Pwanson’s findings were published last week as part of an investigation by data-based journalism site. software engineer Saul Pwanson, also found that hundreds of other crosswords edited by Parker had very similar content to puzzles previously edited by Parker himself but with only minor changes, reprinted using fake author names. The responses were “drive up the wall,” “get on one’s nerves” and “rub the wrong way.” (The Universal crossword appears regularly on and Toronto Star Touch.)įor example, a USA Today crossword puzzle on June 4, 2010, had the same answers to several clues that contained the word “exasperate,” in exactly the same spots on the grid, as a New York Times puzzle published on Jan. The crossword has become a significant source of income for the Times Company.The long-time editor of a syndicated crossword published in major newspapers across North America, including the Toronto Star, has been placed on leave amidst allegations of plagiarism.Ī database analysis found that 65 crosswords published by USA Today and the syndicated Universal Crossword, edited by Timothy Parker, used identical content from 65 puzzles previously published in the New York Times. An annual crossword subscription costs about $40. But more than half a million people now subscribe to the Times crossword online. Today’s audience is much younger and more diverse than ever.Īs for pencil and paper, lots of people still do crosswords that way. In the whole history of the Times crossword before me, only five teens are known to have had puzzles in the paper. My sense is that the average age of Times crossword solvers now is somewhere in the 40s, and the average for contributors is probably in the upper 30s. That may have been true at one time but not anymore. Some think puzzles are created and filled in by “old” people with pencils. People living with Parkinson’s come from all over the county for this event. There’s a lot of evidence that ping-pong is particularly beneficial for combating Parkinson’s - delaying and reducing the symptoms. Since 2011 we’ve awarded more than half a million dollars.Īnother ongoing event at the center that I’m very proud of is our Wednesday-night program for people with Parkinson’s. There are 18 events with $6,000 in prizes. It draws players from all over the globe. Regarding table tennis, my club hosts the largest monthly table tennis tournament in North America. All the money raised goes to the Pleasantville Fund for Learning. It’s a fun, low-key affair, using unpublished puzzles from the Times. I recently hosted the 22nd annual Westchester Crossword Puzzle Contest. They don’t have places like that in the Netherlands.Īn avid ping-pong player, Shortz owns the Westchester Table Tennis Center in Pleasantville, which hosts the largest monthly table tennis tournament in North America.Īre there any recent or upcoming projects you are especially proud of, whether related to puzzles or the Westchester Table Tennis Center? One of my annual visitors from the Netherlands calls it his favorite place to eat “in the world.” We always go the diner when he comes. I guess my favorite place in town is the “world famous” (their words) Pleasantville Diner. I like owning a house with a yard and being able to walk to everything. I like Pleasantville because it’s quiet and pretty, and it’s filled with interesting people. Having grown up on a farm in Indiana, I find New York City crowded and noisy. It’s convenient to New York City, without my actually having to live there. Before that, I lived in Forest Hills and Stamford. I moved to Pleasantville in 1993, the same year I became puzzle editor of The New York Times. How long have you lived in Pleasantville? We caught up with the Pleasantville resident and founder of the Westchester Table Tennis Center, to fill in the blanks about his life in what may just be the most aptly named village in the county. Westchester is known as a place where a lot of smart people live, and it’s quite possible that our collective IQ as a county is just a tad higher because it is also the home of The New York Times’ legendary puzzle master, Will Shortz.
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