A Tree People Crossword
A crossword is a word puzzle where the answers are placed in a grid of white and black-shaded squares. The wordplay of the puzzle is determined by the clues, which often use cryptic symbols and phrases to confuse the reader into thinking that an answer is impossible.
Typically, a crossword uses words or phrases that are written left to right (in English and most other languages) or top to bottom (in German and some others). However, some variants have been adapted to allow answers that are entered radially or in concentric circles. Other forms include barred crosswords, which use bold lines between squares to separate answers, and circular designs, which place answers in a circle.
The New York Times publishes a number of puzzles every day, and some of them are extremely popular among puzzle enthusiasts. They are generally referred to as “weekday-size” crosswords, and they are compiled by John Wilmes and distributed online by USA Today as “QuickCross” or by Universal Uclick as “PlayFour”.
While many of the puzzles published by The Times are difficult, other puzzles are designed to be accessible to all comers. The puzzles are categorized by their level of difficulty, which is based on the total number of clues and the length of each clue. Easy puzzles are referred to as “Monday” or “Tuesday”; medium-difficulty puzzles are referred to as “Wednesday”; and truly difficult puzzles are referred to as “Saturday”.
Some crosswords also feature a “theme,” which is a group of long entries in the same row or column that share some relationship, pun, or other element in common. This may be a theme related to the nature of the puzzle itself, or it may refer to a particular time period or culture. For example, a puzzle from April 26, 2005 by Sarah Keller, edited by Will Shortz, featured five themed entries ending in different parts of a tree: SQUAREROOT, TABLELEAF, WARDROBETRUNK, BRAINSTEM, and BANKBRANCH.
In addition to the themes mentioned above, some puzzles are created with a specific purpose in mind. These can be aimed at children, for example, with the puzzles designed to teach them about science and math. In addition, some puzzles have a social purpose, such as those that encourage a certain lifestyle or promote a particular organization.
A number of the most widely published American puzzles are also colloquial, meaning that the grid contains entries that try to replicate everyday colloquial language. Such puzzles are sometimes referred to as “non-traditional” crosswords, and they tend to have longer clues than other types of crosswords.
As a result, crosswords have become increasingly diverse and cosmopolitan. Some of the most popular crosswords in the world are created by people of different ages and backgrounds, and are published in many languages.
For example, a puzzle in the British newspaper The Daily Mail was recently made by a woman, and a puzzle in The Guardian has been authored by a transgender person. The Daily Mirror has also published a series of crosswords constructed by cis and trans women.
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