The Stickler Weekly 15 Solution

Just before Christmas an Australian broadcaster added a cryptic crossword to their website with answers that related to the news in 2013. The clues were so-so, as you’d expect from an amateur compiler, but what really struck me was the awful grid that accompanied the puzzle. I have always maintained that learning how to do something by working backwards is not ideal as it’s easy to miss fundamental concepts. However, some things, like the importance and role of a grid in the overall solving process, seem blatantly obvious to me. The puzzle is called CROSS WORD. Two answers crossing on one letter isn’t enough: the solver would need to solve each in isolation as one contributing letter offers virtually no help. Ever tried cold-solving? Really hard. The accepted standard is that at least half of an answer should be contributed by intersecting answers.

Having said this, I know that many solvers are unaware that crossword grids are usually designed with symmetry even though they may have solved 1000s of crosswords. This is because they operate on the finished product and haven’t been involved in the design, reinforcing the need for an amateur setter to learn the basics and not rely solely on their experience as a solver.

Every now and then I search the Net for crossword paraphernalia just to see what’s available: t-shirts, caps, mugs, ties etc. I’m struck by the poor grid designs used on these products – surely years of solving or a small amount of research should produce a better result? I do know one thing – I would never buy a product that displays such obvious crossword ignorance.