Crossword Unclued

Camouflaging Anagrams

2009-11-10T14:59:00.001+05:30

Presenting a 2-part series of guest articles by Tony Le, a cryptic crossword setter based in the San Francisco Bay Area.

Tony has been interested in cryptics for the past 20 years. His puzzles are available on his website Kryptonologist.com. He also contributes to BestCrosswords.com and is the latest featured setter on alberichcrosswords.com.

Tony takes a special interest in writing tricky anagrams. In this article, he shares with us some creative techniques for anagramming.

Anagrams give the cryptic setter a wide latitude and range of creativity in writing clues, and as such can be a useful tool in the cryptician's repertoire. However, they can also be the bane of many a compiler if overused or written haphazardly, since anagram indicators (also known as "anagrinds") are traditionally the easiest type of indicator for solvers to spot. But I've found, even as an amateur compiler, that it's possible to author not-so-obvious anagram clues as long as you're willing to put forth some extra work.

In this article, I provide a glimpse into the thought process I employ when writing anagrams. I'll use the following example clues; if you'd like to try solving these without any hints, pause here before reading any further:

Notice a stud jostling to finish ahead (11)

Surveillance catches Luis' suspect hiding (9)

Fit tool in metal (7) *

Rinse tanks in air conditioning for poisonous substance (7) *

Pirates drunkenly meander (7)

Fluky setup of our outfits (10)

Entertaining one in jazzy second band (11)

Clues with an asterisk (*) have their solutions provided as part of this article. I've left the others as an exercise for you to solve in the blog comments.

To Grind or Not to Grind?

Before I talk about the actual process of anagram writing, I'll pose the question: Should you anagram it or not? Although I tend to use anagrams more than the average setter, I still follow a conscientious set of guidelines to decide whether a particular word is anagram worthy.

First off, full anagrams: Because they display all the answer letters in plain view for the solver, I typically use full anagrams for short or common words only if I can come up with clues like the examples herein that don't sound contrived. If your anagram phrase doesn't feel like something you'd encounter in normal conversation or writing, set your clue aside and see what other devices you can use instead. In many cases, I've find that forcing myself out of the anagram rut helps me see wordplay possibilities I wouldn't have seen otherwise. On the other hand, if I'm clueing a longer word or phrase, or one that's not very common, chances are that the solver won't be able to figure it out right away even if he or she knows what the anagram fodder is:

Notice a stud jostling to finish ahead (11)

(Besides, breaking up a long word into too many charade parts can make a clue unruly!)

I'm typically less conservative in using partial anagrams. Since a partial anagram doesn't give away all the letters, it generally won't kill a clue's difficulty even if the anagrind is easy to spot. In fact, a partial anagram in some cases may be preferable over other devices if it reveals less about the answer. Take this example:

Surveillance catches Luis' suspect hiding (9)

The anagrind is moderately easy to spot, but it only gives the solver four letters with no indication of what order they belong in. Compare this to a previous draft of the clue:

Surveillance catches you and me in Long Island, hiding (9)

It's not too difficult to figure out that "you and me in Long Island" translates to L{US}I. In effect, this version would've not only revealed four letters of the answer, but also provided the order they belong in!

Having said all this, I usually favour surface reading over wordplay cleverness, so if you write an anagram clue with a flawless or near-flawless surface, run with it even if you think the fodder is obvious. Who knows? Your surface may be so perfect that the solver will forget that an anagrind may lie within!

General Structure

Now I'll briefly review anagram structure before getting into the nitty-gritty. As with any other wordplay device, an anagram phrase needs to be grammatically correct. The type of anagrind you can use generally depends on whether it precedes or follows the fodder:

<anagrind> <fodder>, where the anagrind can be:
- An adjective
- Any type of past participle (-ed, -en or other irregular form)
- The present participle (‑ing form) of an intransitive verb (one that takes no object)
- An "<arrangement> of/in" phrase
- A transitive verb (one which takes an object), typically as an imperative
<fodder> <anagrind>, where the anagrind can be:
- An adjective
- Any type of past participle (-ed, -en or other irregular form)
- The present participle (‑ing form) of an intransitive verb
- An "in/with <arrangement>" phrase
- An intransitive verb, typically as a third-person conjugation or "to" infinitive

Since many verbs in the English language double as nouns, the verbal anagrind can be a wily device in the clue-writer's toolbox, yet in my experience it's the type of anagrind that's most underappreciated by setters. In my next article, I will discuss the grammar of verbal anagrinds in more detail along with a few debated exceptions to the above guidelines.

Fitting the Anagrind to the Context

An anagrind can generally be well disguised if you find one that fits the context of the surface reading. This is especially true for a word normally cast in a part of speech different from its anagrind sense (e.g., a verbal anagrind disguised as a noun in the surface). Consider a clue I wrote for the word AILMENT. I found IN METAL as a possible anagram, which suggested I use "fit" as the straight definition:

Fit — in metal (7)

Fit in metal — (7)

The surface made me think of a machine shop, so I tried to find a synonym for "arrange(d)", "guide(d)", "work(ed) on", "fail(ed)" etc. that evoked such an image. I eventually came upon the word "tool", which is generally used as a noun, but is also a verb meaning "to shape, form or finish". As a transitive verb, it must be placed before the fodder, which makes it read as an instruction to the solver:

Fit tool in metal (7)

In another example, I needed to clue the word ARSENIC. Using the Find Contained Words function in Crossword Express (a 100% free setting application), I discovered that this word contained an anagram of RINSE. Additionally, I saw that the remaining letters were "A/C" (as in air conditioning) and figured this might provide a good surface: A poisonous substance could indeed be a concern in a ventilation system. I fleshed out the A{RSENI*}C construction into the following possibilities:

— rinse in air conditioning for poisonous substance (7)

Rinse — in air conditioning for poisonous substance (7)

Since it's more natural to talk about rinsing something rather than doing something to a rinse, I decided to go forward with the "rinse —" structure. This required me to find an anagrind adjective or intransitive verb that could be construed as something having to do with air or chemicals. Looking through various synonyms for "fail" and "lose", I found:

Rinse tanks in air conditioning for poisonous substance (7)

Notice in this structure how the wordplay reads as RINSE "failing" inside of A/C.

The Balancing Act

Every once in a while, a clue will lend itself to a style of device I call "balancing":

Letter balance – Casting two equal-length words or phrases as potential fodder
Anagrind balance – Providing an additional, false anagrind
Substitution balance – Placing a charade word next to a partial anagram with the same length as the wordplay piece it clues

Here's an example of letter balance:

Pirates drunkenly meander (7)

Note that "pirates" and "meander" both contain seven letters, and I've ambiguously placed "drunkenly" in the middle. Coincidentally, "meander" could at first glance resolve into a plural ending in -men. (I have to admit this was a stroke of luck rather than genius on my part.)

Here's an example of anagrind balance combined with a form of letter balance:

Fluky setup of our outfits (10)

"Fluky" is the definition, and the answer is an anagram of OUR OUTFITS. Thinking that "fluky" could double as a false anagrind, I tried to find a seven-letter "true" anagrind which would double as a letter balance for "outfits". "Setup of" fit the bill perfectly (especially since it contains an S).

A substitution balance involves a charade word disguised as part of the anagram fodder:

Entertaining one in jazzy second band (11)

"One" of course is a common clue for the letter A or I. From there, it's natural to jump on SECOND BAND as an anagram since it seems to account for the remaining ten letters. In reality, only SECOND is an anagram, while "band" is a charade piece that just happens to clue another four-letter word.

Final Words

With a bit of elbow grease, some out-of-the-box thinking, and a refusal to rely on old standbys like "wild" and "crazy", writing clever and well-disguised anagram clues can prove to be a fulfilling and creative exercise. In my next article, I'll discuss grammatical points to keep in mind when using verbal anagrinds.

I invite you to visit my website at Kryptonologist.com to see all my puzzles and discover more of my anagram tricks in action. Good luck with your setting!

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To = Closed

2009-11-09T10:46:00.001+05:30

The Count, understanding my anxiety, opened [the door], went out, and pulled it to after him. - 'The Woman In White' by Wilkie Collins, 1859

It's funny how what we read comes in handy in unexpected ways, when we solve crosswords.

The expression 'pull the door to' means to bring the door into closed position. This would not occur readily to me, but I had been reading the above quoted passage only a few hours before I saw this clue in The Hindu Sunday crossword:

Stand by tower, closed (4,2)

With the 'TO = closed' connection fresh in mind, this wasn't so inaccessible.

Another recent clue that takes advantage of this meaning of TO:

Guardian 24841 (Enigmatist): Just about closed in big deal with medical instrumentation (8) O{TO}S COPE

Have you seen the opposite, i.e. the word 'to' in the clue leading to 'closed'/'shut' in the solution? If set well, it's sure to take the solver by surprise - we are so tuned to dismissing 'to' as a harmless connector.

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Does the clue make you happy?

2009-11-04T19:17:00.001+05:30

Yesterday, The Hindu Crossword had the answer MENTAL ANGUISH in the grid.
Today, it has TERMINAL ILLNESS.

In the past, there have been words about various other ailments. AIDS, with its setter-friendly selection of letters, has been clued twice in Oct'09 with reference to the disease.

Sometimes, the surface is sombre even if the answer is not. Like this one by Sankalak:
THC 9579: Gas consumed a newborn child (7) NEONATE

The act of crossword solving should leave the solver satisfied or amused. Such words unfortunately might have the opposite effect, especially if they remind the solver of unpleasant/sorrowful personal experiences. No matter how technically perfect the clue, I think it falls short of greatness if it is an irredeemably "unhappy clue".

The Guardian crossword carried this clue for TERMINAL CANCER a couple of months ago.
Guardian 24375: Environmental effect of airport development? (8,6)

The blog for it, not surprisingly, received many comments expressing disapproval over the flippant treatment of the subject (link).

If a topic is so grim that one would not joke about it in conversation, then it is best avoided in cryptic clues.

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Interviews With Ace Solvers: Part VI

2009-11-03T10:23:00.000+05:30

An addition to the series of interviews with expert crossword solvers: get to know Colonel Gopinath, one of the most popular solvers of The Hindu crossword (THC).

Deepak Gopinath, a retired Colonel living in Bangalore, began his daily blog The Hindu Crossword Corner in Feb'09. The blog soon became a huge hit with Hindu crossword fans.

The complete solutions are published on his blog each morning, with annotations and links for word meanings. You can time your watch by the blog's punctuality. A new post is up each day at exactly 8.30am.

Always willing to help out with solvers' questions, Col. Gopinath has aided many in becoming better at the game. In this interview, Col. Gopinath shares with us his personal journey with the crossword, his technique of solving, and more.

Q1. When and how did you start solving crosswords?

Col: I don't remember exactly when, but it must have been around the late 60s or early 70s, when I was in engineering college at Coimbatore. A distant cousin of mine who was in IIT was into crosswords and I too got bitten by the bug.

After my engineering I joined the army and the initial busy life kept me away from crosswords. The interest got rekindled when I was posted at Pune in '81 as an Instructor at the College of Military Engineering, after which there was another break when I was posted in the Kashmir valley from '87 to '91. I have been solving regularly since then.

Crossword solving has been totally self-taught for me, without the use of any books or mentors. The only help I had prior to the computer age was any dictionary that I could lay my hands on, and a '76 edition of Roget’s Thesaurus. In the initial years the answers just came off the top of the head and I had never given a thought to the actual parsing of the word.

Q2. Has blogging changed you as a solver?

Col: It has, for sure. For one, it has made me more regimented. I took a decision, a month or so after I started blogging, to ensure that the blog appeared at a fixed time. This made me concentrate a bit more, unlike earlier when I would tend to leave out the unsolved clues.

I started my blog in Feb '09 or so. The inspiration came from a Chinese American lady who blogs on the Star Tribune Crossword in America. The same crossword appears in the Times of India after a lapse of a couple of months. For a few years from 2001 to 2003 I had stopped doing the cryptic crossword from The Hindu and used to do the crossword from the Times of India, of which I soon got fed up because it had too many American terms and names.

Q3: What is your technique for solving the crossword?

Col: I start off with the Across set of clues and the minute I solve one I look for any of the down clues emanating from the solved across clue, as I find that if the first letter of the answer is available it tends to become easier. Once I have made a first pass through the Across clues I then move on to the Down set following the same procedure. Generally it takes me about two to three passes to thrash out most of the answers leaving aside a few. As a last resort, if I cannot get them; I make some guesses and turn to the Internet to check out the meanings.

However, I avoid using tools like pattern searches or anagram solvers on the net.

I have found the best way to unravel an anagram is to put the letters in a circle. Normally, as I am putting the letters into a circle the answer generally comes out before I finish writing all the letters.

Q4: Are there times when you think “Uh-oh, 5 minutes to 8.30am and half the puzzle unsolved. I guess I will have to give up on today’s blog post.”

Col: Certainly, it has happened but not half the puzzle. There have been occasions when I have had to post the blog with a couple of clues unsolved, and some without annotations, but I have never given up on posting it.

I picked up the procedure of annotating after I joined the Orkut group which solves The Hindu Crossword.

Q5: If a genie gave you three wishes that you could use on The Hindu Crossword, what would you ask for?

Col: One of the wishes I would most definitely use to make a couple of our infamous setters either disappear, or make them better at their trade.

The second would go to banish the overactive printer's devil from meddling with the crossword at The Hindu. The third wish I would use to make The Hindu appoint a resident crossword editor on the lines of what all foreign papers have.

Q6: What are your interests other than crosswords? Have they had an impact on your skill with the crossword?

Col: Reading novels, playing Scrabble - both have of course contributed towards improving my vocabulary, which helps while doing crosswords. Solving puzzles is another passion of mine, a passion which my mother still has at her ripe old age of 84.

Q7: Any memorable crossword-related experiences that you’d like to share?

Col: I remember while I was an instructor at Pune, the college used to invite some guest lecturers to deliver lectures to the entire community. Some of them used to be so boring that invariably I would carry the crossword, which I would cut out from the newspaper, hide inside a book and solve instead of listening to the monotonous lectures. Setting a bad example I am afraid, luckily for me I never got caught doing it.

I have forged some good friendships of late especially after I started my blog on The Hindu Crossword. To my surprise I had a visitor from Portugal, Indian of course, who has settled there after his retirement.

Q8: Please share some tips for beginners to help them improve their solving skills.

Col: First of all I do not consider myself to be expert enough to be providing tips to beginners, however I can definitely advise beginners to persevere and not give up. At the beginning there may be days when one may not solve even one clue but practice will pay off in the end. They should always check the answers when the solution appears the next day and analyse where they went wrong.

Waiting till the next day may not be needed in the current times, as there are so many communities and blogs that solve almost all the crosswords that are published.

-------
Introductory Post: Interviews With Ace Solvers

Previous Interviews:
Part I: Interview With Sridhar Shenoy
Part II: Interview With Chaturvasi
Part III: Interview With Vinod Raman
Part IV: Interview With Ganesh T S
Part V: Interview With Peter Biddlecombe
-------

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French Isn’t Always The Language

2009-10-29T08:15:00.000+05:30

In the earlier post about French words in crosswords, we saw many clues in which the presence of words like "France", "Paris" indicated a French translation of the adjacent word.

This is likely, but not always true. Some examples follow where these words are not language indicators.

In the next clue, the word "French" is used in the wordplay to name a French resort, and does not indicate a language switch.
NIE 08-Aug-09: Announcement to put up in a French resort (6) N{OT<-}ICE

In the next, it simply leads to its standard abbreviation FR.
FT 13205 (Crux): Phoney French car I got rid of (5) FR AUD{-i}

Sometimes, it is part of the definition and shows that the answer has a French connection.
THC 8595 (Gridman): French astrologer astounds Ram terribly (11) NOSTRADAMUS*

Or it could be something else altogether. Like in the next clue (what's the answer?):
NIE 01-Apr-09: It may show interest in Paris and London, for example (7)

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Cryptic Crosswords A Threat To Criminal Justice?

2009-10-27T14:15:00.001+05:30

Do you keep forgetting people's faces, or find yourself saying "Hello Vinod" whenever you meet Tony?

According to a study by Michael B Lewis, a senior lecturer at Cardiff University, cryptic crosswords are to blame for this.

In its series of articles on Improbable Research, the Guardian carries a report today about this study, which brings out a chilling dimension of the game.

Crossword puzzles are a threat to the criminal justice system. Indeed, they may have been doing damage for decades, causing guilty persons to be set free and innocent ones to become enmeshed in hellish entanglements with the courts and jails.

Read the full piece here by Marc Abrahams, the editor of the bimonthly Annals of Improbable Research and organiser of the Ig Nobel prize.

The actual study that this article talks about is reported here. In the experiment, sixty participants were made to do the following activities before the task of facial recognition:

read a passage from Dan Brown's Da Vinci Code
solve a Sudoku puzzle
solve a literal crossword
solve a cryptic crossword

Accuracy scores for face-recognition were plotted on a graph (page 1435 in the report) against the activity performed immediately before. The outcome - "performance in the cryptic crossword condition was considerably poorer than in the other conditions".

The experiment concludes that:

…doing a cryptic crossword leads to a detriment in face processing. Further, sudoku, literal crosswords, and reading do not have the same effect.

I only hope I never have to be eye-witness at an identity parade.

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French Words In Crosswords

2009-10-26T22:17:00.000+05:30

Cryptic clues sometimes make use of foreign language words in the wordplay, of which French is most common.

Example:
NIE 12-Oct-09: Go up to the French peers amorously (5)
In this clue, "peers amorously" is the definition, and "Go up" gives OG.
"the French" implies that the French word for "the" (LES) has to be put into the answer.

What if you don't know French? Not to worry – in crosswords, you can get by with just rudimentary knowledge.

Use the table below as reference for the most common English-French translations you'll need in cryptic clues.

English Word	French Equivalent	Remarks/Example Clues
the	LE, LA, LES	"the" takes different forms in French depending on whether it precedes a masculine, feminine or plural word. This gives flexibility to the setter to use whichever form suits the clue. NIE 03-Sep-09: Trickery of the French in a sense (7) S{LE}IGHT Guardian 24786 (Chifonie): The French writer climbed here (5) {NEP AL}<-
is	EST	Times 4303: To make money is, in France, businesslike (7) EARN EST
one, a	UN, UNE	UNE the feminine form of UN. THC 2653: One in Paris lit up before (5) UN {TIL}<-
and	ET	NIE 9837: Where to buy and sell German money and French (6) MARK ET
very	TRÈS	THC 9533 (Gridman): Exchanges with a leader of Democrats held by the very French (6) TR{A D}ES
who	QUI	Times 24107: Lampoon Parisian who moves into unoccupied suburb (5) S{QUI}B
yes no	OUI NON	Yes/No might be represented cryptically in the clue, such as "consent in Paris", "a refusal in France". Guardian 24625 (Brummie): Safe-to-consume beef source limited by France's negative repeated action (3-5) NON-T{OX}IC
of	DE	NIE 9852: Consignment of French uniform (8) DE LIVERY
for	POUR	NIE 30-Dec-08: French for rain heavily (4) POUR [2]
i me we	JE MOI NOUS	FT 13213 (Dogberry): "Garment in Paris", I briefly reply (5) JE ANS FT 13093 (Monk): Common sense of Monk and FT solvers in Paris (4) NOUS [2] Perhaps since MOI is used so much in English, it is sometimes a direct substitution for ME, without indication that it's a French word.
you	TU, VOUS	TU is the singular, informal "you". VOUS is the plural/formal "you". Much like tu and aap in Hindi. ET 3618: Afraid a row will detract from a meal with you in Paris (7) {-din}NER VOUS
he, it she	IL ELLE	Times 23757: Given caution about the Parisian female - certainly not for nothing! (4,6) W{ELL,E}ARNED
friend	AMI	NIE 9813: French friends set out in poor visibility (3,4) SE{A MIS}T
night	NUIT	ET 3201: Dark time in Paris covered by whatever income is available (7) AN{NUIT}Y
good	BIEN (noun), BON (adjective)	NIE 22-May-09: It's good in France and America to get extra money (5)BON US
street	RUE	THC 8954: West End Street in Paris? That's right! (4) T RUE

French Word Indicators

The clue contains an indicator for change of language, placed next to the word(s) to be converted to French.

These are broadly of the following kinds:

The most direct ones - those that mention France, a city in France or French:
French, Parisian, in France, in Paris
Those that mention a French person's name:
Rene's, Pierre's
Those that mention other countries where the language is spoken, or languages closely related to French:
in Quebec, Picard's

You'll occasionally see Nice (a city in France) used deceptively as French indicator, when placed at the start of a clue to mask its capitalization. [Hat-tip to Kryptonologist].

A recent example:
Times Sunday crossword 4349: Nice heads keeping adult in conversation (4-1-4) TETE-A-TETE
TÊTE is French for "head".

How To Solve When You Don’t Know The French Word

Once in a while, the clue will require French that's beyond your vocabulary. Even then you have plenty to go upon. Most importantly, you have an indicator pointing out the English word for which you need the French equivalent.

Take this clue:
FT 12981: Child grabbing day in Paris for short stay (7)
"in Paris" is the signal that some French is needed. From the clue's structure and the indicator's placement, you can work out that you need the French for "day".

Suppose you don't know what "day" is called in French. Online, it's easiest to put the English word into Google Translate and convert it. For this clue, that gives JOUR. The answer then works out as SO{JOUR}N.

Solve These!

NIE 9814: Joins up with the French company first (7)
FT 13179 (Bradman): Lodge with French art found in the course of journey (6)
Times 24365: Parisian who enters state positively trembling (7)

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Best & Worst Of M.Manna's Current Series (THC 9663-9669)

2009-10-23T19:31:00.001+05:30

M.Manna, a compiler of The Hindu Crossword, holds the dubious distinction of having both the most brilliant clues in his grids, as well as the lamest ones.

Of his current run of seven puzzles (The Hindu Crossword 9663 to 9669), my picks for the best 5 and worst 5 clues.

Top 5

THC 9663: Partisans can be such trying people (9) ASPIRANTS*
Cogent surface, well-disguised anagram fodder and a nice pun on the word 'trying'.

THC 9665: Not against development of non-progressive state (10) STAGNATION*
Another neat anagram - (NOT AGAINST)*. The word 'state' leads you think of a nation in the surface, and means 'condition' in the wordplay.

THC 9668: Then one's chipping the ball in to win (2,3,4) ON THE N{O}SE*
Remarkably well-constructed, with 'ball' contributing O to the answer. 'chipping the ball' is a phrase used in golf, 'on the nose' comes from horse racing, the term means betting to win only. This came across as a very British clue both in surface and the answer.

THC 9665: Severe strain unsettled the man (10) ASTRIN* GENT
Seamlessly merged definition and wordplay, with a meaningful surface.

THC 9669: Why one doesn't give the sack to the bad cleaner? (9) TO LERANCE*
Semi-&lit with an innovative definition. The word 'to' which we tend to dismiss as filler is put to good use here.

Manna's crosswords are heavy with anagrams, and they're consistently high-quality for long words/phrases. A pity that this skill vanishes with the smaller words in the grid, for which the anagrams are not just weak but full of errors. Examples of this follow.

Bottom 5

THC 9665: Dig it out with Al for a calculation by numerical method (7) DIG IT AL
'out' suggests an anagram but the letters "Dig it Al" are not getting anagrammed at all, they're used as-is in the answer. Also, DIGITAL is an adjective, meaning 'pertaining to numerical calculation'. 'calculation by numerical method' should lead to a noun.

THC 9664: Rid the ash around the plant (6) RADISH*
An obtrusive 'the' is stuck between the anagram fodder, and the surface is not very meaningful.

THC 9668: Prepared to tax the French to demand more payment (5) EXACT*
The wordplay leads to EXALT, the definition fits the word EXACT. Superfluous 'to' after the anagrind 'prepared'.

THC 9665: Trot out east for a large aquatic fish-eating carnivore (5) OTTER*
The wordplay gives (TROT)* + E, and not (TROT+E)*. The definition 'a large aquatic fish-eating carnivore' seems to be a case of "copy-paste" from a dictionary, with no care given to reviewing/editing.

THC 9665: Have knowledge of an armed conflict in East (5) A WAR E
AWARE can be 'knowledgeable' or 'having knowledge'. 'have knowledge of' can lead to 'be aware' and not AWARE. Plus other flaws like an ungrammatical surface, and an unsatisfactory connector 'in'.

---

The difference in quality between Top 5 and Bottom 5 is so marked, it seems incredible that both sets are written by the same compiler.

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How Many Words In The Grid?

2009-10-20T23:00:00.001+05:30

Suppose you want to count the number of answers in the crossword grid. How will you do it?

["Why will I want to do such a thing", you ask? Dozens of reasons. You find the clue-sheet unusually large and suspect it's because there are more words in the grid than average. You've solved the puzzle and want to find out what percentage is made up of anagrams. You want to do it because like any self-respecting crossword solver you obsess over pointless trivia.]

Tell me how. I'll update this post after a day (by Thursday evening), with links to ways you mention in the comments, and also write how I do it.

No earth-shattering revelations so don't hold your breath, but a property of the crossword grid comes nicely into play there.

Leave a comment, and do drop in this Thursday evening IST to see the updates.

Update (22nd Oct 2009 Thu): Thanks for your comments! Tony (The MEANDERthal man) has written an equation for counting that would impress any mathematician. Baldev does it by simply counting the clues.

Colonel Gopinath, I'm pleased to find, has the same method as mine. Without further preamble, here it is.

A Quick Way To Count The Answers

Run your eye down the DOWN set of clues, counting only those having a number common with the ACROSS set.
Add this to the biggest clue number on the ACROSS set of clues. That's it - the number of total answers in the grid.

Applying this on today’s The Hindu 9668 (M.Manna):

Down clues sharing a number with an Across = 3 (1D, 5D, 22D)
So the grid has a total of 3 + 29 (Biggest Across clue number) = 32 answer slots.

Simpler and faster than counting the clues sequentially, isn't it?

Of course, if you have the clues in text/HTML format online, the fastest way is to paste the clues in a text editor and enable "show line numbers". (There are some things machines will easily beat humans at. At least at solving cryptic crosswords, humans still have an edge over computers.)

Related Posts:

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Numbering The Clue Slots In The Grid

2009-10-19T08:11:00.000+05:30

In the previous article, guest writer Chaturvasi took us through the process of creating a crossword grid. In this post, he describes how to number the clue slots in the grid.

In the previous post we set a crossword grid from scratch, but clue-numbering remained to be done.

Here let's see how it is done.

Of course, there is no mystique about clue-numbering and any regular solver would know how it's done. Yet in crosswords published in small-time magazines in India I have seen many amateur setters not sticking to conventions. They number all Across clues sequentially and then the Down clues. Numbering in crosswords published in Indian language newspapers can be even more confusing.

The accepted practice is to start from the first blank cell and sequentially number all slots, whether Across or Down, where a solution word starts. Where the first letter of an Across word is the same as the first letter of a Down word, only one number is given.

Thus in the grid that we set, the first number will be in a1 (which is common for an Across word and a Down word).

Number 2 goes in c1, 3 in e1, 4 in g1. (These three are only Down words.)

Number 5 goes in i1 (the same number applying to the Across word as well as the Down word.)

While numbering, we should take care that we don't miss any cell that is in the perimeter or hemmed in by blocks elsewhere. (See a6, e8 or k10.)

After due numbering, the grid will look like this:

Previous Articles By Chaturvasi:

Make Your Own Crossword Grid: Chaturvasi describes how to make a crossword grid
GridmANALysis: Chaturvasi analyzes grids used by compiler Gridman of The Hindu

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Make Your Own Crossword Grid

2009-10-15T08:30:00.000+05:30

Our guest writer, Chaturvasi, describes the steps to create one’s own cryptic crossword grid from scratch, without the use of grid-generation software. At the end of this article, you will have with you a complete 15x15 grid that satisfies all good practices of checking, connectivity, symmetry and a balanced word length distribution.

Chaturvasi is the pseudonym of C. G. Rishikesh, who blogged on Tuesday FT crossword in www.fifteensquared.net for more than a year. He is a frequent commenter in international forums where he is known by his short name, Rishi.

This author, who lives in Chennai that was Madras, is a published crossword setter.

This post is an attempt to compose a 15x15 blank grid for crossword purposes. While trying our hand at crossword composing, we could simply copy a published grid and put in our selection of lights and write clues. If we are using a crossword software, we have the choice of selecting one from its in-built library of grids. But this kills originality and deprives us of the pleasure of calling a crossword grid our own. (The one that we create may also have been arrived at by another, but that is a different matter.)

The basic pattern could be one of four:

We shall take pattern a and go on to construct a grid.

Deciding that we will not have too-long entries (such as 13-, 14- or 15-letters) we first block 1h (where 1 is row and h is column). For symmetry we block also 15h.

We will move on to row 3. Here we block 3j. (As we did that, we might have had some reasons at the back of our mind. We avoided blocking 3b as it will give us three consecutive unches vertically in col. a; we avoided 3c because it will give two consecutive vertical/horizontal blanks and two-letter slots are no-nos). For symmetry we block 13f. If we are blocking 10th cell from left in row 3 from top, to achieve symmetry what we do is block 10th cell from right in row 3 from bottom.

Now the position is:

We again skip the row with alternate blacks and whites.

As four-letter lights are admissible, we block 5a, getting a four-letter slot in column a. This is first cell from left in fifth row from top. For symmetry, we block 11o, the first cell from right in the fifth row from bottom.

We notice that we have a long fourteen-letter slot in fifth row. As our aim is not to have long entries, we break it by blocking 5h. It is the eighth cell from left in fifth row from top; for symmetry, we block the eighth cell from right in fifth row from bottom. It is 11h.

The position is:

We skip sixth row with its blacks and whites.

In the next row we block 7e, whereby getting a nice design of blocks; for symmetry we block 9k. (Remember, if its fifth cell from left in seventh row from top, the symmetrical cell is fifth from right in seventh row from bottom.)

We have ten-letter lights in seventh and ninth rows but we retain them as there is a possibility of putting in long, but not too long, phrasal entries.

Having reached the middle row of our grid, we take a pause and re-examine the grid to see if there are any problems such as three or two consecutive unches. Not likely as we have taken care already.

The eighth or the middle row is one of alternate blacks and white. As usual we skip it.

Let's look at the position:

We have already reached an acceptable grid but we have four 15-letter slots. As our avowed objective is to avoid any slot with more than 10 letters, we shall have to see how to remedy the situation.

So far we have been looking only at all-white rows, carefully placing blocks to suit our purposes. We have reached the middle row of alternate blacks and whites and find that the rest of the rows are either one of alternate blacks and whites, or one where one or more cells have become blocks by virtue of symmetry.

That means to avoid the long 15-letter slots, we have to do any tinkering in any column with blocks as well as blanks.

Let's first take column c and see what we can do. Let's block 10c. This breaks the 15-letter slot and gives us two, one of 9 letters and the other of five letters.

We could block 4c but it gives a three-letter slot which we may avoid, though three-letter slots are admissible.

We could block 6c or 8c but the effect is not pleasing as it disturbs the two X designs in our grid.

Our decision to block 10c is a wise one and let's implement it. This is third from left in tenth row from top. As we have crossed the mid point, to achieve symmetry we go to the top half of the grid. We have to block 6m, the third cell from right in tenth row from bottom.

The position is:

Now we are left with only two 15-letter slots.

Let's take col g. We will not block 4g to avoid three-letter slot. We will not block 6g so that we don’t disturb our Xs. We can block 10g: this is the seventh cell from left in tenth row from top. For symmetry we block 6i, the seventh cell from right in tenth row from bottom. This gives us an L of blacks with another inverted L - familiar design in many a crossword grid.

The final position is:

The numbering of clue slots remains to be done. That will be taken up in a separate post. [Update: Follow-up to this article here – Numbering the clue slots in the grid.]

But an analysis of our grid might be done straightaway.

It has a total of 32 slots: 16 across and 16 down.

Of the 225 cells, 63 are blocked, while 162 are whites or blanks or letters to be filled in.

Word Length	No. Of Words
4 letters	4
5 letters	6
6 letters	4
7 letters	6
8 letters	2
9 letters	6
10 letters	4

Related Posts:

Numbering The Clue Slots In The Grid
Basics Of The Crossword Grid
Crossword Grid: Checking
Crossword Grid: Connectivity
GridmANALysis: Chaturvasi analyzes grids used by compiler Gridman of The Hindu
Chaturvasi's Interview

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Across Lite For Interactive Crosswords

2009-10-14T15:51:00.001+05:30

Many crosswords sites provide interactive puzzles in "Across format". This is to explain what the "Across format" is, and how to use it for solving crosswords interactively.

A puzzle in Across format is one that can be viewed and solved interactively with the software Across Lite. You can recognize an Across Lite puzzle by the .PUZ file extension.

What does Across Lite do?

For crossword solvers, Across Lite enables interactive solving. It works for .PUZ crosswords stored on the hard disk as well as crosswords opened directly from the web browser.

How can I use Across Lite?

Once you have installed Across Lite on your computer, any file in Across format will open with a mouse click. To open and solve the crossword, click to launch it with an interactive screen.

Show Me An Example

An example of a puzzle opened with Across Lite:

One of its interesting features is the Pen/Pencil tool. You can write in your answers with a Pen if you're confident, and a lighter-coloured Pencil if in doubt.

Other features include the facility to resize the grid, change the position of clue prompt, print the puzzle, etc. There are also Check/Reveal options, which get enabled if the crossword publisher has provided solutions with the puzzle.

Where can I get Across Lite?

Across Lite is owned by Literate Software Systems, and can be downloaded from here: Download Across Lite.

The installation is simple and quick, and is free for non-commercial use.

Related Posts/Links:

Update Scanner: A tool for notifying you of online crossword updates
Across Lite FAQ: A repository of questions about Across Lite installation and usage
NYT Cryptic Crossword sample: An interactive NYT cryptic crossword sample using Across Lite

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What Is A Nina?

2009-10-10T08:48:00.001+05:30

This is the fifth instalment in a series of posts about crossword grids. Previous entries in the series: grid symmetry, checking, connectivity, pangrams.

A Nina is a special feature of the crossword grid: a word, words or phrase hidden within a pattern of cells in the completed grid.

An example from an Indy crossword: the words STALACTITE and STALAGMITE are concealed vertically, in symmetrical positions.

Why is it called a Nina?

Many think "Nina" is an acronym. It isn't.

The word comes from Al Hirschfeld (1903-2003), American caricaturist, who was famous for hiding his daughter's name "Nina" into his drawings. Wikipedia says:

The name would appear in a sleeve, in a hairdo, or somewhere in the background. Sometimes "Nina" would show up more than once and Hirschfeld would helpfully add a number next to his signature, to let people know how many times her name would appear.

[Hirschfeld's artwork is here, I've strained my eyes trying to spot Ninas in the online images :P. Can you see any? He started the trend in 1945, the year his daughter was born, so look for artwork created post-1945.]

Crossword setters then brought Ninas into the realm of crosswords (if you happen to know which publication/setter started the trend, do write a comment about it). Nowadays Ninas occur quite often in the Independent crossword, and occasionally in the Guardian and FT. I haven't yet come across one in the Times, or in any of the Indian crosswords.

Ninas and Solvability

As with pangrams, the existence of a Nina is not announced – you'll miss it if you don't actively look for it.

A Nina could help you fill up faster if you catch on to it before filling up the grid, but experience tells me that rarely happens. Ninas are even subtler than pangrams. You generally finish the crossword before the "Ah!" moment of seeing the Nina arrives.

Spot The Nina?

Find the Nina in this grid from another Independent crossword. Post your answer in the comments section. I'll publish comments after two days so that the answer isn't revealed before you've all got a try.

(The Independent is a great crossword by the way. On the challenging side, very innovative. Their daily crossword can be found online here.)

Independent 7150 (Monk)

Related Posts/Links:

Guardian 24635 (Enigmatist): A Guardian puzzle with a Nina
Basics Of The Crossword Grid
Crossword Grid: Checking
Crossword Grid: Connectivity
Pangrams

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Why BENGALI = BENGAL + I doesn't fly

2009-10-01T01:29:00.001+05:30

Take Nita Jaggi's clue from The Hindu Crossword 9649:

5 Indian state has one official language (7)
The parsing is:
Indian state = BENGAL
has = connector
one = I
Definition: official language = BENGAL + I = BENGALI

The clue has a meaningful surface, cryptic elements correctly placed and indicated. Technically all looks okay (ignore for now that the clue may have more than one correct answer). Why, then, is it a bad clue?

The essence of a cryptic clue lies in creative play on words, and in misleading/surprising the solver. None of these hold true when the subsidiary indication (SI) and the definition share the same root word.

The word BENGALI is derived from BENGAL; there's nothing very creative on the setter's part in splitting it into BENGAL + I. Nor is it exciting for the solver.

A weak clue, therefore. Etymologically-related constructs like (BAT + S = BATS) or (ADMIRE– E + ABLE = ADMIRABLE), when used to clue charades, are almost always flaws.

The Other Extreme

The other equally uncreative extreme is breaking the answer into the tiniest bits and combining them using abbreviations. Nita Jaggi favours this form of weak wordplay as well – see Charade Overdose for more on this.

A sample from the same puzzle (THC 9649):
To inspire one doctor you see at last (5) I MB U E

More Weak Wordplay, What Say?

What do you think of of the clues below? Good wordplay, or not? If not good, why not?

Eaten up and taken in eagerly (8) DEVOURED [2]
Finally, students are able to read quickly (4) S CAN

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The quick brown fox...

2009-09-30T09:49:00.001+05:30

This is the fourth instalment in a series of posts about crossword grids. Previous entries in the series: grid symmetry, checking, connectivity.

The term "pangram" is generally used for a sentence that contains each letter of the English alphabet. "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" is a well-known example.

In cryptic crosswords, a "pangram" is a grid that has at least one occurrence of each letter of the English alphabet.

Here's an example of a pangrammatic grid:

Grid for Financial Times 12797 (Monk)

Pangrams and Solvability

A pangrammatic grid does not usually announce itself ^[1]. It's an unassuming grid property that the solver, unless alert, can easily miss noticing.

If you find a few unusual letters like Q, Z and J in the grid, it may be a hint that a pangram is on the way. This knowledge could help you fill up faster, as you'd look for the missing letters to cover the alphabet.

The strategy can easily backfire though. It's entirely possible that the grid is an X-lipogram and you've gone on a wild-goose chase looking for a missing X.

The best thing to do is to keep an eye on the letters, but not rely too much on finding a pangram.

Nita Jaggi's so-called pangrams

[1] A pangrammatic grid does not usually announce itself – Exceptions exist, such as the crossword called CODEWORD composed by Nita Jaggi in the paper DNA. This puzzle states openly that it uses each letter of the alphabet. It is another matter that even after this proclamation, many letters are regularly found missing from the grid. Look at this supposedly pangrammatic grid published in DNA on 10th September 09, which has at least a missing J and K:

Thanks to Col. Gopinath for sharing this, as well as a rare triple pangram from the NY Times crossword – here.

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Crossword Grid: Connectivity

2009-09-23T01:56:00.001+05:30

In a standard cryptic crossword grid, there are no "islands". All the words in the grid connect with each other.

Of the two grids below, the one on the left is a connected grid, the kind you would find in a regular cryptic crossword. Pick any two white squares in the grid and you can find a way through the maze to reach one white from the other, without passing over a black.

The grid on the right is not fully connected; the top-right and bottom-left corners are cut-off from the rest of the puzzle. You'll never really encounter unconnected grids of this kind in cryptic crosswords.

Degrees of Connectivity

All connected grids are not equal – some have weaker connectivity than others. If different parts of the grid are linked to each other with just one or two whites, then the connectivity is weak.

A weakly connected grid is a flawed grid.

Why is weak connectivity a flaw?

A grid with weak connectivity can create an imbalance in the way the solutions get filled in. You might have solved large parts of the crossword fully, and yet have empty patches on the grid with no checking letters for help.

The next grid illustrates this. The corners of the grid are quite independent of each other. Even when 3/4th of the puzzle is done (as shown by the yellows), you can end up with an empty top-right side - in no better situation than if you hadn't started with the puzzle at all.

Compare it to the next grid with better connectivity, in which the word lengths and arrangement ensure that the grid gets filled up evenly.

Connectivity vs Checking

A crossword can be well-checked but poorly connected. The grid above labelled "weak connectivity", for example, follows rules for fair checking but is not well-connected. Similarly, it is possible for a well-connected grid to be poorly checked.

A good crossword grid will have a combination of all – pleasing symmetry, fair checking, and strong connectivity.

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The Hindu Crossword 9639: Neyartha

2009-09-17T14:47:00.001+05:30

This wasn't one of Neyartha's best, I thought.

Comments on clues of THC 9639 that didn't quite work for me.

4D: Oversight surrounding lab error is subject to misconception (10) MISTAK{ABL*}E
MISTAKABLE comes from the same root as "mistake", using that in the SI is weak wordplay.

7D: *Iguazu aristocrats in hiding (5) ZUARI [T]
This is one of the starred clues without definition. ZUARI is "in hiding" within "Iguazu aristocrats", all right - but that's not what the clue is saying.

19D: The Eskimo is tentative about concealing a sponge (7) MOISTEN [T]
"moisten" is a verb, but "a sponge" can only be a noun. The "a" might improve the surface but it spoils the wordplay.

1A: Mint for the auditor bound by a deadline (4,5) TIME{~thyme} LIMIT
"by" is not fair as connector, it's obtrusive to solving.

15A: Flowers of sulphur behind the cave shrine's internal switch (9) AMAR{A <-> N}TH S
The surface doesn't make a whole lot of sense.

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Garson Hampfield, Crossword Inker

2009-09-14T23:32:00.001+05:30

Question: Who is the most underappreciated member of the crossword design team?
Answer: The crossword inker.

If you haven't heard about crossword inking before, then you must watch this brilliant video in which Garson Hampfield, crossword inker, expounds on the intricacies of this esoteric art. (Run time: 6.45mins)

Update: In case you’re wondering, this is meant to be a parody, with a lot of fake details. Please view it in that spirit!

Ashok, a big thank you for pointing this video out to me. I've seen it thrice and found new gems each time.

Crossword setters – what do you say? ;)

Interviews with Michael A. Charles, the creator of this video – here and here.

Update 2: Tony, crossword constructor who prefers making grids on the computer to employing a human "Box Team", points out that Chad Bumfry's framed masterpiece doesn't have its checking right! See the grid for yourself:

Related Posts:

The Araucaria Counterweight Book Saver

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Crossword Grid: Checking

2009-09-10T16:30:00.000+05:30

In a crossword, the more words you fill in, the more help you have for answering the remaining words. This is possible because of the grid's property of "checking", i.e. the interlocking of letters between the ACROSS and DOWN clues.

Take for example, the adjacent image of the top-left corner of a typical grid. Suppose you begin at 1A and cannot answer the clue: It might bring colour to one's face (8). You move on to attempt the crossing Downs. Each intersecting clue answered in the Down direction contributes a letter for 1A. With three Down clues answered, you have a much easier task, of finding a word that looks like L?P?T???. You also have the pattern N?E? for 12A in place, though you have not yet seen the clue.

The odd letters of 1A/12A are called checked letters (i.e. letters shared with words in the opposite direction). The even letters of 1A/12A are unchecked letters or unches (i.e. letters not shared with any other word).

Rules For Checking

The amount of checking in the crossword grid influences the solvability of the puzzle. Quick crossword grids have 100% checking, so some answers reveal themselves even before their clues have been attempted by the solver. Cryptic crossword grids have a different set of principles for checking. There are minor variations between publications but on the whole the rules are fairly universal.

No more than two unchecked letters in a row
Roughly half the letters checked in every word. In an 8-letter word, at least 4 letters will be checked. Where the word length is odd, some publications might round down the number of checking letters to just below half; those with stricter standards of fairness like The Times and Gridman's grids in The Hindu round it up. This means that in a 7-letter word, at least surely 3 will be checked.
If two unches occur together, the Times grid has an additional rule that they will not be the first two or last two letters of the word.

Long DOWNs, Anyone?

As The Hindu Crossword regulars will be aware, M.Manna has seven crosswords in a row in the paper. Notice this grid that appears during his cycle (e.g. THC 9603, THC 9541):

Chances are, you find yourself getting stuck at 8D/10D with puzzles based on the grid. Remember SKETCHY MEAL? GREEN KEEPER?

This grid has three unchecked letters in a row, breaking the first rule of fair checking. I know of no other daily crossword that would consider this grid publishable.

Related Posts:

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Seth Godin Defines Enormity

2009-09-09T17:13:00.005+05:30

A little break from the series about grids. I happened to read something on Seth Godin's blog that made my crossword antennae go beep.

I've mentioned Seth Godin before, he's a powerful author/speaker and writes one of the most widely-read blogs in the world.

In a recent blog post, he talks about the human tendency to get drawn towards small, fixable issues than huge ones. His ideas, as always, are very well-expressed (read the piece here) – but for one issue.

He opens with the lines:

Enormity doesn't mean really enormous. It means incredibly horrible.

Does enormity really mean "incredibly horrible"? Not in my lexicon. I mentioned to a fellow Seth Godin admirer that enormity is not "incredibly horrible", it is "the quality of being incredibly horrible". He said "Yeah yeah, same thing".

Fellow Seth Godin admirer is not a cryptic crossword solver.

Enormity is a noun, but incredibly horrible can only stand for an adjective. For a crossword enthusiast, the difference between the two is enormous.

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ABC Of The Crossword Grid

2009-09-07T08:06:00.001+05:30

In my initial years of solving cryptic crosswords, I concentrated entirely on the clues and did not even notice the grid. I vaguely figured that the quick crossword grid in the evening paper had a higher white:black ratio than the cryptic grid, but thought no more about it.

One day I chanced upon a freeform crossword in a magazine. The grid was awkward, unsightly. It struck me then that the crosswords I solve look way better than that.

As a "wiser" solver today, I respect the grid much more. Coming up is a series of posts, starting with this one, about different properties of the cryptic crossword grid, good and bad attributes, and ways in which setters do clever stuff with the grid.

The most visible grid property first – its appearance. If you're unfamiliar with grid terminology (checking? unches? blocked grid?) read through this to start with: Link.

Shape And Size

A typical cryptic crossword grid is square, and 15 x 15 in size. Grids used by The Hindu, Economic Times and most daily publications from UK fit that description. There could be different-sized grids too - the New Indian Express crossword is a smaller 13 x 13, while the Times Jumbo as large as 23 x 23. Smaller grids tend to be used for easier puzzles (I'm not sure why!).

The standard cryptic grid is a blocked grid – that is, within the grid there's a pattern of black-and-white squares. The white squares are also called lights, and the black squares are called darks, blacks, or blocks.

Rotational Symmetry

All mainstream crossword grids have 180° rotational symmetry, also called two-way symmetry or half-turn symmetry. This means that when the grid is turned upside down, the dark (black squares) and lights (white squares) are in the same locations. Some grids also have 90° symmetry, which is four-way symmetry or quarter-turn symmetry.

The rotational symmetry doesn't affect the solving in any way, just adds to visual appeal (except if you have a Poirot-esque obsession with order then it will help by not distracting you from the solving). It does help the setter in keeping other aspects of the grid consistent across the puzzle.

Black Space Distribution

Good cryptic crossword grids have balanced spread of dark vs lights. There will be no huge black shapes or clusters of white within the grid.

This does impact solving in a way. More on this in the coming posts.

See It For Yourself!

	Freeform Grid - No internal symmetry - Big black shapes
	American (Quick) Crossword Grid - Square, 15 x 15 - Half-turn rotational symmetry - Higher white:black ratio - Clusters of white
	Cryptic Crossword Grid - Square, 15 x 15 - Half-turn rotational symmetry - Lower white:black ratio - No clusters of white or black

Related Posts:

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Pretty Girl In Crimson Rose (8)

2009-09-01T07:55:00.000+05:30

Sandy Balfour writes in his book "Pretty Girl In Crimson Rose (8)":

A setter can only set the clue. It takes the solver to complete its meanings, and the meanings are different for each of us. The clue itself will have only one answer, but the associations that each solver can bring to that answer are as many and varied as there are solvers.

Most writings about crosswords look at the game from a standpoint of logic. "Pretty Girl In Crimson Rose (8)" stands apart for its philosophical, almost poetic view of cryptic crosswords.

The book isn't absolutely about crosswords. It is about Balfour's life, his relationships, his travels across the world, his sense of exile. He picks up the skill of solving cryptic crosswords along the way, and finds his experiences resonate through clues. Sometimes they reflect the turmoil he is going through, sometimes they trigger memories, sometimes deliver profound lessons.

The story of his life enmeshes with anecdotes about crosswords, and it's creditable that the dual narrative flows without seeming bumpy or forced.

I can see the low blue shapes of the Swartberg mountain range. It seems to me that all there is between us is distance. It is very familiar. I have been here before. I have travelled both ways along this road.

What happens in a reversal is this. Somewhere in the clue there will be an indicator…

Spread across the story are remarkable cryptic clues, some of which have acquired cult status of sorts today. A feeler:

The real reason for the meeting of Volkswagen and Daimler (6, 6)
Archer triumphant as storyteller (11)

You also get to know a bit about crossword setters from the UK, such as the very well-organized catalogue of clues maintained by Rufus, or Pasquale's not-too-high opinion of Araucaria's clueing technique. Conversations with setters are most entertaining, like one in a pub in which Paul and Enigmatist talk in puns.

A very unusual, beautifully written book. For crossword regulars it is one to keep.

Check out Sandy Balfour's website and the book reviews on Amazon.

One Nitpick!

Sandy Balfour says:

In this respect I am a good traveller. I can discuss baseball with Americans in much the same way as I can discuss kabadi with the citizens of Bangalore, or cricket with the Australians.

Unfortunately, bringing up kabadi in a conversation with the citizens of Bangalore will only draw blank stares. To bond with people of this city, choose the same sport that you would with the Australians. Talk cricket.

Related Posts:

The Araucaria Counterweight Book Saver

2009-08-29T10:41:00.001+05:30

Are you in the habit of solving crosswords in the bath, dozing off and accidentally dropping puzzle books into the water, causing untold damage to your precious books?

Then you might pick up a tip or two from crossword fan Ivan Greenburg. He has exactly this problem and has devised an innovative contraption to save his puzzle books from such mishaps. [Thanks to crossword center for mentioning this in their newsletter, that's where I heard about it first.]

The device is called 'The Araucaria Counterweight Book Saver', named after its inventor's favourite setter. Read more about it with annotated pictures here on the Chamber's editors' blog, clishmaclaver.

For those who don't keep track of the Guardian crossword, Araucaria is the pseudonym of Reverend John Galbraith Graham MBE, probably the most popular setter on the Guardian crossword team. He is best known for his themed puzzles, clever long anagrams and non-conformance to rigid Ximenean standards.

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Sample A Themed Guardian Crossword

2009-08-25T23:36:00.000+05:30

Today's Guardian crossword (24787 – Brendan) is an example of a classic Guardian puzzle - creative, adventurous, with a distinctive stamp of the setter's style.

Brendan specializes in puzzles with themes; 24787 has one too. Several clues each interlink with each other. As you piece the puzzle together the commonality emerges and helps you figure out the cross-references.

Regular Hindu crossword solvers who don't care for the "starred clues with no definition" variety may want to try this one. If you had concluded that you don't like themed puzzles at all, this might just change your mind.

Links to the puzzle: PDF, HTML and Interactive.

I had an immensely good time with this crossword. Many thanks to Brendan.

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Crosswords For Beginners

2009-08-24T12:33:00.000+05:30

As promised in the post More Tips For Tackling Cryptic Crosswords (tip #5), some crossword recommendations for beginners.

This is a selection of good-quality easy crosswords available online, free of cost. I'm mentioning those that I'm familiar with myself; there must be other fine puzzles that I haven't had a chance to try. If you have recommendations to add or further thoughts on these crosswords, please drop a comment about it.

Crossword	Description	Availability
New Indian Express Crossword (NIE)	An easy crossword with simple vocabulary and accessible wordplay. The puzzle is fair, clever and fun, with lots of double definitions and cryptic definitions. NIE is a UK-syndicated crossword (anyone knows the name of the original puzzle?) set by Roger Squires.	Online location: Go to the New Indian Express ePaper and use the site search facility for "crossword". From the search result, expand the grid image to get the printable crossword. [There's no direct URL to the puzzle and too many popup ads on NIE's website, which makes the process of locating the crossword quite painful. I hope NIE does something about it!] Solving help: A small, dedicated NIE XWord Orkut community recently set up by John George solves this puzzle. You can join and participate in this group. Frequency: 6 days a week, Mon-Sat
The Hindu Crossword (THC)	Probably the most popular crossword in India. Indian solvers have an edge with THC because of the local flavour in the clues. Five compilers set for this puzzle. The quality and difficulty of the puzzle varies widely according to the setter. The paper publishes the setters' puzzles cyclically - the full quota for one setter, then the next one takes over. The sequence of publication (with puzzles per cycle for each setter) is: Sankalak (6) – Nita Jaggi (10) – Gridman (6) – M. Manna (7) – Neyartha (2) My suggestion for beginners is to stick to Sankalak and Gridman puzzles. [You might want to check out The Hindu Crossword Compilers: Your Views?]	Online location: For the current day's crossword, go to http://thehindu.com and click "Miscellaneous" on the left sidebar. The page that opens contains links to the crossword. The puzzle is available in HTML and PDF printable formats. Archives: Puzzles from the year 2000 onwards are available online. Use this URL to access any Hindu crossword from the archives – just change the dates (YYYY/MM/DD): http://www.hindu.com/YYYY/MM/DD/10hdline.htm e.g. The 24th July 2008 crossword is at http://www.hindu.com/2008/07/24/10hdline.htm Solving help: Plenty of help is available online – see the post The Hindu Crossword Solutions. Frequency: 6 days a week, Mon-Sat
Everyman / The Hindu Sunday Crossword (THC Sun)	Everyman puzzle of The Observer (a Sunday paper in the UK, owned by the Guardian group) helps you break into the puzzle gently, with its long anagrams and some simple wordplay. The same puzzle is reproduced in The Hindu on Sundays, with a gap of 7 weeks from its original date of publication. Everyman tends to have many British cultural references, so it might be easier for solvers from UK than from other countries.	For THC (Sun), the online location, archives and solving help details are the same as for the weekday THC. For Everyman: Online location: Everyman crossword Archives: Puzzles published since July 2003 are available. Use "Crossword Archive Search" on Guardian's crossword page, with Type = Everyman. Solving help: Visit the blog for Everyman on fifteensquared. As this is a prize puzzle, the solution is discussed after the deadline has passed (a week's gap from the date of publication). Frequency: Once a week, each Sunday
Economic Times Crossword (ET)	The crossword published in the Indian financial daily Economic Times is quite approachable for beginners. It has many "combination" clues (those that mix clue types, like anagram within container) without being overly tricky. This crossword is syndicated from UK's The Daily Mail.	Online location: See the post Economic Times Crossword Online for instructions on how to access the puzzle. Archives: A week's archives are available on the site. On step 3 in the how-to-access post, change the default search option from "This Newspaper" to "Whole Week". Solving help: Bhargav Gopal's Orkut community CrosswordMania solves this crossword, with explanations for the solutions. You can join and participate in this group. Frequency: Daily
Financial Times Crossword (FT)	A number of compilers set for this puzzle, and the style/difficulty varies according to the setter. This page gives style/difficulty ratings for some FT setters. In general, the week starts with simpler puzzles, so Mon-Tue are good days for newbies. I've found the setters Dante, Armonie and Falcon to be quite easy. Dante incidentally is Roger Squires, the same as the NIE setter.	Online location: The Financial Times crossword page has links to the latest crosswords. FT has recently fixed legibility issues with the printable puzzle. They used to be blurred images earlier, now they're neat PDFs. Archives: Older crosswords up to three weeks are available at the same location. Solving help: Go to category FT on fifteensquared. The solutions appear on the same day, except for Mon and Sat prize puzzles which are blogged about after the deadline has passed. Frequency: 6 days a week, Mon-Sat
Guardian Crossword	As with FT, a number of compilers set for this puzzle. Many compilers on FT also set for Guardian under different pseudonyms. The Guardian crossword has a more adventurous style than FT and may be tougher, but Monday can be relied on for easy fare. The setter is usually Rufus on Mondays. No prizes for guessing who Rufus is (yes, it's Roger Squires, the same as the NIE setter and Dante of FT).	This paper provides excellent online access to its puzzles, user-friendly and easily searchable. Online location: The Guardian Crossword page has links to printable and interactive versions. Archives: Use "Crossword Archive Search" on Guardian's crossword page, with Type = Cryptic. You can also filter by setter, date, format or puzzle number. Solving help: Go to category Guardian on fifteensquared. The solutions appear on the same day, except for the Sat prize puzzle which is blogged about after the deadline has passed. Frequency: 6 days a week, Mon-Sat
The I-do-it Box (TIB)	TIB crosswords are set by Vinod (Diogenes) and Tony (Cryptonyte). They aren't in a mainstream publication yet, I hope they will soon be. There isn't much obscurity in vocabulary or GK in their crosswords. There is a lot of good, fair wordplay.	Online location: The blog TV Crosswords. Interactive versions are provided too. Archives: Look up the archives through their sidebar. Solving help: Write a comment under the puzzle, the setters will respond. Frequency: Roughly once a week. A new puzzle is generally uploaded around Fri-Sat.

Actually, you don't have to start with an easy puzzle. You could directly do the Times (which is harder than the puzzles above), only that you have to be stronger not to lose heart if you don't answer too many clues in the initial tries. With any puzzle, you will see progress if you solve regularly and seek explanations when you don't understand something.

Just cut your solving teeth on well-made puzzles, easy or hard doesn't matter all that much.

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