The Oscars, the Emmys, and Now...the Wynners!Plus America's Most Creative Grosswords

By the Nation's Top Constructors

.T-\

BEHIND THE TIII|IESl l rA Look at America's Favorite crossword

by Helene Hovanec

f X f hen a62-word puzzle appeared in|/ V The New York Times on July 21,Y Y 1990,itsremarkableconstruction

feat probably went unnoric edby 99Vo of thesolvers.

Notmany aficionados are aware of wordcounts. (Most daily puzzles have 72 to g0words.) ButTime s editorEugene T. Maleskahad challenged Nancy Joline, one of hisfavorite constructors, to duplicate thelegendary 58-word puzzle created by anotherconstructor, Jordan Lasher.

"Although Joline's word count was alittle higherthan Lasher's,I think herpuzzlewas better," says Maleska. .,Lasher iook afew liberties, but Joline took none.,,

The themeless puzzle appeared on aSaturday, the day usually reserved for thehardest puzzle of the week. (Times puzzlesincrease in difficulty from Monday toSaturday.) The puzzle was filled withordinary words, clued matter-of-factly:

"Fierce fish" .,piranha""Left out" "Omitted""Remove" ,,Eliminate"

..19o. covering" .,Area rugi,,"Like some D.C.committees" "Senatorial"

"Joint problem" "Arthritis""These are found

in ecoles" ..Gargons"

and only two unusual words, clued in thesame manner:

"Mineral named forits emerald coloring" "Erinite',"Jells, country style" "Geals',

Though solvers may be oblivious toword counts, they do notice themes andclues - puzzle components under thedomain of the puzzle editor whether theeditor works for a newspaper or syndicate.Unfortunately forcrossword fans, newspapereditors don't place a high priority on itrecrossword; most buy their puzzles fromsyndicated sources. While some papers, suchasNewsday and the Washington post,havea Sunday puzzle editor, The Times andUSAToday ue the only papers with their own

editors for their duly puzzles as well.However, in terms of its writing and itsreadership, Ifte N ew yorkTime.s stands alone.

Since Tfte Timesinitiated its crosswordin 1942, each editor has put his or her ownindelible sramp on the puzzle. MargaretFarrar, the first editor, set high standar-rls ofexcellence for her constructors. Her mottowas "fresh and felicitous" cluing and absolutefairness to solvers, while eschewing slangand trade names. Farrarbelieved thatpuzzleiwere "synonymous with entertainment.There are plenty of educational valuesconcealed- in the puzzles, but they are by_products." Her only taboos were ,deati,disease, and [axes," for she believed thaisolvers usepuzzles as an escape mechanism.Farrar firmly believed, "If soivers are ryingto figure out the answer to 7-Down, ihe!can't- be worrying about how to pay n!rgnt."

a

DuringWill Weng's tenure, solvers sawpazzles with Arabic numbers (*76trombones"), Roman numerals (.,Life beginsat XL"), musical symbols (,,Becky #"), andpunny

_entries ('rabbit Fansit,' for ,.BugsBu11y's transportation"). Weng even OarJdto "violate a canon of crosiword law"(according to his assistant, Harriett Wilson)when he published aZl x}l grid with oneextra square appended to the top of the grid,answered by "stick out like a sore thumb."

Maleska's lno dus operandiis to instructhis audience. Armed with impressivecredentials-a bachelor's degree in Latin, amaster's degree in English literature, and adoctorate from Harvard -and an illustriouscareer in education (teacher, principal,superintendent), Maleska uses the puzzl-e asa forum for his esoteric knowledge andpeppers the clues with obscure words:

"L.D.Ahenobarbus" ..Nero"

"Exsuccous""Zygomaticbone"' .Malal ' ,"Nivellate" "Level""Culloden" "Moor,,"Baile

- Cliath(Dublin)" "Atha"

,,_ ginftzzr, ,,Ramos,,"RaPPee" "Snuff'

If these clues cross with commondefinitions, most solvers can complete theptzzle. But if there's a gridlock ofdifficultcrossings thatprevents solvers from finishinsthe puzzle, they're furious and let Maleskiknow it.

This happened on March 24, 1990, withapuzzle whose four main definitions wereall clued as TRAB ANTS and were answeredby: "chromosome moons,,',.porters,""durwans,"

and "armed attendants." Moitsolvers had no clue that the constructor haddelved deep into theetymologyof the themeword to find these answers. Maleskareceivedmore than 200letters of complaint which hehanded over to Betty Jbrgensen, theconstrutor of the puzzle. She respondedwith a form letter to each complainer:

"As constructor of the sticklerTRABANTS puzzle I volunteered to helpEugene Maleska answer the flood of letrcr;which came to The New york Times. Wecongratulate you on completing thepuzzleand we regret your bafflemenL;'Jorgensenthen proceeded to explain the etymology ofthe word.

In hindsight Maleska realizes, ..I nevershould have published this przzle.,, Heallowed himself to be swayed by theconstructor who begged him to publish it tohonor her friends whose surname happens mbe Trabants.

.

Readers are also vocal when thevcomplete apuzzle anddon't understand thltheme and/or gimmick. In August l9g9 rwopuzzles each generated more than 200 leuen.Nancy_ Atkinson's "Triple play" of August12 had three main enries cluld as .,Ciossword puzzle" which were answered by:

"Countryraceperfectbox""Exam inerforwordheaded""Referencesofhonorover"

_

The puzzle wasn't a difficult one; mostof theletters indicated thatithadbeen solved."But what does it mean?" solvers queried.Maleska had to explain ttrat Atkinson hadclugd "cross," "word,r, and ,,puzzle"individually.

(Continued on page 6)January/February 199'l CROSSW RD Page 5

N.Y. Times (from Page 5)Thus, the (real) answers were:

(cross) country race; (word) perfect; (puzzle) box(cross) examiner; (word) for word; (puzde)headed(cross) references ; (word) of honor; (puzzle) over

Just two weeks later, WilliamLufwiniak's "Nota Bene: Scale Back" puzzlehad seven theme entries clued by musicalnotes whose answers were, in sequence, asfollows:

"Short for olive drab""Impersonal pronoun""Symbol for aluminum""Angeles or Alamos""USA service academy""Contraction for I am""Sound of hesitation"

Maleska had to print. an explanationwittr this answer: "The seven notes in theclues represent the notes of the scale, inreverse order. The spellings of the notes arealso reversed. Thus, at 25 Across, the note is'do,' which becomes 'od,' which in turn is'short for olive drab.' Next, at 38 Across, the

note is' ti,' becomes' it,' and then' impersonalpronoun,'etc.

oSome solvers communicate with

Maleska through doggerel, verse, andartwork. When, in "a sleepy moment,"Maleskaclued "hanger" as "where !o see theSpruce Goose," two artistic solversresponded to ttris gaffe with original drawingsofan airplane hanging on a hanger (not in ahangar!). Maleska is chronicling hiscorrespondence with solvers in a book, TfteFans and I, due to be published in 1992.

Maleska begins his work day byattacking the mail and "separating the wheatfrom the chaff." He ges so many puzzlesfrom neophytes ignorant ofbasic crosswordconstruction rules-symmetrical patterns,no unkeyed letters, no two-letter words, anda minimal amount of "crosswordese"-thathe no longer accepts entries from newconstructors unless they can prove, wil.hphotocopies, that they have been publishedat least three other times.

"If they meet my criteria, ttren I'll openthe gates for them," explains Maleska, whoenjoys discovering and nurturing new talent.He has a stable of about 200 constructorswhose works he uses on a regular basis.Though herarely constructs any of. theTime s

puzzles himself, he'll do one for a holiday, iftherearen'tany in his files. He'll alsopublisha stepquote (under the byline of Sam Lake,an anagram of Maleska) once in awhile inresponse to readers' requests.

For the uninitiated, Maleska's stepquoteis a crossword whose answer is a quote thatdescends through the diagram from ttre upperleftto the lowerright corners (see an exampleon page l7). The letters at the crossings ofthe angles are unkeyed, so solvers must usetheir native intelligence to fill in the missingletters.

In his 1984 book, Across and Down,Maleska revealed his "A" list ofconstructors-Louis Baron, HerbertEttenson, Frances Hansen, Henry Hook,MauraJacobson, BertKruse, JordanLasher,William Lutwiniak, Jack Ltzzatto, AlfioMicci, Mary Virginia Orna, Tap Osbom,Vincent Osborne, Bert Rosenfield, JohnSamson, A.J. Santora, Elaine Schon,Richard Silvestri, Mel Taub, and WillWeng.

He's especially proud of includingSilvestri, a relative newcomer in the early'80s, on that list "I'm glad I picked himbecause he has fulfilled every promise thathewasmakingthen," Maleskasays. Today's"A" list would also include Peter Swift,

Dia| i hgl ig00tNYtl M ESr.l -,1....'..,',,,,1,:!Stumped? Get;,bn:thetph0ne.::and.r:get the:an$weiS,,that?ll h.e!p,,tou]gerft ioush the,ciosswoitlpn,de, calt:x,,9.00;884-cl-llE fof rlle,::i:irossword answer yori need.r this advertising slogan traS beenpopping up at unsuspecting ieaders all ttrough T/re Ne wYorkTimesiinCe,i ufi

...1990. whe.n:the,service:r'/as] nitiaied: S ix mbn{s laler:rhe,,:1,50:p.apers:,thatrs,ylndica,tb,the:,TimeS::pru2le were encouiaged to'subscribe and he-lp theirreaders "solve the country's piemierpuzzte,,eam.'ieVenUe;..and,'he'bligibile.,foi,:ieiu'5..tearr,en0 cash awardi " I':, : Solvers must use a touCh+one telephone and punch in the,numeiical r.mohthr and,:::dat rbf:,:ther pu2zle .foi..,which :ansWers,,,are..'desirert-for instanie, i fiZ. tot uti"h 22. Then they 1 re asked i f theclue is an Across or Down one and what itq number is.:Answers are

:,;;,;,L,,: ',:'1ft;s,Timel won,1:t idlease figuies on : the numbei,of people uSing,,.this service, but they:re promoting it heavily. The massive advertis-ing....Campaign,...ma r..be mOre ,,a..,lfu.nCtionr:.of the losS,:,ofr,conSumer:.ladveitising,rlreh:ra:,desire rtoihiAnlight the,,puz2le. (There,was,a,fulli,,rpager,ad:foi:,:thisrser,vice,,on,,rhe:,,fiists,unday in August,,:,,1990.),:,Nonetheless, the net result is a ppminence to the puzzlc. Although,the,,crosSwoid,,is::imporant enough,foi,its,:location to b;e noted in the,:- f Atio'n.,box,:on Pag-e:.One,eVe-ry,,,day,..it,was.neVer featured,so,:..extensivelyr, ,,,,,

,

,..,,,., ,,,,',,,.Tfie,900:Servi-ce,probabl)f::appeds t0: thre ttpgs,,of solveis::thC..imfiediate'.:giatifieation geneiacion =,neonle,,wn-a,:Canf t,,oiiwon:lt lwait,until,the neit,deltrto solte the puztlel::lhose who want t-o impiep ,,:,0ffis..*ith,,theiittSulutun,t skills:(Theiels fte:sqory,bf,[ l]-14e6;61d,,:rwho SpeiitSCadS 0f moiley on the nUmber t0 imPress his parentS,with

a completely solved puzzle; they were impressed until they got theiphone.:bill!)t!:,,andrtic:beople *ho have nothing,betfer to do with,:theiitime or theii ffiono!:. '

'i The service is expensive - 75 cents for the first minute and 50,,:centsrrthe.i, !g;,,,,Do:,iol,,.v s feel a,need to sp- d eieial:dollars,,.on,,,answeis when,they|.Ve putatased,the puzzle and irall the newS thalrs:,:,fl! to print'? for,a,fiaction 0f that c,oSt? Edrtg;s and construdtors,.know:,tha!,cross.woid,fanaiics salivate at the,sighc bf an,emp{y SIld, Thet,,,,gtab',,tleii pens,and pencits and staft filling in the blanks,If ,theylre,r Sttmied'an-d w ant: to comBlete, a task i h today' s ;multi-fragmented:r:wdd;,:thet:might be:willing 10 pay for that privilege.,.ri .r.r ,,.,: ,:: . ,Solversl motivations and ihe crossword'S appeal are also knownto martceiing analysts who are gambling that the 900 service will be

,,,:a regular adjunCi to the ctosWord. The Timbs,gets a fee Fei call (tlie:.i.amoUnt Was, not:divulged in: a telephone interview, but subscribing,,,newspapefs,could expecr tb earn l5'Cents a call), , ,,,. .,. :, i.ir.' ,,,, , ,,:,, An inteiactive telephone Service was used at leaSt onco befoie,,0n,:,,1 986): ly 111( l;s s:,:/n geles Time s ;, bu1, was, discontinued afteiseveral months, presumably because it wasn't making any money:fof,thepaper. Howeve4theservice may not havebeen promoted, orit may have been inuoduced at the wrong time.

,,,,,,t,.,........,SolVeiS in the:::90s might be more receptive to computerizedrvoide:imesSages (after all, many lalge corporations and financial, CerviCeS ::uie ,them) : and the ,new : 900 Service j ust might be the,crossword fad of the decade. Other publications are following suit-in August 1990 TV Guide and USA Today initiatcd a similar servicefor their puzzles. --. H; H.

Apris Maleska: A 6-LetterWord?Eugene T. Maleska is a free-lance editor for Ift e Times and, as

such, is not bound by any mandatory retirement laws. The 74-yeuold plans to keep on editing as long as his "brain holds out."

Tradition, albeit only a twice-used one, dictates that the depart-ing editor picks his or her successor. Thus, Farrar passed the reins toWeng who passed them to Maleska. WillThe Times automaticallyapprove Maleska's choice or will the management seek out othercontenders? r-

, , Samson 2: I ' ;, r Jadobson 3:1

:,,,,,,,,, Shoitz 3!1,'$11yss1pi 19;1N.**"" 100:1"

in upstateNew York. Very much thefamily man, he's never farfromhis wife and two small children. He's most often ttrought of as the"designated heir" because of his close involvement with Maleskaand the Simon & Schuster books. If The Times wants an in-houseeditor it would be a cultural shock for Samson to uproot his familyfrom their small town to Manhattan. There would probably be nochange in the crossword if Samson were editor, for he and Maleska

Various names are bandied about as the personmost likely ro ger the job and/or the most qualifiedperson for the job. Arandom and non-scientific surveyof editors and constructors unearthed these names asviable contenders: Maura Jacobson, Stanley Newman,John Samson, Will Shortz, and Richard Silvesri.

Warm, witty, and wonderfully personable, thecharming Maura Jacobson is a favorite among solverslndEEstructors. Mostly lnown for their outrageously punny themes andclues, Jacobson's crosswords are published weekly in New yorkmagazine. Though recognized mainly as a constructor, she hasedited a series of crosswords for Bantam Books. The Times mightenjoy stealing her away from New Yorkmagazine. Solvers couldexpect a return to the Will Weng era if Jacobson took over.

Brash and brilliant, Stanley Newman, 38, has been the mostvocal critic of the currentTimes crossword and its editor (thoughhe's recently taken off his boxing gloves). Newman, who enteredthe puzzle field after his extraordinary success as a crosswordcompetitor, is the Sunday crossword editor of Newsday, publisherof The Crossworder's Own Newsletter, and editor-at-large ofCROSSW RD Magazine. Solvers could expect a very big changein the crossword with a heavy emphasis on new-wave clues andinnovative puzzles.

Bookishand serious, John Samson,43, works outof his study

espouse the same philosophy.Will Shortz, 38, the megastarof thepuzzle world,

is the person whose name is most often mentioned asthe ideal choic efor The Timcs editorship. He certainlyhas the experience - 13 years with Games magazine,first as editor of the Pencilwise section and then aseditor of the entire magazine before its untimely demise.He is believed to be the only person in ttre world with

a degree in enigmatology; plus, he has a law degree from theUniversity of Virginia. As the person responsible for the resurgenceof crossword competitions and as ambassador of good ..wiil', toEastern European puzzle conventions, Shortz has more than enoushcredentials and experience for the prestigious Times. Shortzjacontributing editor to CROSSW RD Magazine, is rhe consummarepolitician with excellent manners and a flair for writing, qualitiesneeded by apuzzle editor. Solvers could expect very fair puzzleswith a preponderance of new-wave clues.

Richard Silvestri, 43, might be the dark horse who wins thecoveted prize. He's a full-time math professor, moonlighting in thecrossword world. He's known for his clever puzzles with just theright amount of brain stimulation for many people. Silvestri, cross_word editor of CROSSW RD Magazine, is very non-controversialandMaleskaregards him highly, often using his puzzles inTheTimesand in the Simon & Schuster series. If Silvestri is chosen. solverswould see fair and witty puzzles.-H. H.

NancyRoss, Charles Deber, EmstTheimer,Arthur Verdesca, and his favorite, NancyJoline.

In ttre past, Maleskapersonally nurturedand launched the careers ofsome oftodav'stop crosswor d puzzle consEuctors. He;ryHook was a brash neophyte when he solveda Maleska jigsaw stepquote with the message"you have just solved the world's mostremarkable ptzzle." Hook composed acrossword and mailed it to Maleska with hismessage: "Whatmakes you think yourpuzzleis more remarkable than mine?"

Maleska was sufhciently impressed withHook's raw talent to offer to critique hiscrosswords and send him a style sheetindicating acceptable construction rules.After Hook quickly learned the rules,Maleska inroduced his work to othercrossword editors and Hook quickly foundan outlet for his puzzles.

In a similar manner, Maleska nurturedJohn Samson, whose first offering to lvlaleskawas a crude crossword with all the typicaltyro's mistakes - a non-svmmetricaldiagram, two-letter words, and contrived

phrases ("ox moigue"). Maleska sent him astyle sheet and Samson did his homework.He studied Tirnes crosswords, submitted,altered, resubmitted, and flourished underMaleska's tutelage. He is now Maleska'sco-editor on the Simon & Schuster books.

o

Adherence to basic construction rulesisn't enough to gain acceptance into theMaleska inner circle; he also wants freshthemes and clever clues. Although he mightchangeanywherefrom lO Ia9|Vo of apuzzle,including the grid, Maleska wants to startwith a substantial puzzle. He has 40notebooks filled wittr every clue he's everused in a ptzzle. By his own estimate heclues 40,000 words a year. In addition to the365 puzzles for The Times, he edits sixSimon & Schuster puzzle books a year,several books of reprints for The New yorkTimes (which have to be updated) and anynew projects he is assigned. He codes all theTimes clues with a "T" and rotates them inthe daily and Sunday puzzles.

Maleska works from his home, "OverJordan," on Cape Cod. He edits a batch of

puzzles, photocopies a set for himself, andsends the originals to his assistant, HarriettWilson, at T& e Times.Wilson test-solves thepuzzles and then spends hours on the phonewith Maleska discussing and arguing overclues. Next she oversees the typesetting andproofreads the camera-ready copies.- Shethen sends the proofs to Maleska who givesthem "apro forma glance." Heacknowledgesthat he's very dependent on Wilson and hasthe highest praise for her skills. ,.I,d be lostwitlout her," he says. Maleska works atleast four months in advance and alwavs hasa stockpile of completed puzzles.

oMaleska doesn't foresee any change in

the puzzle page, for instance, by addinganother crossword or a different type olpuzzle, "Solvers have requested two cbpiesof the puzzle in the Sunday magazine-, toenable dual-solving spouses to have theirown puzzles. I advise them to arrange to getthe magazine section on Fridav andphotocopy the puzzle at work."

Maleska believes that it's alwavs(Continued on page 8)

January/February 1991 CROSSW RD Page 7

N.Y. Times (from PageT)possible to expand his vocabulary. "Justrecently I learned a new definition fromWilliam Lutwiniak," he noted. "When Billclued 'eels' as ' one ofthe apodes,' I thoughthe had made a mistake. But I looked it up inthe dictionary and there it was as a secondarydefinition. After 40 years I'm still learningnew words."

Maleska acknowledges that he can'tplease all of the solvers all of the time andthat there are varying degtees of difficultythat solvers expect and want. When asked togather a compilation of his hardest puzzlesfor aTimes book, Maleska was certain thatthere would be no market for it. However,the first book sold so well that the editorcommissioned a second edition. Maleska isnow convinced that "there are a lot of solversout there who want difficult puzzles."

Maleska loves to recoun[ an incidentthat sums up the differences between solvers'expectations and their abilities. "One monthafter I took over at The Times I received aletter that a retiree had written to the MiamiHerald complaining that the puzzles were

too hard. He threatened to organize theretirees in Miami and boycott the paperbecause it was syndicating theTimes puzzle.'Bring back Will Weng,' " he said.

"In the same mail I got a letter from afellow on Park Avenue who complained thatever since I took over, the puzzles wereridiculously easy. 'Bring back Will Weng,'he said. So I took both letters, crossed off anyidentifying marks and I sent each critic theother person's letter. I never heard fromeither one again. "

Maleska's favorite puzzles are his firststepquote and Ronald Friedman's "StripTees." In the latter, the gimmick was toremove every "T" from the puzzle answer.Thus "Tim's tune" became "ipoe hrough heulips" ("tiptoe through the tulips") and"nondrinker" was answered by "eeoaler"("teetotaler"). The Times published onesolver's kudos, written in the same genre.He found the puzzle "quie a surprise" andpresumed "i joled a lo of he fans ou of heirrouine."

Jolting people's minds is what Maleskaenjoys. While he acknowledges "new wave"clues (references to pop cuhure-rock music,

celebrities, TV shows, movies, brand names,etc.) espousedby youngereditors and relishedby younger solvers, he feels that as the lasteditor trained by Margaret Fanar he iscarrying on her tradition. He has takenliberties that he knows Farrar wouldn' t haveallowed.

"I have bent," claims Maleska, "I used'Duz' in apuzzle and I've defined 'Oreo' asan' integrated cookie.' I also used'POSSLQ'(an acronym for 'people of opposite sexsharing living quarters'). But I feel that theold standards should be upheld."

The 74-year-old Maleska has noimmediate plans to retire. He has chosen asuccessor, but will not reveal his or hername. Whether theTimespuzzle changes toa completely new-wave orientation orwhether it stays the way it is will "ultimatelybedecidedby thesolvers,"believesMaleska."In the end the fans will decide how far theeditor can go. If the new Times editor goestoo far, they'll tell him or her." tr

HELENE HOVANEC, author of C r eativ eCruciverbalisrs, is a freelance constructorand writer.

WOMEN'S WEAR by Lois sidwayACROSS

1 Pundit6 Word from Uncle Sam

10 Secretive sound14 Points on a plane15 Water pitcher16 Second half of a game17 Letter closing18 CBS's eye, e.g.19 Shankar offering20 Light plane23 Nut that's nothing to

sneeze at?26 Tempestt, on TV27 Maker of briefs: Abbr.28 Cry of discovery31 Serbian city32 Duct opening?33 Uncouth35 " 'Nuff

_"

38 Lingual lapse42 Lou Grant's paper, lor

shortMacho typesWooden-shoe sailorRun up a tabScreen ScroogeStopping place, perhapsDistinguishedSkull-and-crossbonesstuffSome kids orchrysanlhemumsKin of 1O-DownBit ol legalesePile up

43444547484953

55

585960

5456

576162

63

4041464849505152

646566676869

2425293033

34363739

_

about (circa)Laurel or LeeAbounding in dialogueHas the best timeBlabbedPuckish

DOWN1 Family Stone leader2 Court3 Pricky prelix?4 Role for Gandice5 Bone of contention6 I Walk the Line star7 Missing, but not in

action?8 Hot spot in lsrael9 Paris, for one

10 Tortellinitopping11 Insults12 Wise guys13 Pageant prize21 Tower over22 Concord23 Cleveland cagers, in

headl inesLeaningPart of a fl ightBiblical verbClambake leftoversBit of haunted-housedecorDan Jenkins'

_-Tough_

fatuusItalian cathedralBlazes the trail

The Sun Devi ls 'c i tyAdam's apple area?Get the help ofBleakPiece of pastaFrequently-taped NixonSuffix for add or partKemo Sabe's sidekick

Take to the soaoboxColleague ol Jerry, Jimmyand J imHealFurry MelmackianCompete against TamaraMcKinneyDictionary abbr.

t 0 t z 1 3

l 4 3 t 6

E l 9

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a3 a4 a6

at a6 a9 JO 1

tz J3 l4 ,5 ,(t t /

t8 ,9 10

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5 16 +E

l9 t0 i2 t4

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(Solution is on Page 29)CROSSW RD January/February 1991