Answer Revealed

I guess the reader quiz was a dud. It's my fault for either posting about something unpostworthy or acting like a smartypants. Or both.

So, SST, Ishtar, Erno, Eire, and era are all frequently used crossword puzzle solutions. Yes, really not that interesting now that I think about it. (Erno is Mr. Rubik's first name, and an SST is an aircraft). And we all know what Ishtar was, right?

I am by no means a super puzzle solver (like Rex Parker who solves seven major puzzles every day). But I do enjoy the activity. For several months I've been working through Harder Wednesday Crosswords, a collection of Wednesday puzzles from the New York Sun. Non-puzzlers may not know that in most major papers, the puzzles get harder as the week goes on. I like the Wednesday book because everything is not a total breeze, but if I think about things and look up the fact-based solutions, I can usually solve a puzzle, though not always in one sitting. I guess purists would disagree with looking up solutions, but it doesn't bother me for things like South American capital founded in 1956 or 1933 Nobel Prize Winner. I would never be able to finish a puzzle if I didn't look up those things.

I usually work the crossword right after work (before the after-work nap) or right before bedtime (after the after-work nap), which is also my time to read. So my reading has suffered lately, though haven't been too interested in it anyway--go figure. I did just finish three juvenile and YA books right in a row, however, so maybe I'll put the puzzles aside for a bit and work on my backlog of library books. Plus, I'm about to take vacation (!), and I have some juicy titles saved up just for the occasion (In the Woods, The Dive From Clausen's Pier, and Change of Heart).