PUZZLES, CONTESTS AND SUCH

I have always been intrigued by puzzles of all sorts starting out with jigsaws in my youth and eventually graduating to Crosswords, Jumbles, Sudokus, Cyphers, Word Searches and a myriad of other types of posers.   And I do my fair share...….the New York Times Sunday Crossword is by far my favorite and I am proud to say that I can now solve it in ink!  (After many years with the no.2 and an eraser)

On the contest side, I've entered here and there...……..New York magazine ran a weekly challenge back in the day and had numerous types of things to do.   For instance (and a classic)….Make up a name using other names (the old "if so-and-so married so-and-so" game).

If Anna Maria Alberghetti married producer David Merrick, divorced him and married comedian Jackie Cannon, divorced him and married composer Norman Paris, her name would be Anna Merrick Cannon Paris.   You get the picture?

Well, after a few honorable mentions in the New York contest, I finally won one.   The challenge was to name a Person, Place or Thing and define it....BUT, one word in the P, P, or T had to be anagrammed as well as one word in the definition.  So I finally came up with something, entered it and I won with the following...…….

 Drab Pitt: Melancholy Actor who gained prominence in "Hamlet and Louise."

The prize was a one year-subscription to the magazine.   Sadly they discontinued the contest the following year and I still miss it.  So my daily crosswords will have to appease me. And I confess, on occasion I do a jigsaw on line. (thejigsawpuzzles.com)

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