#PAST NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD EDITOR SOFTWARE#

вЂњMaking crossword puzzles is an art, but at its heart itвЂ™s putting stuff together, thinking logically,вЂќ Croce says. And the human creator still has to know foreign words, proper nouns, and phrases.

#PAST NEW YORK TIMES CROSSWORD EDITOR SOFTWARE#

The software description makes creating crossword puzzles sound like a snap, but on closer investigation the software seems as complicated as completing a long-form tax return.

If heвЂ™s filled in вЂњ_ E R _ _ SвЂќ he enters вЂњ?ER?SвЂќ and the compiler reveals letters that complete the blanks with real words. He constructs the puzzles using a crossword compiler program, using it to lay out each puzzleвЂ™s grid the software also provides a database of incomplete words. But for common words that have been used several hundred times, I donвЂ™t have a problem repeating the clue.вЂќ вЂњI want as much of my puzzles to be original as possible.

вЂњIf itвЂ™s a new word and the same clue has been used twice, thereвЂ™s no way IвЂ™m repeating that clue,вЂќ he says.

I have a lot of bookmarked websites.вЂќ Alumnus Tim Croce creates crosswords for the New York Times.Д¬roce has a computer program that lists every puzzle clue published in The Times and The LA Times for the past several years. I donвЂ™t have a library of hard-bound reference books. If IвЂ™m stuck for an original clue, IвЂ™ll look in the dictionary for something in one of the definitions that I can twist in a creative way not used before. If itвЂ™s an interesting fact, I might use Google or Wikipedia to come up with the clue. вЂњWill looks for puzzles that use clean words, and answers with unusual letter combinations.вЂќДЇor The TimesвЂ™ theme-free Friday and Saturday puzzles, Croce says, вЂњIвЂ™ll just hear a current, fresh word or a phrase on the news, so IвЂ™ll put it at 1 Across. вЂњ The New York Times publishes fewer than 10 percent of the puzzles that are submitted for consideration,вЂќ Croce says. вЂњItвЂ™s a word you find pretty often in crosswords because, of its three letters, two are vowels.вЂќД®mu is also a word that crossword puzzle enthusiasts (cruciverbalists) consider clean, meaning itвЂ™s not a word thatвЂ™s used only in crosswords. In a nod to how much crossword puzzles have become part of his identity, CroceвЂ™s Twitter avatar is an ostrich. вЂњThree out of my four grandparents also did crosswords and weвЂ™d solve them together. вЂњMom used to do a lot of puzzles, so IвЂ™d solve crosswords with her,вЂќ he says. Now 29, CroceвЂ™s interest in crossword puzzles began when he solved kiddy-style puzzles for kindergarten assignments by age 9 or 10, he was doing newspaper-style crosswords. вЂњMy goal is to hit for the cycle, having a puzzle published in The New York Times on every day of the week,вЂќ he says. To date, CroceвЂ™s puzzles have been published on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Saturday as this story goes online, several of his puzzles are slated for Tuesday publication and another is scheduled for a Monday. The TimesвЂ™ daily crossword puzzles grow increasingly difficult from Monday to Saturday, and each earns its creator $200 SundayвЂ™s puzzle is so complex the newspaper pays its creator $1,000. Only the most expert solvers can probably do it!вЂќ вЂњUnfortunately, itвЂ™s a Saturday puzzle,вЂќ says Will Shortz, New York Times puzzle editor, вЂњwhich is one of TimвЂ™s specialties. Just try matching wits with him by attempting to solve the puzzle accompanying this story, recently published in The Times and reproduced with permission. For the solution, see below.Д¬reative and competitive are two other adjectives that aptly describe CroceвЂ™s personality. A crossword by Tim Croce вЂ™05 (ENG), reproduced from the New York Times with permission. Croce has created more than 25 crossword puzzles for The New York Times (answer to 1/Down). Intrigued? You may be a cruciverbalist, one of three words Tim Croce вЂ™05 (ENG) (answer to 1/Across) uses to describe himself. The pre-eminent publisher of the cleverest, most engaging, and at times trickiest crossword puzzles. Met his wife while both performed in the Pride of Connecticut.ДЎ.

Past new york times crossword editor