Crossing Out The Words

I spent my spare hours in my last five days in China doing crossword puzzles. These were standard word puzzles, and not the more challenging cryptic crosswords, which are annoyingly difficult by any measure. The ones from The New York Times are tough. I am struggling with one, which I have abandoned for a day or two, to let my unconscious mind simmer over the clues. Sometimes you get lucky and a word pops into your head that fits, and you can use it to leverage other words.

I stayed with each puzzle for a day, and I did attempt to solve a few during dinner. It was a game of persistence, inspiration, and in some cases, research. It can be trial and error, as you attempt different words to work out permutations of a three, four, five, or multi-lettered word.

The tough clues are those that I had no context about, i.e. phrases on plays, musicals, films, books, and obscure television programs. Foreign languages can make it harder, including the occasional Latin, French or Spanish phrase. Nevertheless, this is the challenge of crossword puzzles where linguistics and luck can be suitable bedfellows. Guessing is part of the process; the rest is about fitting into the white boxes.

In conversations, how often do you cross out words? Do you practise selective hearing? How often do you dismiss others and their ideas? When do your words intersect, and cause confusion or clarity for your audience?

Attempt a crossword today.