Crossword types

There are many different types of crossword puzzles on-line to challenge just about anyone. A crossword is a word puzzle in which you try to fill the white squares with phrases or words. You are given clues to what these phrases could be and fill in your answer accordingly.

There are two distinct styles and schools of thought when it comes to crossword puzzles: the quick crossword and the cryptic crossword. While the actual method for filling in the puzzles is exactly the same, the way the clues work is very different. Quick crossword puzzles are generally considered to be simpler and have clues that are straight forward synonyms. The cryptic version requires a lot more problem solving skills and can almost appear to be a secret code unto itself. You can find both on-line so try each type and see what works for you.

After deciding what style you like there are still more types of puzzles to choose from. Some puzzles will have a central theme to them that all the words are based around. Science, History, and English focused puzzles all exist. If you are particularly interested in a certain academic puzzle you should be able to find one easily. For beginners it is probably best to begin with a general knowledge puzzle.

This again brings us to the final break down of puzzles and that is difficulty. One of the more difficult puzzles in the world is the one found in the New York Times. This is, generally speaking, the puzzle that all others are based on.

On BrainDash.com you find a number of on-line crossword puzzles you can play. A new crossword is published daily which you can play for fun or for cash prizes.

Crossword History

The History Of The Crossword Puzzle

Some puzzles have been around for centuries, but crossword puzzles are a relatively recent invention.

The first known crossword puzzle was created by a journalist from Liverpool, England named Arthur Wynne. Called a "word-cross" instead of a "crossword," the puzzle was printed in the New York World newspaper on December 12, 1913. Wynne's puzzle looked very different to the crosswords most puzzlers are familiar with today--it was diamond-shaped and had no black squares--but his word-cross still proved to be immensely popular.

After 1913, more and more newspapers began publishing crosswords and by the time the Roaring Twenties rolled around, the puzzles had become a fad as big as bobbed haircuts or bootlegging. In fact, in 1924 the New York Times noted the craze with alarm and called solving crosswords a "sinful waste in the utterly futile finding of words the letters of which will fit into a prearranged pattern, more or less complex. This is not a game at all."

To add insult to injury, in 1925 the Times also said, "Fortunately, the question of whether the puzzles are beneficial or harmful is in no urgent need of an answer. The craze evidently is dying out fast and in a few months it will be forgotten." Not surprisingly, the New York Times--now considered the most prestigious puzzle publisher--didn't print its first crossword until 1942.

Simon and Schuster also took note of the demand for the word puzzles and published the first crossword book in 1924. Today, there are almost 25,000 crossword puzzle books listed on Amazon.com alone, proving that the crossword craze is still going strong. In another crossword history first for Arthur Wynne's invention, "crossword" was added to the dictionary in 1930. Almost 80 years later, there are more than 400 dictionaries devoted entirely to words you'll find in crosswords.

Crossword Puzzles Today

Today almost every newspaper features a daily or weekly crossword puzzle, and many magazines publish crosswords too. The crossword craze has also moved online: Google.com lists over 2,000,000 web sites related to crossword puzzles. According to Will Shortz, the current editor of the New York Times crossword page, there are about 50 million crossword puzzle enthusiasts in America, a number that keeps growing.

Crosswords are considered one of the most popular word games in the world, and in the United States the annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament now attracts more than 650 contestants from around the country. First held in 1978, the tournament is the oldest and largest of its kind and features eight original puzzles that contestants battle to solve quickly (each round is timed) and accurately (one mistake can be the difference between victory or defeat). The tournament--and the fascinating people who compete in it--were featured in the 2006 documentary Wordplay.

Here are some more interesting facts about crossword history:

• The longest word ever used in a published crossword was Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, the name of a Welsh town that's 58 letters long.
• According to the Guinness Book of World Records, the largest crossword in the world is a 91,000 square puzzle that measures four feet by four feet.
• The most prolific crossword writer in the world is England's Roger Squires. He has published more than 66,666 puzzles.

Click here to try solving a crossword puzzle.

Crossword Rules

This is a simple outline of the basic rules for playing on-line crossword puzzles - just in case one of the world's favourite pastimes has passed you by. Use these rules as a guide to help you better navigate the puzzles. Step one, which is pretty simple, is to choose your crossword. Be sure to select a puzzle difficulty that suits your skills and a format you understand. It can be very confusing and frustrating if you select the hardest crossword without basic knowledge on how to play. The one thousand clue mega cryptic crossword isn't the best place to start. And you not have noticed but different types of crosswords are used as standard in newspapers and online in the USA and the UK. Step two, choose which number clue you would like to solve. Remember you do not need to solve each clue in order. HINT:you can usually do this by clicking the left mouse button on the box numbered 1 (or any other number you are interested in trying to solve) in the crossword puzzle, or left click on the first clue and it will automatically start you at the first letter box in the crossword for your answer. Once you feel you have the answer, left click onto the first box for your clue and begin to type your answer. HINT:If the answer is correct it will usually show up in black text in the crossword. HINT:If there happens to be an error it will come up as red text. This means to try again. If you happen to stumble upon a clue you just cannot figure out you can click on another clue in the list or simply try the hint button. The hint button is most commonly located at the bottom of the crossword. HINT:This will either fill in a single letter or whole word depending on available options. HINT:Some sites offer new and improved ways of solving the clues such as online help or searches, but try to figure it out yourself first. You may surprise yourself. HINT:Try not to use the hint option until you try a few more clues. Most of the time you will figure out the answer. The hint button is a great feature but use it wisely. If you use it too much, when you do finally finish the crossword you have to wonder if you could have done it all on your own. You may also get penalty points if the crossword is part of a leaderboard or game tournament. Once you finish the selected clue move onto the next by again following all the steps above until you have finally completed the whole puzzle. Remember that if you can't finish it in time, on most sites you can save your puzzle and come back to it later. That't the beauty of online. And don't forget the timer! Try your best and see how fast you can finish your crossword puzzle. Do not worry if your time is not as low as you hoped - you can always try again! The most important crossword puzzle rule is to enjoy yourself. This is an activity to work your brain, yes, but it is also a fun way to test your knowledge. Go on have a go.

Crossword Strategies

Strategies For Solving Crosswords Having difficulty completing a crossword puzzle? Don’t get discouraged, even the best crossword solvers may not know all the answers in a given crossword puzzle. Crossword puzzles are meant to be challenging and require a wide range of knowledge. Nevertheless, crossword writers do design their puzzles to be solved, so with a combination of strategy and knowledge almost anyone can find the answers. These 5 useful crossword strategies can help solve any crossword puzzle: All clues are not created equal Some clues are easier than others, so a simple strategy that you can use early is to look for the answers that you already know. The fill in the blank clues (i.e. “Home is where the _______ is”) as well as references to popular culture, famous people, places, or things that you may be familiar with (i.e. love potion’s number) are a good place to start. Go through all of the clues and answer as many of these that you can right away. Look for the short words The 3, 4, or 5 letter words can be a bit easier because the number of appropriate responses is limited. If you already know one or two letters they are a good place to build off of. These words may provide letters that become helpful in solving other parts of the puzzle. Clues within the clues If you are stumped on an answer try looking for grammatical clues within the clue, such as a verb’s tense (i.e. -ed, -ing), a singular or plural noun/verb (i.e. –s, -es), as well as comparisons (i.e. –er, -est). Also a “?” at the end of a clue can mean a pun or double meaning. This strategy is very useful as most answers follow the same form as the clue Think outside the box Some clues will deliberately use words that have a double meaning in order to get you thinking in the wrong direction. Words like bear, spring, or bowl all have completely unrelated meanings. So taking a short break and maybe doing some other type of brain game will allow you to look at a clue with a fresh outlook. Have some references sources ready All the crossword strategies in the world won’t help if you just don’t know the information. In a crossword puzzle every letter is important so it is not really cheating if you use the internet or dictionary to help you find the answer (i.e. what is the capital of Pakistan?). Sometimes if you don’t know the answer you don’t know the answer. In fact, this is one of the benefits of completing a crossword puzzle, learning new information! As you will notice many crosswords use the same clues or answers over and over again, so it is very helpful to commit your new knowledge to memory so you won’t have to look it up again.