Any Crossword Puzzle Fans Here? New way to solve...

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I enjoy crossword puzzles.

But recently I've felt that the ones I was doing weren't challenging enough.

Then I hit upon a solution...

Try solving with the ACROSS clues ONLY. No peeking at the down clues.

This make it much tougher as you have to use some deduction and recognition of letter patterns to fill in gaps.

As of now, I've only solved 5 or 6 out of 35 this way.

Once I go to the DOWN clues, I can solve it easily, but it doesn't count as a "true solve".

It's harder than it sounds, but I think crossword fans understand.

All the best,
Michael
  • Profile picture of the author MikeAmbrosio
    I enjoy crossword puzzles, but I am not that good at them. There's no reason for me tomake them harder

    On the other hand, I LOVE to solve cryptograms. I do one every morning in our paper...
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  • Profile picture of the author warriorgirl1
    Right now I am really fond of kakuro - I don't know if you have heard about it. Great way os spending time. Something relaxing and good for our mind too.
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    • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
      Originally Posted by warriorgirl1 View Post

      Right now I am really fond of kakuro - I don't know if you have heard about it. Great way os spending time. Something relaxing and good for our mind too.
      These started out as American puzzles, known as Cross Sums. I've been doing them for maybe 30 years.

      Sudoku also started out as an American puzzle, though it can trace its origins back to magic squares.

      @Mike, I used to do Cryptograms all the time. But since I wrok for myself, I don't get the paper.

      Regardless, all of the puzzles are a lot of fun.

      Side note: My least puzzles are word searches - to me, they're not really puzzles.

      All the best,
      Michael
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      "Ich bin en fuego!"
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      • Profile picture of the author MikeAmbrosio
        Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

        These started out as American puzzles, known as Cross Sums. I've been doing them for maybe 30 years.

        Sudoku also started out as an American puzzle, though it can trace its origins back to magic squares.

        @Mike, I used to do Cryptograms all the time. But since I wrok for myself, I don't get the paper.

        Regardless, all of the puzzles are a lot of fun.

        Side note: My least puzzles are word searches - to me, they're not really puzzles.

        All the best,
        Michael

        Word search - in our paper there is one of those right above the cryptogram. So I do it anyway. Mostly I just like to see how fast I can get them done. Great doing puzzles early in the morning. Wakes up my brain.
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        • Profile picture of the author Michael Oksa
          Originally Posted by MikeAmbrosio View Post

          Word search - in our paper there is one of those right above the cryptogram. So I do it anyway. Mostly I just like to see how fast I can get them done. Great doing puzzles early in the morning. Wakes up my brain.
          Good point, Mike.

          Adding another challenge element to word searches could help. Games magazine has a word search in every issue, but they have a twist of some kind; symbols replacing words or letter combinations, for example.

          Out of curiosity, anyone like anagrams?

          All the best,
          Make His Cola
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          "Ich bin en fuego!"
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          • Profile picture of the author MikeAmbrosio
            Originally Posted by Michael Oksa View Post

            Good point, Mike.

            Adding another challenge element to word searches could help. Games magazine has a word search in every issue, but they have a twist of some kind; symbols replacing words or letter combinations, for example.

            Out of curiosity, anyone like anagrams?

            All the best,
            Make His Cola
            I stink at those.

            In our same paper (on the puzzle page), there is the Jumble puzzle - 4 words (normally 5 - 6 letters) you have to unscramble, then take the circled letters from those words and unscramble them to solve the riddle.

            That's the closest we get to anagrams.

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  • Profile picture of the author chargers
    i like crossword puzzle a lot but i cannot complete it on my own
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  • Profile picture of the author Mary Gallivan
    I used to do crosswords a lot before I got the computer. I found the more you do the easier they became as your brain is tuned in to them.

    Now that I've left them alone for a long time they can be more difficult to get going again.

    I love anagrams - in fact I just like playing around with words. Crazy things like saying a word how it looks, for instance crepes French pancakes) and pronouncing it creepies (helps to learn the spelling for me) or gateux as gatux

    I know - I've spent too much time in front of my computer and should get out more!!!

    Mary
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