Tag Archives: crossword

Delving into the 2025 Boswords Summer Tournament Puzzles!

Posted on by
Reply

I had a chance to sit down and test my puzzly mettle with this year’s puzzles from the Boswords Summer Crossword Tournament. I look forward to Boswords every year, so I had high expectations going in.

But, of course, they knocked it out of the park.

Let’s put those puzzles under the PuzzCulture microscope and see what Boswords had in store for solvers this year!

Warmup Puzzle: Boswords, Inc. by John Lieb

Starting off with a smaller grid is a great idea for a warmup to a long day of puzzling, and this 12×9 symmetrical grid delivered a clever apt pair (as the Puzzmo crew would call it) with GREEN MONSTER and MIKE WAZOWSKI, but also tied in some bonus Boston trivia with the cluing.

It was super-accessible and the perfect intro for the tournament. I very much enjoyed!

Image courtesy of StudioBinder.

Puzzle #1: Plot Twists by Mary Tobler

The tournament proper kicked off with this 15x puzzle featuring a quartet of phrases with letters from the word YARN jumbled up inside (luNARYear, for instance). The revealer SPIN A YARN completed the set nicely.

A tight grid and fun theme made for a quick solve and a solid opener to the tournament.

Interesting grid entries included BASE JUMPS, CINCY, GOMEZ, and HYDRA, and my favorite clues were “Those disdaining bottles with screwcaps, maybe” for WINE SNOBS and “Great Caesar’s ghost!” for EGAD.

Puzzle #2: Life’s Little Ups and Downs by Ross Trudeau

We get a nice example of horizontal symmetry in puzzle #2, offering some lovely left-to-right flow and subconsciously pushing solvers in the right direction to unravel the puzzle’s actual hook.

There were rising geographical features like DOME and HILL hidden among the across entries (where one letter was above the others, using a black square to visually create a hill inside the circles in the grid).

But Trudeau didn’t stop there, as each geographical feature was contained inside a longer entry combining two across entries in that row, using that geographical feature to “climb” over the black square in the middle! (For example, 24A was LING and clued as such, but 22A was SPINECHI, but using HILL to connect them, you get the actual word clued as 22A, SPINECHILLING).

This was diabolical construction and my favorite puzzle of the tournament.

Interesting grid entries included YUPPIES, TRUE THAT, KINKSHAME, and THE SMURF, and my favorite clues were “4% of an Olympic 10k” for ONE LAP and “Apt way to get to a wine tasting?” for CAB.

Puzzle #3: The Sty’s the Limit by Quiara Vasquez

Quiara Vasquez never disappoints, and puzzle #3 was another terrific example. This puzzle had tons of clever cluing, all built around an interesting hook with animal answers in the grid that had to be inserted into the starred to turn them into more common phrases. (For example, when PIG is added into PASSENGEREONS, you get PASSENGER PIGEONS.)

And given that all of the animals were PIG, HOG, SOW, and BOAR, the center revealer BRING HOME THE BACON tied the whole puzzle together with style. The cluing, which was conversational and treated all the animals like escapees, was a delight.

This was the toughest puzzle so far, and probably the toughest puzzle of the tournament, save for the championship themeless.

Interesting grid entries included EXHIBIT A, MORPH, and AMAZON ECHO, and my favorite clues (hard to narrow this list down!) were “‘Carmen’ or ‘Elektra'” for OPERA, “Word before ‘Madre’ or ‘Leone’… or ‘Tango'” for SIERRA, and “Skirt length that hides your skinned knee but shows off your gladiator sandals” for MIDI.

Puzzle #4: Let’s Go Together by Chandi Deitmer

Chandi pulled double-duty on this 15x offering, loading almost all of the across entries with pairs of overlapping answers (like SLIM/MET overlapping at the M), and all of these overlaps spelled out vehicles or modes of transportation in the corresponding DOWN entries.

The revealer across the center, RIDESHARE, was the icing on this cleverly constructed cake. Really great cluing here and nice construction overall, especially with the symmetrical vehicle entries. It wasn’t as tough as Puzzle #3, but given the packed grid and very few black squares, it was probably an absolute beast to construct. Color me very impressed.

Interesting grid entries included GROUP DATE, I’M BATMAN, SALIERI, and FARSI, and my favorite clues were “Settler of old?” for DUEL and the very apropos pair at 25A of “Wimbledon champ Swiatek” for IGA right beside “Untouchable delivery by Swiatek” for ACE.

Puzzle #5: A Chorus Line by John Harrington

After the three-puzzle barrage of Trudeau, Vasquez, and Deitmer’s offerings, Harrington offered a gentler cooldown puzzle with this 15×18 music-themed crossword that was all about the lyrics.

Each themed entry was clued as a type of line — “Assembly line? (Billie Eilish)” for WHAT WAS I MADE FOR, for example — prompting the solver to provide the appropriate song chorus. (I’d be curious to hear what prompted the artists and lyrics he chose. Maybe I should reach out and ask!)

This was a fun straightforward puzzle with really enjoyable grid fill, a marvelous way to conclude the tournament for solvers before the championship.

Interesting grid entries included CHOCOHOLIC, ABS OF STEEL, LINDT, SHANDLING, and PICKACARD, and my favorite clues were “One who’s into some pretty dark stuff?” for CHOCOHOLIC and one of his themed clues, “International date line? (Dean Martin)” for THAT’S AMORE.

Puzzle #6: Championship Themeless by Hemant Mehta

As always, Boswords concluded with a themeless puzzle, and this 15x grid was deftly constructed. The multiple long entries at every corner offered a lot of opportunities for good vocabulary, great fill, and a suitable challenge for solvers at either difficulty. (There were two sets of clues available for the championship themeless, the MILD and SIZZLING sets, depending on your preference.)

The grid flowed nicely, and it felt like the perfect sendoff for the whole event, a great set of hurdles to test the top solvers.

Interesting grid entries included OPEN TABLE, VIP PASS, PSY OP, SPIRO AGNEW, and ARE YOU MAD.

As for favorite clues, here’s a list:

  • MILD: “Engagement that could lead to an engagement?” for FIRST DATE
  • MILD: “Maximum athletic intensity, in slang” for BEAST MODE
  • SIZZLING: “If you’re in it, you’re out of it” for COMA
  • SIZZLING: “Telenovela plot driver” for AMOR
  • SIZZLING: “Red cap?” for CORK
  • SIZZLING: “It’ll likely be brought up in self-defense class” for KNEE
120718_crossword_L

Overall, Boswords continues to impress. Between the summer and winter events, plus their seasonal themeless leagues, Boswords steps up their game every year, and as always, I was impressed by the array of puzzles assembled for this year’s tournament.

There were tricky themes, visual challenges, and even a barnyard escape, all of which made great use of both the cluing and the grids themselves. Every puzzle made an impact, and the tournament puzzles as a whole were challenging and creative in their design without being off-putting or getting too esoteric.

With so many terrific puzzly events on the calendar every year, I still think Boswords is the perfect tournament to introduce solvers to tournament-style puzzling, matching levels of difficulty with accessibility, playfulness, and straight-up solid grid construction.

Once again, I cannot wait to see what they cook up for us next year.

Did you attempt this year’s Boswords summer tournament puzzles, fellow solver? If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!

Farewell, Tom Lehrer.

Posted on by
Reply

The world of puzzles and games is larger than constructors and game designers. There are artists, writers, editors, wordsmiths, hosts, musicians, and influences that help shape puzzles and games in so many different ways. Their efforts enrich and popularize these beloved pastimes, contributing to the world by celebrating wordplay, creativity, and nerdy pursuits.

And sadly, the world grew a little less witty, a little less clever, and a lot less bold and outspoken about so many important topics when Tom Lehrer passed away a few days ago.

It’s hard to know where to begin.

How do you describe the cultural influence of a man whose songs still delight, inform, and push boundaries today, even though he wrote most of them over sixty years ago?

How do you describe a successful musician who walked away from public performance after three brilliant albums — thirty-seven songs, each an intricately-crafted dissection of some aspect of culture, science, or current events, often as poignant and sharp-tongued as they were hilarious — and spent the bulk of his life as a teacher and college professor instead?

How do you describe the genius of a man for whom wordplay flowed as easily as scientific lingo or political commentary, a man who could make you laugh (and think, really think) about nuclear annihilation, questionable post-war government programs, or even the Catholic Church itself?

His influence on pop culture can’t be overestimated. Across generations, his songs educated and inspired, and his legacy is bulletproof. He created songs for The Electric Company, Square One TV, and That Was The Week That Was. (Those shows were decades apart!)

He inspired performers like “Weird Al” Yankovic, and I think his fingerprints are unmistakable on other hilarious and educational projects, like the songs of Randy Rogel for Animaniacs. (Trust me, you can’t listen to “the Multiplication song” from Animaniacs and NOT think of Lehrer’s “New Math”.)

Tom retired from live performance in the late 1960s, having felt like he’d said everything he wanted to say with his music. (Plus, as he famously pointed out, “political satire became obsolete when Henry Kissinger was awarded the Nobel peace prize.”)

But his songs wouldn’t be denied.

Dr. Demento’s radio show brought Lehrer’s work to new ears in the 1970s, 80s, and 90s, and Honest2Betsy has brought him to yet another generation’s attention with her videos over the last few years.

His songs are timeless. “The Elements” alone has appeared in Better Call Saul, NCIS, Gilmore Girls, and The Big Bang Theory. (Not to mention Daniel Radcliffe’s famous rendition of the song on The Graham Norton Show, where he called Lehrer his hero. This actually led to Radcliffe starring in the film Weird: The Al Yankovic Story.)

Speaking of “Weird Al,” his New York Times crossword puzzle with constructor Eric Berlin namedropped Tom as part of the grid fill in this pun-heavy collaboration:

And it is a love of wordplay that sparked this tribute today.

Lehrer’s work is absolutely riddled with clever puns, comedic craftsmanship, and playing with the listener’s expectations: all things that great crossword cluing employs.

You can’t listen to songs like “Silent E” or “Without an S” and NOT imagine clues or themes that Lehrer’s linguistic legerdemain could inspire.

Not to mention this gem:

There’s a playfulness there, paired with technique, creativity, and an absolute willingness to bend conventions to their breaking point in order to make something new. How can you not love it?

But wordplay, commentary, and scientific and mathematical literacy weren’t Lehrer’s only gifts to the world.

He claimed to have invented the jello shot while in the military (to skirt rules about alcohol consumption). He wrote the song “Don’t Major in Physics,” which would have been good advice to me in freshman year of college, had I cared to listen.

Image courtesy of warhistoryonline.

And he also made the incredible gesture in 2022 of transferring the music and lyrics for all the songs he had ever written into the public domain. He relinquished the copyright and performing/recording rights for his songs as well, making his music and lyrics free for anyone to use. Downloadable lyric and music files are available on his website.

His statement releasing all his works into the public domain concluded with this note: “This website will be shut down at some date in the not too distant future, so if you want to download anything, don’t wait too long.”

For now, at least, the website remains online.

And it seems so apropos that the man who walked away from music decades ago to share his love of mathematics, science, and teaching with others is also the man who would happily sign away the rights to his music to enrich the lives of others once again.

The humanities and the STEM fields both owe Tom Lehrer a debt that can never be repaid.

The world was blessed with his presence for 97 years, and I have no doubt that his words, his music, and the forceful spirit that infused both will be around for many many years to come.

Farewell, Tom. Thanks for warning us about Shakespeare.

Oh, and for this lovely little ditty:

Crosswords as a Spectator Sport?

Posted on by
Reply

Summer is always a fun time for crossword fans who enjoy a good tournament.

Westwords wrapped up a few weeks ago, as did the first World Cryptic Crossword Championship in London. Boswords is less than a week away, Lollapuzzoola is coming up in August, and the 7th Bryant Park Crossword Tournament not long after in September!

And while discussing the Scripps National Spelling Bee with a friend recently, they asked me, as a puzzle guy, if I thought that crosswords could ever become a spectator sport like that.

While crossword tournaments aren’t currently televised, I happily informed him that crosswords are pretty much already a spectator sport.

Every year, people at the ACPT not only enjoy watching the live-solved final puzzle, but they get commentary from Greg Pliska and Ophira Eisenberg!

Tournament finals are often live-solved in front of their fellow competitors, adding some drama and showmanship to these wonderful puzzly events.

We’re even getting behind-the-scenes videos on the tournaments now, like this one for Westwords:

But in terms of crosswords as a spectator sport, the World Cryptic Crossword Championship took things a step further.

The final round of the tournament wasn’t a live-solved puzzle, it was a single cryptic-style clue. No crossing letters or grid for context. Just the clue, and the competitor only had ten seconds to solve it before the next competitor took their shot.

I’ve never had to solve a puzzle in front of an audience like all the tournament finalists, but I can imagine it’s nerve-wracking. But giving someone a cryptic-style clue with NO context letters and ten seconds to solve it in front of an audience?

Good lord, thank you for the new anxiety nightmare fuel, WCCC.

That being said, it was an entertaining watch, and another step forward for crosswords as a spectator sport:

What do you think, fellow puzzler? Will we be seeing the ACPT or another puzzle tournament on an ESPN sister channel soon? Or perhaps as an Olympic event?

Let us know in the comments section below! We’d love to hear from you.

Puzzles in Pop Culture: Pinky and the Brain

Posted on by
Reply

As you might expect, I am always on the lookout for puzzles on television.

Sometimes, a complete solvable puzzle appears, like in the seesaw brain teaser from Brooklyn Nine-Nine. Sometimes, they’re only referenced, like in a murder mystery involving a crossword editor on Bones.

Other times, a major portion of an episode revolves around them. We’ve seen this countless times from shows as diverse as The Simpsons and NCIS: New Orleans.

But I didn’t realize an entire plot for world domination once hinged on a puzzle.

Pinky and the Brain was a spinoff of a recurring series of animated shorts from the show Animaniacs, and the concept was simple.

Two mice plotted to take over the world from their lab cage, and their plans were invariably foiled by either Pinky’s idiocy or Brain’s almost magical ability to snatch defeat from the jaws of victory.

The schemes ranged from time travel and mind control to hypnotic songs and (my personal favorite) a papier mache duplicate of Earth.

But on February 21st, 1998, the show aired its 53rd episode, The Family That Poits Together, Narfs Together.

The Brain’s latest plan for global domination targeted the intellectual elite by sabotaging the daily crossword in every newspaper in the world.

Here, I’ll let The Brain explain his diabolical endeavor:

This is the Sunday crossword puzzle. The most educated people all around the world spend hours each weekend deciphering its complex web of interlocking verbiage. But change just one clue, and the whole puzzle becomes impossible to solve…

I will change one clue in the crossword puzzle in every newspaper around the globe, throwing the intelligentsia into a hopeless dither. While they frantically ripple through their dictionaries and thesauri, I will step into the breach, and take over the world!

Unfortunately, he needs $25,000 to fund this operation (including the cost of bagels with cream cheese), so he plans to reunite Pinky’s family and put them on a talk show to win the prize for the world’s most perfect family.

Naturally, shenanigans ensue — and Eric Idle plays both Pinky’s mom AND dad, which is very entertaining — but the family actually wins the prize!

A trip around the world valued at $25,000.

The Brain’s dastardly plans have been scuttled once more.

But that does raise the question…

Would it have worked?

(Let’s ignore for the moment the fact that the intelligentsia for the most part aren’t currently in positions of power, especially in the United States.)

In a world before resources like Xwordinfo and online forums where solvers can share their grievances, it could have given the puzzle solvers of the world pause.

Especially on a Sunday, where you’d think at least some of them would be at home and not at their various important duties.

So there could have been a window.

But was The Brain equipped to seize that opportunity? Did he have the manpower to be in all those places? To snatch up those resources and reins of power for himself?

I don’t think so. Not on a budget of $25,000 (which again, covered the crossword modification and snacks, NOT the ensuing power grab). That’s barely gonna cover a few henchmen, even at 1998 prices.

So, sadly, I think the plan would have failed.

BUT!

He would have had the personal victory of denying that moment of solving satisfaction to puzzlers around the world.

Which is arguably even more villainous.

What do you think, fellow solver? Would it have worked? You can watch the episode for free here on Dailymotion.

And to close out today’s post, let’s enjoy an earworm together and listen to that marvelous theme song:

Happy puzzling and/or plotting world domination!

Delving into the 2025 Westwords Tournament Puzzles!

Posted on by
Reply

I finally had a chance to sit down and try my hand at the puzzles from this year’s Westwords Crossword Tournament. Given the talent involved amongst the organizers and constructors, I had high expectations, and I was not disappointed.

So let’s put those puzzles under the microscope and see what’s what!

Puzzle #1: Brace for Turbulence by Kevin Christian

The tournament launched with this 16×15 grid loaded with two-word entries (ROUGH CUT, SAVAGE GARDEN) where the first word (the west word) was a synonym for “wild,” aligning with the revealer WILD WEST.

It was a solid starter puzzle with a nice flow and cluing that knocked any solving ring rust from the competitors and prepared them for the day’s events. My only qualm was the repetition of ALL with ALL EARS and AFTER ALL, but that’s more a personal preference than any fault with the construction.

Interesting grid entries included CAJOLED, SALINAS, BEER RUN, and VALLEJO, and my favorite clues were the dual usage of the clue “Pizzazz” for ZING and BRIO, and “Online ‘Reader’ whose name is hidden in ‘Nunavut News'” for UTNE. Nice bit of Crostic-style cluing there!

Puzzle #2: Suspension of Disbelief by Willa Angel Chen Miller

The second tournament puzzle was a freestyle 16×15 with a grid-crossing spanner nicely tying the grid together. It was definitely tougher than Puzzle #1, but the stellar fill and engaging cluing made this one of my favorite puzzles of the tournament.

Miller absolutely made the most of this themeless and jammed loads of long entries into an elegantly constructed grid.

Interesting grid entries included DEAR LORD, EGGS BENNY, SAINTLY, and the pair of WE SHOULD TALK and I BLAME YOU, and my favorite clues were “Device that can affect its user’s balance” for ATM, “Big name in construction” for LEGO, “Two objects in a row?” for OARS, and “The rest of the day?” for SIESTA.

Puzzle #3: State Lines by Amie Walker

The third and largest puzzle of the tournament was this 21x puzzle where the themed entries across were clued with state nicknames — “Beehive state?” for GENERATING BUZZ or “Gem state?” for PEARL CLUTCHING) — and crossed entries where the state abbreviation for that state-specific clue was concealed in the down entry. (CA crossed the entry clued “Golden state?” for example.)

This was really smart and well-executed construction, managing it six times in the grid and never feeling shoehorned-in or inorganic. The simple title not only hinted at the cluing but allowed solvers to add “crossing” to “State Lines” subconsciously. This puzzle was a treat.

Interesting grid entries included HAT TIP, BARBIELAND, OBI-WAN, and SATSUMA, and my favorite clues were “Bird with a notable top spin?” for OWL, “What’s rhymed with ‘pretty mama’ in the Beach Boys’ ‘Kokomo'” for BAHAMA, and “This is so you-coded” for DNA.

Wait, right message, wrong West…

Puzzle #4: Go Dubs! by David Steinberg

With this devious 15x, Puzzle #4 in Westwords could build a similar reputation to the eternally-challenging Puzzle #5 at the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament.

The toughest puzzle of the tournament, this very clever entry from Steinberg featured several entries clued with words starting with W where you had to ignore the W to read the actual clue.

For instance, one clue was “Witch”, but the actual clue was “Itch” and the “W” was a directional hint. The answer, HANKERING, had to be entered into the grid facing west, like GNIREKNAH. Each themed entry followed this pattern, giving us EIGHT literal west-running words for Westwords (as confirmed by the revealer)!

Interesting grid entries included ACETIC, RENATA, PRELAW, and VAIO, and my favorite clues were “One thing, or two people” for ITEM and “Performance at 100-120 BPM” for CPR.

Puzzle #5: L.A.byrinth by Nate Cardin

After Puzzle #4’s trickery, it was nice to have some clear directions to follow with Puzzle #5, an 18×15 grid where Cardin’s clues literally directed solvers through a series of LA roadways grayed out in the grid from top to bottom. Each clue containing part of the pathway through the grid was written like someone giving you directions, i.e. “Okay, now take the 101…” for ENTRY LEVEL COURSE.

Using number-based clues that both hint at the answer and feel like proper conversational directions is a narrow tightrope to walk, but Cardin does a terrific job balancing the style with the substance. This felt totally different from every other puzzle in the tournament and the visual element was great fun.

Interesting grid entries included CORONAL, WAVES HI, and SO SORRY, and my favorite clues were “Board game with ‘RuPaul’s Drag Race’ and ‘Scooby-Doo’ versions” for CLUE and the very appropriately thematic “Like one navigating a freeway maze, hopefully” for ALERT.

Puzzle 6: Final by Caitlin Reid

The final puzzle for the tournament boasts a different set of clues for each of the divisions — Beach and Mountain — and Reid constructed a puzzle with loads of intriguing entries and personality to spare.

The Beach cluing was smooth and accessible while still testing solvers, while the Mountain side offered some very challenging trivia and clever wordplay to keep competitors guessing to the very end.

Interesting grid entries included ROSHAMBO, AU REVOIR (very fitting), LIVE IT UP, COMIC-CON, and ADORBS.

As for favorite clues, here’s a list:

BEACH: “Word before can or tan” for SPRAY
BEACH: “Like a town that’s hardly worth a dot on the map” for ONE-HORSE
BEACH: “Las Vegas institution with a silent partner?” for PENN AND TELLER
MOUNTAIN: “Current law maker?” for AMPERE
MOUNTAIN: “Seat in the House of Lords?” for ARSE

Overall, I really enjoyed my first experience with Westwords. (I have the puzzles from the 2024 event but haven’t solved them yet). Solvers have high expectations when it comes to crossword tournaments these days, and the creativity and skill level of the constructors for this year’s Westwords puzzles absolutely did not disappoint.

We got several different puzzles playing on the Westwords gimmick, some delightful visuals, and a host of terrific clues for fresh grid fill and classic crossword words alike.

If you’ve never tackled tournament-style puzzling before, I would highly recommend giving Westwords a try. The puzzles are tricky and fair in equal measure, and I enjoyed the arrangement of puzzle difficulty throughout the day.

West Coast puzzlers, you’re in excellent hands.

Did you attempt this year’s Westwords tournament puzzles, fellow solver? If so, I’d love to hear from you in the comments section below!

What Belongs in Crosswords: Another Look

Posted on by
2

Years ago I wrote a blog post discussing how crosswords have to walk a tightrope, balancing topicality and freshness vs. familiarity and family-friendly content.

I mentioned that older solvers may decry newer names, slang, terminology, or pop culture references, while younger solvers will bemoan not just older references they consider passe, but long-established crossword-friendly words they quickly tire of seeing.

And it’s frustrating to still encounter an elitist mentality when it comes to certain crossword solvers.

Now, you’re obviously allowed to have preferences when it comes to grid fill and cluing. But there’s a line, and these elitists stomp across it, barking all the way.

I’ve had commenters rant about the “ignorant ghetto language” in the LA Times crossword, citing “sup,” “did,” and “street cred.” And recently, a commenter shared their annoyance at pop culture references in crosswords, claiming that “doing a puzzle is a test of one’s general knowledge of history, science, and the arts.”

And I’m sorry, but that’s simply untrue. Doing a puzzle — specifically a crossword — is a test of one’s ability to answer clues, deduce words from letter placement, and test one’s vocabulary and knowledge of MANY facets of culture, pop or otherwise.

Different venues will provide different solving experiences, and you’re welcome to cherry-pick your crossword outlets that fit your preferences, but you don’t get to wholesale dismiss other puzzles, grid fill, clues, and content simply because you consider it beneath you.

In the past, I pondered the idea of the “average solver” — something my fellow blogger and puzzler Rae also wrote quite eloquently about — and we both came to the same conclusion: crosswords are better when they try to reach further, to challenge, to evolve.

As Rae wrote:

If we construct a puzzle for the average solver, are we really constructing a puzzle for anyone at all? Or has all the life been sucked out of the puzzle, all the potential for anyone to connect with its quirks?

I love seeing a constructor’s preferences, humor, and interests reflect in a puzzle’s grid fill and cluing. There’s such personality to it!

And it’s a very slippery slope to want puzzles limited to what YOU consider relatable.

Years ago, I was amazed when anyone outside the tri-state area had heard of Action Park, but now, thanks to a documentary about that now-infamous entertainment venue, I wouldn’t be surprised to hear it referenced by someone from either coast of the US or beyond!

Mystery Science Theater 3000, the beloved comedy show where a presenter and their robot chums throw zingers at z-grade movies, used to be famed for its Wisconsin- and Minnesota-specific references and humor. As a teenager from Connecticut, I didn’t get all of them (thankfully, a friend from Wisconsin was able to fill those knowledge gaps for me), but I still very much enjoyed the show.

Later, when it was brought back through Kickstarter campaigns and a Netflix revival, writers from outside the Wisconsin/Minnesota area got to add their experiences and references to the show. Some fans complained that it was no longer their niche little treat, but I for one loved hearing references from my pop cultural childhood that never would’ve graced an MST3K episode from years past.

It’s fine not to know something. It’s not a flaw.

I certainly have my weaknesses when it comes to certain topics and fields of interest. Anyone matched up against me in Learned League should be rooting for questions about flowers, artists, and the names of athletes. I haven’t put in the time to educate myself on those topics, so I can’t be mad when I don’t get some of those trivia questions.

But when it comes to crosswords, I don’t get angry when I don’t know an entry or a reference. I look it up and learn and move on. Hardly a week goes by without learning a new word or phrase from Puzzmo crosswords and cluing. Heck, I’ve lost count of the cultural references and names I’ve learned from collections like A Trans Person Made Your Puzzle and Juliana Pache’s Black Crosswords!

There’s no shame in not knowing something.

There SHOULD, however, be shame in refusing to learn. There SHOULD be shame in excluding things that don’t fit YOUR definition of “culture.” To dismiss pop culture, to dismiss the unfamiliar, is to limit yourself and diminish the art of crosswords.

To argue, as that commenter did, that “sports, transient celebrities, and TV shows” aren’t part of general knowledge or are somehow inferior to their definition of “culture” is unfortunately fighting the tide of how culture works.

Puzzles are constantly evolving as we evolve, and whether you call it culture or pop culture, it all belongs in a crossword grid. We should be making puzzles MORE inclusive, not less.

In closing, I am inspired one last time by our commenter, who said that “a quote from Virginia Wolfe is more resonant than the title of a children’s book written by a former model or ice skater.”

So let’s wrap up this post with a quote from both Virginia Woolf and a quote from a children’s book with quite the resonant title, shall we?

“Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.” — Virginia Woolf, A Room of One’s Own

“I’ll solve a puzzle, read a book, and learn a fun new fact!” — Jessica Hische, Tomorrow I’ll Be Brave

Happy puzzling, everyone!