God, Aliens, and Other Stuff

I’m not talking about easy or medium puzzles here, although it is important to recognize your skill level. But after a while, wouldn’t it feel great to advance to a higher level? I’m not the dimmest bulb on the shelf, but neither am I writing as a genius with snappy logic and a great memory. I’m 77, so the gray matter is getting spongy, and I find myself struggling to recall words I know that I should have on the tip of my tongue, but that in itself is a great reason for doing crosswords. It keeps your vocabulary refreshed, exercises the brain. introduces the puzzler to new cultural situations, and teaches exotic geography to those who have never heard of the Ural Mountain Range. So how does this old fogie, or should I say foguette, solve puzzle after puzzle from the Washington Post or the New York Times? Here are a few tips. 1]   Pay attention to the theme of the puzzle. There is often a gimmick, a pun reached by substituting one or more letters. Once you catch the drift, it’s l