# The SDMB Crossword Tourney **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [February 7, 2005, 3:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753 "2005-02-07T03:36:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 4
**Author:** ![audiobottle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)\ **Post date:** [February 10, 2005, 11:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/61 "2005-02-10T23:52:29Z")
17:10. I’ll be impressed with myself if I can even finish tomorrow’s. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 2:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/62 "2005-02-11T02:30:34Z")
12:21 for Thursday. That makes me: Monday 19:04 Tuesday 10:03 Wed 15:37 Thurs 12:21 ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/63 "2005-02-11T06:06:46Z")
> [@GorillaGirl](#): > > **jackelope** , go to [the Java site](http://www.java.com/en/index.jsp) and make sure you’re up to date. I was having some trouble with other java apps and that solved the problem. Muchas gracias! That solved it. ---
**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:** [February 11, 2005, 8:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/64 "2005-02-11T08:29:29Z")
9:02 for Thursday. This was the easiest one yet. Humph. Well, using code does not help at all in lining up the numbers. I do have a spreadsheet, and I’ll write a pdf and post it on a website Friday evening for all to see. Three more to do. ---
**Author:** ![Hal\_Briston](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a9a28c/32.png) [@Hal\_Briston](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hal_Briston)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/65 "2005-02-11T22:08:17Z")
Ummm…are we supposed to be doing Friday’s puzzle? I certainly hope so: Monday – 11:46 Tuesday – 15:45 Wendesday – 16:02 Thursday – 17.13 Friday – 9:26 ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 11:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/66 "2005-02-11T23:01:39Z")
10:45 for Friday ---
**Author:** ![GorillaGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8491ac/32.png) [@GorillaGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaGirl)\ **Post date:** [February 11, 2005, 11:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/67 "2005-02-11T23:09:16Z")
[ul][li]Monday = 12:07[/li][li]Tuesday = 11:24[/li][li]Wednesday = 14:51[/li][li]Thursday = 11:33[/li][/ul]Friday = 11:36 ---
**Author:** ![audiobottle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/68 "2005-02-12T05:16:55Z")
I actually thought this one was much easier. 8:55 for Friday. ---
**Author:** ![audiobottle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/69 "2005-02-12T15:32:29Z")
And back to my usual length times - 20:25 for Saturday. It didn’t help that I know only one thing regarding the main person. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 5:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/70 "2005-02-12T17:32:11Z")
Friday - 5:52 Saturday - 6:29 Is there a pro circuit? Because I’m about _this close_ to quitting law school for this… ---
**Author:** ![Nuveena](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/a587f6/32.png) [@Nuveena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nuveena)\ **Post date:** [February 12, 2005, 6:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/71 "2005-02-12T18:29:33Z")
Monday 12:33 Tuesday 9:15 Wednesday 18:32 (ouch) Thursday 12:10 Friday 6:41 (woohoo) Saturday 13:20 I had to use the letter verify button on Monday through Thursday’s puzzles. I didn’t know if that was cheating or not. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/72 "2005-02-13T19:52:04Z")
Sunday 8:34. Is this the final day? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 8:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/73 "2005-02-13T20:08:09Z")
Saturday 9:17 Much better. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/74 "2005-02-13T20:18:25Z")
Sunday 9:47 ---
**Author:** ![GorillaGirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/8491ac/32.png) [@GorillaGirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaGirl)\ **Post date:** [February 13, 2005, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/75 "2005-02-13T22:13:10Z")
[ul][li]Monday = 12:07[/li][li]Tuesday = 11:24[/li][li]Wednesday = 14:51[/li][li]Thursday = 11:33[/li][li]Friday = 11:36[/ul][/li]Saturday = 8:32 Sunday = 10:10 ---
**Author:** ![audiobottle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/76 "2005-02-14T02:34:19Z")
Sunday 16:32. Is this going to continue on to next week? I feel like I’m starting to get the hang of these now. ---
**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:** [February 14, 2005, 8:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/77 "2005-02-14T20:36:06Z")
Thanks to all who participated in the Crossword Tourney. Here are the results, sorted by number of puzzles done, and average time (in seconds.) Seven puzzles: Gorrila Girl: 687.57 Voyager: 648.43 jayjay: 744.86 jackelope: 462.86 Six puzzles audiobottle: 1013.33 nuveena: 725.17 Five puzzles Hal Briston: 665.6 Two puzzles: essvee: 1231 One puzzle: rjk: 794 amarinth: 707 And here is the average time to complete each puzzle Monday: 793 Tuesday: 672.6 Wednesday: 893.86 Thursday: 762.57 Friday: 524.57 Saturday: 668 Sunday: 678.4 My conclusion: give me a pencil over a mouse any old day. ---
**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/78 "2005-02-14T20:45:21Z")
Just to chime in here, I’m no good at crosswords, but I’ll take any credit I can get just from pointing out that the guy with the name that starts in **j** , ends in **e** and has **ackelop** in the middle, is my brother! _pats his bro on the back_ You done well 😉 ---
**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:** [February 14, 2005, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/79 "2005-02-14T20:50:48Z")
> [@ronincyberpunk](#): > > Just to chime in here, I’m no good at crosswords, but I’ll take any credit I can get just from pointing out that the guy with the name that starts in **j** , ends in **e** and has **ackelop** in the middle, is my brother! > > _pats his bro on the back_ You done well 😉 He sure did. The big crossword tournament used to be in Connecticut each year, and there are often local ones. I’ve never been to the one in Connecticut, but I did go to the Games/Merriam Webster one at NYU in 1986, and one in Pennsylvania moderated by Will Shortz. They’re great fun. ---
**Author:** ![Improv\_Geek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/b3f665/32.png) [@Improv\_Geek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Improv_Geek)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/80 "2005-02-14T21:01:10Z")
That’s pretty cool. I read a book about the Pro Scrabble circuit and the life of the big names, how they studied and how they went about preparing for the tournaments. It was pretty cool, but some of them were crazy. Not in a good way either. I imagine you’d find the same sort of fanaticism and wildly unusual personalities when it came to the crossword tournies. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753.md?page=5)