How to solve crossword puzzles

NY Times resident crossword puzzle master Will Shortz on how to solve the NY Times crossword puzzle.

Mental flexibility is a great asset in solving crosswords. Let your mind wander. The clue “Present time” might suggest nowadays, but in a different sense it might lead to the answer yuletide. Similarly, “Life sentences” could be obit, “Inside shot” is x-ray and my all-time favorite clue, “It turns into a different story” (15 letters), results in the phrase SPIRAL STAIRCASE.

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Google is the crossword puzzler’s best friend.

Google is the crossword puzzler’s best friend. Several of the top 100 searches on a given day are for crossword clues. This was more apparent a few days ago but it looks like they’ve started to filter the crossword terms out. More here. (thx, peggy & jonah)

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Not sure when this happened, but the

Not sure when this happened, but the New Yorker has posted the huge profile of Bill Clinton that David Remnick wrote for the magazine back in September 2006. Yes it’s long, but well worth the effort. Related: a NY Times crossword puzzle with clues provided by Clinton.

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