NYT Variety Mess
I’m often asked, what’s going on with the Acrostics and other Variety puzzles at the Times? Honest answer: I have no clue. To catch you up, NYT used to provide digital versions of the weekly Variety...
View ArticleJim Saves Variety Puzzles
Of course, Variety puzzles don’t need “saving.” Cryptics, Diagramlesses, and Acrostics have a long history and a rabid fan base. I mean I “collect” them, which even the New York Times doesn’t do...
View ArticleNew NYT Acrostics blog
Acrostic solvers may not be as numerous as crossword enthusiasts, but they tend to be more passionate. When Wordplay dropped their weekly Variety Puzzle posts, acrostic fans had nowhere to go online...
View Article30 Million Finds
I knew from our analytics that the Finder was the most popular page on XWord Info. A few years ago, I don’t remember exactly when, I decided to start counting — not page views, but the number of times...
View ArticleWhat’s new?
Minor updates to XWord Info happen all the time. Here’s a recap of some recent changes you might not have noticed. Improved Finder When the Finder times out because the server is busy or because your...
View ArticleCryptic Benefits with Friends
You’ve known how to solve normal crosswords since you first encountered them on children’s placemats at chain restaurants. Cryptic crosswords are harder to break into but if you make the effort, they...
View ArticleThe curious charm of the Fill Me In podcast
On the surface, it shouldn’t work. Every episode, ostensibly about crosswords, is too long, unfocused, full of in-jokes, and mostly about nothing in particular. And yet… And yet, it’s the most...
View ArticlePuzzle Mania
Be sure to grab the physical New York Times this weekend. The December 1 paper has the annual Puzzle Mania section, full of puzzles and games at a variety of levels. Perfect for a family holiday...
View ArticleCreating an Account
TL;DR If you sent money to XWord Info but can’t figure out how to create an account, click here. Enter the same email you used with your PayPal payment. How accounts are created Much of XWord Info is...
View ArticleDiagramless Hints
One of the oldest items on my Feature Request list is for a way to optionally display the standard hints for diagramless puzzles. Done. And now there’s a way to solve even older such puzzles even if...
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