I guess it’s accepted as common knowledge now-a-days that working puzzles (Crossword, Sudoku, Cryptograms, etc.)áis supposed to keep our brains functioning better as we get older. At least that’s what “they” say. I don’t know if what “they” say is true or not, but since I do enjoy that sort of thing, I have invested a good deal of my time on such activities over the past few years of my life. I figure it’s probably time well spent. I feel the same way about physical fitness, but that’s a subject for another entry. This is about the New York Times daily crossword.
There was a time in my life that I avoided it like the plague, thinking that it was very difficult, but it turns out that the difficulty of the puzzle varies by what day of the week it is published.áWhen Arkansas’ largest daily newpaperá(The Arkansas Democrat Gazette in Little Rock) began publishing it dailyáin addition toáthe usual puzzle it has published for years, I was curious and looked into it. I’ve found that I can work Monday through Thursday’s puzzle and so far have only attempted Friday’s on the rare day that I had time and felt I was up for a challenge. I leave Saturday’s completely alone and although I hear that Sunday’s is not as hard as I used to think it was, I just don’t have time for it.
Theá great thing about the NYT Xword is that there is usually a theme and that makes it more fun than the run-of-the-mill puzzle. Another great thing is when I’m ready to throw in the towel on some of the Thursday puzzles, I can go to Rex Parker’s blog and not only see the answers, but some explanation and comment on the puzzles clues and answers.á The puzzles in the “Demazette” have a number code printed with them. The number #0708, for example,ámeans that the puzzle was originally published in the New York Times on July 8th. You have to click on the archivesáfor the appropriate month to find the solution and comments for the appropriate puzzle.
He seems to be an avid and capable XWorder, and in addition to that, heádoesáoffer someáfunnyáobservations from time to time. I put a link to his blog up on the Blogroll, and after doing that I thought I’d post a little XWord blurb.á Those of you that know me well know that I inherited this “Crossword Gene” from my late mother who was pretty good at them.á She used a dictionary, but I use the internet. I kinda feel like I’m cheating 
later…
