I’m a great fan of both the short and long puzzles, but today’s long puzzle (2/16/18) went well beyond the pale. Having two letters per square multiple times within the puzzle speaks not to the skill of the solver but rather to the ego of the author. Also, for those of us that do the puzzle on-line, being restricted to one letter per square when two are required is frustrating. Bad clues are one thing I can live with....but an unfair format detracts from the fun.
4
I don’t do the puzzles except the occasional smaller ones in the Sunday mag NYT or the mini with my grandchildren (which BTW children love to do w adults) but my husband is a fanatic and only does the NYT crossword. I help him with all the new stuff (music,art,books, lingo etc). But I’ve become a huge Will Shorts fan and will read everything about him. It’s an impressive art form creating puzzles.
3
I've been solving for over 40 years. I find doing the NYT XWord (which is the only one I do) to be a great calming exercise. I love the tactile sensation of a ball point pen on the newsprint; doing them electronically is not the same.
I also like the new puzzle pages in the NYT Sunday magazine. Both word and math puzzles are fun and just the right level of difficulty. Having new types of puzzles every week is outstanding.
I'm also a fan of Ken-Ken (I don't see the point of Sudoku though).
I'm grateful for the new little Xword puzzles on p. three, especially towards the end of the week when I don't have time to solve the puzzle before going to work.
I was also surprised to find that the acceptance rate for writers is nearly 10%. As a perennially failed Op-Ed contributor (I think it's << 1% there) perhaps I should change fields.
5
Saturday, Sept 16 puzzle is the toughest I have seen. I have been doing these for about thirty years. Something to watch is the gap, dig is snipe, plucking words is she loves me. You could hardly get more obscure. I can understand the second or third definition, but snipe for dig has got to be about the tenth.
I got it anyway. I think I liked it better when the puzzles stuck just to definitions, not so many clues with questions. Even so, the time with the Friday and Saturday puzzles is treasured
Keep up the good work anyway.
1
I appreciate the modernizing Will has done, except in two areas. 1. Diseases have crept in. I think Margaret Farrar is credited with not allowing a clue or answer to be an illness, because she imagined people who are suffering doing the puzzle to keep their minds off of the pain. 2. Terrorist names. And not just for the answer to that Oxford river or the Egyptian goddess--
The photography for this piece is fantastic. Dynamic composition of the frame in a tight interior environment, beautiful colour balance, use of available light - like the bounce from the newspaper and the shallow depth of field all are used with exceptional deftness and skill. Nice work Mr. Hiltner!
9
I do the Mon-Sat NYT puzzles online taking between 6 and 15 minutes to complete. On Sundays, my wife and I tackle the 21 by 21 hard copy crossword for about a couple of hours. The creative influence of my grandfather got me started on CW puzzles when I was about ten years old. In addition to doing photography of cacti and succulent plants at the Huntington Botanical Garden in San Marino, Ca, I enjoy reading the times everyday. It helps me grow my vocabulary.
4
In my 20s I rode the train to Stamford, CT every day from NYC, and became the master of the the daily NYT puzzles. But life brought my work back to NYC, and eventually there was no commuting time at all. Now retired (but don't you do it, Will!), and having loved "Wordplay" and listening to Will every Sunday on NPR and now reading this article, the time has come. Back to the daily NYT puzzles before I'm too old to do them!
7
I love the NYT crossword puzzle! Yes, I do it in ink.
But it's not just the crossword. I do the spiral, the puns and anagrams, the acrostic (which I still call the "double-crostic" because I was raised with the Saturday Review).
So thanks for this article, and particularly for the pictures. They make me feel better about the piles of books and papers on every flat surface of my home, not to mention the floor.
But it's not just the crossword. I do the spiral, the puns and anagrams, the acrostic (which I still call the "double-crostic" because I was raised with the Saturday Review).
So thanks for this article, and particularly for the pictures. They make me feel better about the piles of books and papers on every flat surface of my home, not to mention the floor.
8
Ah, the double-crostic! Thanks for the memories. I can picture my mother at the kitchen table decades ago, apple in one hand, pencil in the other.
2
Some of us who do the puzzle daily have noticed the number of young constructors who are published on a regular basis--talented young people in their teens and twenties producing really smart, engaging puzzles.
Clearly, Will is grooming a whole new generation of puzzle makers, providing the forum for them to grow and shine. That is a measure not only of how he is shaping the field today, but well into the future.
Like a great teacher, Will's influence will be felt for years to come thanks to his commitment to mentoring and nurturing young talent.
Clearly, Will is grooming a whole new generation of puzzle makers, providing the forum for them to grow and shine. That is a measure not only of how he is shaping the field today, but well into the future.
Like a great teacher, Will's influence will be felt for years to come thanks to his commitment to mentoring and nurturing young talent.
4
Yes, It is good to have young constructors for the younger generations.....but, not so good for the septuagenarians after many years. Without knowing the lyrics to the myriad of pop songs and the names of all the current sports and rap stars, the Sunday puzzle has become more challenging for me over the years. Boo-hoo.
6
Not true at all, Nancy! What's great about these budding puzzlers (and Will's editing of their work) is that they are not limited to Millennial-speak. On the contrary, they may include references to popular culture from the 1940s as much as the 2010s.
Similarly, there are examples of puzzles by older constructors that contain references to current music, stars, and culture in general. That's what is so fun about Will's approach: we are only as old as we allow ourselves to feel, septuagenarians included.
Similarly, there are examples of puzzles by older constructors that contain references to current music, stars, and culture in general. That's what is so fun about Will's approach: we are only as old as we allow ourselves to feel, septuagenarians included.
4
Ha ha ha!
Laughing at that uptight 8th grade teacher who didn't 'get' young Will Shortz.
We should all go through life having that much fun.
Laughing at that uptight 8th grade teacher who didn't 'get' young Will Shortz.
We should all go through life having that much fun.
8
Mr. Shortz, one of my prized possessions is a postcard from you in return for my congratulating you on becoming the NYT puzzle editor. I was surprised and grateful for your response.
My late husband and I never got up on Sunday mornings until after you. He was a Harvard lawyer, but I out-puzzled him. And because of you Sundays are my mornings to lounge and reflect.
And please thank Mr. Fagliano for my nightly bedtime reading. Best, Judy Fern
My late husband and I never got up on Sunday mornings until after you. He was a Harvard lawyer, but I out-puzzled him. And because of you Sundays are my mornings to lounge and reflect.
And please thank Mr. Fagliano for my nightly bedtime reading. Best, Judy Fern
6
So wonderful to read about the crossword puzzles in New York Time. My mother used to do the Sunday puzzles in the New York Herald Tribune and then the Times.....so I learned from her! My husband and I used to do them where ever we lived at the time and could get one of the newspapers. (We moved a lot!!). We even made a special trip to downtown Mexico City to pick up the Sunday paper for the puzzle! I am still a devotee....so my many thanks.
2
My 18 year old daughter often steps in to help me when I get stuck. She seems to have a real aptitude for the NYT crosswords. Many times in the last few years of her life my mom and I would work on crosswords when she was in the hospital. I am glad that my daughter and I can now share the bond of finding the answer to a difficult clue.
12
Best start of the day!
3
I start every day with the NYT puzzle and do the Sunday one throughout the week -- a kind of Zen way to start the day. I feel empowered and excited when I can finish one.
2
I play the NPR puzzle segment on Sundays on the way home from church with the old folks in the car. Sure makes a nice transition from the Gospel to the workaday.
I grew up in NYC and did the NY Times crosswords daily (in ink of course:) in the 1950s and the 1960s. Then left NY and ended up with very little access to the puzzle until, I think, the 1990s when you could do the puzzle for free on the first-generation version of the online NYTimes, for as long as that lasted, then I stopped doing it again.
I only just started subscribing to the puzzle app a few weeks ago - I had been afraid I would be terrible at it after all this time - and it is so much fun! I hope Will Shortz has no intention of retiring any time soon.
I only just started subscribing to the puzzle app a few weeks ago - I had been afraid I would be terrible at it after all this time - and it is so much fun! I hope Will Shortz has no intention of retiring any time soon.
1
I can't even remember when I first became addicted to solving crossword puzzles---with a pen, of course, is there any other way? I have to call it an addiction, because my day can't begin until I've finished my puzzle. One puzzle a day feeds the addiction and for more than twenty years that one has been the crossword Will Shortz edits for the Times. I fell in love with the man himself after watching the Crossword Puzzle movie, because as the article says, he has a genuineness that comes right through the screen.
Thanks for the article, although for me, it could have contained more photos of the man at work. I was completely charmed by his early essay about a career in puzzle-making. I would have given him an A+ for having such a clear view of what he wanted from life. Let us hope Will doesn't have retirement plans. How could we begin our days without his help?
Thanks for the article, although for me, it could have contained more photos of the man at work. I was completely charmed by his early essay about a career in puzzle-making. I would have given him an A+ for having such a clear view of what he wanted from life. Let us hope Will doesn't have retirement plans. How could we begin our days without his help?
4
My aunt always did the Sunday puzzle in pen in one sitting. That image undercut all future denunciations of women's intellect I would hear as I grew up. It also helped that my aunt filled in the blocks while stylishly dressed adding an air of sophistication to counter any connotations of thick glasses and dowdy dress frequently linked to bright women.
7
Despite my inability to spell, I love the Times puzzles --- with two big exceptions. More and more "pop"culture is being used, a genre to which I never really paid any attention. Add to that the use of --- what I can only believe to be --- made up colloquial expressions -- and much of the time I am simply stumped beyond redemption. Then of course there are the "cutesy" things which combine both. I would like to see at least one puzzle a week that eschews these "tricks".
6
I was once staying at a family summer place with a book of NYT crosswords from the 1950s. My difficulty was always with what was then pop culture. That's why I'm always happy with a Patrick Berry puzzle--he likes the same stuff I do!
1
What a great story, with many possible twists, turns and other puzzles to come.
2
I wish the article would talk more about his love of table tennis.
1
King Solomon put it this way in Ecclesiastes Chapter 3 Verse 22: "I have seen that nothing is right unless a man enjoys his creations."
The verse picked for me by my HS yearbook editors:
http://www.echelonartgallery.com/artists/dgk/paintings/jewish/verses/koh...
Very wise Will. Keep on creating.
The verse picked for me by my HS yearbook editors:
http://www.echelonartgallery.com/artists/dgk/paintings/jewish/verses/koh...
Very wise Will. Keep on creating.
fascinated to see that his name ends in a zed. nominative determinism? was that the single detail that originally caught his attention. Love to know.
2
My mother is a crossword puzzle aficionado. About two years ago for her 92nd birthday I wanted to find Will Shortz and see if he would sign a NY Times crossword puzzle book for her. I happened to be in the area of his table tennis club, popped in and told someone at the front desk of my quest. He called Will, handed me the phone, and Will said he would do it, and could I come to by his house with a puzzle book? (I then had to run to the nearby bookstores to buy one.) That generous, kind gesture will always be remembered-- and it thrilled my mom, now 94, who continues to solve NY Times puzzles.
37
Well done - I loved this article. My husband and I spend hours doing NY Times crosswords together while cruising on our sailboat. It was a treat to learn more about the man behind the puzzles. Keep them coming!
2
On a side note, what a harsh note from that teacher, not sensitive at all to a well researched, well argued and well written piece by a 13-year-old.
Makes me wonder how many other students, not as lucky as WIll Shortz, have had their creativity and their careers killed by unfeeling words from narrow-minded teachers.
Makes me wonder how many other students, not as lucky as WIll Shortz, have had their creativity and their careers killed by unfeeling words from narrow-minded teachers.
12
When I read that I thought about my father, who assiduously criticized me. That was my father, all the time, not a one-time teacher. The clearest example of that was when, in junior high, I turned my grades around from bad to straight A's. I told him and he said, "Why weren't they A plusses?" I must have visibly deflated, because he said (the way alcoholics do), "Aw, I shouldn't have said that." It didn't help. What a thing to do to a 12 year old. You don't want this here. I'm sure someone will moderate it out.
15
Okay, it's been years since I've worked a crossword puzzle. But I used to enjoy them quite a bit. I obviously need to change my subscription to include the puzzles! I enjoyed your article.
1
What can I say? I'm up early this morning wishing I hadn't already finished both crosswords for today!
But then I saw your wonderful profile!
So glad you stayed true to what makes your day! It's all over your wonderful essay, so rich with details! You certainly made your case! Figures you went to law school!
The best part for me is, even when I can't figure out a clue, I know I will enjoy its solution, such as with this one:
What turns up on a face? Seven letters. PUGNOSE!
Thank you, Will!
When all else fails, I can always count on you to make my day!
But then I saw your wonderful profile!
So glad you stayed true to what makes your day! It's all over your wonderful essay, so rich with details! You certainly made your case! Figures you went to law school!
The best part for me is, even when I can't figure out a clue, I know I will enjoy its solution, such as with this one:
What turns up on a face? Seven letters. PUGNOSE!
Thank you, Will!
When all else fails, I can always count on you to make my day!
1
Through mutual family involvement with a breed of horse, which at the time was fairly new to the US, I was acquainted with the Shortz family. I remember his parents well, especially his mother who was friendly and outgoing. His older sister was intimidating in her serious intellect; I believe she became a veterinarian at a time when few, if any, females were being admitted into vet schools.
When last I saw Will he was in tidy navy blue shorts and a white polo shirt - a very cute, shy and quiet guy. I was about 12 and Will was 5 or 6 years old. His whole family was brilliant! Upon first seeing the name "Will Shortz" on a crossword, decades ago, I knew it had to belong to that little boy all grown and pursuing a unique career.
When last I saw Will he was in tidy navy blue shorts and a white polo shirt - a very cute, shy and quiet guy. I was about 12 and Will was 5 or 6 years old. His whole family was brilliant! Upon first seeing the name "Will Shortz" on a crossword, decades ago, I knew it had to belong to that little boy all grown and pursuing a unique career.
7
In an era when it seems there is a never ending stream of bad news, this article was a respite, and a treat. It's also nice to see that the puzzle editors are apparently good guys.
16
Ah, and entire comments thread without a single mention of Donald Trump.
Argh! I blew it! Sincere apologies ...
Argh! I blew it! Sincere apologies ...
11
I started doing crosswords when I was about 10 or 12 - in the 1950's - Daily
News, Daily Mirror, etc. I bought those monthly puzzle mags that had the dictionaries in the back. Had a real crossword vicabulary. Graduated to the Herald Tribune, Journal American, etc. etc. Finally the NYT. Always in PEN!!! They are so topical these days. Used to be, you learned vocabulary. Still, no day goes by that I do not do the NYT puzzle - now on my app.
News, Daily Mirror, etc. I bought those monthly puzzle mags that had the dictionaries in the back. Had a real crossword vicabulary. Graduated to the Herald Tribune, Journal American, etc. etc. Finally the NYT. Always in PEN!!! They are so topical these days. Used to be, you learned vocabulary. Still, no day goes by that I do not do the NYT puzzle - now on my app.
1
I'm not a puzzle fans, but I admire and enjoy Mr. Shortz.
1
Glad to see that, appropriately enough, he's wearing shorts.
29
Thank you for the 'portait'.....almost as I imagined...
Mr. Shortz has made my leisure hours so pleasurable
Mr. Shortz has made my leisure hours so pleasurable
6
In the mid- to late 70s, the NYT was delivered daily to my college dormitory. It was then that I got into the habit of solving the daily puzzle, although I don't remember why or how. 40 years later, I'm still a daily NYT solver (and dead tree subscriber). Met WS at my first crossword tournament 27 years ago and still treasure my trophy from the 2000 ACPT C division finals. For me, solving competitively lost its appeal quickly, but I met amazing people who remain good friends over my years at the ACPT. What WS has done for crosswords and the puzzling world in general cannot be measured. Thanks, Will, and I will keep solving the NYT crossword every day for as long as I can.
6
I love the Minis and I'm so glad to find a picture of Joel Fagliano on this article and see he's as good humored as I imagined him to be. The guy goes: "Place for sweaters." Hmm, closet? Drawer? Hanger? No, sauna! Love it, Joel, keep them coming.
22
I'm such an addict our wedding cake was a crossword filled with facts about the two of us. Keep it up Will. It's all such fun.
11
Love the puzzles to death. Thank you Will Shortz!
4
The NYT crossword puzzle is one of the highlights of my day. Thank you, Will Shortz.
3
Love the so-called "teacher's" comment on Shortz' paper which he wrote at the age of 13 "Becoming an Adult". The teacher's comment stated "obviously you did not understand me". This is proof how children's dreams & abilities can be thwarted by close-minded so-called "adults" and discouraged by those who are supposed to encourage. Very close minded teacher. Too common. Glad Shortz wasn't affected by that person's idiocy and went on to do what he dreamed of doing. I hope the teacher is still alive to see this & 'choke'.
9
WHAT was that teacher thinking? Thirteen-year-old Will DID stick to the theme of the essay. He was describing his adult aspiration, one which also proved that Will could think outside the box (pun kind of intended). That teacher was callous and obtuse.
3
Robert Moy - Retired teacher here... I was thinking exactly what you said in your comment!
Will - Thanks for your puzzles, incl. the weekly puzzle segment on NPR. Fun!
Will - Thanks for your puzzles, incl. the weekly puzzle segment on NPR. Fun!
5
Cathy F. I'm retired from full time teaching and now teach part time. Good to know that you and I value divergent thinking skills in students. I teach in a school for gifted students, and that teacher who criticized Will's essay would not have lasted very long in my school.
1
The only feature of the Times that provides consistent delight, every single day. Thank you, Mr. Shortz!
9
I do Joel Fagliano's puzzle every morning over coffee with a pious hope that I can complete it within 60 seconds. But the cursor! It doesn't behave logically. It doesn't go to the next letter space ready for my keystroke but to another clue. Curses! So much time wasted!
As a software developer I would recommend licensing "The Guardian" software. Try it and you'll see what I mean.
As a software developer I would recommend licensing "The Guardian" software. Try it and you'll see what I mean.
6
Hey, I do the mini-puzzle every night in bed, just before going to sleep! I thought I was the only one encountering difficulty with Puzzle Settings - recently I have not been able to save my choices.
2
How many times have my husband and I worked a NYT crossword together and said, "Curse you, Will Shortz!" at finally divining the meaning of a clue. He drives us crazy, but he may be keeping dementia at bay...except for being demented about NYT puzzles.
12
My parents are lifelong avid crossword puzzle fans, and I first heard Will Shortz's name in context with the NYT puzzles. And both my brothers and my eldest son have been fans of the Games magazine. I loved this article, and the photos too!
1
Curious: How many puzzles a year does Mr. Shortz construct for The Times?
4
None, if you mean the daily and Sunday puzzles. He does publish variety puzzles from time to time in the Sunday Magazine. "Spiral" puzzles (which can be read in either direction) would be an example. The Times pays crossword constructors money for their effort, so I imagine Shortz (who is salaried) wouldn't want to take money away from the constructors.
2
My late Father would do the Sunday puzzle IN INK! Talk about self-confidence.
4
Thank you, Will Shortz, for years of mental stimulation and that wonderful feeling of accomplishment when the last square gets filled in!
5
WS lives down the block from me. About 10 years ago I was doing the puzzle on the train, got my aha! moment and started solving rapidly. It was near my stop and he was standing next to me waiting to get off. On the way out he casually mentioned that it looks like I had just cracked the theme. I had, and I proceeded to explain to him about how Mondays are easiest, Saturdays are hardest, etc. He said "I know, I'm Will Shortz". I looked at him a little puzzled (groan) and he said "I'm the editor of the puzzles". By this point I had been doing them for years, I'd seen his name in print thousands of times and it never even registered with me. And I'm explaining to him about how the NYT crossword works. Boy, was I ever embarrassed!
72
Whenever I see the name Will Shortz jump out in print, I usually set aside what I was looking for, and turn to the item on our puzzle-master. Today was no different. For years, I have imagined that, because we share a lot of the same interests in puzzles, ergo possibly more, that I'd find I had more in common with him. After studying the photos, and the "Puzzles as a Profession" essay (I, too, got admonished for the "that/who" syntax quandary when I was young), I can certainly say that Will and I are soul-nerds. The cluttered corners of your library remind me of my own library. I've been doing the Sunday NYT puzzles regular since I was in my mid-20s, and I think they were more difficult, perhaps because of Mr. Maleska's editorship then? Or, perhaps they seem easier to me now because I know a lot more than I did when I was in my 20s. Thanks for introducing us to digital puzzle editor Mr. Fagliano. My partner and I love the mini-puzzle and compete against each other on weekdays. Almost always I finish the Sunday puzzle. Oddly enough, that mini-puzzle can hang me up in royal fashion. I appreciate your efforts, and urge both of you to keep up the good work. After all, it seems so obvious that you enjoy what you're doing!
7
Some years ago a magazine (I think it was Esquire) ran an article featuring whom it considered the 100 best people in America. Will Shortz was among them, for bringing so much fun and joy to so many and for taking crossword puzzles to new dimensions. An encomium so well deserved.
36
Reading this makes me want to again watch Wordplay, fantastic movie with Mr. Shortz and others, and a crossword competition. Funny, dramatic, engaging... and no car chases, gratuitous violence, or sex, who know that was still possible in a movie!
16
Also, a movie in which the only four-letter words were crosswordese!
9
My good fortune was to be placed with Will in the same small section of 30 students our first year at UVa Law. What an interesting and congenial classmate. Will did not let law school deter him from achieving brilliance in the career he always envisioned for himself. Although I have followed a traditional and undistinguished career in the law, others in our small section, besides Will, have made names for themselves. Paul Stephan is a Law Professor at UVa, Virginia Hopkins is a U.S. District Judge in Alabama, Roscoe Howard was U.S. Attorney for the District of Columbia, and Evan Thomas, former Washington Bureau Chief of Newsweek, regularly appears on news talk shows and is the author of numerous acclaimed books.
8
Wonderful. Will Shortz is a treasure.
19
Gorgeous photos. Don't be embarrassed about the room—it is richly interesting and a wonderful portrait of the interesting human who lives there.
18
Having known Will for almost twenty years, I would like to confirm that he has brought great intellectual joy and enthusiasm to countless people all over the world, me included.
I look forward to solving each and every day.
I look forward to solving each and every day.
16
Will -- your last quote is one I've shared with my twenty-something children, and I can only hope they find careers as wonderfully fulfilling as yours. BTW, I'm curious whether you ever re-connected with your 8th grade teacher once you "became an adult" and established your career?
11
I am relieved to see by the photographs that a cluttered desk is indeed a sign of genius. I am going to go mess my office up more in hopes that I may one day find the Holy Grail and be able to solve a Sunday NYT puzzle.
12
Thanks for the article and the puzzles! I used to just do the Sunday puzzle. Since I retired three years ago, unless I have an early appointment, I eat breakfast and do the puzzle online every day. It's made my retirement that much better.
7
Will, do you have the leisure time that your thirteen-year-old self felt was so important?
7
I wondered the same!
1
Rarely do I wish an article were longer! And great photographs too.
36
Will's undergraduate degree is from Indiana University. They fashioned a unique program of study and a first-ever major for this kid with the odd obsession. I doubt any curriculum like it had been put together anywhere before that. Large state universities can indeed focus on the peculiarities of particular students and, as in this case, to great effect.
19
He presumably fashioned his major himself, with the approval of a faculty committee. The Individualized Major Program at Indiana University has, for decades, allowed students with a variety of well-defined interests to create their own majors.
8
I was never much interested in puzzles. Then I went on a cruise and sat through a class on Egyptian antiquities. The boat was rocking so much I decided to just sit there through the next presentation on crosswords. I thought there would be two or three of us----over 100 people attended. And they were not casual puzzle solvers---they knew the names and tenures of all the NY Times puzzle people, all about Will Shortz's style, the average length of time it takes to solve a puzzle on which day of the week. I was stupified by this society of fanatics I had no idea existed. I left there and am now a devoted if untalanted member of the society.
24
Thanks, Will, for making my Sunday morning without fail. I never miss the puzzle segment on NPR.
19
My first memory of the New York Times is spending time with my grandfather as he worked through the Sunday crossword. His goal was always to finish by the following Sunday; he never bothered with the other days of the week. I have never finished a Sunday crossword, but I am a religious Monday through Wednesday solver, and I love to listen to Mr. Shortz on NPR Saturday mornings. Thanks for the great article.
12
Listening to Mr. Shortz on NPR on Sunday mornings is a special treat!
3
What a wonderful article.
I confess that I've never filled in a Shortz crossword puzzle, but I thoroughly enjoy his other his other puzzles and games as broadcast on the Sunday morning NPR program, Weekend Edition. (I'm usually driving when it is broadcast and if I miss it, it is one of the few segments that I will seek for later listening. All are complex, most are funny and all are great fun so play along with.
As an aside, when I was teaching human anatomy in the late 80s, I found a primitive PC based crossword puzzle generating program. Doe moat of my students, it made some extremely difficult learning a bit more fun. (Some do puzzles well, while others do not. I quickly learned that I could not include puzzle success in grade calculations, but I did not explain that to my students until the end of the term.) Making them was endless fun! -Cg
I confess that I've never filled in a Shortz crossword puzzle, but I thoroughly enjoy his other his other puzzles and games as broadcast on the Sunday morning NPR program, Weekend Edition. (I'm usually driving when it is broadcast and if I miss it, it is one of the few segments that I will seek for later listening. All are complex, most are funny and all are great fun so play along with.
As an aside, when I was teaching human anatomy in the late 80s, I found a primitive PC based crossword puzzle generating program. Doe moat of my students, it made some extremely difficult learning a bit more fun. (Some do puzzles well, while others do not. I quickly learned that I could not include puzzle success in grade calculations, but I did not explain that to my students until the end of the term.) Making them was endless fun! -Cg
6
Mr. Shortz,
As usual, thank you for making me smile!
As usual, thank you for making me smile!
14
I'm a NYT Crossword fanatic. I do them every night before bed. Can't fathom going to sleep without them. Love the hardest ones - which I find are Friday and Saturday. They relax me - take me out of the real world for a time. Thank you Mr. Shortz!
16
Simply: thank you!
9
Aww, this was fun to read. Congrats to Will Shortz on succeeding in his childhood dream occupation!
I recently starting doing crossword puzzles and enjoy the NYT app. I always get stuck on the names of sports people and other celebrities I've never heard of, but I suppose we all have our gaps!
I recently starting doing crossword puzzles and enjoy the NYT app. I always get stuck on the names of sports people and other celebrities I've never heard of, but I suppose we all have our gaps!
22
For Christmas my daughter gave me a crossword wall clock plus "Wordplay", the DVD about Mr. Shortz. I have progressed to cryptic crosswords -- they are fun. Thank you Mr. Shortz for many years of enjoyment.
I know that for many legal secretaries for the provincial judges here in BC, every work day begins with a race to see who can finish the daily NYT crossword first.
I know that for many legal secretaries for the provincial judges here in BC, every work day begins with a race to see who can finish the daily NYT crossword first.
7
An American legend!
1
Will Shortz's B reminds me of the story -- perhaps apocryphal -- that Fred Smith got a C at Yale for his economics paper that outlined the business model for FedEx.
15
Good story about an interesting man who found (created, more accurately) a great niche in life. Although I grew up watching my parents do crossword puzzles (back in the old days before computers) I never took to crosswords myself until the Times started the mini daily ones. I doubt I'll progress to full size, due in part to limitations on my time, but I certainly appreciate the success experiences that the mini ones give me!
20
I recommend you start with a Monday NY Times crossword or two! I didn't think I could do them either. Now I can finish a Monday, Tuesday, mostly Wednesday, frequently Thursday, sometimes Friday, occasionally Saturday and lots of Sundays. I cried when I completed my first Sunday puzzle many years ago. You get better with practice; I promise!
27
Thank you Mr. Shortz for many years of puzzle enjoyment. The puzzle is simply an anticipated, happy part of my daily routine.
15
I don't have the patience (or the vocabulary) for a Times crossword. I do know Mr. Shortz from the weekly puzzle on NPR, however, A very nice piece to take that voice into three dimensions. And let's hope that Mr. Shortz has just begun his career.
8
Will Shortz is a hoarder!
4
He's not a hoarder! It's an olio, a collection, an assemblage. He's curating, accumulating, amassing, assorting, et al. I learned olio from NY Times crossword puzzles. Although it generally means a miscellaneous collection, Mr. Shortz's collection is specific.
28
It's a sign of wide intellectual curiosity.
10
A wonderful article about a joyful and creative man. WS seems to lead a life that gives pleasure to everyone as well as to himself. -- So is that teacher who gave him a B+ still alive?! -- I hope I've never written such stifling remarks on the paper of such an imaginative student...and if I have, I hope it's never published in the NYT.
57