# I MAY have enough crossword puzzles for a while... **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [May 24, 2006, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-enough-crossword-puzzles-for-a-while/357990 "2006-05-24T01:05:03Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 18\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Llama\_Llogophile](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@Llama\_Llogophile](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Llama_Llogophile)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 1:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-enough-crossword-puzzles-for-a-while/357990/1 "2006-05-24T01:05:03Z")
I’ve really gotten into crossword puzzles in the last year or so. My particular poison are daily-size NY Times puzzles. I do about four per day - two at lunchtime, and two at bedtime to help get to sleep. I started out on the 50 puzzle booklets, then moved onto the harder stuff: the 200 puzzle ominbus volumes, preferably edited by Wil Shortz. I hate completing a book, and live in fear of running out just when I have to wait in a doctor’s office or the DMV. So today I bought 3 new 200 puzzle books, and one 500 page book! I think I’m set for a while. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 2:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-enough-crossword-puzzles-for-a-while/357990/2 "2006-05-24T02:43:12Z")
Yes, but only for a while. Then, you’ll find yourself without one, for some reason. And you’ll find a bookstore. And you’ll get a collection that you don’t have. Maybe it will be edited by Shortz, or possibly Maleska or Weng. Hey, we’ll give them a try; why not? And then… You can probably fill in the rest. Welcome to crosswords! Spoons (A confirmed Sunday New York Times puzzle solver who has collections and omnibuses stashed in many locations around the house.) ---
**Author:** ![TJdude825](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@TJdude825](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TJdude825)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 5:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-enough-crossword-puzzles-for-a-while/357990/3 "2006-05-24T05:31:35Z")
But just in case, try Yahoo Games for another new one every day. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 5:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-enough-crossword-puzzles-for-a-while/357990/4 "2006-05-24T05:38:33Z")
Even though I live in Las Vegas, I still pick up the Sunday LA Times as I love both crosswords in their Sunday edition. I used to try the NY Times Sunday puzzle ages ago when I lived there, but usually gave up, feeling like a remedial student in 5th grade for the third year in a row. Maybe I should give the NY Times Sunday puzzle another try and see if I be gettin’ less dummer over the years. ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 2:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-enough-crossword-puzzles-for-a-while/357990/5 "2006-05-24T14:14:46Z")
> [@Spoons](#): > > Yes, but only for a while. Then, you’ll find yourself without one, for some reason. And you’ll find a bookstore. And you’ll get a collection that you don’t have. Maybe it will be edited by Shortz, or possibly Maleska or Weng. Hey, we’ll give them a try; why not? And then… …you’ll find out that Maleska expected his audience to memorize Webster’s 3rd (and relevant entries in Webster’s 2nd). ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 2:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-enough-crossword-puzzles-for-a-while/357990/6 "2006-05-24T14:32:51Z")
You want to occupy your time? Get into creating them. I’m sure most are quicker than me, but it takes me perhaps 100 hours to create a satisfying grid. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-enough-crossword-puzzles-for-a-while/357990/7 "2006-05-24T14:35:26Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > …you’ll find out that Maleska expected his audience to memorize Webster’s 3rd (and relevant entries in Webster’s 2nd). …and that his idea of a good crossword is one that makes you feel like you’re doing homework. Long live Shortz! ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 2:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-enough-crossword-puzzles-for-a-while/357990/8 "2006-05-24T14:45:14Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > I used to try the NY Times Sunday puzzle ages ago when I lived there, but usually gave up, feeling like a remedial student in 5th grade for the third year in a row. Maybe I should give the NY Times Sunday puzzle another try and see if I be gettin’ less dummer over the years. Here in the Shortz Era you may find them much more popularized. Although they still assume you have a wide curiosity and a retentive mind, there’s less of the arcana of words for words’ sake. ---
**Author:** ![Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/a587f6/32.png) [@Freddy\_the\_Pig](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Freddy_the_Pig)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-enough-crossword-puzzles-for-a-while/357990/9 "2006-05-24T15:24:27Z")
We’ll expect you to be all over it in GQ if anybody asks the name of Nick and Nora’s dog or Alfonso’s queen. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-enough-crossword-puzzles-for-a-while/357990/10 "2006-05-24T15:36:16Z")
Once you master the NY Times, try the London Times, or any cryptic crossword. With a cryptic, any clue you get gives you the feeling of accomplishment you get from finishing an entire daily NY Times puzzle. ---
**Author:** ![Doctor\_Jackson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctor_jackson/32/32_2.png) [@Doctor\_Jackson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doctor_Jackson)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-enough-crossword-puzzles-for-a-while/357990/11 "2006-05-24T17:37:23Z")
1100 puzzles = 375 days. Just barely over one year. Maybe you had better lay in another 10-12,000 just to be safe. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-enough-crossword-puzzles-for-a-while/357990/12 "2006-05-24T18:03:48Z")
> [@Beware of Doug](#): > > Here in the Shortz Era you may find them much more popularized. Although they still assume you have a wide curiosity and a retentive mind, there’s less of the arcana of words for words’ sake. Good to know…back then there would be clues like “First name of third cousin of Euripides” and I would be a tad stumped. ---
**Author:** ![bup](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/6bbea6/32.png) [@bup](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bup)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-enough-crossword-puzzles-for-a-while/357990/13 "2006-05-24T18:21:53Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Good to know…back then there would be clues like “First name of third cousin of Euripides” and I would be a tad stumped. Yeah - Shortz’ philosophy is that the clues should be challenging, but the words themselves not be obscure (although every once in a while its unavoidable). ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2006, 6:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-enough-crossword-puzzles-for-a-while/357990/14 "2006-05-24T18:30:06Z")
> [@Doctor Jackson](#): > > 1100 puzzles = 375 days. Just barely over one year. Maybe you had better lay in another 10-12,000 just to be safe. The circumstances are even more dire — 1100/4 = **2** 75, so the OP will only got nine months’ worth of solving out of his most recent purchases. When my paternal grandmother and aunt (both now deceased) moved out of their house about fifteen years ago, I found a crossword magazine that Grandpa “Sternvogel” had bought in the 1950’s, about ten years before he died. Only a few of the puzzles were filled in, so I solved the rest. It was fun to see how cluing patterns had changed in the intervening years. Also, if you really want to go “old school”, try to dig up a _New York Times_ collection from the [Margaret Farrar](http://anecdotage.com/index.php?aid=1328) era. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2006, 3:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-enough-crossword-puzzles-for-a-while/357990/15 "2006-05-25T03:46:15Z")
We found half a dozen old mags, 2003 I think, in a dollar store a while back. That will last a while. For a start on cryptics, try [thinks.com](http://thinks.com). Some newspapers, mostly British, also have online cryptics. More and more make you register or even subscribe to get at them, but there are still some out there. ---
**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:** [May 25, 2006, 6:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-enough-crossword-puzzles-for-a-while/357990/16 "2006-05-25T18:03:51Z")
> [@RealityChuck](#): > > Once you master the NY Times, try the London Times, or any cryptic crossword. > > With a cryptic, any clue you get gives you the feeling of accomplishment you get from finishing an entire daily NY Times puzzle. Word of warning though - you might want to try American cryptics first. I’ve found that the London Times puzzles have a lot of answers that are easy if you know rugby and other odd British sports. London Sunday Times puzzles are slightly better, but still a bit obscure at times. I had an old office mate from New Zealand, much smarter than me, who had trouble with these also. Cox and Rathvon have a new Mensa cryptic book out which I’m about 2/3 done with, at 2 a day or so. There is a collection of cryptics from the New Yorker’s experiment with them - smaller than usual, and not too tough. I used them to teach my daughter and her boyfriend how to do them. They might be a good starter. I do the Times puzzles every day, but I agree with **RealityChuck** - cryptics are more satisfying. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-enough-crossword-puzzles-for-a-while/357990/17 "2006-05-26T00:39:52Z")
By the way, crossword lovers ( **twickster** in particular will be interested in this, though she’s probably seen it already), there’s a documentary about Will Shortz coming out soon called [Wordplay](http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2726523?htv=12). Much of it was shot at the National Crossword Puzzle Tournament in 2005 (at which I **ahem** placed 81st out of about 500), plus it features Jon Stewart, Bill Clinton, Bob Dole, and many, many others. The site I linked to there has trailers; check out “Hate Mail,” in which Will Shortz reads from actual mail he’s received from readers. I really can’t wait to see this. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [May 26, 2006, 12:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-may-have-enough-crossword-puzzles-for-a-while/357990/18 "2006-05-26T00:56:58Z")
> [@jackelope](#): > > By the way, crossword lovers ( **twickster** in particular will be interested in this, though she’s probably seen it already), there’s a documentary about Will Shortz coming out soon called [Wordplay](http://www.ifilm.com/ifilmdetail/2726523?htv=12). … Been there, done that, got the T-shirt. They showed it at this year’s tournament (and gave us each a promotional T-shirt). It’s pretty entertaining – they got crossword fans Bill Clinton and Jon Stewart, among others, to appear.