If you believe XWord Info, an up-and-coming constructor named Will Shortz had two crosswords published in 1975, and then nothing until an oddly shaped Variety puzzle this year. You can see his author page here. Sure, he’s edited over 11,000 daily crosswords for the Times, and thousands more Variety and bonus puzzles of various kinds,… Continue reading Will Shortz, Constructor
Hackers
I made a couple of changes to try to mitigate the hack attacks that were crippling XWord Info. If either of these affect you and you’re not an evil hacker, let me know, and I’ll make sure you regain access.
Odd Characters
TL:DR: Click the “More…” button on the XWord Info Finder page to see new “Words with digits” and “Words with symbols” buttons. In a recent Crossword Fiend post, blogger (and constructor) Zachary David Levy (not necessarily an odd character himself) mistakenly insisted that, while ampersands were used in several pre-Shortz puzzles, they had never appeared… Continue reading Odd Characters
Hex’s Bookshelf
What makes a great acrostic quote? Where do most quotes come from? Which authors are the most quoted? At its basic level, XWord Info is simply a database of crossword information, and many (many!) pages that filter, sort and display that data in different ways. No matter how many pages I add, and no matter… Continue reading Hex’s Bookshelf
How hard could it be?
I get mail wondering why I can’t promise to keep updating XWord Info. “It can’t be that hard,” is a typical comment. Usually followed by, “if you need someone to upload puzzle files, I’d be happy to do that.” Great! I’ll hand things over to you today. Just so you have a handle on things,… Continue reading How hard could it be?
Our Casual Relationship is Over
In an attempt to balance the budget, Casual Level accounts are no longer offered.
I Won’t Miss Jeff Chen
Jim Horne’s thoughts on Jeff Chen’s departure from XWord Info
Bar Game Updates
The XWord Info Bar Game can’t compete with the Crossword or Finder pages, but it’s surprisingly popular, with many repeat visitors. This post explains why, what’s new, how it’s used, and asks your opinion about various feature requests. It’s a game? How do I win? Well, it’s not much of a game, since there are… Continue reading Bar Game Updates
Cryptic Crosswords
Cryptic crosswords are the most difficult to get into, but the most fun once you do.
Jim’s final Acrostic
I took advantage of a window of opportunity to pitch three Acrostic ideas that might push that puzzle type in some new directions.