Thank you, New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz, thank you!
Q. I enjoyed the film “Wordplay,” but was a little put off by the emphasis on speed in solving the puzzle. I guess that has to be the criteria when one has a competition. Still, for me the pleasure in crosswords is in the solving, not in some stressed-out rush to fill in the puzzle as quickly as possible. When you complete a puzzle, are you always trying to do it as quickly as possible?
[Will Shortz responds:] Rushing to solve a crossword is like stuffing a fine four-course meal down your throat as fast as you can. It doesn’t make much sense. In a tournament, of course, the way to differentiate the best solvers from the rest is by their speed. In everyday solving, though, take all the sweet time you want.
I speed through Mondays and usually Tuesdays. I go more slowly the rest of the week, even though I could go faster if I really wanted. I never time myself, though. Doing crosswords isn’t about speed — it’s about enjoying yourself.
I agree. The emphasis on speed completely takes away from what I consider the true fun of a puzzle, that moment when something just “clicks” and everything seems to fall into place. That should be savored.
I don’t feel that, however, until at the very least Thursday, and some weeks I just don’t even bother with the earlier puzzles. Is it weird that one of the reasons I look forward to the weekend are the challenging crossword puzzles? :)
In my personal crossword solving, I place a little emphasis on speed, but I have one idiosyncratic challenge that takes precedence over speed: I can’t just move around the grid willy-nilly, but each clue I solve after the first must have at least one square in common with one already solved. I mentally mark down my performance if I end up stuck and have to move to a completely blank clue. Not sure why I started that little OCD with my puzzles, but as far back as I can remember even into childhood I’ve required myself to try to solve them that way, and always in pen.