Chapter 3
Tackling the Puzzles
P
lease be aware that not all crosswords are created equal. Puzzle con-
structors aim to please, and that means that they create puzzles with
a wide variety of difficulty levels to satisfy the needs of a wide variety of
puzzle lovers.
The puzzles in this book are labeled by difficulty level. Levels are Easy, Tricky,
Tough, and Treacherous, with “Easy” being (of course) the easiest puzzles, and
“Treacherous” being the most difficult puzzles.
If you’re new to working crosswords, don’t jump to the puzzles labeled
“Treacherous” in this book. Chances are you’ll only get frustrated, and your
puzzling career will come to a premature end. It’s sort of like trying to run a
10K race when you’ve never strapped on running shoes before in your life.
Be honest with yourself about the difficulty level you can handle. Better to
start easy and build your skills slowly than to burn out in a quick burst of
frustration.If you’re going to work the puzzles in your daily newspaper, find out whether
the difficulty level is different on different days. For example, USA TODAY runs
its easiest crosswords on Mondays, and the difficulty level ramps up each day
through Friday. (The Universal Sunday puzzle is intended to mirror the difficulty
level of a Thursday puzzle.)
When you finish solving all of these puzzles, please see Part III for the answers.
Good luck!