Where are my Acrostic stats?
When you solve Acrostics on XWord Info, we remember your progress so when you go back to that web page later, you can pick up where you left off. Sort of. Some history We first created our Acrostic...
View ArticleJim’s final Acrostic
When Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon announced their retirement from NYT Acrostic construction, I started thinking about why their work was so outstanding, and what the inevitable new voices might bring...
View ArticleCryptic Crosswords
After already covering Acrostics, PandAs, and Vowelless in my Variety is the Spice of Puzzles series, we finally get to the form many consider the quintessential variety puzzle — cryptics. These are...
View ArticleBar Game Updates
The XWord Info Bar Game can’t compete with the Crossword or Finder pages, but it’s surprisingly popular, with many repeat visitors. This post explains why, what’s new, how it’s used, and asks your...
View ArticleI Won’t Miss Jeff Chen
XWord Info wouldn’t have existed for the past decade if Jeff Chen hadn’t stepped up to help me. That website is more complex than it appears, and I found it impossible to keep it going without help....
View ArticleOur Casual Relationship is Over
With the future of XWord Info still uncertain, I need to make some changes to control costs. It’s an expensive site to run, which was fine while it was more active, but now that there’s no more...
View ArticleHow hard could it be?
I get mail wondering why I can’t promise to keep updating XWord Info. “It can’t be that hard,” is a typical comment. Usually followed by, “if you need someone to upload puzzle files, I’d be happy to...
View ArticleHex’s Bookshelf
What makes a great acrostic quote? Where do most quotes come from? Which authors are the most quoted? At its basic level, XWord Info is simply a database of crossword information, and many (many!)...
View ArticleOdd Characters
TL:DR: Click the “More…” button on the XWord Info Finder page to see new “Words with digits” and “Words with symbols” buttons. In a recent Crossword Fiend post, blogger (and constructor) Zachary David...
View ArticleHackers
I made a couple of changes to try to mitigate the hack attacks that were crippling XWord Info. If either of these affect you and you’re not an evil hacker, let me know, and I’ll make sure you regain...
View ArticleWill Shortz, Constructor
If you believe XWord Info, an up-and-coming constructor named Will Shortz had two crosswords published in 1975, and then nothing until an oddly shaped Variety puzzle this year. You can see his author...
View ArticleConstructor photos & notes
XWord Info is no longer actively soliciting constructor photos and notes, but if you have an upcoming NYT crossword and would like to include your picture and commentary, I’m happy to add them to the...
View ArticleGraphics on Grids
TL;DR — XWord Info is changing the way it presents some grids that contain special graphical overlays. It’s probably better. Probably. Some history For many years, NYT supplied their paying customers...
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Debut counts
I’ve changed the stats I show on constructor “baseball cards” again. No more POW count, no more Pangram count. Instead, I show the number of answer words debuted by the constructor. The FAQ has the...
View ArticleNYT 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...
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