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Before RSS feeds and newsblogs, before nitharasanam.com or londonobserver.com, before the interweb thingy made news coverage immediate, regular Joes and Joannes like you and me all over the world bought printed newspapers. The thing was, sometimes those papers wouldn’t have much to print, there not being
enough wars and all, and they had to resort to include crosswords to entice people to buy them (the papers, that is).
Anachronistic print media barons out there, still print their papers with their crosswords. Regular practice is to print the answers to the crossword the next day, thus forcing you to buy that paper as well.
In an effort to thumb my nose at said barons, I propose The Scrotchword.
The crossword answers are printed directly on the paper and a white layer similar to that used in scratch and win lotteries is applied over it. If you just cannot seem to find that elusive last word and you are teetering on the edge of insanity, just reveal enough letters to give you a meaningful hint: Never buy tomorrow’s newspaper again!
Thanks for the inspiration Marie.
Say what?
http://www.nitharsanam.com/
[methinksnot, Mar 15 2006]
Tea and scones
http://www.londonobserver.com/
[methinksnot, Mar 15 2006]
A scratch-off lotto variant
http://www.nylotter...356_NavRoot_301.htm
Not the same thing at all, but clearly the technology for this exists. [DrCurry, Mar 15 2006]
http://www.oneacross.com/
Until then, this is a fine, fine resource. [jutta, Mar 15 2006]
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Who *buys* the next day's paper? Just look up the answer you were missing, and put it back. |
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But they're always buried somewhere in the back pages.
The guy at the kiosk has taken out a restraining order and I now have to stay at least 100 yards away from him. Apparently he doesn't like me asking for the answers from that distance either. |
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That's why the NY Times has a $3.99 per minute crossword answer hotline :) |
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Funnily enough, I was just seated (on the subway) next to a gentleman doing a crossword by scratching off squares. I'm not sure of the exact nature of the game - it's probably a local lotto variant (ever since the NY government legalized lottos - for itself only, of course - it has been heavily marketing them to people like the gentleman in question). |
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P.S. Why would you need to buy another newspaper to find out the answers? |
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Because an unfinished crossword, sudoku or halfbakery submission annoys me more than someone a-rapping at my chamber door. |
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It's funny you mention the NY Government lotteries. A few days ago, a friend and I were discussing how pragmatic an approach US politics take. This was one of the examples. |
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methinksnot: so, um, why don't you just finish them? |
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Because I can't scratch off the answers? |
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Interesting idea, but the name needs help. I fully expected this to be a word said to politely excuse oneself before rearranging itchy nether regions. |
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[jutta] I thought we agreed that was a "Michael Jackson"? |
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It is weird how your own preconceptions limit your ability to analyse concepts. I always thought of crosswords and sudoku as solitary pursuits. |
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Besides, word invention: blah, blah. Top left corner blah, blah. And there goes my reputation as a model citizen. |
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A classic in the making [po]: Scratch mitten trousers by [boysparks]. |
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I'm sure you know me but I am blissfully ignorant and am wondering why bliss ignores me. sad days. |
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I don't buy it because I buy the papers. The only way to complete the 'proper' crosswords (IMHO) is by doing them on the day in a copy of the newspaper.
You can't do them the day after and you can't do the from a photocopy.
You either finish it or you don't. |
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Not anymore [gnomethang]. Now you can buy your Scrotchword-enabled newspaper and never have to worry about being able to finish your crossword. Who would've thunk it? |
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[po], I think I know [po] (how much can you really know someone?) but what about [thewetwarebehindpo]? |
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I think the top layer should be one you can write on rather than the silvery stuff that's usually used on lotto cards. Then the brainy types can prove that they didn't need to scratch for help. |
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That's why it is white, so you can write on it with pencil and erase if necessary.
You scratch it (to do the Scrotch will be the term from now on); you do the scrotch only when you have given up on a particular word. |
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What's a nine letter word for a workable crossword idea posted to the halfbakery? |
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[po] I'm sure it's nothing personal. No doubt even bliss needs to take a little time off now and then. |
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[gnomethang ] has very carefully and thoroughly laid out many of the rules for proper crossword completion for the anal-retentive. Here are some of the omissions: Firstly, the crosswords are to be done in pen with no erasures, "scratching-out' or white-out allowed. |
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Secondly, one may first put pen to paper anywhere on the grid, but once started, no word may be entered that is not connected to a previous word. (ie. you can't do 1-across then 67-down then 33-across...) |
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And finally, there can be no use whatsoever of reference materials to assist in completion of the crossword. |
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Anyone not following these rules cannot rightfully claim to have "done" the crossword. |
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Now, if I could only get my head out of my ass I'd start on that next crossword. |
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Quite right, Canuck. I didn't state those rules as I thought they went without saying!.
Erasures indeed!, the very idea!. |
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[Canuck] sp. "scratching-out" is actually "doing the scrotch" |
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I'm not convinced. I don't think I want to "do the scrotch"... but it's a top idea. Welcome to the HB, [mtn]. |
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Are we talking cryptic or concise here? If it's cryptic then I shall go and hang out with people more on my level. |
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Cryptic Scrotch? That definitely sounds like it'll have it's own clinic! |
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Or have newspapers print *tomorrow*'s answers, meaning that as long as you have access to yesterday's paper, you will be able to refer to the answers (in the event that you are confounded by today's puzzle). |
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Good suggestions [21Q] and [zt]. Unfortunately the chaps at nitharsanam did not buy them (they are chuffed with the scrotchword idea though). |
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