CROSSWORDS

179 – Sunday, June 28, 2009 Crossword puzzles – what a marvelous means of word power enrichment! Think of the enjoyable torture you endure when performing your own brain scan in search of that enigmatic solution to 9-down – then recall the tremendous euphoric rush that overtakes you when you unravel the mystery, but proceed to punish yourself with the fact that you should have known the answer instantly instead of expending all that unproductive energy. My fraternal grandmother was my mentor – she tackled all the puzzles, even the Sunday New York Times skull-busters, filling the tiny squares in a single sitting, scripting all the answers lowercase in ball-point pen – talk about confidence!! She once told me that the real secret to crosswords was to do one every day, progressively working up to higher degrees of difficulty, because the puzzle creators use the same clues and answers over and again in the formation of their brainteasers. Where they usually trip me up is in a homonymic diversion – you know, when you read a word-clue as having a particular meaning, when, in fact, they were introducing a totally different one. She was right, I noticed a pattern there – I have become more adroit in dissecting the elusive grids and filling the blanks – I undertake the daily newsprint versions somewhat adeptly these days – I can always complete the blanks in the booklets purchased to make plane travel seem less mundane - of course, they all carry the label “EASY” on the cover, so even a caveman can do them – but I still have my nemesis – those Sunday New York Times critters!! Gram, where are you when I need you? Whisper that hint into my spirit-ear and help me look good! I have pledged to keep on trying – I am making incremental progress – fewer blanks and more tiny squares filled with my printed capital letters - - - - - - of course, mine are still done in pencil!

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