The Million Word Crossword Dictionary
Brand: Collins Reference
Categories: Books, Humor & Entertainment, Puzzles & Games



Dimensions: 2.36 x 7.38 x 9.25 inches
ISBN-13: 978-0060517564
Language: English
ISBN-10: 0060517565
Publisher: Collins Reference
Print length: 1280 pages
Publication date: March 2, 2004
subtitle: Hardcover – March 2, 2004
author: Visit Amazon's Stanley Newman Page search results Stanley Newman Visit Amazon's Daniel Stark Page search results Daniel Stark
review: Editorial Reviews Review “The largest, most up-to-date, and most useful crossword dictionary available.” — from the Introduction by Will Shortz, New York Times Crossword Editor “This book is. . .a dozen or more of your favorite references all rolled into one. Besides the most comprehensive list of synonyms I’ve ever seen, there are famous names, TV shows, movies, drama, music--nary a stone unturned. A must for the crossword aficionado.” — Rich Norris, Los Angeles Times crossword editor “Surely the most comprehensive crossword clue-and-answer resource ever compiled, a cornucopia of cruciverbal lore from two savvy veterans of the crossword trade. We especially love the generous servings of popular-culture knowledge.” — Emily Cox and Henry Rathvon, Boston Globe and Atlantic Monthly crossword creators “Quite simply the most comprehensive and painstakingly researched crossword dictionary I’ve ever seen -- and I’ve seem them ALL. American crossword puzzles have evolved enormously over the past 40 years, yet most crossword dictionaries have remained mired in the past. Finally, here’s a crossword dictionary for today’s crossword fan. Long overdue but well worth the wait, this is the only crossword dictionary you’ll ever need.” — Merl Reagle, San Francisco Chronicle crossword creator “Newman and Stark. . .know what should (and shouldn’t) be in a 21st-century crossword dictionary. . . .This is the book you want. ” — Fred Piscop, Washington Post Magazine crossword editor “You’ll find 40 entries here under ‘comprehensive.’ I’d say that pretty well sums it up.” — Mike Shenk, Wall Street Journal crossword editor A boon to solvers of crossword puzzles. You can even find names of pain relievers and rental cars! — Word Ways: The Journal of Recreational Linguistics “[An] excellent resource.” — Library Journal “[The authors] have indeed delivered a boon, a gift, a windfall to crossword lovers with this long-overdue solving aid.” — US Airways Attaché Magazine From the Inside Flap With more than 1,000,000 answers, this volume contains more than twice as many answers as any other crossword dictionary. More important, it is the first crossword dictionary ever to comprehensively cover the clues and answers that actually appear in today's most popular crosswords, including contemporary slang, phrases, and brand names. Meticulously compiled by two crossword professionals with a combined thirty years in the field, and based on a massive analysis of current crosswords, there has never been a crossword dictionary with the breadth, depth, and currency of this one. From Jim Carrey to Sister Carrie, Homer Simpson to Homer's Iliad, the wide-ranging entries include 500,000+ synonyms, 3,000+ literary works, 5,000+ films, 20,000+ famous people from all fields, and more than 100,000 fill-in-the-blank clues so popular in today's crosswords. Featuring an introduction by New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz, The Million Word Crossword Dictionary makes every other crossword dictionary obsolete. --Merl Reagle, San Francisco Chronicle crossword creato From the Back Cover With more than 1,000,000 answers, this volume contains more than twice as many answers as any other crossword dictionary. More important, it is the first crossword dictionary ever to comprehensively cover the clues and answers that actually appear in today's most popular crosswords, including contemporary slang, phrases, and brand names. Meticulously compiled by two crossword professionals with a combined thirty years in the field, and based on a massive analysis of current crosswords, there has never been a crossword dictionary with the breadth, depth, and currency of this one. From Jim Carrey to Sister Carrie, Homer Simpson to Homer's Iliad, the wide-ranging entries include 500,000+ synonyms, 3,000+ literary works, 5,000+ films, 20,000+ famous people from all fields, and more than 100,000 fill-in-the-blank clues so popular in today's crosswords. Featuring an introduction by New York Times crossword editor Will Shortz, The Million Word Crossword Dictionary makes every other crossword dictionary obsolete. About the Author Acclaimed puzzle creator, editor, and publisher Stanley Newman is crossword editor for Newsday , with puzzles syndicated worldwide. He holds the world record for the fastest completion of a New York Times crossword. Daniel Stark creates the daily crosswords for United Feature Syndicate. His puzzles also appear in many national publications. Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved. Introduction by Will Shortz, New York Times crossword editor For almost as long as there have been crossword puzzles, there have been crossword dictionaries. Within just a few months of the fad for crosswords starting in 1924, books appeared to help solvers with their emus, okapis, esnes, and other strange but common denizens of Crosswordland. No matter how carefully crosswords are constructed, some words do show up in them much more frequently than in everyday speech and writing. In fact, many crosswords contain words that even a well-rounded person may never encounter outside a puzzle context. If you run into a puzzle that has too many answers you dont know, or if the answers to two unknowable clues cross, you may need help to finish. The Million Word Crossword Dictionary, compiled by my colleagues Stanley Newman and Daniel Stark, has been created to break solving impasses. Two years in the making, and designed from the ground up, it contains more than 250,000 clues and 1,000,000+ answers, specifically chosen to help with crosswords of the kind found in newspapers, books, and magazines today. All the classic clues are here: "Celebes ox" (ANOA), "Arrow poison" (INEE), "Sea eagle" (ERN or ERNE), "Eskimo knife" (ULU), and other obscurities from the depths of the unabridged dictionary. The volume also contains tens of thousands of names from modern culture that frequently crop up in puzzles now: "Singer DiFranco" (ANI), "Golfer Ernie" (ELS), "Sarah McLachlan hit" (ADIA), "Peter Fonda title role" (ULEE), and so on. Of special help are lists of Oscar winners, Nobelists, Wimbledon champions, popes, makes of autos, dogs in TV shows, and dozens of other fact-based categories useful to puzzlers. The book even contains more than 75,000 fill-in-the-blank clues like "__ minute" (IN A) and "__ point" (TO THE), based on phrases you know but may not be able to complete on the spot. The result is the largest, most up-to-date, and most useful crossword dictionary available. Is it cheating to use a book like this? Well, say youre stuck in the middle of a puzzle. You can give up . . . or you can get an answer or two, allowing you to proceed and finish the puzzle on your own. In a situation like this, it makes sense to get help. Using a reference book is educational besides. Whatever "rules" you follow, its ultimately your puzzle. Solve it any way you like! Read more