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Call for questions: Enigmatology (WORD PUZZLES) (Patreon)

Published:
2022-09-13 20:13:14
Imported:
2026-06

Content

Yep. New York Times crossword puzzle writer and puzzle magician David Kwong will sit down with me tomorrow and let me pepper him with questions about clues, Scrabble strategies, probably some Wordle wizardry and the science of how our brains figure them out and get tricked by curveballs. 

He is a treasure and I think you'll dig him. Leave questions below, friends!

Comments

Winnie’s a Witch

I’m a babysitter- how do I interest kids in word games etc and make them “not boring”? Thanks!!

Jessie Dragon

What’s the best way to help yourself with harder questions?

Jessie Dragon

Is there a way to help yourself remember bigger words in scrabble?

RJ Doidge

Is there any psychology to why I get so entranced and can’t focus on anything else until the puzzle is done?

Joe Mueller

Why are word scrambles super easy for some people but others can’t even pick the word out.

Amy Narimatsu

I play the NYT crossword, mini, spelling bee, and wordle every day. Why does it help to take a break to find words that were right in your face?

Brandon J. Willis

I would like to know about word puzzles/games in general, if they know of any mental benefit to keep your brain sharp?! True? Better to do a crossword versus playing tetris?

Winnie’s a Witch

Is doing crosswords good for dementia? (my grandma used to love them before she was diagnosed)

Anna Thompson

Is it just me or are other people also awful at games like Wordle or Scrabble where you look at individual letters but good at word play sorts of games like crosswords?

Kinkaid Designs

Oooo. Looking forward to it. I love puzzles.

Max Newman

What is the best word to start with on Wordle?

Bonnie Detwiller

Is getting the Wordle of the day on the first try just pure luck? Or are there patterns out there that we can look into and put up on walls and connect the clues by string to figure it out? Thank you!

Hannah nolen

In the New York Times puzzle this week, one of the answers was “shadetree,” however the entire word “shade” was in one square. How? Why???? (Sorry spoilers if someone’s still working on it)

Eli Johnathan

The ology I never knew I was obsessed with 👀👀 Do word games actually help preserve and/or improve your cognitive abilities, or is that some flim-flam? And why are they so gosh darn addictive?

Kalila Elahi

What is the history of word puzzles? How long have things like crossword puzzles been around? Did they come along with the Sunday paper or have humans always liked to try to guess words?

Taylor Wade

why does wordle make me angry? i always feel like i don’t know any five letter words

Jenna Taylor

Why is it I'm so good at scrabble and crosswords, but I simply cannot manage more than a 4 letter word in boggle? Drives me nuts!

Brandon J. Willis

There are 2-3 articles on NYTimes.com about strategy with Wordle.

Olga

what are the brain benefits of doing a daily crossword? asked by someone who loves her NYT daily crosswords lol

Courtney Jones

Favorite word? A word more people need to know? Any fun word trivia you want to share with fellow word nerds?

Shelby Reardon

Oh my gosh so many questions. What is the process of making a crossword? Are there ever hidden easter eggs in crosswords?

Patrick W

Crossword design boggles me because you somehow need to have seven or eight words all lining up in both directions. How do you even begin to build a crossword like that yourself?

Kevin Wilson

This is going to sound bizarre, but for me (late in life diagnosed with dyslexia) word searches are often really and comforting for me and not extra hard! Idk how to describe it, but it feels like a relief of sorts…. I know that sounds funky haha 😂

Cat Kessler

Do different cultures have different kinds of popular word puzzles based on the differences in language structure/alphabet/etc?

Maren Prophit

Where do you start with the design of a crossword puzzle? The definitions, the words, the shape? Maybe repurposing last night's Scrabble board? As a life long lover of words and Scrabble I am so excited to hear about your day to day, it sounds like a dream!

Jackie B

!! I do the NYT crossword every day and never thought this was an ology. At NYT, how do they decide what day of the week a puzzle is for? I know Monday is the easiest, Sunday is the hardest, but how do they label a puzzle as a Tuesday or something?

Chip Locke

I'm an avid crossworder (crosswordist? crosswordian?), but my sibling - who would also love them otherwise - doesn't do them because they find a majority of clues are subservient to a traditional old, white, cis, male audience. Is the crossword industry aware of the degree to which this bias exists and are there any movements towards more inclusive crossword puzzles in the mainstream?

Marie

Is there a trick to it? Because i fail miserably every time i try

Kirsten Dockendorff

Most people use puzzles to unplug but how does one do that when it’s your job? Is there a game or other low-key activity he finds both challenging and relaxing?

Maren Prophit

I am in the middle of reading "Word Freak" one of the only books that comprehensively covers the history and competitive side of Scrabble, what's your experience with the competitive side of word puzzles and games?

John Worster

It seems like certain words are repeated over, and over. Do you keep a list of words, to try and use, or try not to repeat in crosswords?

Gerald Thompson

Please ask them if they think they could win a game of Wheel of Fortune :)

Hannah Matousek

Do you have a favorite type of word puzzle? I’m more of a sudoku person myself, but I love a good crossword puzzle :)

cash.ruska

Any guesses why my neurodivergent brain loves word puzzles SO SO SO MUCH?

Kevin Wilson

Do you ever sneak in little Easter eggs into your puzzles? Like a little nod to your family/friends, or just for you? Like a Wilhelm scream but in puzzles!

Eliza Turner

FTQA: Why do our brains just love puzzles so much? Like, why do I get the same dopamine hit from putting 5 letters on a page that I get from successfully hunting down a chocolate bar? Follow-on: Why don't Americans love (get exposed to??) cryptic crosswords? I didn't discover these until I moved out of the US and the are so. much. fun!

Ali Vessels

I desperately want to think of a question for this because I LOVE WORD PUZZLES AND I'M SO STOKED but my brain is empty it short-circuited with excitement

Ali Vessels

What is the earliest known word puzzle?

Sarah Mathew

Why is it that some people like filling empty space (wordle, crosswords) and others like moving letters around (word scrambles). I’m an empty space filler myself

Megan Duffy

Do cyphers also count as word puzzles? I feel like they are word puzzles. If so what’s been a difficult word puzzle for you to solve and to you ask for help sometimes?

Matt Thompson

What are some lesser known word puzzles that we should be doing?

cash.ruska

What is your favorite type of word puzzle?

justusbears

What is the process in making a word puzzle? How do you come up with the clues in a crossword? Do you start with the solution first?

kexi

Any idea of much of the skill of solving these is just doing it often, and how much is just how one's brain works? I look at word puzzles and there's just nothing in my head, no ideas, no words, no nothing. (Is this what maths is like for other people? Is maths involved in creating them?)

em

First-time question-asker, here! I’ve always heard that word puzzles help ✨The Brain✨, but how, exactly? What about them exercises our noggins? Do they increase literacy?

Elaine Lamirande

Agree; I'm good at some types of puzzles but not others - why? Bananagrams baffled me for a while since it is a race until I figured out a strategy.

Adam Foote

I'm sure you're asked this all the time, but how long does it take you to construct a puzzle? How did you learn how to make puzzles? The few times I've tried to make puzzles I always end up thinking they're too obvious because I of course know the answer! Also, is there a lot of crossover between trivia and word puzzles? I feel like my Jeopardy! skills are always more useful in solving crosswords than I expect.

Kaitlin

Why does it sometimes seem like my brain shuts down whenever I do a word puzzle? It's like I forget every word ending in -ie during my daily Wordle!

Sam Moody

First time question asker! How do crosswords improve problem solving skills? Are there any other mental benefits of working on challenging puzzles?

Tess Hebert

Is there any research about the effects of word games on the brain in paper format vs on a screen?

Adam T. Berns

What tips does he have for figuring out how to solve diagramless crosswords (ones where the layout is blank and you have to figure out the clues AND which squares are black), especially that tricky middle area? For that matter, how is the "diagram" of a crossword determined: pattern 1st, then words; or words first, then pattern?

Liser K

Is the person that chooses the Wordle of the day a satist? Some days it feels that way! The cruelty of getting 4 out of 5 letters and the missing one could be 10 different things. 😄

Miss Palindrome

Those games where the first word that jumps out at you in a word find is supposed to tell you something about your psyche - are they accurate?

Lizzy Martinez

What games does David play for fun?! And are they some type of puzzle?

Leila Laco

I love this question!

Peta Luck

I heard that puzzles that appear in newspapers are easier to do later in the day, perhaps because people use solutions from the puzzle more in their chit chat on that day....is there anything to that?

ConnieConnieBoBonnie

How great does it feel to create a word puzzle that really stumps a lot of people? Do you ever think of specific people when you are working on a word puzzle? For example, "Janet is so cocky, I bet she won't get this Wordle! Mwahahahahahahaha!" Or do you ever put in words that you know will really delight people you love? Like bumblebee? or caboodle?

Gordon Haas

Besides Scrabble, Boggle, and Password, what are David's favorite word-based board games?

Vin

What's the oldest iteration of the word puzzle that's currently being played? How do you feel about palindromes?

Hannah Nuest

What is the best predictor of a difficult to guess word in a game like Wordle? Uncommon usage? Lots of vowels? Less commonly used letters?

Davis Born

I love word games like Wordle, Scrabble, crossword, and Spelling Bee (and I like to think I’m decent at them), but I am hopelessly terrible at anagram-based games. Are there different cognitive processes (or something?) that get engaged for different types of word games?

Ruby Bray

Are word games acctually improving the way u think?

Melissa Berger

When I do word puzzles, I almost always I fail if I strategize, but do very well when I let my eyes and brain work freely. Maybe has to do with pattern recognition and association? The opposite is true of math type puzzles for me. Any insight there? Do puzzle makers always expect players to strategize?

Jacob Bowman

do you think that ability to complete crossword puzzles is a function of vocabulary or creativity? i could see both playing a huge role!

Lara Durgavich

As a crossword fanatic, I'm so excited for this!! My question is: how do I know if I'm good enough to be a competitive puzzler? I've thought about entering the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament...are you involved in it? Should I take the plunge?

Nancy Anderson

OMG, I cannot start the day without Wordle - have lost only a few times but am devastated when it happens. Some words surprise me (really, “booze” and I am stoked for the day if I get it in the 3rd line. But what I want to know is, why it’s so addicting. I honestly feel my day isn’t right if it doesn’t start with a successful puzzle. And Spelling Bee - I have to get the 14/15 pointer. How on earth do you draw otherwise sane people into this?

Paul Cirillo

Why are anagram based games (spelling bee, word farm) so difficult!

Morgan

Do you prefer making puzzles that are super difficult to stump people, or the ones that are fun to figure out but are less challenging?

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

Do word puzzles like crosswords light up a different part of our brains than number puzzles like sudoku?

Cate Muenker

Who in your field decided that crosswords with themes and upside down answers was fun? Its not fun, it’s torturous!

Specs Owl

why are they so much fun?

BeckytheSassySeagrassScientist

Do crosswords etc actually help to keep our brains sharp and fight dementia... or are we just telling ourselves that to stop the nightmares?

Jess McCole

When doing printed word puzzles on paper, do you prefer writing in pencil or pen? Using capital or lower-case letters? And if it's a book with lots of puzzles, do you generally go in order and only solve one at a time, or skip around and come back to clues that stump you?

Paul Cirillo

Are word puzzle games easier in some languages and more difficult in others? My thought process is that in languages that use alphabets with fewer letter, word games would be much easier because there are less letters that would be incorrect. Also, how to word games work in languages with characters (Mandarin, Korean, etc.)

Brie

here’s a question: why the HECK is there a rhebus option on the NYT crossword app but a puzzle never tells you when you’ll need it

Nick A

What were some of your favorite or most entertaining clues? Which pun was the most delicious?

Cate Muenker

Ok David- so you might create the Sunday crossword, but can you do them yourself?

Rachel von Morrigan

Before my husband and I started dating, we bonded over doing the NYT Crosswords at work. They’re SO HARD! We would get mad, start swearing, throw it across the store, then pick it back up later and keep going until we finished. So thanks for that! We’ve been together for 11 years.

Cassidy Mayo

Any advice for someone who wants to get into crosswords but is overwhelmed and doesn’t know where to start? Also, how to get less bad at them? Ftqa*

Stephanie Leské

OMG I love this! Is there a reason that when you stare at a word search the words just jump out at you & this to do with mental schemas? Also what's the best word you've used to win a word puzzle with? Anything incredibly embarrassing?

Cassidy Mayo

What is your favorite type of word puzzle? Ftqa*

Alicen Meysing

Do you know what the brain benefits of doing word puzzles are? Outside of the fact that they’re just super fun of course!

Silvia Triverio

🤩 my grandma, (97, left school at 10), can finish without Google the hardest crossword puzzles we have in Italy. My husband (an engineer) and I (with a master of science) can’t without checking here and there. Are we just dumb or is it my grandma 50 year experience that trained her to be such a wizard? Also, can we thank crossword puzzle for keeping my grandma sharp and alert or is it just flimflam that these games help your brain stay young?

Alex

I'm such a word nerd, can't wait for this interview! A rather specific question, but why is the word "eke" such a common answer in the NYTimes crossword??

Avren Keating

Do crossword puzzle makers have a computer create the filled out grid, and then come up with the clues from there? Are there certain words/names that you add in and a program fills out the rest of the possibilities?

Cate Muenker

Is Will Shortz a friend, mentor, or rival? Who is your favorite cruciverbalist?

Avren Keating

Is using a cryptic crossword dictionary to figure out what is actually the clue considered cheating?

Will

I’ve always had an impression that doing word puzzles is a good “brain exercise.” Is this true? Does doing crosswords make me smarter?

Kelly King

I immediately had to look up cryptic crosswords and I am so excited! Thanks for asking, I think I found a new hobby.

Felix Wolfe

How is it possible that a human can design a crossword without the help of a computer? How long does one take to make on average?

Kelsey Story

How are some people so much better at puzzles than others- obviously some people practice a lot, but what about those with a natural inclination? How? Why?? Also, is a puzzle just like any other puzzle, or is there something special about Word puzzles specifically? They just seem so much better than number puzzles.

Felix Wolfe

Who decides what are easy/med/hard clues?

Cate Muenker

Is it just me (and I’m not that old), or is filling out crosswords digitally just excruciatingly annoying? Does David prefer the old fashioned way with pen and paper or digitally?

Felix Wolfe

Who created the first crossword?

Felix Wolfe

Why is wordle so addictive/successful?

Joe Porfido

How much consideration is given to the diversity of the puzzle solvers? Some people would be more familiar with certain words than others.

Felix Wolfe

How can you improve your word finding ability from scrambled/an assortment of letters as are the base for spelling bee or scrabble?

Felix Wolfe

Why does it seem as though there are people who are inherently good at word puzzles? Is it true? Can anyone learn?

Rich Pasenow

What is the earliest example of humans playing word games? (I tried posting this earlier and it didn't seem to take, so I apologize if there are two)

Super_Sara

What would be the hardest word to make a crossword clue for, what word would be to risqué for a crossword?

Suzy Darrow

Are word games common in other languages/cultures? There is a huge variety of English language word puzzles. Any idea why are they so prevalent and in high demand?

cuxjmber

How do you come up with the puzzle themes, especially the ones that have strange spatial puzzles within the puzzle?

cuxjmber

How much does a puzzle (clues or answers) change between the original creation and when it’s edited and published?

Calista Donohoe

Aw HELL yeah. Are there any of those little common clues (you know, like “Before, to a poet - ERE”) that you, personally, find annoying/try to avoid using, or are they just a necessary tool? Do you keep a running list of crossword ‘themes’ that you want to use (and if so, can we hear some of them?) Are there any clues that you’re particularly proud of?

cuxjmber

In general, how much of the gridfill is done “by hand” vs a computer database?

Derek Peloquin

Definitely need to know what his favorite type of puzzle is (crosswords, cryptic crosswords, cryptograms, Wordle, etc.).

Anna Frazier

why does wordle work?? it just always works out so unexpectedly for me

Avren Keating

"Booze" was so aggravating ugghhhh

Anne Barnes

How do cultural changes show up in word puzzles (for example as words are recognized as slurs or a common clue for a word changes over time)?

Shannon Patterson

Not a question so much as an anecdote. Since just before the pandemic started, my partner and I have played a round of scrabble every night. We were in a really rough patch as a couple, and sometimes this was the only time of the day we would interact. That nightly game helped us strengthen our bond while slowly working through our shit. Why does my brain like scrabble? I don't know but it probably saved my marriage.

Naomi Jane

Favourite word!? And why!

Jessi

Do you play on the NYTimes crossword app? And if you do, what's your record for gold-star days in a row?

Martina Preece

Oh be still my word nerd heart! I just can’t wait for this one! So a Wordle question to start, does the word really get more difficult as the week progresses? Also, how are the words chosen, are they AI-generated? And finally, the Saturday crossword puzzle in my Canadian national paper, the Globe and Mail, has been much easier in the past few years. Am I just getting smarter (unlikely!) or have they been dumbing it down??

Jessi

How does one become a puzzle editor? What skills do you need to be good at that job?

Shelby Mills

What's your inspiration/source for all your puzzle content?

Hannah Boyd

First time question asker! What is your favorite alternate version of wordle and is it offensive or flattering when people tweak existing word puzzles to make their own spin off? Personally I really like semantle

Jessi

Do you cackle evilly when you write a crossword clue with a question mark at the end? (Because, if I'm being honest, I love those clues even though I often say "oh, fuck you" when I get the answer. Because it's never what I expect.)

Kyla C (KAI-luh, rhymes with Myra or Lyla)

Have you explored word games in other languages besides English? What's so special about English that makes word games in English so fun and devilishly hard?

Kylie M Smith

Is there any truth to the idea that word puzzles actually help keep people's brains sharp and decrease cognitive decline? If so, does it depend on what kind of word game?

George Koris

Doesn't Wordle "Hard Mode" actually make it easier to solve insofar as that it forces you to keep letters that have already been found, not to mention that you cannot inadvertently remove a found letter that is in the right space?

Kate Shaw

What are the factors that make a crossword “more challenging” as the week goes on? E.g. obscurity of cultural references, more oblique clue wording, etc?

Kate Shaw

Do you have an archive of excellent clue/word combos that you haven’t been able to work into any puzzles? (A “kill your darlings” kind of situation)

Victoria Garcia

Hi, first time question asker <3 My question is simply this: why are they so dang hard?!

Megan Younce

My grandpa lived to be 99 and we used to sit and do crosswords together from the Sacramento Bee. Are there specific ties to longevity of life and word puzzles?

Nancy Kay Clark

I want to make my own crosswords. What's the best way to get started?

Kate Shaw

Are different crossword puzzle writers better at designing puzzles for specific days/difficulty levels? Like, is Tuesday someone’s sweet spot, and somebody else is great at cranking out Saturdays?

Jessi B

In scrabble- what are the best words to use my Q’s when I don’t have a U. All I know is the word Qi.

Tim Pfarr

What’s your favorite Wordle starting word? Do you always use the same one or do you prefer to mix it up? Please help me dominate my friends and family at this wonderful game. Also, as a NYT crossword fan, why are there certain “crossword” words I can always count on? (Words like “epee.”)

Dantooine

Will doing crossword puzzles strengthen my brain functions (e.g. improve my memory, make me smarter)?

SueG

Which personality type gravitate more to puzzles?

Leanna Shuster

Why do you think Wordle caught on in such a huge way? Do you think it would have been as successful if it hadn't launched when everyone was on COVID lockdown?

Elena Horne

I’m curious to know if he has any thoughts on the idea that word puzzles can help prevent age-related mental decline.

Leanna Shuster

Who is the youngest puzzle author to have a crossword published in the NYT?

SueG

How does the intelligence factor into the type of person attracted to puzzles?

Silly Little Bard

Am I less smart if I don't solve word puzzles as fast?

Amy Zucker Morgenstern

On my bucket list: get a cryptic crossword puzzle published. What do you advise would-be puzzlemakers? Just sign me AZM. It was a thrill to hear my name on the podcast, but geez, all those syllables take up valuable interview time.

Lila Mankad

How long have humans had word games? Is it true that hangman started as an anti-american-revolutionary morbid game?

Lesley Weihs

Why so many double letters in Wordle?? There are 25 other useful letters in the alphabet just saying….

Lisa Henningsen

My day doesn't start until I finish Wordle, the mini, the crossword(Mon-Wed), Spelling Bee...and my coffee. Thanks for expanding my brain!!! AND... New Ologies days are my favorite days to walk and listen! Love you Alie!

Chip Locke

Oh also, first-time question! Just saw I might need to include that.

Jessica Rudd

Oh hey, first time question asker here! I am wondering about the history of word games. How long have they been around? What did the first word games look like? How have they evolved over time, and how are they influenced by the culture of the time/region? I know it’s a lot of questions, but I am just so dang curious about these word games.

Becca Christensen

Do you have any tips for solving crosswords?? I've been doing the New York Times crossword every day for a while now, and it feels like I never get any better at it.

choirqueer

If you're enjoying Word Freak, I highly recommend Away With Words by Joe Berkowitz, which takes you on a similar journey into the world of competitive puns!

choirqueer

I love both...does that make me bilexual?

Justin Saucedo

Should we switch to the International Phonetic Alphabet? How would that change word puzzles?

Paulina Krasińska-Sroka

How come I'm a writer by trade (mainly marketing oriented) and supposedly really good at it, yet word puzzles seem way out of my league? Shouldn't both of these draw from the same part of brain, the one filled with words and word associations? How do I access this special skill and win in Scrabble just this once? 😅

Kate Shaw

I want to know crossword puzzle writer lingo! Do different clue types have codified names? The ones in quotation marks, the ones that end in a question mark, etc Are there other good crossword puzzle sources that you recommend, specifically that don’t skew towards the older/white/higher class NYT subscriber audience?

Becca Van Tassel

Finally made it in time to ask a question! Where might someone who has always been too intimated to do word puzzles start? Are there skills you can practice to get better? Do different strategies work for different brains?

Joel Henderson

Real talk: how do you start and complete a crossword? Don’t tell me about themes or inspiration or clues; how do you physically fill in a 9x9 grid with words that interlock?

Autonomous Bees

All I want to know is how do I beat my mother at scrabble? She has been kicking my ass since I was 12 and she is ruthless.

choirqueer

OMG OMG OMG!!!! I literally screeched, I'm so excited for this one!!!!!! I have so many questions but I'll go with one I haven't seen get asked yet: Do you have any suggestions for someone who, say, looooooooves crosswords and would like to try creating them, but has never done so before and maybe feels kinda intimidated about doing so? Also, please ask him what his favorite sandwich cookie flavor is, and what his favorite clue for said sandwich cookie is. FTQA, pronouns are ze/zir (ze rhymes with free, zir rhymes with fur)

Pete Harlan

Do creators own rights to a format they invent? For example, I enjoy Patrick Berry's "Rows Garden" puzzles; could someone else publish one? What if they didn't call it "Rows Garden"? Ditto for any other puzzle I only see from a single creator.

Sydonie S.

What are some of the most common words found in crossword puzzles?

Lani Bouwer

I love word games and would love to know if they help my brain so I can rationalize the time I spend doing them when I should be doing other things like working, chores, and sleeping!

Shelby Reardon

From my boss Eli Pace: I’ve heard that some of the best Scrabble players don’t speak English. What goes into winning at scrabble and words if it’s not one’s vocabulary?

Shelby Reardon

From my coworker Peyton Crantford: how much math is involved in making word puzzles?

James L

First time question asker - Are there words (like antidisestablishmentarianism) that are too long to publish that you wish you could put into a crossword but can't due to space limitations? If so, what's your favorite? Side note. I'm typing this question wearing white and black checkered swim trunks so I'm kind of an expert too. 😁

Shelby Reardon

Also from Eli: Crossword puzzles are often thought of as an activity that’s mostly for senior citizens. Based on your experience, do you think that’s a misnomer or what do you think is behind it?

Kelly Semon

As a puzzle maker, what are your favourite tabletop/ board games? Has bananagrams been banned in your family or are folks up for the challenge?

Lily H

First time question asker! What sort of technological assistance do creators get when building the crossword grid? Are all the interlocking words straight from the mind of the creator or does a computer help construct it?

Gray S

First Q's ever here! 1) Did you ever invent a language as a kid? 2) Who first *paid* you to make a puzzle??? 3) What do you design your puzzles on? Paper? Computer? A crazy spreadsheet? 4) How does one become an initiate in puzzle wizardry?

Pavka34

First time question asker. Are puzzle games used to help people with dementia? What games work best?

Brittany Winchester

First time question asker here! How do you remedy writer’s block when creating a puzzle (assuming you get it…)? What are your top 3 FAVORITE word puzzles? Any obscure ones? Do you have any books that you’d recommend to an avid puzzler? Thank you for all you do! I’m an addict…

Adrienne Cameron

NYT crossword column will often note when a clue is making a debut, or how many times a clue has appeared, etc. And it seems like repeat clues are always stated the same exact way. Is there an official clue repository that sets the formatting and acts as the puzzle pieces?

Larissa Parsons Vafiades

From my husband, Nick The Software Engineer: How much word generating technology is used when creating the NYT crossword?

Lizzy Carr

How do you decide or determine what age group to target puzzles to? I find crosswords frustrating sometimes because the clues are about tv or movies or world events that happened way before I was born, so I have no clue what the answer could even possibly be. But I imagine older people get frustrated with clues that ask about TikTok trends or other media that mostly younger people engage with. Is there a balance you try to strike in terms of trivia knowledge, wordplay, etc so that people of all ages can enjoy the puzzle?

Jellybean Green

I was wondering about something similar! On the surface, it seems like Scrabble would be a game that encourages people to have a large vocabulary. However, people I’ve played with who tend to get the highest scores can usually identify that certain things *are* a valid word but have no idea what the word means.

Kelso

First time question asker, long time lurker: have you ever made a puzzle that was deemed too difficult? Does it still go to print? What makes a crossword puzzle too difficult?

Kathryn Daniels

Have you ever played Scrabble in a language other than English? How does it differ in terms of letter occurrence (ie. In French, where Q gets used a lot more frequently)?

fullmetalknee

How do you even come up with some of these clues? So many logic steps. They're like sneaky evil geniuses with twisty mustaches

annie

What do people who make games do for fun?

Lori G

Are word puzzles still created by human beings?

Isabelle Brooks

What’s the deal with Will Shortz? Old people and crosswords?

Michaela Gonzales

First time question asker here: I had never heard of cryptic crosswords until I started watching British YouTube (and I still don't really understand the difference), but why do you think it's not really a thing here in the US?

Carolyn Cullen

First time question asker. What are some tips, tricks, and strategies for tackling a crossword?

Alyssa Berg

First time question asker! Why do some of the sameclues show up in what feels like EVERY crossword I do? (For example, I feel like some form of “Diarist ANAIS NIN” has been in almost every NYT crossword I’ve done in the last year. Also stuff like EON and ERA)

Sarah JH

First time asker: how has technology shaped and changed the way word puzzles are constructed over the years? Which aspect(s) of this process do you feel still requires the human touch?

Rebecca Kidder

How are NYTimes crosswords similar to and different from other crosswords? I’ve noticed certain words/clues that tend to pop up often in NYTimes puzzles. Are these common clues across the board or do they vary from writer to writer?

ccspels

First time question-asker and embarrassingly enthusiastic word puzzle fan: It seems (to me) that the secret to playing next level Scrabble is knowing all or most of the acceptable 2-letter words. Is this something that the "pros" depend on as well?

Josh Frye

Who controls which words can and can't be used? Does the NYT have their own guidance or is there a governing body like the FCC? Professional courtesy / understanding amongst puzzle writers?

Josh Frye

Are there words or clues that are banned like playing Stairway to Heaven at a Music store?

R P Bergmann

Is there a tricky word that puzzle makers sneak in to every puzzle?

Krista Jones

What steps are involved in generating a crossword puzzle? I love them but have absolutely no idea what is happening at the puzz factory. Does it start with a random list of words (if so, how are they decided upon?) or does some sort of coordination of the letters have to happen in the first step in order for the puzzle to come together?

AP

First time question asker! And my name is Anna. Have you heard of Semantle, and if so do you believe Americans use the same 1500 words the most often?

AP

First time question asker! My name is Anna. So wordle. What’s your go-to starting word?

NiceWarmBooks

First time asker! Do Bobby Orr & Arthur Ashe buy oleo at the Esso station? To put it another way: are there any words you get sick of (or love!) using to make cross-word puzzles?

Bailey Pyritz

im currently in a phase of being obsessed with the game Word Cookies and this is not the first phase ive had with this. i’ve had to delete it before because i was too obsessed with it and i also got my parents obsessed with it. why? what’s going on in my brain telling me to play this all the time? why is it my go-to game when im having an anxiety attack?

Paul Rosen

Do you set out to make a crossword puzzle a certain difficulty in advance or do you just make one and let someone else solve it and say "that's for Tuesday" afterwards? Do you adjust the difficulty by making the clues more obscure or easier?

Janice Rattigan

First time question asker! I'd be interested to hear about the brain chemistry behind the attraction to crosswords and more recent games like Wordle. In the case of Wordle, is the fact that you only have 24 hours to complete it or you miss out on that day a factor?

Anika's Cat Arya

Which Wordle first word do you subscribe to currently and why? Normal or Hard mode?

Paul Rosen

How do crosswords in other languages work? For instance do some languages have a different distribution of letters that make it harder to create a puzzle, or perhaps make it easier to solve? (For instance, in English, you can often guess that the last letter is "s" if the clue ends in "s". Likewise "ing" and "ed".)

Paige Menking

First time question asker here! What can I do to get past my Wednesday crossword puzzle wall? I've been doing crosswords forever but can't seem to complete Thursday to Sunday puzzles without checking the answers! Help!

Fuzzgoddess

How many different kinds of crossword puzzles are there? My mom described a kind she used to play that had like anagrams for clues, but couldn't remember the specific name, and I had never heard of anything like that.

Dave Schuster

Is it rare for him to learn new words, or does it still happen everyday?

Ben Thoma

first time asker! what is your favorite word? also, do you have a favorite word puzzle type?

Miranda Panda

Oh boy this is exciting! Why do I have fairly uneducated family members who are really freaking good at word searches?

Jess Vice

Hi! (First time asker) Y'know how people tell you to write scrambles in a circle and your brain just kinda figures them out - why IS that?! It works almost every time! Why are we circular but not linear? (whoa that's a heavy question...)

Miranda Panda

Why am I so good at wordle but so terrible at anagram games? I get the wordle before waking up most days, but almost always lose at bananagrams.

Dave Schuster

Is he a fan of Cryptic Crosswords and has he created any?

Dave Schuster

Ouch! Said the old person. Every crossword has the potential to use a reference you won’t know, like world leader’s names, capitals of foreign countries, movie stars from previous generations. The challenge there is to work it out with letter patterns and the crossing clues.

Dave Schuster

From Denise Schuster: first time question asker: How many of today’s puzzles are still hand crafted by humans vs generated by algorithms?

Pacheecha

First time question asker. I am a huge word nerd and love to do crossword puzzles, wordle, and spelling bee on the New York Times. When it comes to the cryptic crosswords I occasionally run across in other publications, I feel like a total ignorant idiot. How do these things work? It is crazy making! Also, on spelling bee, I noticed that there are some fairly unused words, but I use words that I damn well know are words and they tell me that they are too specific to a certain category so they leave them out. Why?!?! And thank you for being one of the people that create these addictive games. 🙏

Dave Brewer

Are there any clues or answers that you’ve been trying to use in a puzzle for a while but just haven’t been able to make them work? (First time question asker)

Erika Storvick

In Scrabble, I know the point values for letters are based on the frequency of that letter in the English language. But why are h and y worth so many points??

Sharika Elahi

do some people have a natural knack for puzzles, or are word puzzles something that anyone can get really good at with practice? wondering how much of nature vs. nurture is involved with developing puzzle-solving skills

Zed Shirogane

First time question asker. Have you hidden any “easter eggs” in your puzzles? Like secret things about yourself or hidden references and inside jokes.

Average_pi

Why is wordle so HARD? Why are word puzzles so HARD how do you think of what words to even use? I can't ussally think of any

Mariana Hülsen

The more you do it, the better you get at it.

Kristin Bamkosam

Curious to know whether people report “cheating” more on word puzzles now that we play them online and our stats are saved? (or, ahem, is this just me?)

michaela a. gabriel

What is it that makes some people so good at crosswords and cryptic crosswords, while others are - excuse the pun - clueless? Which part of the brain is responsible?

Dorit

Has he heard of the Listener Crossword and if so, what does he think of it? I love it... it's the only cryptic crossword I do. But it's hard! The rules change every week.

Mariah Penner

Why is wordle so addicting??? I'm on day 186 and the only day I have missed in that time was when I was literally in the hospital giving birth. (And I still felt bad that I didn't get the wordle done.)

zombot

What type of puzzle is the math equation SEND + MORE = MONEY, where each letter represents a specific digit (0-9), called? Are they especially hard to write? (I can't seem to make new lines in the comments... the last letters D, E and M line up in the 1's column of the vertical equation.) BTW- >>SPOILER<< the solution is 9567 + 1085 = 10652.

Ro6ot

From my own amateur efforts I know it is (approximately) an order of magnitude harder to create a crossword puzzle than to solve it. I have also made a ‘criss-cross-word puzzle’ {hexagonal grid, 3 axes in the same plane} and a ‘cube word puzzle’ {3 axes in different planes at 90° to eachother}, and each axis of intersection makes it all the harder to create, yet even easier to solve. Nonetheless I think it is an interesting challenge, and possibly a useful and fun way, continuing this progression with more axes of intersection, to explain and demonstrate the concept of additional dimensions. I guess my question is “...Don’t you agree?” with the subtext “(please take, use, run with, or share with others this idea, as it is beyond my wherewithal to vivify)” ¡¡Thanks Alie!! [1ˢᵗ time question asker btw]

Jarred Abrahams

I’ve done cryptic crosswords from lots of different authors. Even with a grading system (easy, medium, hard) some authors make puzzles that I find REALLY hard and others pretty easy. What’s the best way to choose an author?

Kelsey lore

Have you ever designed a crossword like the BobDole/Clinton one? How complicated is it to pull something like that off, it's so cool!

Hryfna

I'm an English teacher and I'm always looking for ways to engage my students with words. What are some of your favourite customisable word puzzles?

Francesca Perrelli

hi, Francesca Perrelli here, ftqa! ⭐️ is it true that jigsaw puzzles were once made of wood and were kind of unique pieces? also what's the hardest puzzle you have ever finished? :)

Donald Merritt

I toyed with the idea of writing a crossword puzzle for a project I work on, using our jargon. Any basic tips for people trying to write their first simple crossword puzzle?

David Ruscalleda Gómez

I think ftqa. Have you ever participated in a puzzle hunt? Those crossword skills sure gotta come handy there :)

Gwen Kelly

Do you know all the words? Like if someone took out a dictionary and quizzed you on the meanings, would you just know all of them?

luluwags

Hi. First time question asker! What makes Tetris and Dr Mario so flipping addicting and which one do you prefer. what is your favorite puzzle game that maybe we don’t know about? Thanks!

Lauren Theis

Yes!! Crossword puzzles are so fun to do but SO HARD to make

Spencer Parks

Oh! This is fantastic! I may need to try and steal this guest when I get to the word "enigma" on my podcast. I love the word enigma and also puzzles and thinky things in general so this will be lots of fun for me. Maybe my question is (if I'm not too late): Why do we like to use/hurt our brain so much and how is it good for us?

carissa

This is my favorite topic in the world. Might cry. I found out that Will Shortz, NYT crossword editor majored in enigmatology…what other jobs could I get with a degree like that? It sounds AWESOME.

Phylicia Chandler

Does a person still create word puzzles or is it all computerized? If it’s a person, how long does it take to create a puzzle?

Gracie Zrain

Hey! Is there any correlation of word puzzles and cognitive resilience?As in, does it help memory & problem solving or do we just get better at word puzzles?

Taylor Clinton

First time asker here— what are the best word puzzles to help keep your mind sharp as you age? In other words, what word puzzles are best for preventing Alzheimer’s and such? Thanks :)

mckenzie faas

What's your favorite word or phrase?

Matthew

Counter-intelligence at the CIA or NSA

Matthew

I am a huge fan of logic puzzles. Do they count as wrod puzzles?

SubAtmoic_Josh

Early into studying for my Bachelors in Cybersecurity, I took a class that had us study Cryptography. We did cool assignments like creating our own cryptographs and giving them to other students to try and decrypt. (Similar to the decoder ring from A Christmas Story...lol) It was one of my favorite classes. Would this type of decoding be considered a puzzle?

Sarah Berman

First time question asker! Is there any evidence that doing word puzzles with a partner (or friend) improves the relationship?

Shaun Gritten

Is there a world record for the fastest word puzzle completed?

Lee Wang

Any suggestions on how to get into cryptics? I've tried a couple times and each time hit a wall and left the puzzle unfinished.

Sally

I can’t be stumped with anagrams. Try me. Why is it so easy for me? Why are all my skills non income generating?

Kyla Kelly

Why are they so addicting?

Dave O

I always feel like each crossword puzzle creator has a distinct way of thinking or a particular parlance (especially for the NYT puzzles). I usually have a hard time solving a puzzle until I get to a point where I can imagine who may have created it (e.g. their age or where they might be from, etc). Is this all in my head, or do you feel like puzzle creators put a piece of themselves into their puzzles?

Audrey Lloyd

Crossword clues that end in “?” vs the ones that end in “say” - is there a notable difference or any tips on how to solve either? For the Wordle, is always starting with the same word a good strategy/is there a good word to start with?

Emily Davies

Are people who speak more than one language better at puzzles? Does studying Latin help you?

Nina Katz-Christy

Do crossword puzzle-designers use computer programs, or do they do everything by-hand?

Aubrey Dunn

Tips for how to impress my family with my amazing word puzzle skills?

Invertebabe

Why are moms always so into word puzzles

Diana Mayo

I may have seen this too late but-what’s going on with my brain that allows word puzzles to lift my mood? I can wake up wreck- tired, start on my NYT puzzles and get a blast of good feeling.

Ashlyn Woodcock

Is this a left brain right brain situation? WHo's better at it? or is left/right flim flam anyways... I cannot do them to save my life but my mother and sister are wizards at them. Especially the Wordle

Lee Wang

Do you have any suggestions for solvers on how to improve their solve times?

Kate Graham

What do the circles in crosswords mean? They never help me.

Manasvi Verma

Why is my mom SO good at Wordle?

Matthew

They spell something out when it's done

Nana From Canada

Hi: Can you explain more about plate tecktonics, (NEW THEORY), and continental drift.

Allie Lambe

Talk about solving words backwards and why it's so so satisfying. My brain can't not.

Allie Lambe

How does a crossword get designed/put together? What is your starting point? How do you pick a theme? How do you decide to rank the difficulty of the hints (i.e. Monday vs Friday), especially for words that are used frequently? What are your favorite repeat words (and why is one of them oreo)? How many people play with autocheck turned on while playing in the NYT crossword app? Are crossword competitions a thing? Why is it that, on days my brain can't function enough to do my job properly, I can do crosswords for hours on end? Endless dopamine hits? OK thank you!

Ruby Chan-Frey

How do you decide what's "common knowledge"? In that vein, how do you avoid just putting clues related to things you think are fun/interesting and maybe not what your audience will know??

Meg Chadsey

Explain all those cryptic clue hints, please! Like what's it mean when the clue is in brackets, and how is that different from parentheses?

Meg Chadsey

First time asker: crosswords have traditionally been created for (ahem) a certain demographic (e.g. clues/answers about golf, opera, European monarchs, etc). Where's the cruciverbalist community on this right now? Is there a push to construct puzzles that are less Waspy/more inclusive?

Ted Vician

Zach Wissner-Gross, the puzzle person at 538, put together an algorithm for solving Wordles that he published on their site a few months ago. There is definitely a strategy to it.

Pauline Depierre

Do non-alphabet languages (like Chinese) have crossword puzzles?