Q: What is the significance of the highlighted entry on the grid you post?
A: I use Across Lite software (available here) to generate the grid I post each day. Across Lite highlights whatever entry your cursor is on. The color of the highlight is customizable. I used to use purple but now I use red and grey to match the blog. Sometimes the highlighted entry just means that's where my cursor was when I finished. Sometimes I look the grid over and highlight an entry I like.
Q: How do I post a link in my comment?
A: You need to know a teeny tiny little bit of HTML code to do this. It's very simple and looks like this:
<a href="URLYouWantToLinkTo">TextYouWantToDisplayInComment</a>So, for example, if I type this:
<a href="http://www.hawkeyesports.com/sports/m-wrestl/iowa-m-wrestl-body.html">Go Hawks!</a>It will look like this in my comment: Go Hawks!
Q: Why doesn't my newspaper print the puzzle's title?
A: The only puzzles that are published with titles are the Sunday puzzles (both syndicated and calendar). What you're seeing at the top of my blog Monday through Saturday is a title I just made up.
Q: Is it considered cheating to Google for answers?
A: Only if you say so. Solving crossword puzzles is a completely personal experience and you should do so in whatever way makes it enjoyable for you. Some people would rather leave a puzzle unfinished than look up an answer. Others would prefer to finish the puzzle no matter what. It's totally up to you.
Q: Why would anyone want to speed-solve a puzzle? Solving slowly allows you to more fully appreciate the puzzle.
A: Again, solving crossword puzzles is a completely personal experience and you should do so in whatever way makes it enjoyable for you. Some people enjoy the thrill of flying through a puzzle. Others prefer to enjoy the scenery. Neither way is wrong.
Q: What is DNF?
A: DNF stands for Did Not Finish. I personally count as DNF any puzzle I solve incorrectly or that I need help to finish. You can use whatever definition of DNF works for you.
Q: What other puzzles do you solve? And where do you get them?
A: I solve the New York Times puzzle every day. I intend to solve all Brendan Emmett Quiqley's puzzles, which are available Monday and Thursday, but I usually print them out and have a backlog sitting around. I prefer not to solve Sunday-size puzzles (21x21). I will solve other puzzles (CrosSynergy, Wall Street Journal, Chronicle of Higher Education) if I've heard that they're awesome or if they were constructed by one of my favorite constructors. Links to other puzzle sources are over in my sidebar.
Q: The puzzle you posted isn't the one in my newspaper!
A: That's not a question.
