Draft:CLINTON/BOB DOLE crossword puzzle
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The New York Times crossword puzzle published on Tuesday, November 5, 1996, was written by Jeremiah Farrell and edited by Will Shortz. This day's puzzle is famous for ...
The puzzle[edit]
The "CLINTON/BOB DOLE" puzzle is The New York Times crossword puzzle published on Tuesday, November 5, 1996, the day of the 1996 United States presidential election. It was written by Jeremiah Farrell and edited by Will Shortz. The puzzle is famous for being a "Schrödinger" (a puzzle with more than one correct answer) that ostensibly predicts the winner of the election: 39-Across could fit CLINTON or BOB DOLE.
The joint clue for 39- & 43-Across read: "Lead story in tomorrow's newspaper (!)"; ELECTED went in 43-Across. Additional theme entries included 17-Across "Forecast": PROGNOSTICATION, and 68-Across "Title for 39-Across next year": MISTER PRESIDENT.
Construction and publication history[edit]
On Sunday, November 3, prior to the puzzle's publication, Shortz told NPR's Weekend All Things Considered:[1]
Well, this Tuesday in the Times there is, I think, one of the most amazing crosswords ever made. It's by Jeremiah Farrell of Indianapolis. And if you can't get the paper, you can get the puzzle on the New York Times website, but the gimmick is spoiled a little there. So, it's better in the paper.
Reception[edit]
ABC World News Tonight discussed the puzzle that night.[2]
This puzzle was featured in the 2006 documentary film Wordplay, which also featured interviews from Clinton and Dole about this crossword.[3][4]
Shortz has repeatedly called this this all-time favorite crossword.[5][6][7]
References[edit]
- ^ Hansen, Liane (November 3, 1996). "Puzzle Quiz". Weekend All Things Considered. NPR. Transcript: ProQuest 190125279.
- ^ Jennings, Peter (November 5, 1996). "ABC World News Tonight". Event occurs at 19:00–19:40.
- ^ KL (May 19, 2006). "Dole and Clinton: No cross words". Salon.
- ^ Creadon, Patrick; O'Malley, Christine, eds. (2006). "The Greatest Puzzle Ever...". Wordplay: The Official Companion Book. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. pp. 103–108. ISBN 978-0-312-36403-8.
- ^ Maynes-Aminzade, Liz (15 February 2023). "Will Shortz's Life in Crosswords". The New Yorker.
- ^ Shortz, Will (2002) [2001]. "Puzzle Answers: Election Day Puzzle, 1996". The Crossword Obsesion: The History and Lore of the World's Most Popular Pastime. By Amende, Coral (Trade pbk. ed.). New York: Berkley. p. 302. ISBN 0-425-18682-2.
- ^ "New York Times' crossword puzzle celebrates 75 years". CBS This Morning. 15 February 2017.
Further reading[edit]
- Campbell, T. (2013). "The Variable Crossword". On Crosswords: Thoughts, Studies, Facts and Snark About a 100-Year-Old Pastime. New York: Köehlerbooks. pp. 116–119. ISBN 978-1-938467-46-2.
- Connor, Alan (2015) [2014]. "News". Crossword Century: 100 Years of Witty Wordplay, Ingenious Puzzles, and Linguistic Mischief (1st trade pbk. ed.). New York: Gotham. pp. 61–67. ISBN 978-1-59240-858-0.
- Cummings, Ingrid (February 2009). "True Grid". Indianapolis Monthly. 32 (7): 49–54. ISSN 0899-0328. EBSCOhost 36296429 – via MasterFILE Complete.
- Katz, Nikki (2006). Zen and the Art of Crossword Puzzles: A Journey Down and Across. Avon, MA: Adams. pp. 126–127. ISBN 1-59337-563-8.
- Rosman, Katherine (February 1999). "He Has a Way with Crosswords". Brill's Content. Vol. 2, no. 1. pp. 78–83. ISSN 1099-5234.
(Re-)Publication[edit]
The New York Times:
- Shortz, Will, ed. (November 5, 1996). "Crossword". The New York Times. Vol. 146, no. 50,602 (Late ed.). p. C16. ProQuest 109666184.
- Shortz, Will, ed. (November 6, 1996). "For Crossword Solvers". The New York Times. Vol. 146, no. 50,603 (Late ed.). p. C18. ProQuest 109641208.
Yesterday's puzzle clues, for 39 and 43 Across ('Lead Story in tomorrow's newspaper') offered readers a choice: 'Clinton Elected' and 'Bob Dole Elected' fitted equally well with the crossing words, if not with the voters.
The New York Times Crossword online:
- Shortz, Will, ed. (November 5, 1996). "The Crossword". The New York Times Crossword. Retrieved November 13, 2023.
Probably our best known puzzle: Published on the day of the 1996 U.S. Presidential election, the central crossing predicted the winner of the election and would be right regardless of who won. -- Will Shortz
The New York Times crossword books:
- Shortz, Will, ed. (2002). "[Puzzle #12]". The New York Times: Will Shortz's Favorite Crossword Puzzles. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-30613-X.
- Shortz, Will, ed. (2005). "[Puzzle #12]". The New York Times Large-Print Will Shortz's Favorite Crossword Puzzles From the Pages of The New York Times. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-33959-3.
- Shortz, Will, ed. (2004). "[Puzzle #6]". The New York Times Crossword Puzzle Omnibus. Vol. 14. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-33534-2.
- Shortz, Will, ed. (2005). "[Puzzle #8]". The New York Times: Will Shortz's Greatest Hits: 150 Crossword Puzzles Personally Picked by the Puzzlemaker. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. ISBN 0-312-34242-X.
Other crossword books:
- Amende, Coral (2002) [2001]. "Election Day Puzzle, 1996". The Crossword Obsesion: The History and Lore of the World's Most Popular Pastime (Trade pbk. ed.). New York: Berkley. pp. 278–279, 302. ISBN 0-425-18682-2.
- Creadon, Patrick; O'Malley, Christine, eds. (2006). "Election Day". Wordplay: The Official Companion Book. New York: St. Martin's Griffin. pp. 104, 172. ISBN 978-0-312-36403-8.