Crossword puzzles

[Catspaw]

I love doing crossword puzzles! Any other fans out there?

I used to think I hated crossword puzzles, until I realized that it was okay not to finish a puzzle all in one sitting. I wouldn't be able to complete the puzzle, I'd get frustrated, and that would be the end. Now I fill in all that I can, then come back to it later. The brain is an intersting thing - it's amazing how just an hour later I can come up with answers that had me totally stumped earlier! Sometimes I've woken up with the answer to a tough question I was stuck on, like my brain was working on it overnight.

Of course, my real secret is doing "good" crossword puzzles at the right level of difficulty for me. Right now I'm doing puzzles in a New York Times Monday Crosswords book because they're all well done and make me think while still allowing me to be within a letter or two (or three...) of accurate success on each one.

[bookworm]

It would seem like crossword puzzles are right up my alley being a word person, but I've really never been able to get into them. At least not "real" ones, like in newspapers. The clues go over my head. I've done a number of simpler ones not written by professionals over the years.

[Catspaw]

That's the way I feel about Scrabble, actually. I love reading and I love words. I do not like Scrabble. Sometimes things that seem like they should go together don't in reality.

[NatetheGreat]

My wife and I have discovered that we both like Scrabble a whole lot more if we don't use the board.

[Catspaw]

I am intrigued! Do you still keep score? I can actually see that being more fun and open up way more options.

[NatetheGreat]

Yup, we follow all the other rules (keeping score, challenge rules, etc). We just aren't constrained by the edges of a board (and bonus tiles aren't a thing that way, of course).

[Catspaw]

I might have to talk somebody into trying that with me one day! It will have to be somebody with Scrabble tiles, since I don't have one because I don't like Scrabble. That really sounds way better than the conventional way to me.