Comments on: Now that people have calmed down…

By: Peter Biddlecombe

Peter Biddlecombe — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 19:32:55 +0000

A blogger can have fun of course – it’s just worth knowing that there are resources out there. Typo correction: “fifteensquared”.

By: Lance Knobel

Lance Knobel — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 13:40:21 +0000

Thanks for those pointers, Peter. I agree that people should plunge in. But I’m finding that I meet a lot of people who just can’t get over the initial hurdles. All those years of dumbing down thanks to the NYT and similar has done something to their mental processes.

In any case, it’s something I want to write for myself as much as for others. Can’t a blogger have some fun?

By: Peter Biddlecombe

Peter Biddlecombe — Sat, 20 Sep 2008 11:42:45 +0000

Really short version of the course: search the internet for ‘cryptic crosswords advice’ or similar, read about the types of clue; and then dive into puzzles. Read about how the answers work on one of the two blogs (“Times for the Times”, “fifteensuqared”) which between them cover the Times, Guardian and Independent plus various other puzzles. Guardian and Independent puzzles are free on their websites in at least some form. Times still requires a sub, or is syndicated in the New York Post. I organise the Times for the Times one and we get comments from some American solvers. There is Brit culture in ‘em of course, but not enough to spoil the fun.

By: Nick de Souza

Nick de Souza — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 09:48:14 +0000

Hi Lance

I’m glad you stayed calm. I too think that Obama will not only win the election, but will win in a landslide. How can Pennsylvania be a swing state, as all the pundits are suggesting? It will clearly stay blue.

Obama has become an excellent candidate – far better than he was 10 months ago. His own calm exterior plays brilliantly to voters who are craving a self-assured president who knows a little bit more than the other guy. He hasn’t done a Kerry and gone hunting.

By: Doug

Doug — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 06:33:46 +0000

Tempting. Never had the cultural references to even attempt the British things.

I wonder if there’s a brief article somewhere on how the cryptic puzzles evolved. It would be interesting to see when the US/UK divergence happened. The German equivalent is even weaker brew than US puzzles, which I generally like. Can’t tell you if there are corresponding puzzles in other languages, but that would be interesting, too.