general Crossword puzzles

Posted August 30, 2005 • Comments Off on Crossword puzzles

When I do crossword puzzles, especially my favorite one each week, which is the one in the Sunday Washington Post Magazine, I have a system of marking certain answers.

For answers that fit the theme, I circle the number. This way I can go back through the puzzle when it’s done and laugh at the puns.

For answers I get from the surrounding letters but didn’t actually know, or answers I can’t fill in because two answers I don’t know intersect, I draw a square around the number. This way I can go look all that stuff up (usually on Wikipedia) when I’m done, and then I know it. This is, lately, my primary source of learning, as very few answers don’t lead to more Wikipedia entries to enjoy.

While I was in Florida I did two, count ’em, two, Washington Post Sunday crossword puzzles. In the one from August 14, there are seven circled numbers and seven squared numbers. In the one from August 21, there are eight circles and six squares. I want to say that these counts are higher than average, but I don’t know. So I’m going to start keeping track of what I learn from crossword puzzles. I’m going to keep track here, of course, because where else would I do it?

This is hugely for my own entertainment and posterity, and a little bit for yours, just like the book list is. Don’t feel obligated to enjoy.