The Week In Crosswords

I know, I know. Still behind. We’ll be catching up to current events this weekend, for sure! Let’s start the chart with Crossword Race #3, “Turtle Power…”

New York Times seeks “games job director” to handle “digital crosswords and other games.” Apply within.

Mailshop has a crossword book giveaway drawing for you, if you don’t mind retweeting…

What was the alternative to this headline? “Crossword contest winner hates puzzles, is only in it for the money?” I’m just saying, maybe they could’ve shared a more surprising personal detail.

Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon’s last acrostic answer was oh so meta. What’ll they acrosticize next? They’d like your suggestions.

Here’s yet another “screw crosswords, our method is better” cognitive study with questionable methodology. The NIH seems to have paid no attention to how much experience their sample group already had with crosswords. If they’re comparing two fresh challenges, then they may indeed have proven the NIH-designed puzzles increase cognition and crosswords do not, but that seems doubtful given the body of conflicting research. And if they are comparing a fresh challenge with a familiar one, then all they’ve proven is that a fresh challenge is more stimulating, and, well, duh. Not to say you shouldn’t seek fresh challenges– in fact, a variety of puzzles is definitely a good thing. But that doesn’t seem like a thesis that needs a government-funded study to prove.

Why airline crosswords may be harder than crosswords solved on the ground.

Parnell Hall’s Puzzle Lady is back in a new mystery.

Ego-stroking solve of the week: Jack Thompson (but not that Jack Thompson) on behalf of World of Warcraft.

“Girl, you must be a crossword puzzle…”