The Crossword Century
Page 14
Augarde, Tony, 176
Bacon, Francis, 21
Balfour, Sandy, 175–176
Bass, Jennie, 116–117
Bately, Alfred, 33–34
Beastie Boys (music group), 59
The Beatles (music group), 3
Bede, Cuthbert, 24
Beeman, Mark, 107
Bell, Adrian, 18–19, 38
Bell, Martin, 18
Bello, David, 55
Berg Cloud, 166–167
Bernstein, Leonard, 76
Berry, Patrick, 68
The Bible, 25
Biddlecombe, Peter, 107
Big Daves’s Crossword Blog, 175
The Big Sleep (Chandler), 135
Black Speech (made-up language), 34
Bombaugh, C. C., 177
Book returns, publisher practice of, 10
Borges, Jorge Luis, 55
The Boston Globe, 116–117
Bowra, Maurice, 70
Brief Encounter (movie), 109–112, 155
British Diplomatic Oral History Programme (BDOHP), 178
Brontë, Charlotte, 21
Brooksbank, Peter, 105
Brooks, James L., 139–140
Brooks, Rebekah, 31
Buchan, John (Lord Tweedsmuir), 129–130
Burton, Dan, 148
Carroll, Lewis, 36–37, 39
Carruthers, F. D., 11
Carter, Jimmy, 65
Central Intelligence Agency (CIA), 131–132
Chamberlain, Austen, 156
Chambers Crossword Manual (Manley), 44, 175
The Chambers Dictionary, 58, 78
Championships. See Tournaments and Championships
Chandler, Raymond, 135
Character, crosswording and, 172–173
Charade clues, 85
Cheating, rules about, 91–96
Christie, Agatha, 21, 135–136
Clerihew (poem format), 12
Clinton, William J. (“Bill”), 63–65, 67, 103–104, 148
Cloud computing, crosswording and, 166–167
Clue(s). See also Crossword construction
acrostic, 7, 21–25, 32, 86, 134, 144
anagram, 4, 25–28, 60, 79, 82–83, 86–88, 114, 125, 157
as basic unit of crossword, 31
charade, 85
computer-generated puzzles, 121–124
cryptic definition, 81–82
deductive reasoning and, 172–173
double definition, 80
hidden answer, 83–84
multiple meanings, 63–65
origin of jargon, 20–21
“penny-drop” moment of clarity, 98–99
playing tricks and maintaining fairness, 36–39, 146–148
reversal, 84–85
role in whodunit mysteries, 134–136
role in wordplay, 25–26
soundalikes, 85–86
translations into other languages, 52–55
use of palindrome, 26–28
use of slang, 57–60
A Clue to Our Lives (Balfour), 175–176
The Code of the Woosters (Wodehouse), 156
Colonel Rémy (Gilbert Renault), 72
Computers and digital advances. See Technology, crosswording and
Coward, Noël, 109
Cox, Emily, 116–117
Creadon, Patrick, 176
Cresswell, I., 77
Crime of the Crossword (Garland), 137
Crisp, Ruth (“Crispa”), 123
Crossword bots, 119–121
Crossword construction. See also Clue(s); Grid
about beginning, 10, 26, 115, 162–164
adapting language differences, 49–51
basic units of crosswording, 31
beyond printed puzzles, 165–171
breaking rules of decorum and taste, 147–152
computer-generated puzzles, 121–122
creating ability to “lose gracefully,” 122
creating clues, 37, 39–40, 93, 122–123
cryptic clues, 79–88
depiction in novels, 134–138
favorite English words, 45–48
getting facts wrong, 145–146
learning the art, 115
replacement of print, 165–169
staving off dementia, 102
use of spoonerisms, 73
using slang, 58–60
using the nina, 32–35, 141
Crossword constructors
about anonymity and pseudonyms, 81–82
Adrian Bell, 18–19, 38
A. F. Ritchie (“Afrit”), 37–39, 83–84
Brendan Emmett Quigley, 32, 58, 79, 114
Brian Greer, 83
Bunthorne, 86
Chifonie, 86
Colin Dexter, 137
David Moseley (“Gordius”), 57
Don Manley, 44–45, 74
Edward Powys Mathers (“Torquemada”), 73, 81, 134
Emily Cox, 116–117
Eric Westbrook, 168–169
Georges Perec, 45, 53, 134
Henry Rathvon, 116–117
Jerry Farrell, 62, 64–65, 177
John Graham (“Araucaria”), 87–88, 150–152
John Henderson (“Enigmatist”), 98
John Lampkin, 48
Kathryn Friedlander, 98–99, 101–102
Leonard Berstein, 77
Leonard Dawe, 130–131
Lewis Carroll, 36–37, 39
Matt Ginsberg, 119–120
Merl Reagle, 141–144, 148–149
Mudd, 83, 86
Notabili, 83
Orlando, 82, 85, 166
Patrick Berry, 68
Paul, 74, 81, 85, 87
Philip Fine, 98
Puck, 83
Quixote, 85
Roger Squires (“Rufus”), 80, 87, 123
Ruth Crisp (“Crispa”), 123
Steven Sondheim, 77
Tom Driberg (“Tiresias”), 149
Tracy Gray, 170–171
Viking, 86
Virgilius, 81
whodunit mystery writers, 135–138
Crossworder’s Own Newsletter (Newman), 56
Crosswordese/crosswordiness, 43–45
“Crossword Mama You’re Puzzling Me” (song), 14
“Cross Word Papa (You Sure Puzzle Me)” (song), 14
Crossword puzzles. See also Technology, crosswording and
about origin of the name, 7
appearance of first puzzle, ix, 162
Arthur Wynne and beginning of, 28, 162
best puzzle of 21st Century, 139
creation of jargon, 20–21
development as American fad, 13–14, 154
development as British fad, 14–19
favorite crosswordy words, 45–48
judging difficulty and good taste, 147–152
learning the art, 115
Crossword puzzles (cont.)
“New Wave” movement, 56–57
patenting idea, 11–12
publishing first book, 8–10
rules over cheating, 91–96
“Cross Words Between My Sweetie and Me” (song), 13–14
Crossword solvers
assumptions and expectations of, 164–165
cheating, rules about, 91–96
computers as, 118–121
depiction as “oddballs” and “loners,” 116–117
depiction in TV and movies, 52–53, 109–112, 114, 116, 139–144
determining character and personality of, 172–173
disco
vering new words, 45
drug use by, 58
proving constructor wrong, 145–146
reaching “penny-drop” moment, x, 98–99, 143, 151
replacement of print, 165–169
research on cognitive skills, 97–102
resources for, 175–178
tournaments and timed play tips, 74–75, 103–108, 140
Crossword solvers (identified solutionists)
Al Sanders, 103–104, 106
Aric Egmont, 116–117
I. Cresswell, 77
John Gielgud, 95–96
Jon Stewart, 103–104
Marc Romano, 104, 107, 113–114
Mark Goodliffe, 105–106
Meredith Gardner, 125–126
Mike Mussina, 103–104, 115
Nitsuh Abebe, 144
Peter Biddlecombe, 107
Peter Brooksbank, 105
P. G. Wodehouse, 153–154
Rosalind Runcie, 150
Stanley Sedgewick, 128
Crossword solvers (notable solutionists)
Bill Clinton, 103–104
Christopher Robin, 160
Elizabeth II (queen of England), 161
Frank Sinatra, 160
George VI (king of England), 161
Indira Gandhi, 160–161
Margaret (princess), 161
Norman Mailer, 161
Thomas Keneally, 161
Crossworld: One Man’s Journey into America’s Crossword Obsession (Romano), 104, 113–114
Cruciverbalism: A Crossword Fanatic’s Guide to Life in the Grid (Newman), 177
Cryptanalysis (code-breaking), 125–132
Cryptarithm (aka alphametic), 12
Cryptic crossword (puzzle variant)
appearance of British mutation, x–xi
detrimental effects, 99
intelligence level and class distinction, 61–62
Mathers as creator, 73, 81
role of “clue,” 21
ruse of “muse,” 47
Sondheim as creator, 77–78
use of acrostic, 24–25
wartime code-breaking and, 125–126
Cryptic definition clues, 81–82
Cryptolog (magazine), 125
The Curious History of the Crosswords: 100 Puzzles from Then and Now (Tausig), 177
Cynewulf (Anglo-Saxon poet), 25
Daily Sketch (newspaper), 17
Danesi, Marcel, 25, 177
Dawe, Leonard, 130–131
Dawson, George Geoffrey, 50
“DE,” ambiguity of words ending in, 41
Dean, Roy, 161
Deductive reasoning, 172–173
Dementia, staving off the onset, x, 97–102, 158
Dexter, Colin, 137
Didion, Joan, 62
Digital online puzzles, 106
Dodimead, David, 95
Dole, Robert, 63–65, 67
Double acrostics (puzzle), 7, 21–25, 32, 86, 134, 144
Double definition clues, 80
Down
book section defined, xi
creating numbering system, 11
origin of jargon, 20–21
Drayton, Michael, 21
Dr. Fill (crossword bot), 119–121
Driberg, Tom (“Tiresias”), 149
Dr. Phil (TV show), 119
Duchamp, Marcel, 71
Egmont, Aric, 116–117
Eliot, T. S., 77
Elizabeth II (queen of England), 161
English History 1914–1915 (Taylor), 134
English language
about making game of, ix
adaptation to other languages, 49–51
exploiting ambiguity of, 40–42
favorite crosswordy words, 45–48
lending itself to crosswordiness, 43–45
The Simpsons’ contributions, 140
spoonerisms, origins of, 68–71
spoonerisms, use in writings and puzzles, 71–75
translating clues to other languages, 52–55
The Enigma (magazine), 73–74
Enigmatical Propositions, 163–164
“ER,” ambiguity of words ending in, 40–41
Esperanto (artificial language), 7
Espionage. See also Hidden answers/messages
crosswording as tool, x
intelligence-gathering by CIA, 131–132
WWII code-breaking and cryptanalysis, 125–131
Étienne, Luc, 71, 177
“Eye-Witnesses Should Not Do Cryptic Crosswords Prior to Identity Parades” (Lewis), 99
Farrar, John C., 10
Farrar, Margaret Petherbridge, 8–11, 145–146, 148
Farrar, Straus and Giroux (publisher), 11
Farrell, Jerry, 62, 64–65, 177
“The Fascinating Problem of Uncle Meleager’s Will” (Sayer), 136
Fifteensquared (crossword blog), 175
Financial Times, 34, 61–62
Fine, Philip, 98
Fitzgerald, F. Scott, 59
Flippant, Peter, 34
French language, crosswordy words, 45
French, Ronald, 130–131
The Freshman (movie), 114
Friedlander, Kathryn, 98–99, 101–102
Friends (TV series), 91
Fry, Stephen, 58, 105
Fuller, Vincent, 137
FUN
crossword puzzles as, ix–xi
inclusion in first “Word-Cross” puzzle, 7
Future developments and advances. See Technology, crosswording and
Games (magazine), 65
Gandhi, Indira, 160–161
Gardner, Meredith, 125–126
Garland, John, 137
Gee, Johnny, 177
George VI (king of England), 161
Getting Away with Murder (stage play, Sondheim), 135
Gielgud, John, 95–96
Gilbert, Val, 131
Ginis, Kathleen Martin, 100
Ginsberg, Matt, 119–120
Goodliffe, Mark, 105–106
Google Goggles (software), 118
Gower Street dialect (aka spoonerism, “gowerism”), 69–70
Graham, John (“Araucaria”), 87–88, 150–152
Gray, Tracy, 170–171
Greer, Brian, 83
Grid. See also Crossword construction
adaptation to other languages, 49–51
aesthetics and parameters, 11
appearance of, 20–21, 164
as basic unit of crossword, 31
computer-generated puzzles, 121–124
finding the ninas, 30–35
inductive reasoning and, 172–173
letter counts in language translations, 52–55
multi-dimensional formats, 169– 171
pay-to-play puzzles, 17–18
use of “crosswordy” words, 43–45
Groening, Matt, 141–142
The Guardian, 32, 57, 98, 147, 150, 175
Hall, Barbara, 121
Harvard University, 14
Harvey, Georgina, 177
Hearst, William Randolph, 4
Helmlé, Eugen, 53
Henderson, John (“Enigmatist”), 98
Hidden answers/messages. See also Espionage
creating cryptic clues, 79–88
creating themed entries, 116–117, 140–144
reaching the “penny-drop” moment, 98–99
translations into other languages, 52–55
use of acrostics, 22–27
use of a nina, 30–35
use of palindrome, 27–29
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“High Stakes” (Wodehouse), 155
Hirschfeld, Al, 30
Hirschfeld, Nina, 30
The History of “Punch” (Spielmann), 24
Hollinghurst, Alan, 95
“Homer and Lisa Exchange Cross Words” (TV show), 139–144
Homer Simpson (fictional TV character), 139–144
Hook, Henry, 33
“Hooray! Hooray! Hooray! The Cross-Word Puzzle Book is out today” (Adams), 9
Hot Fuzz (movie), 142
Hotten, John, 69
Hot Water (Wodehouse), 156
“How to Do a Real Crossword Puzzle . . .” (Sondheim), 77
Humpty Dumpty, 39
Ido (artificial language), 7
The Illustrated London News, 24
Inductive reasoning, 172–173
Inspector Morse (TV series), 133, 137–138, 177
Interlocking words/squares, 11, 49, 80, 95, 163
Internet, crosswording in the Cloud, 166–167
I Say Nothing (Balfour), 175–176
James, M. R., 157
Jargon. See also Across; Clue(s); Down; Grid
about origins of, 20–21
creating ninas, 30–35
Jed Bartlet (fictional TV character), 52–53, 84
Jigsaw puzzles, 133
Johnson, Boris, 123
Journal of Experimental Psychology, 100
Keneally, Thomas, 161
Klein bottle, 169
La Littérature Potentielle: Créations, Re-créations, Récréations (Oulipo), 177
Lampkin, John, 48
Lang, Matheson, 16–17
Larkin, Philip, 77
L’Art Du Contrepet (Étienne), 177
The Last of Sheila (Sondheim), 135
La Vie mode d’emploi [Life: A User’s Manual] (Perec), 53, 55, 134
Le Livre Du Courage Et De La Peur (Renault), 177
Leo McGarry (fictional TV character), 146
Le Point (newspaper), 134
Les Mots croisés, procédés de considérations de l’auteur sur l’art et la manière de croiser les mots (Perec), 45, 176
Life: A User’s Manual [La Vie mode d’emploi] (Perec), 53, 55, 134
The Listener (newspaper), 18, 76–78, 138, 169–170
Little Ramblers (musical group), 14
London The Daily Telegraph, 18, 123, 127, 129–131, 149
London The Sunday Telegraph, 84–85
London Times
Adrian Bell as first constructor, 38
Barbara Hall as puzzle editor, 121
Crossword Championship, 34, 104–105, 150
crossword first appearance, 18–19, 77–78
crosswords as menace, 14–17
George Dawson as puzzle editor, 50
house style for puzzles, 33–34
puzzle adaptations to technology, 166–167, 169
Wodehouse as puzzle addict, 154–158