# Crossword solving speed

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossword-solving-speed/734432>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Created:** [October 12, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossword-solving-speed/734432 "2015-10-12T16:19:55Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 2\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossword-solving-speed/734432/1 "2015-10-12T16:19:55Z")

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I follow a [blog by Michael Sharp](http://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/) (under the name of Rex Parker). Each day he shows the solved NYT crossword with his deconstruction and commentary. He is a competitive solver and also a constructor.

He solved today’s NYT puzzle in 2:28. Yes, it’s a Monday puzzle. Yes, it is even easy for a Monday. But c’mon, that puzzle has 186 letters in it. I don’t think I could even fill it in from looking at a solved copy that fast. My time was 7:46, one of my fastest ever.

I don’t really have a question, just wanted to express my awe. I attempt most NYT puzzles but often cannot crack a Friday or Saturday puzzle, and don’t even get all the Thursdays.

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**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\
**Post date:** [October 12, 2015, 4:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/crossword-solving-speed/734432/2 "2015-10-12T16:47:23Z")

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I tried to get faster at NYT weekday and Saturday puzzles in the past. Yeah, Monday can be pretty easy, but 2:28? That’s blinding speed. And I’ve left quite a few Saturday puzzles substantially unfinished. As for Sunday puzzles, I do 4 or 5 a week out of books. They have a lot of words but they’re theme puzzles, once you work out the theme it gets a lot easier. I hate Maleska’s step-quotes because I never know the quote and it’s like adding random characters into the puzzle. I did get a Sunday puzzle done in a little over 20 minutes once, it was pretty easy and I just got into the zone on that one.