![]() Proper grammar is importantĮvery puzzle has a theme - “The long answers will be connected in some interesting way,” Shortz said - but the clues are also very precise. “They’re more distinctive, more likely to jog your memory.” 5. “The more unusual letters of the alphabet will be more helpful than the vowels,” Shortz said. Look at the crossings, where one word meets another - if you see a letter J, that’s a clue to attempt to solve. Shortz suggests aspiring puzzle solvers “pick something you know for sure and build out from there,” which he said is also a solution for life, “if you’re tackling any problem.” But once you’ve exhausted all the obvious answers, try the fill-in-the-blank clues first.įor example, if the clue is “sport, _ alai,” you know the answer will be “jai.” Shortz said that type of clue is often the easiest to solve. Put it down, give your brain a rest and come back to it later. Play in pencil or an erasable pen.” Since the answers to crossword clues are often dependent on solving adjacent clues, take a guess - you might get one wrong but even a wrong answer can help solve clues nearby.Īnd, if you really get stuck, “I recommend putting the puzzle aside,” Shortz said. “If you get stuck, don’t be afraid to guess,” Shortz said. These tips and tricks will get more complicated as you continue, which is also true of The New York Times crossword, Shortz said: “The crossword gets harder as the week goes on.”Ĭrossword neophytes should start on a Monday - the easiest day of the week - and take on a Sunday crossword only once you’ve mastered the dailies. Here are five secrets to doing The New York Times crossword puzzle, courtesy of its long-time editor, puzzlemaster Will Shortz: 1. Yes, they are popular online, but there is a tactile pleasure in filling in squares on paper.” “I think crossword puzzles are helping keep print alive. It literally makes millions of dollars for the newspaper,” he said. “The crossword is very profitable for The New York Timkes. For decades, he has knitted brows for The New York Times and helped to grow that news outlet’s once-a-day crossword into a profitable product on its own.Īnd though they do appear online as well, Shortz said the crossword puzzle is helping to keep print newspapers afloat. Shortz is a radio personality and a filmmaker - he’s even cameoed on sitcoms from time to time - but his primary role is that of the first, and perhaps the only celebrity puzzlemaster. RELATED: An evening with the puzzle master Will Shortz ![]() Tickets are $10 in advance online ( ) $15 (cash-only) at the door. Wednesday, May 4, at the Alamo Drafthouse Cinema, 2548 Central Park Ave, in Yonkers. New York Times crossword puzzle editor Will Shortz will screen the documentary “Word Play” and stay on hand to play a few interactive games with the audience, 6 p.m.
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