# A couple questions about crossword puzzles **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 9, 2015, 8:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131 "2015-11-09T20:02:18Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Maserschmidt](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/maserschmidt/32/18829_2.png) [@Maserschmidt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Maserschmidt)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 12:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/21 "2015-11-10T00:35:13Z")
I’ll tell ya who I became familiar with working Saturday NYT crosswords: the Essenes. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/22 "2015-11-10T01:03:11Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > Compared to the 70s, crossword puzzles today (at least the better ones) strive for less crosswordese, fewer obscure words, and more current pop-culture references and playful, witty, punny clues. The change could be traced back to when Will Shortz took over as editor of the _New York Times_ crossword in 1993, but has perhaps become more pronounced in recent years. For an example of the modern approach, try [Buzzfeed’s crossword puzzle](http://www.buzzfeed.com/calebmadison/this-crossword-puzzle-is-for-everyone). I have an old collection of Margaret Farrar puzzles, and they are full of obscure Javanese islands, Bulgarian railroad stops and rare birds. My mother-in-law did these puzzles with a crossword dictionary nearby - those things shouldn’t be necessary once you’ve built up a good modern crosswordese vocabulary. My desire for Games is much less since Will moved to the Times. He’s even running interesting variety puzzles on Sunday these days. ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/23 "2015-11-10T01:38:23Z")
> [@](#): > > =Thudlow Boink… Will Shortz… I have considered a thread abut this gent many times. Mr. Shortz, you are awesome. ---
**Author:** ![stillownedbysetters](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/41988e/32.png) [@stillownedbysetters](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stillownedbysetters)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/24 "2015-11-10T03:36:19Z")
Those itty bitty birds referred to above have a certain kinship with a mountain range in Wyoming, unless I miss my guess. ---
**Author:** ![MonkeyMensch](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/82dd89/32.png) [@MonkeyMensch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MonkeyMensch)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/25 "2015-11-10T04:36:08Z")
And the back up chorus in The Beatles _Girl_, as well… ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 4:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/26 "2015-11-10T04:40:29Z")
I’ve tried, but I don’t have the mind for crossword puzzles. I personally prefer word searches and sudoku. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 4:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/27 "2015-11-10T04:45:29Z")
> [@stillownedbysetters](#): > > Those itty bitty birds referred to above have a certain kinship with a mountain range in Wyoming, unless I miss my guess. ROFL! ---
**Author:** ![Dr.Strangelove](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr.strangelove/32/6613_2.png) [@Dr.Strangelove](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr.Strangelove)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 4:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/28 "2015-11-10T04:47:35Z")
> [@stillownedbysetters](#): > > Those itty bitty birds referred to above have a certain kinship with a mountain range in Wyoming, unless I miss my guess. A genus of seabird has a synonymous name (5 letters). ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 5:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/29 "2015-11-10T05:13:47Z")
> [@Thudlow\_Boink](#): > > For an example of the modern approach, try [Buzzfeed’s crossword puzzle](http://www.buzzfeed.com/calebmadison/this-crossword-puzzle-is-for-everyone). Done! Got 95%. Well, I do live under a rock. That was fun! ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/30 "2015-11-10T05:17:26Z")
> [@Dr.Strangelove](#): > > A genus of seabird has a synonymous name (5 letters). …“so be kind to your blue-footed friends…” ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 5:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/31 "2015-11-10T05:33:00Z")
> [@stillownedbysetters](#): > > Those itty bitty birds referred to above have a certain kinship with a mountain range in Wyoming, unless I miss my guess. A flock of them would be the itty bitty birdy committee. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 6:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/32 "2015-11-10T06:36:04Z")
It’s always a tweet seeing you two. ---
**Author:** ![harmonicamoon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/65b543/32.png) [@harmonicamoon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/harmonicamoon)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 7:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/33 "2015-11-10T07:28:16Z")
The writers write the words first, then do the clues. And we do the opposite. It is very interesting. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 8:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/34 "2015-11-10T08:02:26Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > Aves ? Oh, for goodness sake. The word is [tits](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tit_%28bird%29) No, I’d never heard of it without “mouse” at the end, either. ---
**Author:** ![Sangahyando](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f14d63/32.png) [@Sangahyando](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sangahyando)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 11:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/35 "2015-11-10T11:32:11Z")
I’ve always got a chuckle from Spike Milligan’s “Crossword for Idiots”. It consists of one white square, with a figure 1 in the corner. Clues: 1 across, “The indefinite article”. 1 down, “First letter of the alphabet”. ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2015, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/36 "2015-11-10T11:38:06Z")
Hahahaaahahaha! ---
**Author:** ![brujaja](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/4af34b/32.png) [@brujaja](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brujaja)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/37 "2015-11-14T19:19:43Z")
Okay, here’s an example of what I’m talking about … today, the Washington Post and L.A. Times crosswords both had “class trip” as an answer. It doesn’t have a lot of vowels. It’s not “oreo.” 😕 ---
**Author:** ![Knowed\_Out](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/knowed_out/32/7380_2.png) [@Knowed\_Out](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Knowed_Out)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/38 "2015-11-14T19:53:12Z")
I remember Venezuelan copper center (Aroa) used to be a common clue. ---
**Author:** ![Carryon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/9fc29f/32.png) [@Carryon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Carryon)\ **Post date:** [November 14, 2015, 8:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/39 "2015-11-14T20:15:19Z")
They didn’t pay me so I published their D-Day plans 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [November 15, 2015, 12:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131/40 "2015-11-15T00:20:50Z")
Todays lunacy: “Weakness in numbers” Answer: Fewness :smack: :rolleyes: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-couple-questions-about-crossword-puzzles/737131.md?page=3)