Put Your Thinkin' Cap On.......

I Just About Got 'er Done

When I was growing up, my mom and dad would sit together on the sofa in the evenings after dinner and work the crossword puzzle in the daily newspaper.  They would take turns writing---mom would hold the pencil one day and dad the next.  The one not doing the writing would call out the clues.  Dad would always have his arm around mom.  It looked quite cozy to a child like me at the time.

Not Quite Finished!

Fast forward to age 24.  I had not ever had time to try to work a crossword puzzle before that age.  I decided to sit down one fine Sunday afternoon and knock one out.  I certainly did not expect to have any problems whatsoever in working it.

You talk about becoming frustrated!  Man!  I couldn't seem to get a single word!  My self-esteem plummeted.  How could it be that I was having so much trouble?  After all, I had a college degree and knew a good bit about a lot of things, I thought.  Ha.

There Are Still A Couple Of Words To Fill In

Looking back, of course, I now understand that if one wants to begin working crossword puzzles, one should probably not start off with the New York Times Sunday edition.  Insert smile here.

For a couple of years I worked very hard to learn how to work these puzzles.  There are tricks to the trade.  There are oft-recurring answers.  One must learn to look for the tricky, double-meanings of clues.  Some of the crossword authors are obviously deceitful people and probably should be avoided in real life.  But, lots of practice does help one's skill level.

These days, I work a crossword puzzle about five days a week or so.  I do feel like it helps keep a feeble mind like mine sharp, whatever that is.

STILL Not Finished!

Since I like gratification in a reasonable length of time, I usually don't attempt the New York Times puzzle, as that always takes me two or three sittings to complete.

Radar O'Reilly's Drink?........................NEHI
Jesus' Language?..................................Aramaic
Rod Shaped Bacteria (2 Words)..........E Coli
Deuterium, e.g. ....................................Isotope
Gerald, Jimmy, ________....................Ronald
Backspace On A PC.............................Erase
Ms.Perlman of "Cheers".......................Rhea
Beneficial Insects..................................Ladybugs

It's a lotta' fun!