A couple of items related to crossword puzzle databases were posted in social media recently.
Jim Horne’s XWord Info reference site now has a downloadable word list compiled and scored by Jeff Chen. The list contains 163,374 entries from published New York Times crossword puzzles, variety puzzles, and acrostics as well as many entries from Jeff’s private list. The entries are scored on a range from 5-60. Angel-level supporters of XWord Info can download the list for personal crossword use.
Peter Broda mentioned his website Cross Examination, a work-in-progress repository of entries and clues collected from independent crossword venues. The site features a wildcard-enabled search field that returns entries and clues with annotations of the constructors and sources. Entries are also ranked according to Peter’s scoring system. The site does not accommodate list downloads but visitors can contact Peter if they are interested in acquiring the data files.
life as a puzzle 