Crossword Puzzles

When I want to relax or take a different approach to a problem, I like to do crosswords. Crosswords have been around almost 100 years (The first one appeared in 1913).The history of crosswords can be found at http://www.crosswordtournament.com/more/wynne.html These games merge geometry (horizontal and vertical squares) with word play. They appear in newspapers, books, magazines, and on the Internet. I like to do mine in a book. I am on crossword 905 of the New York Times Ultimate Crossword Omnibus. There are 1001 puzzles.

For crossword enthusiasts, I recommend The Million Word Crossword Dictionary by Stanley Newman and Daniel Stark. Clues and potential answers appear in well organized lists. It is definitely a help when doing some tough puzzles.

For those who are looking for Crosswords and related crossword information on the Internet, I recommend http://www.primate.wisc.edu/people/hamel/cp.html . In addition to links to a wide variety of puzzles, there are news articles, blogs, and links to solving tools. If you are learning or practicing another language, there are non-English crossword puzzles available to you.

Speaking of Crossword puzzles, one is calling my muse. I see 37 down is Priggish pronouncements. Finding a word to describe this will take some more thought. I leave you to return a bit more relaxed, a hero that has tackled one more crossword puzzle.