Saturday 4 February 2017

I'm Puzzled.



When I sit to watch TV (most evenings), it's rarely without a crossword puzzle in my hands.

As you can see in the photo above, I have three big fat crossword books. The one on the bottom of the pile has just been completed (Hooray), and I have already made a tentative foray into another.

At the rate I'm going, I have enough puzzles to last until I'm at least 240 years old.

Lady Magnon gave the two new books for Christmas 2016; she must have great faith in my longevity.



31 comments:

  1. My friend Marian comes by the bookstore where I work every afternoon for a cup of coffee and the New York Times, and works on the crossword puzzle. For some reason, crosswords have never really appealed to me very much, but it's nice to see her and I can occasionally help her fill in a slot or two.

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    1. I started doing crosswords when I commuted from the UK's south coast to London every day. A group of four of us played cards in the morning, and did crosswords in the evening (for small amounts of money, of course).

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  2. Are you sure you weren't given the books by Lady Magnon to keep you amused and out of her hair?

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  3. Love crosswords but most of the cryptic simply bewilder me. You need a devious mind???

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  4. I'm sure it helps to keep the little grey cells ticking over as they do not renew anymore.
    My friend sent a few clues over to help in, poss a WI, Hat related competion. We are both stuck on 'You need to queue to see this one. (5).'

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  5. My Mum did Crosswords to keep her brain active. She learnt to use a computer at 78 and had no signs of dementia bless her. I am sure Crosswords helped her keep her superbrain Cro

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    1. We also play Ping Pong which is great for hand/eye co-ordination.

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  6. Cryptic crosswords just baffle me. A bit like University Challenge, if I manage to get two questions right I'm delighted.

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    1. We're the same; two questions right and we open the Champagne.

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    2. One question right and I'm screaming about it all night.

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  7. I love them too Cro. In the days when Araucaria was alive and his cryptics were in The Guardian some Saturdays I would be an avid fan - some of them were double and so clever. How dare he go and die on us - he was only in his nineties.

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    1. I was never a Guardian reader I'm afraid. I grew up on the Telegraph.

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  8. I do Peak brain exercises !!!!! I'm up to 'legend ' status in a couple of them ( she says, blowing her own trumpet !!! ) the ones that I am best at are word ones so I really should do crosswords. XXXX

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    1. 'Legend' sounds very impressive. With crosswords I'm 'could do better'.

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  9. Good deal as many studies show those who read often, do crossword puzzles are less likely to have Alzheimer's disease I. however hate the things so will likely be babbling non-sensically long before you.

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    1. Any activity that involves using one's brain (and exercising) must be good for us. I'm sure you do plenty of both!

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  10. Cro, I am slowly re-entering blog land today, after being elsewhere for the past week or so. (I've left a comment back on your post about diabetes.)

    Back when I was in college was when I was introduced to the New York Times Sunday crossword puzzles and my friends and I could always finish them off.

    As years went by, I found that I had less time to devote to these crosswords, and during the past 20 or so years, popular culture has changed a lot...I no longer can fill in the "easy" square.

    I knit while watching tv. I've almost finished another pair of socks since the inauguration. Best wishes.

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    1. I used to work with a well known UK politician, and his wife would embroider at all the pre-election meetings etc. She made 'Campaign Cushions' with the results and had a whole house full, dating back to the 1950's.

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    2. I crocheted a complex coverlet during the Watergate Hearings.

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  11. I do general knowledge crosswords all the time too (and The Times non-cryptic one with my morning coffee if I'm able) but I've never been able to suss out the cryptic crosswords despite having a set on them and a book on 'How to do The Time Cryptic Crossword'. It probably doesn't help that I haven't read the book yet because I've only had it for about 10 years.

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  12. As well as being fun they are supposed to keep your mentally agile a little longer Cro so keep at'em. Although I was once shown the 'language' of understanding cryptic clues and handy hints etc., I just can't do them...but I love the large Times 2 every week and can usually do that...and the fiendish sudoku!

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  13. When my children were younger we played several puzzle games. We loved the find the word or answer and mark it. Up, down, sideways and across good fun.

    cheers, parsnip

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