Crosswords

 

Definition of cruciverbalist: 

a person skillful in creating or solving crossword puzzles

 On April 1-3, the 44th Annual American Crossword Puzzle Tournament will be held in Stamford CT.  

I can't help but wonder if how a person goes about doing crosswords bears any reflection on their personality.  Whether they prefer pen or pencil, paper or digital.  I can't help but think that my preference to use erasable pens might imply that I'm just trying to look more confident than I really am...

The Crossword Puzzler's Handbook: Over 1,500 Words You Need to Know

Crossword Puzzler's Handbook, Revised Edition has all the answers to help you become an expert crossword puzzler. With 1,500 words and their definitions to help you name that obscure actress from the 30s or a three-letter word for "vase," solving crossword puzzles has never looked so easy. This pocket-sized handbook is the perfect gift for the crossword puzzle lovers in your life.

Crossword mysteries. A puzzle to die for 

DVDA brilliant crossword puzzle editor finds her life turned upside-down when she is pulled into a police investigation after several of the clues in her recent puzzles are linked to unsolved crimes. Proving her innocence means leaving the comfort of her sheltered world and working with a tough police detective, puzzling through clues together in order to crack the case, as the two are fish out of water in each other's worlds

Two Across: A Novel by Bartsch, Jeffrey

"Stanley and Vera, academically precocious but awkward teenagers, form a bond when they tie for first place in the National Spelling Bee. Though their mothers have big plans for them-Stanley will become a senator, Vera a mathematics professor-neither wants to follow these pre-determined paths. So Stanley hatches a plan to marry Vera in a sham wedding for the financial freedom to pursue his one true love: crossword puzzle construction. In enlisting Vera to marry him, he neglects one variable: she's secretly in love with him, a fact that dooms his plan to disaster. Once he's lost her, Stanley tries to atone for his mistakes and win her back using coded messages in crossword puzzles-but can he find her again before it's too late?"-- Provided by publisher.

"A Puzzle Lady mystery"

 

Crosswords and chamomile by Adams, Elizabeth

When an opportunity arises for the tearoom to host a special event with famed puzzle maker Bill Markham, Jan is elated! The event brings in puzzle lovers from all over Lancaster, Maine, but at Tea for Two, mystery often lurks in unexpected places. When Katelyn Grande begins her puzzle, she quickly realizes that it was made specifically for her-as a declaration of love! As Jan and Elaine set out to discover who the would-be paramour might be, they quickly find the clues more challenging and cryptic than any of Bill's legendary puzzles. Meanwhile, when Jan's granddaughter Avery begins practicing her cello after school at the tearoom, she confides in Elaine about problems she's having with a friend. Can Elaine draw on the wisdom she gained by raising her own children to help the girl navigate the difficult waters of preteen angst?

Down and across by Ahmadi, Arvin

His friends know what they want to do with the rest of their lives, but Scott Ferdowsi can hardly commit to a breakfast cereal, let alone a passion. With his parents pushing him to settle on a "practical" career, Scott sneaks off to Washington, DC, seeking guidance from a famous psychologist who claims to know the secret to success. He meets Fiora Buchanan, a ballsy college student whose life ambition is to write crossword puzzles. Now Scott is sneaking into bars, attempting to pick up girls at the National Zoo and even giving the crossword thing a try. Will he be able to find out who he is-- and who he wants to be?-- Adapted from dust jacket.

https://www.dictionary.com/e/crossword/

https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/crossword-became-american-pastime-180973558/