#Crossword editor software download

Or something like that, I don’t know, I think whatever they said was technically correct but out of sheer pettiness I refused to commit it to memory. One time someone direct messaged me on Instagram to say that, actually, saunas don’t have steam, they have dry heat. Speaking of, I think I peaked with the clue ( 'Cookie that some people eat with mustard') that caused Hoda Kotb to eat an Oreo dipped in mustard on the 'Today' show. I just don’t know how I can ever surpass that. That was awesome.ĭo people challenge your answers? Have you made an error? We reference Oreos way too much for them to not be paying us. Things with useful vowel placements (Erie, oboes, ogres, the phrase “I see”) tend to come up a lot.

Even just having one letter in an answer can make it a lot easier to get.Īre there go-to words or clues you use often? What is the most over-used crossword clue? Look for the stuff you know, and once you have those letters filled in, try the crossing answers. What is your best advice for tackling a crossword? I’ve edited a puzzle in an hour, but I’ve also had one clue take me an hour, so it depends. How much time does it take to construct a crossword? To edit one? There are many groups that are absent or underrepresented on our roster and in our industry, for example Black and Indigenous people. White women are amply represented less so for women of color. We work with a roster of more than 40, some of the best constructors and people out there.

How many constructors do you work with? How many are women or people of color? (It’s probably worth asking who that came from, whose voices are heard in that conversation.) I personally try to write and edit with a Black audience in mind. It's funny, I can’t remember ever saying “I make inclusive puzzles” but it seems to have become my brand. You are known for editing an inclusive crossword. My job is to help elevate their puzzle by making sure the idea works, vetoing any answers that are too obscure, revising clues to make them clearer and funner, and so on. The constructor does most of the heavy lifting – they come up with the idea, they fit together the answers in the grid (usually using a computer program – it’s much harder by hand), and then they write the clues for those answers. How does a crossword editor work? I know different people construct the crossword. Ten years and many puzzles later, I feel very lucky to get to edit for USA TODAY. Eventually I realized that the puzzles I was solving were made by people and that I could be one of those people, and with a lot of mentorship from various folks in the community, I had my first crossword published in 2011. I remember being in the computer lab playing USA TODAY puzzles during one of my other classes. (David) Stein is a big crossword guy and would sometimes tell us about cool puzzles, which caught my interest at a time when I wasn’t that passionate about, or good at, anything else. How did you get into crossword editing? This isn’t a well-worn career path.

#Crossword editor software download

USA TODAY recently launched a new crossword app ($5.99 a month, unlimited puzzles, download here!), so I emailed with Agard to learn more about the editor behind the clues.