Sarah Lolley
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Why Every Writer Should Do Cryptics

6/19/2014

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I tend to take the English language for granted.
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It’s hard not to. Because English is my first language, I speak it without thinking. It is my packhorse for the daily grind, carrying me from one exchange to another, and as such I rarely consider the larger meaning behind certain words.

I only see English words anew in two situations. The first is when I learn a new French word, which leads me to compare it to its English counterpart. (For example, in French, when a woman goes into labour, you say “elle entre dans le travaille”, she is starting the work. Which is exactly what the word “labour” means: work.)

        The second time I consider words anew is when I do cryptics.


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Cryptic Control to Major Tom

6/5/2014

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I don't typically read memoirs but I recently sat down with astronaut Chris Hadfield's autobiography and it was great. Hadfield generalizes the things that made him successful as an astronaut to every day life in a way that I found surprisingly relatable. (The full title of the book is "An Astronaut's Guide to Life on Earth".)

Three things in the book caught my particular attention.

The first was Hadfield's advice to start making choices that are consistent with your long-term goals. For example, when he was tempted, in childhood, to skip his homework, he would ask himself which a future astronaut would do -- complete his homework or slack off -- then, act accordingly. (Hint: no one gets to be an astronaut by slacking.)


The second was his recommendation to be prepared for the situation you'd like to be in, even if it's a long shot. He describes how he prepared for a possible but unlikely appearance alongside Elton John by learning to play "Rocket Man" on the guitar. (It was unneccessary, it turns out.)

  The third thing that caught my attention was this:
  Chris and Helene Hadfield do the New York Times crossword puzzle every Sunday.

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    About Sarah

    I'm a writer, adventurer, amateur setter of cryptic crosswords, lover of "ah-ha!" moments, and exhausted mom.

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