The Quick 10: The New York Times Crossword Puzzle

The New York Times crossword app on my iPhone is probably the best and worst investment I have ever made. I use it all of the time, which is more than I can say for some of my other apps (I meant well, Tetris, I really did), but I probably use it way too much. The problem/awesomeness of the app is that you can consult a calendar and pick any crossword you want going several years back. This means I am doing crosswords all of the time. I have become one of those people who is always completely enthralled in the iPhone and can't be bothered to make eye contact with anyone. It's not healthy. And no, The New York Times certainly hasn't paid me to endorse their app, although if they would like to, I'd be happy to provide my Paypal address. It's really all just a long-winded way of saying that I have crosswords on the brain lately, so it only seemed natural to do a little research on the American pastime.

1. Prior to 1942, the Times was kind of snobby about the wordplay game. They called it "a primitive form of mental exercise" and turned their collective noses up at people who would deign to spend their time arranging letters in little boxes. But the paper finally decided to give in to fun and games during the WWII, when it was decided that perhaps readers needed something a little bit frivolous to take their minds off of the considerably heavier events going on in the world. 

2. There are about 20 errors in the crosswords every year. When you consider that 417 are published annually (there are two on Sundays) and each crossword contains more than 50 clues, that's a pretty good rate. But keep your eyes peeled anyway"¦ it's always fun to spot one.

3. Celebrity NYT crossword fans include Bill Clinton, Kitty Carlisle Hart, Norman Mailer, Jon Stewart and Beverly Sills. "You are never famous until you've had your name in a crossword puzzle," she once said. "There is a group of people who mail the puzzle to you when your name comes up in it."

4. Clinton is such a fan that he collaborated on an online-only crossword for the Times in 2007. He wrote the clues, but the grid was constructed for him. Shortz edited the puzzle "“ albeit very little, he said "“ and reported that Clinton's clues and answers were "laugh out loud" funny.

9. In 1998, a man proposed to his New York Times crossword-loving girlfriend using the puzzle. Bob Khan prepared a puzzle where answers to clues included "BILLG" (his first name and last initial") "WILLYOUMARRYME" and "AMODESTPROPOSAL." She said yes. What do you want to bet that completed crossword puzzle is hanging on their wall, framed?

10. A few tips to help you on your life quest to finish the Sunday Crossword (or is that just me?):
"¢ Any time the clue uses an abbreviation instead of spelling out the word, the answer is an abbreviation.
"¢ If the clue ends in a question mark, the puzzle author is using a play on words or is doing something else particularly clever.
"¢ The answer will never be in the clue itself.

The Sunday puzzle, by the way, is supposed to be about the difficulty of a Thursday puzzle.

My crossword puzzle-addict friend, who is a lot better at them than I am, swears by Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword Puzzle. He explains answers and is a bit condescending ("[This was] medium for me, but rebuses always befuddle a significant chunk of the audience"), but is also entertaining and kind of helps you understand the reason behind the clues and answers so you'll "get" the writers better in the future.

Any other NYT crossword junkies out there? Maybe we can start a group. Leave a comment and let us know how far in the week you can get, and then we'll divide into small therapy sessions from there"¦ And yes, I have seen the documentary Word Play, and it makes me feel bad about my intellect.

Have a Q10 request? I'm on Twitter and I'm all ears! Err... all keys. Something.