I want to become a cross word puzzle person?

Question

ok. me and my grandmother love crossword puzzles! but i am horrible at them! 2 out of three times, i call her for help. how do i become better at these tricky puzzles!

i do my puzzles alone, by the way. more thinking involved :P

THANKS!

any tips? THX

Answer 1

Read. Then read some more. Finally, read some more :)

Reading is the single best way to increase your vocabulary because you mind is able to retain new information easier when it has a context you can already identify with.

Read many different kinds of things and branch out into works from other English-speaking countries and other time periods.

You can also sign up on some dictionary sites to receive "Word a Day" e-mails. You will get a new word and its definition in your e-mail each day. In order to get the word into your mind, practice it through the day, finding as many chances to use the word (correctly) as possible.

Invest in a good dictionary, and as has already been mentioned by other posters here, keep doing your puzzles :)

Answer 2

Read a lot, keep a dictionary handy or use one on line to look up words you don't know or don't fully understand, and write down words you hear during the day that you don't understand so you can look them up later. Don't be afraid to show you don't know a word, so ask if it is appropriate at the time, when you hear a new word.

Also, do crossword puzzles, even hard ones, because you WILL get better. I started years ago with easy level puzzles, but it did not take me long to get to more difficult and interesting puzzles. Keep your hand in all the time by doing puzzles even if they become a little to easy for you, if you can't find a harder one at the time.

Puzzles are great vocabulary building tools provided you use them as both fun and educational devices. I love theme puzzles and have designed a few. That is another way to build your vocabulary. Try to build your own puzzles. Coming up with interesting clues is a challenging and fun task.

I too like to do puzzles alone, but I know a lot of people who love to do puzzles in groups as it can be a very fun time.

Bottom line is, just keep doing puzzles and building your vocabulary.

Answer 3

Reading does help. But the more you do the better you get. I began with the ones in the daily newspaper. If I needed help I'd look it up in a crossword dictionary. But only after I really tried to do it without. After a while you start to remember some of the odd things they ask for. I know some people think of that as cheating but I think you should look it up the same as you would anything else you don't know. By the way the New York Times crossword dictionary is terrific.

Answer 4

There is still a theme question on YA on tips for crossword solving, which has attracted more than 150 answers. Maybe you could profit from reading the answers.
Yes, patience and the willingness to read and work hard are essential pre-requisites for a budding crossword enthusiast. Improvement in vocabulary is most essential for which you need to read good literature, newpapers, classics, and contemporary writing as much as possible. Try to remember the meaning of words after looking up a good dictionary, even for words which you think are simple.
Start with easy crosswords and gradually work up to the harder ones. There are some good online crossword websites for you to practice, if you wish.
Take the help of other crossword solvers if you get stuck with a word or even if you don't understand how a word given in the solution is appropriate. Don't be afraid of consulting others when you really need some help.
Yes, you need to check the solution after you give up (which you normally should not, easily!) and try to reason out the choice of the word.
Avoid taking short cuts from the internet for solving anagrams since trying to figure out anagrams by thinking builds your analytical powers. You may get the answer immediately from an anagram scrambler but that is not the way to improve your solving skills - it is not fun, either!
Sometimes you need to literally sleep over a hard clue, particularly if it is a cryptic clue, to get the answer. Avoid checking the answer until you have really decided to give up, but never fight shy of referring to a good dictionary at any stage. A thesaurus is also useful in the initial stages but it is better to avoid this too as you get more practice.
Crossword solving is a fine art. It can be developed by anyone who shows patience and the desire to build the brain.
While these are general principles, you can get practical hints on specific types of crosswords from other experienced solvers. I am sure there are many in your town who could help you in this.
Good luck.

Answer 5

I started just a few years back, the only way to get better is to do them constantly. Do the ones in your local newspaper daily and, in time, you'll get great at them.

Answer 6

Read, read, read.

Increase your vocabulary.