How to Do a Crossword Puzzle

And why you absolutely should

A headline popped up in my newsfeed recently about a new study on brain games. The first few lines indicated that puzzles and other so-called ‘brain exercises’ do nothing at all to increase your IQ or stave off mental atrophy.

I ignored it.

Study schmuddy. I stand by the notion that while doing puzzles in my free time, I am exercising my gray muscle. I get better at them over time, they force me to leverage my memory, and I often learn a new word or two. I cannot say the same for watching television.

Wake up or wind down

I love a slow, peaceful morning with my coffee and a crossword. It’s a gradual waking-of-the-brain that is far more pleasant than the news.

Or pluck away at a puzzle as you shift gears and end your day; its a great companion with a glass of wine on the front porch as the sun goes down.

If you’ve tried doing crosswords and felt frustrated, or just had no clue where to start, let me encourage you to try again using some simple tips.

Anyone can do crossword puzzles.

Yes, anyone. You do not have to be the sharpest knife in the drawer. This is not about intelligence. Does it help to be somewhat knowledgeable about the world around you? Certainly. Crosswords are little microcosms of broad knowledge, spanning many topics. But none of them require a Harvard degree.

You will get better.

All puzzles have a style, and if you stick with one particular brand for a while, you will pick up on their usual clues. This will make future solving easier, and you’ll feel like a pro!

All puzzles, regardless of the publisher, have certain words and clues that are used universally (because eta, err, and ADHD are handy items to fit into awkward word groups) and you will quickly learn those too.

Some puzzles are harder than others.

Don’t set yourself up to fail by starting with a Saturday New York Times crossword. Many people do not know that both the Times and The Atlantic puzzles increase in difficulty through the week, and Saturday is the hardest of them all. If you want to tackle the quintessential NYT, start with a Monday. They also have mini puzzles which are fun and simple, and they limber you up for the real thing.

The USA Today puzzle allows you to choose between ‘regular’ or ‘expert’ level. And most of the ‘free crossword puzzle apps’ you can get for your phone or iPad are, to be honest, extremely easy. Just about any of those would be a good place to start practicing.

Where to begin?

1. Scan your puzzle for fill-in-the-blanks. These are always the clues you are most likely to know. It’s like starting with the corner pieces on a jigsaw puzzle.
2. Find your starter words. Go through the puzzle methodically until you see one that jumps right out at you. It will be something you know for certain, like a book you read or a particular food you like. Keep at it, you’ll find something.
3. Now, work the grid. Pick one answer you’ve filled in, and see what intersects. All those clues that connect to it, across and down, that you didn’t know on your first pass? You will be surprised how many you can get now that you have just ONE letter filled in!

There are a few universal hints that work for most crosswords.

• If your clue includes an abbreviation, that’s a hint that your answer will be abbreviated, too.
• Know the answer but not sure about spelling? You probably know the first and last letter, at least — fill them in and continue on.
• Plural clue? Your answer is plural also. Try sticking an S in the end space, even if you don’t know the whole word, and continue on. (You can change it later if you were wrong.)
• If the clue is past tense, your answer will be also — see if an ‘ed’ works in the last two spaces. Does it sound like the clue could be an active verb? See if an ‘ing’ would work at the end.

And sometimes things get tricky.

• Most puzzles will tell you if an answer is made of two words, or more, in parenthesis after the clue. The harder puzzles will not, so watch out!
• Beware the question marks! These are not straightforward clues. These are dreamt up by puzzle editors that ̶a̶r̶e̶ ̶e̶v̶i̶l̶ think they’re clever and funny. This is where you will often find a pun or double meaning. Think outside the proverbial box.
• Some crossword puzzles have themes. The idea here is that once you understand the theme, you can solve the trickiest (or longest) clues. You might begin to notice that the long ‘anchor words’ that are the backbone of the puzzle have double vowels, or a play on words, or sound like a popular phrase.
  
  To be honest, sometimes I am nearly done with an entire brain-bender before the lightbulb turns on and I get the theme! So don’t rely on this as a method for solving.

If you get stuck

1. Walk away and come back later. Ever done a jigsaw puzzle? That 2000-piece monstrosity that sat on the dining table for a week? How many times were you stumped, only to stroll by casually a few hours later and snag that missing piece like a lizard sharpshooting a fly? Same with a crossword. When I am stuck on a really tough Friday or Saturday puzzle, I put it away, and 99 percent of the time I can finish it when I come back.
2. Reach out. Now you may disagree, but I don’t call this cheating. I’m not Googling the answer! But if there’s a question about a military base or a motorcycle, I call my son. If there’s a jazz musician clue, it’s an excuse to text my buddy, Jeff. It strikes up a conversation and sometimes a laugh. Do you really need an excuse for that?
3. Go with your gut. Have a guess? Fill it in. The beauty of digital is that you don’t have to hunt for a pencil or eraser. Just put it in there! Your instinct might be right, and it often is!

If you still feel intimidated, remember your strengths.

I remember doing TV Guide and Parade Magazine crosswords back when all crosswords were on paper: the pop culture references stumped me. I might be a whiz at the New York Magazine puzzle or other classics, but if you have knowledge of modern music and movies, you’ll bury me (and your friends) on other publications every time!

A little competition is healthy

Do it for the morning wakeup or the evening relaxation. Do it for the brain-boosting mental exercise. Sometimes crosswords just feed my inane love of competition with myself or others. I speed solve. I use a pen. I get an ego boost when I’ve aced a big Sunday grid.

Try it; soon you’ll be a puzzle freak like me. And we can brag about our healthy gray matter when we’re eighty.