CROSSWORD PUZZLES IS SERIOUS BUSINESS
From: "J. Roshi"
Date: February 28, 2007 10:03:18 PM EST
To: leo@leoweekly.com
Subject: This week's crossword
I don't wanna pick nits, but somebody's got to take better care with
your crossword puzzle. This week, the clues were all garbled (as they
sometimes are.) I can get by without seeing the quotation marks
around clues such as 95-across ("See ya,") but it took me hours to
figure out what the hell 104 across was looking for - "H gen-___" is
just complete gibberish without the a-umlaut in there to make one
realize they're looking for an ice cream instead of some obscure DNA
code of some sort. My head still hurts.
--
"I seek the ninth level of power. And perhaps an inexpensive hairbrush."
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Buddy Schneider to me, SHavens, Cary
show details 11:06 am (4 hours ago)
Hi, my name is Buddy and I work in the production department at LEO.
First of all I REALLY want to apologize for the problems with the New York Times crossword puzzle clues.
Secondly, I REALLY want to thank you for bringing it to our attention! Believe it or not, nobody in the office here at LEO plays the crossword, and we honestly had no idea that punctuation was being garbled.
I'll try to explain why ...
The technical reason for the problem is one of computer translation. Last year LEO switched to a new computer layout program, and the New York Times sends us the crossword puzzle every week in an older format. Our new computer program could open the puzzles just fine, and since we have gone for about a year without complaint, we assumed everything was working fine.
Apparently what has happened - unknown to us - is that punctuation marks were not making the translation from the older format NYT puzzle into our newer system. Now I personally check every week to make sure that we have the correct grid and the correct answer graphic, as well as make sure that all of the clues are on the page and none are cut off. But the punctuation issue remained unnoticed because the crossword clues typically do not have punctuation, not even periods. And since none of us here actually play the puzzle, nobody was studying the clues close enough to realize that there are special cases where special punctuation is required.
I know it's a lame excuse, but it's honestly what happened!
I have communicated with the New York Times department that sends us the puzzle, and I believe I now have a solution for this embarrassing problem.
Thank you again, and hopefully the only headaches you have from now on come from the actual "correctly punctuated" clues.
--buddy
LEO Production
Date: February 28, 2007 10:03:18 PM EST
To: leo@leoweekly.com
Subject: This week's crossword
I don't wanna pick nits, but somebody's got to take better care with
your crossword puzzle. This week, the clues were all garbled (as they
sometimes are.) I can get by without seeing the quotation marks
around clues such as 95-across ("See ya,") but it took me hours to
figure out what the hell 104 across was looking for - "H gen-___" is
just complete gibberish without the a-umlaut in there to make one
realize they're looking for an ice cream instead of some obscure DNA
code of some sort. My head still hurts.
--
"I seek the ninth level of power. And perhaps an inexpensive hairbrush."
-------------------------------------------------------------------------
Buddy Schneider to me, SHavens, Cary
show details 11:06 am (4 hours ago)
Hi, my name is Buddy and I work in the production department at LEO.
First of all I REALLY want to apologize for the problems with the New York Times crossword puzzle clues.
Secondly, I REALLY want to thank you for bringing it to our attention! Believe it or not, nobody in the office here at LEO plays the crossword, and we honestly had no idea that punctuation was being garbled.
I'll try to explain why ...
The technical reason for the problem is one of computer translation. Last year LEO switched to a new computer layout program, and the New York Times sends us the crossword puzzle every week in an older format. Our new computer program could open the puzzles just fine, and since we have gone for about a year without complaint, we assumed everything was working fine.
Apparently what has happened - unknown to us - is that punctuation marks were not making the translation from the older format NYT puzzle into our newer system. Now I personally check every week to make sure that we have the correct grid and the correct answer graphic, as well as make sure that all of the clues are on the page and none are cut off. But the punctuation issue remained unnoticed because the crossword clues typically do not have punctuation, not even periods. And since none of us here actually play the puzzle, nobody was studying the clues close enough to realize that there are special cases where special punctuation is required.
I know it's a lame excuse, but it's honestly what happened!
I have communicated with the New York Times department that sends us the puzzle, and I believe I now have a solution for this embarrassing problem.
Thank you again, and hopefully the only headaches you have from now on come from the actual "correctly punctuated" clues.
--buddy
LEO Production