# 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:** 6\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/81 "2005-02-14T21:32:52Z")
The big tournament still is in Connecticut every year – and it’s only a month away. [Link.](http://crosswordtournament.com/) Hundreds – literally hundreds – of word nerds, en masse. Everyone should go at least once. (I haven’t been in a couple of years, and am not planning to go this year, but I’m still hassling with my boss about this.) ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [February 14, 2005, 11:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/82 "2005-02-14T23:10:29Z")
Wow! Me? \I’d like to thank all the little people upon whose backs I trod during my glorious ascent.\ This was fun. I do crosswords constantly and obsessively (NYT and Games Magazine being my favorite sources), but it never occurred to me that I might be competitive. When I read this, however, I was intrigued: > [@twickster](#): > > The big tournament still is in Connecticut every year – and it’s only a month away. > > [Link.](http://crosswordtournament.com/) I went to the site and printed out the [sample puzzle](http://crosswordtournament.com/info/sample.htm). The directions say, “This sample puzzle is ‘medium.’ If you can complete it in 15 minutes, you would be competitive at the tournament. A time of under 10 minutes would be excellent.” I finished it in six minutes, so I’m thinking maybe I should try out? The tournament coincides with my Spring Break (I’m a first-year law student), but honestly I don’t think I can (a) afford the entry fee, (b) afford travel and lodging, or (c) convince my wife to let me go do puzzles in Connecticut. Maybe next year. Anyway, thanks for putting this together, **Voyager**! I’ll put something in my sig calling myself Cruciverbalist Extraordinaire or some such. ---
**Author:** ![audiobottle](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bc8723/32.png) [@audiobottle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/audiobottle)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 12:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/83 "2005-02-15T00:16:14Z")
I think you could definitely be competitive. Congratulations! ---
**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 15, 2005, 12:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/84 "2005-02-15T00:41:15Z")
> [@jackelope](#): > > This was fun. I do crosswords constantly and obsessively (NYT and Games Magazine being my favorite sources), but it never occurred to me that I might be competitive. When I read this, however, I was intrigued:I went to the site and printed out the [sample puzzle](http://crosswordtournament.com/info/sample.htm). The directions say, “This sample puzzle is ‘medium.’ If you can complete it in 15 minutes, you would be competitive at the tournament. A time of under 10 minutes would be excellent.” I finished it in six minutes, so I’m thinking maybe I should try out? > > The tournament coincides with my Spring Break (I’m a first-year law student), but honestly I don’t think I can (a) afford the entry fee, (b) afford travel and lodging, or (c) convince my wife to let me go do puzzles in Connecticut. Maybe next year. Go for it. I’m on the wrong damn coast now, otherwise I would one of these years. ---
**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 15, 2005, 2:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/85 "2005-02-15T02:00:50Z")
> [@jackelope](#): > > This was fun. I do crosswords constantly and obsessively (NYT and Games Magazine being my favorite sources), but it never occurred to me that I might be competitive. When I read this, however, I was intrigued:I went to the site and printed out the [sample puzzle](http://crosswordtournament.com/info/sample.htm). The directions say, “This sample puzzle is ‘medium.’ If you can complete it in 15 minutes, you would be competitive at the tournament. A time of under 10 minutes would be excellent.” I finished it in six minutes, so I’m thinking maybe I should try out? > > The tournament coincides with my Spring Break (I’m a first-year law student), but honestly I don’t think I can (a) afford the entry fee, (b) afford travel and lodging, or (c) convince my wife to let me go do puzzles in Connecticut. Maybe next year. That’d be awesome bro! I’d totally come out and cheer you on. Cheesehead and everything 😉 For the record I tried to do a yahoo crossword for today and I couldn’t figure out any of it. ---
**Author:** ![Iceland\_Blue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/4bbf92/32.png) [@Iceland\_Blue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Iceland_Blue)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2005, 11:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753/86 "2005-02-15T11:11:27Z")
> [@ronincyberpunk](#): > > 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. Don’t remind me.I’ve done that and met people who played Scrabble from 7 at night till 7 in the morning. Who have gone on Mediterranean hols and spent the whole time in the hotel Scrabbling… [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-sdmb-crossword-tourney/288753.md?page=4)