Crossword puzzle have been standbys since the 19th century to challenge and entertain. But how many people complete these puzzles regularly? 

In a survey of 1,000 crossworders, 25 percent say they do one regularly. Another 65 percent do them occasionally. Nearly all the puzzle-solving is done at home, and with 1 in 10 saying they do it in the bathroom. Fifty-six percent their family members join in the fun.

Crosswords apparently are more popular than other brain-teasing puzzles. About two of every three survey participants said they prefer crosswords to Sudoku. 

The survey also asked how people play. The answers: When stumped, 69 percent try to work around the baffling clue and fill in some letters, figuring it’s easier to solve a clue when they know it contains certain letters. Other strategies include guessing and checking or researching the question, and nearly 1 in 4 just look up the answers. And 85 percent start with “Across” clues first. 

Doing crosswords reportedly has positive and negative effects on puzzle solvers, such as expanded vocabulary, better problem-solving skills, and an increase in headaches. Some people even look forward to certain days of the week just because they know a new crossword is coming out. On that note, the New York Times’ is the most popular daily puzzle. It’s also considered the most challenging. Folks also like the crosswords in their local papers (including, we hear often, in Senior Scene).

SOURCE: unscrambled-words.com, an online word-solving tool.