Tips for Better Crosswording!

One of my favorite leisurely activities over the past few years has been solving crossword puzzles. Crosswords used to be a common activity to pass time, but over the years they have seemingly lost popularity as other, easier alternatives, such as suduko puzzles emerged. A common misconception about crossword puzzles is that they are unrealistically hard to solve. While there are indeed many brain-puzzling clues to be found on each and every crossword puzzle, the majority of them can be solved with the proper strategy and approach. For those interested in crossword puzzles but somewhat hesitant to try them due to fears of difficulty, here are a few easy steps to follow;

Fill in the words you know first

This really should go without saying but for some reason most people seem to want to start with one-across and end with fifty-nine down. Crossword puzzle clues were not meant to be finished in order. The best way to start solving a crossword puzzle is to leaf through every clue and see which ones you know right off the bat. Chances are that you will find a good amount.

Plural clues are asking for plural words

A good amount of clues on each and every crossword is stated in a plural manner. An example of this is as follows;

64-Across (5): Office notes

While the letter amount asked for by this clue is five, an experienced crossword solver will only be racking his/her brain for a four-letter word meaning "office note." About ninety-five percent of crossword clues stated in a plural manner are looking for words that end in the letter "S." So if you see any clues, like the one above, that are stated as such, fill in the last letter of the word as "S."

By the way, the correct answer to the above clue is, "MEMOS."

If the clue contains an abbreviated word, chances are it is looking for an abbreviated answer.

A good example of this type of clue is as follows;

5-Across (4): Pt. of USA

In this clue, it may at first seem like the only possible answers to the clue are "UNITED," "STATES," "OF," and "AMERICA." But none of those answers fit into the four-letter space provided by the crossword. But notice that "part" is written as "pt." This is not a coincidence or a move made to save space on the clue sheet. Abbreviated clue-parts are intentional and are meant to provide an extra hint to the solver.

Thus, it is fairly easy to determine the answer to the above clue as "AMER."

If the clue is written in a different language, do not answer in English

Getting an idea for how simple some of these strategies can be? Many crossword puzzles contain clues that call upon foreign language knowledge. An example is as follows;

37-Down (4): Dos x Dos x Dos

Most people, whether they have taken Spanish or not, know that "dos" means two in the Spanish language. And it is also fairly simple to do the math of two times two times two. But if you try to fit the word "EIGHT" as your answer, you will fail. That is because the crossword puzzle is looking for the Spanish translation of "eight."

Which is, of course, "OCHO." Of course, it is fairly possible that many foreign-language clues will go over your head, as they often do mine, as you may have learned a different language in school. This leads directly into my next step.

Don't be afraid to use outside resources!

For some reason, people seem to think it is cheating to use online resources to solve crossword puzzles. The truth of the matter is that it isn't. Crossword puzzles are hard and there are many clues, such as specific names or foreign language terms, which you will never get without looking it up.

Think of it as a learning experience. Once you have filled in all of the obvious clues and letters, there is not much else you can do outside of looking for exterior help. So why not take the chance to learn a little about different ways to say a certain word or the names of famous artists and singers? It can't hurt.

When you first start crossword puzzles, you will need a lot of outside help. Use Wikipedia and an online thesaurus and don't be ashamed about it. You're learning a lot more than your friend with the suduko puzzle ever will!

Take time to think over the dreaded "?" questions

My least favorite crossword clues are the ones that end in question-marks. The answers to these clues often require outside-the-box thinking and are intentionally difficult to come upon. An easy example I recently saw in a puzzle is as follows;

45-Down (3): A good listener?

The first thing most people, including myself, would think of with this clue is of a person who is a good friend. Unfortunately, if you follow that thought-process, you have completely missed the simple answer to the clue, which is "EAR."

These clues are best approached when one has a number of letters in the answer filled in from other clues already. Don't treat these clues the same as every other one in a puzzle, they do require a bit more thinking to solve.

Have fun!

Crossword puzzles are meant to be fun, so don't take them too seriously.

Hopefully after you get the hang of some of these strategies, you'll love crossword puzzles as much as I do. They are a fun and relaxing way to pass time during the boring hours of a day. Please let me know if you have any additional questions and enjoy.