CROSSWORD SOLVER PUZZLE:
[ CELEBRITY COUPLES]
PROGRAM: [Crossword Solver]
PROGRAM: [Java]
PRINTOUT PUZZLE: [ CELEBRITY COUPLES]
PROGRAM: [Adobe Acrobat]
ACROSS LITE PUZZLE: [ CELEBRITY COUPLES]
PROGRAM: [Across Lite]
I’m not sure how people made puzzles before the Internet. Oh, that’s right, I do remember. If you weren’t sure about something, you either had to go to the library and look it up or the entry/clue didn’t go into the puzzle. Good times. Glad we’re not going back to that anytime soon.
Among the myriad of on-line tools at my disposal, one I lean on heavily is Gchat. And in that circle is a bunch of folks I bounce ideas off. And what do you know? There stand two of my Crossword Jesuses: Frank Longo and Patrick Berry. I routinely ask them if an entry is legitimate and/or if a clue works. Usually, they’re in agreement with my good/bad ideas. But, at times, they give me conflicting information. Frank is usually the more, uh, liberal with entries. He can be convinced that anything might be legitimate. Patrick, on the other hand, is very strict. Not in a dictionary: no good. Not much web support: no way. It’s fascinating to see their two answers side by side in chat windows, especially when they disagree. I imagine they are having their own IM, and have decided that as crosswording gods, they’re going to make my puzzle-making mortal life miserable. Like I’m a character in my own Greek tragedy. Good times.
Share the puzzle. New one on Monday.
Guess the World Book was before your time…
When I started solving for XWPs way back in ’77, I resorted to a lot of references: the dictionary, atlas, several encyclopedias, almanacs, the thesaurus, and of course, the Dell Crossword Puzzle Dictionary. I’d resort to Leonard Maltin’s movie review, but it wouldn’t be out for years. These days I don’t resort to any refs. or help from anyone.