topic Re: Crossword Puzzles in Community Chat

Crossword Puzzles

beach-mom — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 01:51:23 GMT

I have always liked games, and I especially like crossword puzzles. Some years ago a poster here recommended the "Best Crosswords" site.

I wanted something free, and this has been perfect - until tonight. Now I have to pay if I want ad free.

I tried playing with ads, but there are a few and it's distracting for me. I might just go ahead and pay, but does anyone know about another crossword puzzle site that doesn't charge?

Re: Crossword Puzzles

nascarfan — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 02:16:56 GMT

I enjoy working crossword puzzles too!

Sorry, I can't help you with an online site. I still buy subscriptions to crossword books.....🙃

Re: Crossword Puzzles

timeless — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 02:27:39 GMT

I know this is a post about crossword puzzles, but I wanted to say puzzles of any kind are very helpful for keeping your mind in shape; especially as one ages.

Suduko; Find-a-Word...etc.

Personally, I think having a physical version with a pencil is really nice.

Oh, and I love the coloring books that are at the check-out counters of most store.

More stimulation for the mind and creative soul!

Re: Crossword Puzzles

elated — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 03:12:32 GMT

@beach-mom Try boatloadpuzzles.com/play crossword.

Re: Crossword Puzzles

shoekitty — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 03:42:51 GMT

I do all the NYT crosswords just about. But I have to subscribe. It isn't cheap, but it is something I enjoy!!! I do the Spelling Bee, Wordle, strands, connections and the mini, midi amd large crossword everyday. My favorite is Spelling Bee.

Re: Crossword Puzzles

Tori3569 — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 03:48:26 GMT

@shoekitty wrote:
I do all the NYT crosswords just about. But I have to subscribe. It isn't cheap, but it is something I enjoy!!! I do the Spelling Bee, Wordle, strands, connections and the mini, midi amd large crossword everyday. My favorite is Spelling Bee.

I do the same. I subscribe for the year for $50 and it's worth it to me. I do the same as you but also the Letter Boxed.

They are having a special right now. This is a great price!

Re: Crossword Puzzles

kaydee50 — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 05:59:44 GMT

@shoekitty Me too! Every morning while I'm having breakfast I do those same NYT puzzles except instead of Strands I do Letter Boxed. It is well worth the $30 subscription price considering I get a lot of other info from the subscription, e.g. Cooking and Athletics.

Re: Crossword Puzzles

charsha — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 12:02:44 GMT

I do a crossword puzzle from my local newspaper each morning while eating breakfast. It's not the NY Times level, smaller in scale, but it I started doing this when I retired 7 years ago. I believe it keeps my mind sharp, and since the paper issue is too expensive now, I print the puzzle each morning from the online version. Just a fun note, I prefer a #1 pencil, makes a darker imprint.

Re: Crossword Puzzles

Group 5 minus 1 — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 12:11:01 GMT

@beach-mom I've noticed that happening w/ other things. I feel I am being held hostage. Happens a lot on streaming Platforms.

Re: Crossword Puzzles

pietook — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 12:47:49 GMT

shoekitty---- I subscribed also, but it still won't let me play the mini etc. Can you please tell me what i am doing wrong? Maybe a login place or something? thank you! -- LOVE your name--I'm a cat person!

Re: Crossword Puzzles

gardenman — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 13:10:30 GMT

Another NYT puzzle user here. I start with Wordle, then work my way down and then back up from Wordle. I'll occasionally skip the hard PIPs, because they annoy me, but I do everything else. I skip over the easy and medium Sudoku because they're too easy and go straight to the hard one. It's worth the $50 a year to me.

Re: Crossword Puzzles

kare29 — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 13:47:38 GMT

I have been using Arkadium dot com free puzzles. So far it is still working with my ad blocker on. There are over twenty free crosswords on that site. I have marked it as a favorite in my browser.

Re: Crossword Puzzles

Sooner — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 14:02:20 GMT

We have been NYT puzzle fans for a long time, Wordle, Connections, Crosswords and others. I also use a lot of NYT Wirecutter's reviews and have found them helpful.

Now we are doing New Yorker Shuffalo too! If you haven't tried that one, it's fun. My husband is a lot better than I am at that one.

NYT Connections is either easy mostly or impossible for me because I do not know the movie and many sports terms, but I still enjoy trying!

Re: Crossword Puzzles

pigletsmom2 — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 19:20:42 GMT

Well this is the first I've heard of the site. I just went and did a crossword and had no ads. Not sure if that's because it's giving me a break or if my ad blocker is taking care of it. Looks like a year is fairly cheap so to me it would be worth it if I used it a lot. And I'm cheap LOL.

I only pay for two places and they're both news sites. And one is the local paper which I've always paid for going back to delivery so that one seems natural. The other is something that reminds of reading a magazine which I also would have paid for back in the day.

Re: Crossword Puzzles

chickenbutt — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 19:42:11 GMT

@nascarfan wrote:
I enjoy working crossword puzzles too!
Sorry, I can't help you with an online site. I still buy subscriptions to crossword books.....🙃

I'm curious about this subscription to books. I've not heard of that. I've been getting the MEGA books that each have 300 puzzles on them. The bummer is that I have gotten all of them over the years and the next one doesn't come out until September.

What I did this time, figuring that there is no way I'd remember puzzles I did in the past, I bought one of the books I did some time back. I'm about 1/3 of the way through that one and, yeah, it's just like the first time. I'll probably do that again if I don't find something else similar that I like.

What I like about these is that the pages are perferated so I will pull out the answer sheet that has 20 puzzles on it, then pull out the corresponding 10 pages (puzzles on each side of pg), and put them on a clipboard and do them from that.

The only weird thing (there always has to be something weird with me) is that it's become harder to find the old-timey #4 pencils. The new fangled #4 pencils are, well, krap! But I have a small supply for now.

Re: Crossword Puzzles

shoekitty — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 20:24:26 GMT

I am so addicted to the Spelling Bee. I started before Covid nd just do it everyday. I do have a link that will tell me how many words there are , and how many panagrams. Thyas all I need. Then I don't stop lol. I usually get Queen Bee, every last word, but a few times a week I am stumped one or two short of Queen Bee, and just go back when I am finished with the puzzles for day. I do love the Letter Box, but I have to say. They get me a little frustrated. Because I want to get them in less try's than listed. lol

Re: Crossword Puzzles

beach-mom — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 20:45:39 GMT

Thanks @elated - I'll check that one out!

Thanks for your comments everyone. I also play Wordle every night. A lot of my friends do too - most play early in the morning, so I'm the last one!

Re: Crossword Puzzles

shoekitty — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 20:55:06 GMT

@chickenbutt hey CB! I want to know how one would tell the new #4 from old time ones? Are they marked? How do you purchase them?

Re: Crossword Puzzles

chickenbutt — Wed, 10 Jun 2026 21:12:52 GMT

@shoekitty wrote:
@chickenbutt hey CB! I want to know how one would tell the new #4 from old time ones? Are they marked? How do you purchase them?

@shoekitty Hey, Darlin! I went upstairs and grabbed one of the newer ones so I could take a pic with each of them. The pencil on top is the regular old-type #4 pencil.

The bottom one - see how there is a slash after the 4 and "2H"? Those are the newer ones. Now, if somebody isn't such a freak for the #4 pencils as I am, they might not hate the new ones. But I do. Just not the same. HTH If somebody wants some of the newer ones I have several boxes. I had purchased them years ago before I realized they weren't the same.

PS: Hope you're having a wonderful day and it's been going well since we last chatted.

Re: Crossword Puzzles

shoekitty — Thu, 11 Jun 2026 00:11:31 GMT

@chickenbutt the distinction of the different numbers on pencils had my interest piqued! Who knew so much went into a pencil lol. The wood is slightly different in the 4 2H as well. I found this tidbit of info...which makes sense

"4H and 2H pencils produce lighter, harder marks that stay sharp longer and are ideal for light preliminary sketches and technical drawings, while Dixon #4 pencils (a standard writing grade similar to HB) create darker, softer marks better suited for general writing and darker sketching"