.”
How can I create a puzzle in Across Lite format?
You can use any plain-text editor to create a puzzle. There’s a sample in the same folder as your Across Lite application called “easyt.txt” which you can copy and use as a template. Save your final puzzle as a plain-text file or TXT file. Then open the file in Across Lite and save it as an Across Lite puzzle, with the “.puz” extension at the end of the name. LitSoft’s website also describes how to create a puzzle and has the sample text format template for your use. These instructions are for Across Lite 1 format, which is all you need for a straightforward puzzle with only letters A-Z as answers, one per grid box.
If you wish to use any unusual features, like numbers, rebus symbols or multiple characters in the same box, you can format the puzzle for Across Lite 2. Full instuctions for formatting puzzles, for both newer and older version of Across Lite, are available at:
http://www.litsoft.com/across/alite/man/AcrossTextFormat.pdf
How can I give an Across Lite puzzle a solution code?
With your completed (clues and answers) puzzle open in Across Lite, select “Scramble” under the “Solution” menu. The application will scramble your puzzle and present you with its four-digit solution code. Write this number down! If you forget it, you’ll never be able to unscramble the puzzle. (You may want to keep an unscrambled copy of your puzzle on file before you scramble it, just in case something goes awry.)
My timer has disappeared in Across Lite. How do I get it back? (Windows)
The timer sometimes disappears because the screen resolution is changed. This can happen for many reasons, such as displaying to an external monitor or projector, or running certain programs that control screen settings.
The most reliable way to restore the timer uses the Windows Registry Editor, regedit. This is a very powerful tool, and you can damage your system with it, but if you follow these instructions carefully you should be fine. If anything seems odd, or doesn’t match what these instructions say you should see, exit regedit (red X in the upper-right corner) and find qualified help. As long as things look like the instructions say, you should be fine.
Another, simpler, method which sometimes works: just click on the “full screen” icon in the upper-right-hand corner of the AcrossLite window. If that happens to reveal the location of the timer, just drag it back to a more central location and then you can restore the window to the desired size.
My Mac OS X version of Across Lite doesn’t recognize puzzles when I click on them
All Macintosh versions of Across Lite can be obtained at http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/litmac.html. (You can only get the Mac OS X version at the NY Times’ site, not Litsoft’s.)
If you find that the Finder under Mac OS X has a problem with recognizing Across Lite puzzles by default, you may have an older version that needs a third-party patch to get the application to open automatically when you click on a .puz file. The patch is available courtesy of Albert Liu at http://homepage.mac.com/serafin_liu/xpages/AcrossLitePlst.html.
Alternatively, Red Sweater Software offers a shareware solution called Black Ink (formerly MacXword) which adds extra features lacking in Across Lite. (Note: only Across Lite itself can unscramble scrambled puzzles; otherwise third party programs can read all the other puzzle information just fine.)
What handheld devices and applications can I solve crosswords on, including Across Lite?
PocketPC:
Binaryfish: Mobile Crossword
C & T Software: CTWord
Kyuran: Pocket Across
Micaceler: Pocket XWord
Pocco Software: Cruzoe Crossword (not Across Lite-compatible)
Stand Alone: Crossword Puzzles for Pocket PC
Palm:
Stand Alone: Crossword Puzzles for Palm OS (with conduits for Windows and Mac OS X)
BeOcean: BeCrossword
Blue Mitt: Word Squares
Penguin Software: XWord
(no longer available for purchase, but still downloadable in a free version that only holds 3 puzzles at a time): you will also need the accompanying utility Puz2Pil (Windows), MacPuz2Pil (Macintosh) or Puz2Pil (Linux) to import puzzles from Across Lite (and a variety of other formats) for use with it.
Other handhelds:
Excalibur Electronics: NYT Touch Screen Crossword Puzzle, loaded up with 1,000 NYT puzzles to solve (no download capability, not Across Lite-compatible)
I have Across Lite puzzles posted on my website, but Across Lite doesn’t start up as a helper application when they are downloaded. How can I fix that?
To have Across Lite open automatically, you need to configure your server for the .puz file type via a CGI script. Instructions are available at http://www.litsoft.com/across/docs/server.htm.
Even without reconfiguring the server you will always be able to just save that puzzle on disk and load it manually into Across Lite.
How can I change the printout font? (Macintosh only, OS 8-9 and X)
The Windows version can already do this, but until it’s implemented on the Macintosh, you can hack Across Lite to change your display font as well as your printing font. If you’re comfortable using ResEdit, you can find out how at http://home.earthlink.net/~nytcru/xtras/altypehack/acrosslite2fontchange.html.
Troubleshooting
I can’t enter numbers or rebus symbols or more than one character in a grid box. What am I doing wrong?
You need to upgrade to at least version 2 of Across Lite. Otherwise, just enter the first letter of the answer in the box.
I can’t use diagramless puzzles in my Across Lite. What’s wrong?
This special Across Lite puzzle is supposed to have circles in some of the boxes, but I see nothing. What’s wrong?
In both cases you are probably running an old version of Across Lite. You need to upgrade to at least version 1.2.
Some of the characters in the clues look funny in my puzzle. (Macintosh only)
You’re probably running version 1.2 or earlier of Across Lite software which doesn’t translate “high-ASCII” characters properly, such as those with diacritical marks found mainly in foreign words. Get Across Lite version 1.2a for the Mac, which fixes the problem, at http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/litmac.html.
What books are available for creating and solving crossword puzzles?
The most popular guide is a book now out-of-print:
Random House Puzzlemaker’s Handbook
by Stan Kurzban & Mel Rosen
ISBN: 0812925440 (paperback)
Publisher: Random House, Incorporated
Pub. Date: May 1995
The earlier edition of this book was:
The Compleat Cruciverbalist
by Stan Kurzban & Mel Rosen
ISBN: 0442257384 (hardcover)
Publisher: Van Nostrand Reinhold Company
Pub. Date: 1981
ISBN: 0064635449 (paperback)
Publisher: Harper & Row
Pub. Date: 1982
For solving and creating cryptic crosswords, try:
Random House Guide to Cryptic Crosswords: How to Solve America’s Trickiest Puzzles
by Emily Cox & Henry Rathvon
ISBN: 0812935454 (paperback)
Publisher: Random House Puzzles & Games
Pub. Date: 2003
Try scouring the web and used bookstores for a copy.
What software is available for creating crossword puzzles?
For just creating a simple grid with clues and answers, you can use a text editor and Across Lite, as described above.
For more professional needs, including selecting words for fills, Crossword Compiler (Windows) and Cruciverbalist (Macintosh) are popular. There are many others you can find on the internet; a few of these choices were mentioned in a 1999 NYT article at http://www.nytimes.com/library/tech/99/07/circuits/articles/29libe.html.
Where can I find more information?
The Cruciverb website is well worth a look.
The largest U.S. crossword puzzle tournament is the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, held each March in Stamford, CT. The 30th annual tournament will be held March 23-25, 2007. The ACPT also doubles as our yearly Cru reunion and we always congregate for dinner and comraderie. Photos from past tournaments are listed below under “Photos.”
Cryptic Puzzles / Cryptic Clue Workshop 
Useful Links
Cru Cryptics
http://query.nytimes.com/premium/xword/cryptic-archive.html
The Cru Cryptics are archived here.
Guide to solving cryptics
http://query.nytimes.com/premium/xword/cryptics.html
Handy guide explaining the different types of clues found in American cryptics, by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon
The First U.S. Cryptic Puzzle, New York Magazine, April 8, 1968, by Stephen Sondheim
http://home.earthlink.net/~nytcru/puzzles/sondheim/SondheimPrime.pdf
This reprint includes the first U.S.-style cryptic puzzle as well as the accompanying article. It also serves as an excellent introduction to cryptics for beginners. (It’s in PDF format, so you’ll need Adobe Acrobat Reader to view and print it.)
General Questions
What is the Cryptic Clue Workshop all about?
The Cru Cryptic Workshop is the forum area for those of us interested in creating and solving cryptic crossword puzzles. Every Monday night after 10PM EST a new Cru Cryptic is made available that is constructed by one of the Cru. People usually solve it independently and discuss the puzzle’s strengths and weaknesses. The Cru Cryptics are often self-rated by the author(s) using a star system from * to ****. You can find the Cru Cryptics via the NYT Premium Crosswords page or Will Johnston’s archive page.
Aside from Cru Cryptics, the Cru also posts clues that are not part of puzzles. These are numbered in consecutive order, 1–99, and you can solve any of them by copying the clue out and appending your solution. There’s really no rule about how long to wait before posting answers to these — sometimes it’s fast and furious. Lastly, the finer aspects of cryptic clue syntax are discussed, mostly from the point of view of constructors-in-training, as well as airing out preferences as solvers.
I don’t understand some of the solutions in a Cru Cryptic I downloaded to solve. Is there an explanation of the answers anywhere?
The Notepad in Across Lite (under the “View” menu) in each Cru Cryptic should contain solving notes for the answers.
How do I create and submit a Cru Cryptic?
Any person or team may create and submit a Cru Cryptic. First, follow the instructions for creating a puzzle in Across Lite format as described above. Cru Cryptic puzzles should be a .txt file or a .puz file of a block-style cryptic puzzle of any size from 9 x 9 to 15 x 15. The NYT will store the puzzles in an archive, but since there’s no pay involved, no copyright is claimed by them; the puzzle remains the property of you, the author(s), to keep, revamp, or submit elsewhere.
Also note:
When you’re ready to submit your puzzle, send it to Will J., who will send it along (possibly test-solved, but definitely unedited) to the proper contact at the NYT for posting when that puzzle comes up next in the queue.
The Cru Cryptics are intended for peer review in the Cryptic Clue Workshop. Through discussion it should become clear that the puzzles are sometimes works-in-progress, sometimes finished and polished products — but are always open to critique. Keep an open mind as the Cru critiques your puzzle and clue style. (Fortunately, most of the Cru is friendly.)
Cru Cryptic discussion usually follows this schedule: The puzzle is posted Monday night, the Cru begins commentary on Tuesday night, host Will J. adds his input on Thursday, and the author chimes in on Friday.
How can I learn how to solve and create cryptic crosswords?
Get Hex’s book, Random House Guide to Cryptic Crosswords. Details are above in the “Crossword Constructing” section.
ACPT
aka “Stamford” = American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, held yearly in Stamford CT
AHD4
American Heritage Dictionary, 4th edition
Bizarro Cru
Some newspapers, such as the Chicago Sun-Times, receive the syndicated version of the NYT crossword puzzle on a six-week delay. Some solvers of these “late” puzzles may not realize that special holiday-related puzzles are off a month and a half; in fact, they can often justify it somehow. These types are living in a Cru world parallel to ours, just like the Bizarro World from Superman comics, where everything we know is wrong. (Michael Pikelny)
On the flip side, the New York Sun allows us to Litz their puzzles and make them available for download a few weeks after their appearance in the paper, so that makes us online NY Sun solvers Bizarro Cru as well.
Bizarro Sun
Online version of New York Sun puzzle that came out in print three weeks ago, but only appears as an Across Lite puzzle now
cheater
A black square in a puzzle that has no effect on word count — usually added by the puzzle’s constructor to solve grid fill problems.
crosswordese
Any word that you would only encounter in a crossword puzzle. If you’ve ever seen an ESNE, an ANI or an UNAU, you’ve been exposed!
Cru
Any puzzle fanatic who hangs out in the NYT Crossword Forums; a cruciverbalist crew
Cru Cryptics
Free cryptics available regularly from Forum members over on the “Dark Side” (see below)
Cru-et
The Cru’s trophy cup; our version of the Oscar or Grammy. (Bruce Douglas)
Cru’s Missile
Given for the direct hits of the year (Sherry Blackard).
Cruxtaposition
A Cru-coined word for disagreeing with clues for specific reasons but being proved wrong by general usage. (Bill Fox)
CS
CrosSynergy
Dark Side
The world of cryptic puzzles, as opposed to the lightness and joy of regular U.S. puzzles (Sherry Blackard)
The Habanero puzzles are named after the very hot hot chili pepper, because they are not for the faint of heart. A Habanero puzzle is an “extra” treat provided by Barry Haldiman and Popeye each Tuesday, and offer more of a challenge than the early-week NYT puzzles may offer. They are usually puzzles printed a number of years ago, and are more difficult to keep the fanatics at bay (at least for a while). The only thing tougher is a MOAH.
Hex
The collective (and plural) name of Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon, our Forum hosts from 1996 to 2003.
HM
Honorable Mention — a clue or puzzle that’s almost as good as a HOF clue
HOF
Hall of Fame — a clue, or sometimes a puzzle, thought to be exceptional. A HOF can be nominated by anyone: just post a message in the Forum, write out the clue and answer and mention that it’s a HOF clue. (Writing out the answer with the clue makes our HOF list manintenance much easier.)
Jack-in-the-Box
A Cru-coined word for a puzzle that appears to be one thing and then reveals itself to be something else. (Will Johnston)
Knothole
A Cru-coined word for a tricky spot in a puzzle where two somewhat obscure words may cross. (Martin Herbach)
LAT
Los Angeles Times
Lexo
A Cru-coined word for a word or phrase posted in the Cryptic forum for everyone to try to write and post a cryptic clue for. (Dan Asimov)
A Cru-coined word meaning “put a puzzle into Across Lite format” by taking a hardcopy puzzle and formatting it (either scanning in the text with OCR or typing it all in by hand) to be able to be read and solved using the Across Lite software. It is derived from its maker, LitSoft, and came about from a discussion about how the word “Litsoftize” was too cumbersome. Popeye and Barry are the chief “litzers” for our group, and we thank them for their contribution to our cause (or for enabling us in our addiction, depending on how you look at it). The original group of Litzers was called the “Litz Brothers.”
The Mother Of All Habaneros. MOAHs are as tough as puzzles can get — even by Habanero standards.
MW
Merriam Webster Dictionary (10C = Tenth Collegiate Edition, NI3 = New International Third Edition, NI2 = Second Edition)
nit
Something to pick on in a puzzle
Notepad
Small text message that can be embedded in an Across Lite file — used for theme hints or solution notes
NYT
New York Times
OED
Oxford English Dictionary
Pangram
A pangram is a sentence, poem, puzzle, etc. that contains all 26 letters of the alphabet. An amazing triple pangram appeared in the NYT on Nov. 14, 1998.
PI
Philadelphia Inquirer
rebus
Puzzle in which some squares do not contain a single letter but instead need a group of letters or a drawing
RH2
Random House Unabridged Dictionary, 2nd edition; frequent arbiter and house dictionary for NYT puzzles
Slam Dunk
A Cru-coined word for a knee-jerk reflex crossword clue, i.e., whenever you see one, you know the answer instantly, such as, “Jai ____", “___ Na Na", or “___ out a living.” (Popeye)
spoiler
Hint or revelation about theme or clues before someone else has had a chance to solve it. Under the old Forum rules you couldn't spoil an answer before a certain deadline, but now you can talk about any clues and answers anytime. If you don't want a puzzle spoiled for you, don't read the Forum until after you've solved it.
unch
An abbreviation for “unchecked letter,” one that appears in only one answer. Unches are no-nos in regular crossword puzzles; all letters should be crossed by an across and a down answer. In cryptic puzzles, no more than 50% of the total squares should be unched.
wij
Initials of your host on the Forum, aka Will Johnston
WP
Washington Post
WS
NYT puzzle editor Will Shortz
YUMMI
Year’s most Unbelievable puzzles of MMI (i.e., 2001).
YUMMII
Year’s most Unbelievable puzzles of MMII (i.e., 2002).
What is Litzing?
See the definition above.
How do I Litz a puzzle?
It’s essentially the same as creating an Across Lite puzzle (described above).
Is there any particular protocol for posting a Litzed puzzle in the Forum?
Yes: When posting a message with a link to an extra puzzle, the Litzer should begin the subject line of the message with the word “Link: “ so that people can use the Search function to locate all posts with links to actual puzzles.
What is the consideration concerning some other creators’ Litzed puzzles in the Forums?
Peter Gordon, Rich Norris and other editors have very graciously agreed to allow members of the Cru to litz these puzzles for our collective enjoyment, so long as certain delay embargoes are honored. In the case of the Sun puzzles, Peter has asked that they not be posted until eight weeks has elapsed since their publication, and only for puzzles that haven’t been published in book form yet.
The litzers often have their own schedule commitments that make daily litz-and-post difficult, so the puzzles are often prepared in advance of the agreed-upon release date. Sometimes they sit in a private directory, and get moved to a public one on a daily basis. Other times, they’re in public directories but are not announced (no links are posted) until the Cru-release date.
Considering that the rights to these puzzles have been volunteered by their owners, and that the litzers are volunteering valuable time, we are asked not to “hack” our way into puzzles that have not been advertised as available, even when they are easy to find (as via a published calendar of links). And if we do discover such a trove and peek ahead, to not discuss it here until the “legal” embargo date, eight weeks from publication in the case of the Suns.
The Crosswords mailing list on Yahoo! has been established by Nancy Shack as a free adjunct to the NYT Crossword Forums. If the Forums are down for an extended period of time, we will have a means to communicate with one another. If the puzzle is not available in the evening at a reasonable hour, you may be able to get it delivered to you directly through email if you contact the list. Your name won’t be sold and you won’t receive spam.
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Crosswords
Main page to subscribe to and access the Crosswords mailing list
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Crosswords/files/
When the NYT is down and you can’t get the current puzzle otherwise, it will probably be available here in the “Emergency NYT puzzles” folder. Subscribers to the Crosswords mailing list may also send the puzzle out to each other via an email attachment.
The Cruciverb website also has a mailing list. Click the “Cruciverb-L” link on their home page to subscribe.
Useful Links
New York Times homepage
http://www.nytimes.com/
Member Center (for Premium members)
http://www.nytimes.com/membercenter/
Your profile, email preferences, news tracker, premium account options, site help, and more
Member Center Site Help (FAQ for Premium members)
http://www.nytimes.com/membercenter/sitehelp.html
Premium Crosswords Subscriber’s Entrance
http://query.nytimes.com/premium/xword/puzzles.html
main page for the daily NYT puzzle and many other puzzles
Premium Crosswords Subscription FAQ:
http://www.nytimes.com/membercenter/faq/crosswords.html
Premium Crosswords changes as of March 27, 2007:
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/crosswords032707.html
Info on the new prices and how home delivery customers can get Premium Crosswords for free
Today’s puzzle, for subscribers
http://query.nytimes.com/premium/xword/today.puz
Alternate link to any past daily puzzle, for subscribers
http://query.nytimes.com/premium/xword/MmmDDYY.puz
(Change Mmm to the Month, DD to the Day and YY to the Year)
Crossword/Games
http://www.nytimes.com/pages/crosswords/index.html
Main Crossword/Games page
NYT puzzle archives of past years:
2006 • 2005 • 2004 • 2003 • 2002 • 2001 • 2000 • 1999 • 1998 • 1997 • 1996
Java Applets
for solving the NYT puzzles online in real time:
Play Against The Clock
http://query.nytimes.com/premium/xword/pzzl/timed.html
Play With Your Friends
http://query.nytimes.com/premium/xword/pzzl/together.html
How to Play the Online Puzzles
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/quicktips.html
Timed Java Applets FAQ
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/xwordtimed.html
Puzzle Tips for Newcomers
http://query.nytimes.com/premium/xword/quicktips.html
http://www.fleetingimage.com/wij/xyzzy/nyt-links.html
Will Johnston’s NYT CrosswordTalk Forum Links page is a much more convenient place to get the Sunday and daily NYT puzzle as long as the NYT site is up and you’re a Premium Crosswords member. It also has links to puzzles in many other publications.
Cru Cryptics
http://query.nytimes.com/premium/xword/cryptic-archive.html
The Cru Cryptics are archived here
Guide to solving cryptics
http://query.nytimes.com/premium/xword/cryptics.html
Handy guide explaining the different types of clues found in American cryptics, by Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon
Sunday NYT Crossword Reference
http://nytxword.home.mindspring.com/
Barry Haldiman’s reference page includes a database of NYT puzzles by author, as well as date, going back to 1949, as well as information on litzing, puzzle history, solving resources, and more.
Customer Service:
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/help/erights_purfaq.html
FAQ about purchasing Premium Digital Products from NYTimes.com
http://www.nytimes.com/ref/membercenter/xwordfaq.html
FAQ About NYTimes.com Premium Crosswords
For help e-mail:
premiumchanges@nytimes.com
E-mail at NYT for help or questions with Premium Crosswords
diversions@nytimes.com
General e-mail for the Diversions section of the NYT website, which includes Crosswords & Games. Also use this email if you need to notify the NYT when there is no puzzle.
http://www.nytimes.com/membercenter/formrops.html
To make suggestions to the NYT Digital folks about the forum software
646-698-8249
NYT tech support
Troubleshooting
Why is the puzzle page showing me yesterday’s puzzle rather than today’s puzzle?
You may need to force your browser to refresh the page and download a fresh copy of the web page. Just click the Reload or Refresh button. If this doesn’t do the trick, force your browser to download the entire page from scratch by doing a “super reload/refresh.” Check your browser’s documentation for specific instructions, but usually you just need to hold down the Shift or Option key while you click on Reload or Refresh in the browser’s toolbar or menu.
I can’t access the puzzle page. I keep getting some error message.
Check out the links listed just above again — one of them may help. Then try some other methods: the alternate puzzle links at http://query.nytimes.com/premium/xword/puzzles.html or http://www.nytimes.com/premium/xword/MmmDDYY.puz (substitute MmmDDYY with the date of the puzzle: Mmm = the Month with a capital letter, DD is the day as two digits, and YY is the last two digits of the year), Will Johnston’s NYT Crossword Talk Forum Links page, or from the Yahoo! Crosswords files area.
People have also had success in clearing up various temporary problems by clicking "Log Out" link at the upper right and then logging back in.
I thought this Forum was moderated. Why isn’t anyone doing anything to fix my problems?
Read the appropriate Cru-Tip above.
General Questions
Is there a pattern to NYT puzzles’ difficulty?
The puzzles grow in difficulty later in the week. For the most part, Monday (the “easy” one) through Thursday are themed puzzles, with the Thursday puzzle having an unusual twist to it. Friday and Saturday are themeless with interesting grids and tough clueing.
How much does it cost to subscribe to the NYT Premium Crosswords?
Annual subscriptions are $39.95; monthly subscriptions are $6.95; and home delivery subscribers receive free access (more details here)
How can I search for a crossword puzzle if I only know what day it appeared?
The easiest way to find it is via Will Johnston’s NYT Crossword Talk Forum Links page at: http://www.fleetingimage.com/wij/xyzzy/nyt-links.html
You can also search for it at http://query.nytimes.com/search/advanced.
Otherwise you can type in this HTML address to obtain any specific puzzle since 1997 by date:
http://www.nytimes.com/premium/xword/MmmDDYY.puz,
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Right from Editor Will Shortz himself:
abbreviations (July 6, 2002)
Abbreviations that aren’t pronounced — i.e., work by spelling only (ADJ, FRI, BLVD, etc.) — are always signaled. This can be done by inclusion of another word in the clue that isn’t usually abbreviated or by “Abbr.” itself.
Abbreviations in which the individual letters are pronounced, though (RNA, TNT, PHD, etc.), aren’t necessarily signaled, especially if the short form is much commoner than the spelled-out form. In this case the short form is treated as a regular word. This is particularly so in a harder puzzle, like a Friday, Saturday, or Sunday.
(Apr. 4, 2004)
... The Times has a specific style about the use of officials’ titles. For example, the senator from Mississippi in today’s puzzle is to be rendered “Sen. Cochran,” not “Senator Cochran.”
Another style: State names after city names are supposed to be abbreviated — as in Moline, Ill., not Moline, Illinois.
Further, some familiar long names are ordinarily abbreviated in crosswords simply to save space — like W.W. II and N.A.A.C.P.
Thus, the above abbreviations in clues are exceptions to the usual rule about abbreviation signals.
My policy for the Times is this: If a clue contains an abbreviation for a word or phrase *that is not usually abbreviated*, then it signals an abbreviation in the answer. But if the word or phrase in question is typically abbreviated, then it doesn’t.
(further note on Jan. 15, 2006)
Many NY Times crossword clues contain standard abbreviations, following Times style ("Sen. Kennedy,” “Miami, Fla.,” “N.F.L. player,” etc.), and, obviously, these don’t signal abbreviations in the answers.
More on abbreviations
... The abbreviation “e.g.” for “for example” is a frequent space-saver in crossword clues and by my rules does not signal an abbreviation in the answer.
When I started at the Times in 1993 I wanted to be a purist on abbreviations — strictly adhering to the standard that anything at all abbreviated in a clue would signal an abbreviation in its answer. This was the policy at Games (with rare exceptions), where I’d worked before. But then I ran head-on into the Times’ style manual regarding officials’ titles (Sen., Rep., etc.), states, and so on.
I asked the editor of the Times Magazine, who was my boss at the time, if it would be all right for the crossword to follow its own style on this. He suggested that I follow Times style for six months, and then if I still wanted to do something different, we should talk again.
He probably knew that after six months I’d be comfortable with Times style, and he was right.
So now you know.
The rule I follow (posted earlier) is a little more complicated than the purist’s rule, but I don’t think many solvers are confused by it.
(October 27, 2007)
My rule is that abbreviations that are not pronounced (like "jct.," "lbs.," "bsmt.," etc.) are always signaled. There is no intentional looseness on this no matter what day of the week.
Acronyms, initialisms, and other abbreviations that are prounounced (NASA, G.O.P., V.I.P., etc.) may or may not be signaled, depending on how common they are and which day of the week they're for.
alphabetic sequences (Aug. 9, 2002, via email to Hex)
I’m not wild about alphabetic sequences in crosswords. But if they’re short (3 letters) and they help set up some other wonderful vocabulary, then they’re usable. The best such sequences are the ones that come up in real life, like ABC, KLM, and XYZ. Next best are the phone sequences (DEF, TUV, etc.). The least good are all the others. But I’d rate them only small flaws in a crossword, which can be balanced out by other things.
Four-letter sequences are much less appealing, and I work very hard not to use them.
The same goes for Roman numerals — the longer they are, the less appealing.
anything covered in the NY Times ... (July 21, 2006)
... I’ve been widely quoted as saying that almost anything covered in the New York Times is legitimate material for the Times crossword. And I believe this.
However, this sentiment shouldn’t be misinterpreted. I’m referring to broad subjects (art, TV, popular music, sports, ballet, commercial names, etc.), not specific words and names in these categories. Lots of specific words and names are too obscure (or otherwise inappropriate) for puzzles, even if they’ve appeared in the paper.
archaic and obsolete words (Apr. 13, 2004)
Archaic and obsolete words show up occasionally in Times crosswords, and I usually indicate them with the phrase “old-style.”
For example, the word ALWAY might be clued “Forever, old-style.”
The same clue could be rendered “Forever: Obs.,” but this phrasing feels bookish, and I’d tend to avoid it.
I never use “Arch.” to indicate “archaic,” because you might think the abbreviation stands for “archaeology” or who knows what.
In determining what’s obsolete or not, I tend to go by the dictionaries.
While obsolete words in crosswords are usually signaled in some way, obsolete things need not be. For example, the word ESNE is not obsolete, even though Anglo-Saxon slaves no longer exist. ESNE is the current term for this historical person. (Of course, I’d try to avoid the word to begin with, because it’s hackneyed and obscure.)
assumptions (in clue conventions) (Dec. 12, 2004)
While I’m aware that different versions of the Bible have the books in different order (and, in some cases, different books), I follow the standard Protestant list in writing crossword clues.
This is the list given in the World Almanac. In the U.S. this is followed by far more people than any other.
To save space, crosswords use many unwritten assumptions like this. For example, if a clue says “Best Actor of 1986,” this means the best actor winner at the Academy Awards, not the Golden Globes or some other show.
If a clue says “#1 hit of 1967,” this means the #1 hit according to Billboard, not Cashbox or another record listing.
Similarly, the standard for Bibles is the Protestant version, so this is what I follow. I think most solvers who use other versions intuitively understand this.
bylines in daily puzzles (Apr. 20, 2005)
Every once in a while I’m asked why the constructor bylines aren’t more prominent in the Times.
The size and placement of the respective constructor/editor credits really isn’t for me to say, but my feeling is that it’s probably in the newspaper’s interest to keep them as they are.
For one thing, in my experience most solvers have no interest in knowing who a puzzle’s constructor is. That’s the sad truth. Solvers are matching wits with the editor, who brings a style and consistency of treatment to the feature — whether for good or ill. This would be true no matter who the editor is.
Second, unlike for any other section of the paper, most Times crossword contributors send their work to many publications — often including competitors of the Times. Thus, there’s nothing special or exclusive about Constructor X having a puzzle in the Times, because his or her work may also appear in Newsday, the Sun, the L.A. Times, etc. The only special thing about the N.Y. Times crossword, whether for good or ill, is that it’s edited by one certain person, whoever that may be.
So I think the Times would prefer to leave the credits as they are, even if I were to push for a change.
The important thing is that, as a matter of fairness to the constructors and as a matter of information to the few solvers who do care, the constructor bylines need to appear somewhere — and I’m the person who added them, starting with the first Times puzzle I edited in 1993.
cheater black squares (May 6, 2003)
As Karen points out, the three black squares in the upper-right and lower-left corners of her impressive debut puzzle today are not “cheaters,” because they’re an inherent part of the construction. In other words, they weren’t included in order to make constructing easier. They were used in order to make possible two bonus theme entries at 14D and 27D.
As an editor, I discourage contributors from using unnecessary “cheater” black squares, and sometimes I rework areas of a grid to remove them myself, because I think they’re inelegant and esthetically unappealing — especially when they’re in corners. But I thought the corner black squares today were justified and made the puzzle significantly better.
circles in grid squares (September 3, 2004)
... As for the circles, this is always a question of balance. How many solvers will the circles (or special instructions or whatever) spoil the puzzle for versus how many solvers will want or need them?
In this case I don’t think the balance was close — a few dozen solvers might have noticed the state abbreviations clustered around the central black square, while everyone else would have missed them. And what a shame if they had! This puzzle unquestionably needed circles.
For you whizzes who always want every puzzle hard and opaque, remember that you’re a tiny minority. I cater to the minority elite some of the time, but on matters of clarity, I want as many solvers as possible to “get it.”
clue editing (September 28, 2004)
Regarding clue editing ... in my case I probably change on average about half the clues in the Times puzzles. I do this primarily for accuracy, clarity, freshness, proper level of difficulty, and house style. Also, I try to cut down on factual information that’s too trivial or specialized, and I try to avoid clues that make you go “huh?” even after you’ve gotten the answer (unless it turns out to be a slap-your-forehead “huh?"!).
The editing on any particular puzzle, though, can vary from 5% to 95%, depending on the constructor. A few of the constructors I edit the least (and, therefore, most look forward to) are Frank Longo, Fred Piscop, Patrick Berry, Nancy Salomon, Rich Silvestri, Cathy Millhauser, Rich Norris, and Emily Cox/Henry Rathvon. They consistently write clues that are smooth, lively, at the right difficulty level (for whatever level is intended), and dead-on accurate.
Three other puzzlers who write consistently excellent clues, in my experience, are Merl Reagle, Mike Shenk, and Peter Gordon — but they all have their own gigs.
crossword accuracy (May 5, 2003)
In my opinion, crossword puzzles should be held to the same standard of accuracy as anything else in a newspaper. If a dictionary has an error and the editor relies on that error in writing/verifying a clue ... well, it’s still an error, even if it’s an understandable one.
Several years ago, for example, I clued BREN as a “Clip-fed submachine gun,” which is what Random House says. But this is wrong. It’s a machine gun.
I also clued ETON once as “Noted town in Buckinghamshire,” which is what the current edition of Merriam-Webster’s Geographical Dictionary says. Unfortunately, since English redistricting in the early 1970s, Eton has been in Berkshire instead. Again, this was an error, although perhaps a pardonable one.
With 32,000+ clues and answers in the Times’ crossword each year, occasional errors, sadly, are bound to occur. Even with four testers solving every puzzle after editing — and one of these researching every clue again for accuracy — it’s humanly impossible to be perfect. For that we’d have to have a huge professional staff like “Jeopardy!” or “Who Wants to Be a Millionaire” — and even they goof once in a while.
Word usage, of course, is different. A door expert can say that a lintel isn’t part of a door, according to the specialized lingo of his profession. But if a dictionary says it’s part of a door, because this is how it believes the words are used by the general public, then for crossword purposes it’s part of a door.
Similarly, if people refer to the president of France, loosely speaking, as the French “government,” and any standard American dictionary supports this usage, then I consider it fair game for a crossword.
In summary then: Dictionaries are not the final authorities on facts. In crosswords, though, they do have final say on usage.
diacritical marks (Feb. 22, 2007)
Martin [Herbach] is right -- as a matter of convention, diacritical marks are ignored in American crosswords. This has been the rule since crosswords were invented, and it applies to all diacritical marks. Besides tildes, there are no umlauts, cedillas, haceks, or accents of any sort.
In English, when referring to a Spanish woman, it’s acceptable to write either “señora” or “senora.” Readers understand. When referring to a French waiter, either “garçon” or “garcon” is OK. Crosswords just follow standard practice.
If crosswords had to abide by Spanish rules and include tildes, words like “señora” and “mañana” would become virtually unusable, because of the difficulty of crossing the ñ’s.
This isn’t just an American convention either. You won’t find tildes, umlauts, etc., in most foreign crosswords either.
Martin is mistaken about one thing: I wouldn’t accept the entry GOTHE for “Goethe.” In English hardly anyone ever spells the poet’s name this way.
dictionaries
Sept. 1, 2002:
I would ask, if anyone wants to debate or quibble with a clue in a Times crossword, please check an up-to-date American dictionary first.
For the record, the dictionaries I use most often are Random House Unabridged (2nd ed., revised), Merriam-Webster’s 10th Collegiate, American Heritage (4th ed.), and Webster’s New World. Most uncapitalized words/clues in the Times crossword can be verified in one or more of these. For uncommon words (like WEENESS) I refer to Webster’s Third New International, Webster’s Second, and/or Funk & Wagnalls. For slang, new words, and specialized vocabulary I use specialized lexicons. Everything has a source.
May 10, 2005:
Dictionaries continually drop old words to make room for new ones in new editions. This doesn’t signify a withdrawal of authority for the old words. It just means that in the limited space available to them, the lexicographers feel that other words are more important to include.
W3 [Webster’s New International Dictionary, Third Edition] succeeded W2, but it didn’t replace it. And ATIP will always be a legitimate word even if no other dictionary even includes it.
You’re right about genus names in crosswords, btw: They’re desperation-only entries. Occasionally I allow ACER ("Maple genus”) and OLEA, because they’re familiar from old crosswords. But, basically, genus names are obscure and uninteresting, and I strongly prefer not to see them.
Aug. 5, 2005:
To be clear ... just because a dictionary says something is so doesn’t make it so.
I differentiate facts from matters of language usage. On the latter I always defer to the dictionary, because dictionary writers are the experts on the subject.
If a dictionary gets a fact wrong, though, and I base a crossword clue on a faulty definition, the clue is still wrong despite the “authority.”
The dictionary’s error may help excuse the puzzle’s error or make it understandable, but it doesn’t absolve it.
So far I’ve found 25 factual errors in the Random House Unabridged Dictionary and have annotated my copy accordingly.
errors and how they are made (May 26, 2003)
Every error in the New York Times crossword has a story. Here’s how the error on ODOM appeared in last Tuesday puzzle:
In transferring the clues from his Across Lite file to his main clue sheet, Peter Abide, the constructor, accidentally omitted a clue for ODOM at 12-Down.
Not a problem. I noticed the omission when editing the puzzle, researched Odom, and squeezed a clue (a correct one) in the margin of the manuscript: “1960’s baseball All-Star Blue Moon ___.”
When I typeset the puzzle, though, somehow I misread my tiny printing and typed “Hall-of-Famer” rather than “All-Star.” And as we all now know, Blue Moon Odom was never elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame.
After editing, the puzzle went to three testers. One of them mentioned to me her surprise that Blue Moon Odom was in the Hall of Fame, because she knows her 1960s baseball and was not aware he was ever inducted. I assured her, however, that I’d researched the clue. :-( Furthermore, if there were an error, Nancy Schuster, my main backup, would catch it. Nancy re-researches everything.
Unfortunately, Nancy somehow overlooked this goof. And the rest is history.
It would be wonderful to guarantee that this is the last error I will ever make in the Times crossword. Realistically, though, as the puzzles have more than 30,000 clues a year, many of them with very specific factual information, a few clues, sadly — and despite everyone’s best efforts — are likely to be incorrect. I’m aware of 13 goofs in all of last year’s puzzles, which I don’t think is a bad average.
Still, we all strive for perfection. And I appreciate the corrections that are pointed out on this forum. The serious errors are fixed before the puzzles are sent out in syndication, and the nits that I consider worthy are recorded so they can be fixed for the book reprints later on.
Google’s greatest value (May 12, 2005)
..., for me, isn’t necessarily to check whether a fact is correct or not, it’s to find out how common something is.
Recently a constructor sent me a puzzle in which one of the theme answers was START A HARE, an idiom meaning “to introduce a topic of conversation.” I’d never heard this before. It’s in certain dictionaries, but I wondered, is it common?
I searched the phrase on Google and got only 443 hits — and some of these were for uses like “start a Hare Krishna temple,” which don’t count.
So by using Google I quickly determined that this phrase was not well-enough known for a Monday/Tuesday-level puzzle. There is no other way I could have done this so easily.
The other day a constructor asked me, as he was planning a puzzle, whether he should spell the magician’s cry PRESTO CHANGO or PRESTO CHANGE-O. Dictionaries say either is “correct,” but if you have a choice, which is better? On Google I found that PRESTO CHANGO gets 11,000 hits, PRESTO CHANGE-O gets 6,500 hits, and PRESTO CHANGEO gets 1,500 hits. So given a choice, he’d be better off using the e-less spelling, which is more common.
Google has many other valuable uses, too, but in terms of counting hits, this is a big one.
Grid revisions (November 19, 2006)
When I like the theme and/or overall construction of a crossword submission, but the grid has problems, I'll do one of three things:
For a large-scale change, I'll usually return the puzzle to the constructor and ask for a revision. For a small change, involving just a few words or a corner, say, I'll usually do the fix myself by hand. For a medium-scale change, as in Vic's puzzle yesterday (with its wide-open corners), I often ask Frank Longo for help. Frank has one of the largest computer databases of crossword entries, rated as to desirability, and a good eye for quality fill. He proposed a new SW corner here.
In Vic's puzzle I didn't care for his original entry A SLICE at 56A, as I didn't think the article "a" added idiomatically to the phrase. By my rules it wasn't allowable. And I didn't care for the awkward partial phrases IN HOT and OR BE in the same area. So the whole corner got replaced.
The rest of the construction was all Vic's ... and I thought it was first-class stuff. I'm glad most people here agreed.
Maleska (August 30, 2006)
A couple people here mentioned recently, without going into details, that they liked and/or miss Maleska as crossword editor.
I think these comments indicate a preference for a bygone style of puzzle in general rather than Maleska in particular, because, as far as I can tell, Maleska did not do much editing.
The Times keeps photocopies of years of Maleska-edited manuscripts, and in my examination, few of the constructors’ clues were changed. Perhaps 15% of the clues were Maleska’s, the rest being the constructors’ (rather than many more changes, on average, in the puzzles in the Times, Sun, WSJ, etc.). The changes that were made never added humor, playfulness, twists, or cleverness -- just different dictionary definitions. And typically they lacked in colorful detail. For example, one clue of Maleska’s I saw for an obscure 19th-century Austrian statesman said simply “Austrian statesman,” without telling the solver the statesman’s first name, when he lived, or why the solver should consider this name interesting or important to know.
In examining submissions, Maleska similarly set an easy task for himself. As a rule, he would look at a contributor’s work only if he or she had first had at least three crosswords published elsewhere -- a policy that greatly reduced his amount of mail. (By contrast, most crossword editors today examine all submissions from all contributors, in the hope of finding new talent.)
To reduce his work further, Maleska announced extended moratoria on submissions, when he would not look at new puzzles at all. These moratoria became longer as his editorship progressed, ultimately taking up six-plus months a year.
When a moratorium ended, Maleska would tell his regular contributors, mostly older constructors, he’d like to see x-number of puzzles from each of them. The puzzles would flood in, he’d accept a large percentage of them, and then he’d shut the doors again.
Toward the end of his editorship Maleska’s correspondence with contributors was often terse. A typical acceptance letter read, in its entirety, something like: “At first glance this puzzle looks good, so I’d like to accept it for the Times.” In the samples of Maleska correspondence I’ve read, it is rare to find a critique of a puzzle pro or con -- advice that would help a contributor improve future submissions.
In addition, Maleska did not typeset or proofread his own puzzles, as is typical for editors today.
In sum, Maleska’s job as Times crossword editor was fairly easy, involving, I’d say, minimal effort or skill.
Some solvers, of course, prefer Maleska-edited puzzles to the ones today. His puzzles had fairly straightforward, dictionary-type clues, few phrases or unusual letter patterns in the answers, more repeated answers and clues than today, few surprises in the themes, little slang or new vocabulary, and almost no modern popular culture.
Most of Maleska’s contributors were over 50, so his puzzles had a venerable sameness of style. I don’t sense, though, he was directing this style himself. For the most part he was just printing what came in from a fairly homogenous group of older constructors.
Thus, when people say they like Maleska puzzles (and it’s mainly older solvers who say this), I think it’s the staid, old-fashioned puzzle qualities listed above that they like. There may be a significant number of solvers like this. They should understand, though, it’s not really Maleska they miss, because there was no genius behind what he did. They just miss the old-fashionedness.
matters of taste and controversial topics (Dec. 19, 2002)
When I accepted the word DRECK in Wednesday’s crossword, yes, I knew its original Yiddish meaning. But in the sense of “worthless stuff” or “junk,” no dictionary I’ve checked labels it vulgar or in bad taste, so to me it’s an acceptable crossword entry. I’d even call it lively.
As for PUTZ, which someone asked about, I would accept this, too, in the sense of “to putz around.” And maybe SCHMUCK as well, meaning “an obnoxious person.” Why not? These everyday words are not vulgar. They’re simply slang. As long as the clues indicate they’re slang, they’re fine.
For some reason — unlike nearly every other part of the newspaper — crosswords seem to be stuck in a century-old, Victorian mode of thinking, which I think is silly. In fact, it’s bad for crosswords, because it can make them appear bland and out of touch with modern life. I think that’s the biggest problem with crosswords today.
In my opinion, puzzlemakers should spend more time making their grids lively and colorful and less time worrying about whether they’re going to offend someone — which is usually a misplaced fear.
Years ago, in a Sunday crossword by Martin Schneider, I accepted the entry PEN IS ("The __ mightier than the sword”), because the puzzle was beautiful and the entry was virtually unremovable. Three people wrote me afterward about it. Two expressed surprise but no opinion pro or con. The third expressed surprise and approval. Not one person complained. This was instructive.
My standard for vocabulary is ordinary good taste. I forbid or remove crossword answers/clues that are coarse, suggestive, distasteful, or overly graphic all the time. Sometime I’ll make a list of what I don’t allow!
But I don’t believe in being a prude or a fuddy-dud.
(also Dec. 19, 2002)
... regarding yesterday’s clue “Far from buxom” for FLAT AS A BOARD ... I’ve had second thoughts about this and wish I’d changed it. Perhaps the subject is a little too private and sensitive for a crossword. Certainly, there are many other ways to clue the answer.
Several months ago I asked a constructor to replace the entry WELL-ENDOWED in a puzzle, because I didn’t think there was any tasteful way to clue it. The two cases are pretty parallel.
As Hex say, these things are always judgment calls.
(September 21, 2006)
As for whether or not O.J. Simpson, Idi Amin, Mobutu Sese Seko, Lina Wertmuller, Ann Coulter, etc., are suitable subjects for a crossword, I'll leave it to others to debate.
As you might guess, controversial topics don't bother me much.
I did reject a crossword once that had the name MENGELE, because I thought (and still think) this name is evil and would cause revulsion in a significant percentage of solvers.
But generally speaking, a name is a name. The inclusion of a particular name in a puzzle does not signify glorification or my approval of it. And in virtually every case I will clue it neutrally.
obscurity and fairness (Aug. 10, 2003)
Cracking the whip
In the bad old days of crosswords (before, oh, say, November 1993), tons of obscurity appeared in the Times crossword, and not many people complained. Or if they did complain, no-one heard them. There was no Times crossword forum yet. Obscurity was accepted as part of the game.
Nowadays standards have changed. The puzzlemakers and I work extremely hard to avoid stupid or unfair obscurity. When difficulty is desired, we like the bulk of it to come from the clues rather than the words in the grid.
Now, though, I think the pendulum has swung too far in the opposite direction — against difficult words. Today when some solvers can’t finish a puzzle because of a word they don’t know, they cry “unfair!"
Well, the Times crossword isn’t intended to be just a test of wits. It’s also legitimately a test of vocabulary and knowledge. And by the end of the week I do expect Times solvers to know TINTORETTO, CORM, and SOLDI (to pick three recently discussed examples). All three of these appear in the small Webster’s New World Dictionary, so by definition they’re not obscure.
Moreover, every Times crossword is test-solved by four people before publication. In the rare case when one of them can’t complete a puzzle, I almost always revise it so they can finish.
Thus, when you tackle a Times crossword, you’re matching skills not only with me but with four other people who’ve already done the puzzle. The standard may be tough, but the puzzle has already been proved to be “fair.”
(also Aug. 10, 2003)
Tests of obscurity
It’s a natural tendency, I think, when someone can’t finish a puzzle because of a confluence of unfamiliar words/facts, to say that the puzzle was “unfair.”
Well, it’s no fun, when solving a puzzle, to be stumped by something you don’t know and that you feel you had no chance of getting.
But sometimes I think the word “unfairness” is bandied about too easily here. We all have gaps in our vocabulary and knowledge, and just because these gaps are exposed by a crossing of difficult answers in a puzzle doesn’t necessarily mean there was anything wrong with the puzzle. Sometimes the problem is us.
Here are some of my tests about what’s fair/unfair for a Times puzzle:
1) Is the answer in a small dictionary like Webster’s New World or Merriam-Webster’s 11th Collegiate? If so, I’m likely to consider it common and fair. If the answer can be found only in an unabridged — especially an out-of-print unabridged — then I’ll judge it to be harder.
2) How widespread does the answer appear on the Internet? A phrase like yesterday’s IT’S ALL GOOD (which I, personally, wasn’t very familiar with) gets more than 44,000 hits on Google. This is a good indication that it’s a common expression, even if it’s not in any dictionary. A word, phrase, or usage that gets only several hundred hits, on the other hand, may be too obscure for a puzzle — or, if I allow it, I’ll ensure that the crossings are all common.
3) How significant is the answer? TINTORETTO, for example, is one of the major Italian painters of the Renaissance, so this is a name I would expect weekend Times solvers to know. And if some solvers don’t happen to know it, then I expect them to want to learn it.
To know the significance of an answer, either you have to be an expert in the field or you have to do some research. If you don’t watch TV, for example, almost any TV actor or actress is likely to be “obscure.” So you’re probably not the best person to pass judgment on TV-related matters.
4) If an answer is difficult, how guessable is it? A famous Saturday puzzle by Frank Longo a couple years ago had LL COOL J at 1-Across. I knew this would cause some solvers problems, because anyone who didn’t know the name would never in a million years guess this combination of letters. I try to avoid weird spellings like this that are also difficult. LL COOL J sneaked by, because he’s one of the seminal and most famous rappers.
Whatever puzzle I edit, I always consider the audience. The Times has an educated, cultured readership, so the crossword is aimed at educated, cultured solvers. If I were editing the People crossword, say, I would edit differently — with a younger, much more pop-culturish sensibility.
The ultimate test of fairness, of course, is this: Can solvers do the puzzle? If the Times’ four testers can finish it, then I consider it, by definition, fair.
You, of course, are free to disagree. :-)
(December 4, 2006)
Some of the criteria I use to determine how common or obscure a word is:
First, do I know it myself? In the case of MARE, as in a sea on the moon, and CAPO, a guitar device ... yes, I do.
Second, does it appear in the smaller dictionaries or just the unabridgeds? MARE and CAPO appear in all the dictionaries I’ve checked, even the smallest.
Third, does the word get real-world use? A Google search on “mare + moon” gets more than a million hits. “Capo + guitar” gets almost three-quarters of a million. “Mare” was much in the news during the 1960s-70s space program.
Finally, what do the puzzle-testers say? Every Times crossword now is tested by six people before publication. If any of them thinks a crossing is unfair, he or she lets me know. No-one commented on MARE/CAPO.
While I hate to displease anyone, I also don’t want to dumb the Times puzzle down. The Times crossword is not merely a battle of wits. Sometimes it’s also a test of one’s vocabulary.
quotation marks around clues (November 27, 2004)
In case anyone is still wondering why “Oil,” the clue for BRIBE, is in quotes in Saturday’s puzzle ...
A clue and its answer must match approximately in formalness — which means that a slang answer will have a slangy clue, and a nonslang answer will have a nonslangy clue.
Since “bribe” is a regular English word, and “oil” in this sense is slang, fairness required that the disparity be indicated somehow. One way to do this was put the slangy clue in quotes, as in “Oil, so-called.”
regional brand names (July 18, 2004)
FYI, as a policy, I try not to use local or regional brand names in the Times crossword. They seem a little unfair, since some solvers have no chance to know them, and they’re not the sort of answers that anyone — in desperation — could find in a dictionary or encyclopedia or get help from by a friend or family member.
I assumed CASTRO convertibles were well-known nationally, because I knew them growing up in Indiana, and, of course, I know them now from here in New York.
The fact that they’re such a large regional brand (the country’s biggest maker of sofabeds?) makes the CASTRO convertible clue a little less objectionable.
Still, if I’d known it was primarily an East Coast thing, I probably wouldn’t have used it.
repeated short words, crosswordese (July 4, 2007)
As for repeated words in crosswords: The majority of words in crosswords are three, four, and five letters long, which the English language has a relatively limited number of. And the Times puzzle alone contains more than 30,000 answers a year. So of course many words will be repeated from puzzle to puzzle.
What is more, the borders of crosswords and the straight edges of the interior black squares necessitate an unusually high percentage of words starting and ending with vowels -- things like EFT, OLEO, etc. DOG is not going to show up in crosswords as often as ORE.
This isn't a matter of crossword constructors' laziness. It's the unavoidable result of constructing crosswords according to the American rules.
Top constructors will limit the amount of crosswordese. It's basically impossible, tho, to eliminate it altogether.
Will Weng used to say if he could have 10% of a crossword's vocabulary be fresh, he was happy. I try for a higher percentage than this, but still there will always be some much-repeated words.
If anyone thinks he can stop repeating words in crosswords and at the same time have fresh, fun, innovative themes ... well, I look forward to your submissions!
(July 4, 2007)
It's a fair question to ask why ULEE appears in crosswords so often, as "Ulee's Gold" is not one of the most famous films of all time.
Let's say you're making a crossword in which, for thematic or other reasons, you need a four-letter answer starting with U and ending with E.
According to the Million Word Crossword Answer Book, by Stan Newman and Dan Stark, only seven answers have this pattern -- UELE, ULEE, UNIE, URGE, URNE, USEE, and UTNE. I try hard to avoid UELE, UNIE, URNE, and USEE, because of their obscurity. The Cruciverb database, which covers Times puzzles for more than 10 years, says these have appeared in the Times just seven, one, zero, and two times, respectively.
This leaves only three U??E answers I don't mind. URGE is definitely the best of these (71 times in the database). The other two -- ULEE (37 times) and UTNE (21) -- are crosswordy, but at least they're familiar to most solvers.
So, yeah, ULEE is going to come up a lot. I'd prefer puzzles filled instead with words like FUZZ, KNOX, ITCH, and DR. IQ, but given the constraints of the medium, that's not possible.
repeats (November 20, 2004)
Since this issue has been coming up more frequently of late, I might as well speak up now: By my rules, repeating part of a grid entry as part of a clue elsewhere in a puzzle is not a problem.
If a grid has the answer PETER STUYVESANT, for example, as Friday’s did, it is perfectly fine for “Peter” to appear as part of a longer clue elsewhere.
Repetitions like this are almost impossible to catch consistently, and in my experience only a small number of crossword crazies care. So I don’t even try to catch them.
A ban on them would be a significant constraint on cluing. For example, Friday’s clue for BASSOON ("The grandfather in ’Peter and the Wolf’”) was novel, cultural, and very pretty, I thought. The puzzle would have been a little less interesting without it. And the larger the puzzle, the more likely such repetitions will occur.
Note: If PETER were a grid entry by itself, then I would try to avoid having “Peter” in a clue elsewhere (and vice versa). This direct sort of duplication is a little more obvious and more jolting to the solver. (This ban applies only to major words — not little ones like “the,” “and,” “one,” etc.)
Also, repeating part of an answer in its own clue is taboo (although even here there are rare exceptions).
Shortz vs. Maleska (Jan. 4, 2003)
A day or two ago someone on this forum wisely said that no style of crossword editing is “better” than another. Provided that errors are infrequent, style is simply a matter of taste.
So if someone appreciates my predecessor’s style of puzzles more than mine, that’s fine.
I would, however, like to point out that *how* Eugene T. Maleska did his job differs from how I do mine.
Recently I acquired several hundred original Maleska-edited Sunday NYT crossword manuscripts from the 1980s and early ’90s (which had to be cleared from NYT storage), and I can tell you this: The amount of clue-editing Maleska did was very modest. It averaged between 5%-20% per puzzle — rarely more. Sometimes entire manuscript pages were essentially unmarked.
By contrast, on average, about half the clues in the puzzles I edit are my own. The amount of editing I do can vary from 5% to 95%, depending on the constructor and the particular puzzle. I’m a much more hands-on editor than my predecessor.