Part of trying to make a NYT-worthy crossword puzzle is taming the word list that came with the computer program. A crossword puzzle, like any other creative endeavor, should be a reflection of its creator. Some people may be OK with unpleasant words in their puzzles, but not me. So I’ve been removing terms such as “rickets,” “rinderpest,” and “ringworm” from the list, and replacing them with ones such as “Ramones,” “red oak,” and “run-ons.”
It’s a simple idea, but a time-consuming process. Every time I think I’m making headway, the program puts a bunch of undesirable words into the grid just to prove me wrong. Yesterday it was “estrus” and “ovulation.” Today it was “Nazi.” Ugh.
Well, those words are gone now, and the list is finally starting to work better. Tomorrow I hope to finalize the grid that I’ve been fiddling with. Then I’ll be able to start writing the clues–the next big challenge!
I don’t know that I consider ovulation an unpleasant word, but I’m definitely in favor of making Nazis disappear from wherever they show up.