Empty Spaces

 

“I think humans have a natural desire to fill empty spaces. It gives us a sense of fulfillment, to complete a grid.”

 

—Will Shortz, NYTimes crossword impresario, “‘I’ve outlasted them all’: the spectacular life of the world’s most powerful crossword editor,” The Guardian, July 15, 2021.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

• Editorial Comment: And a sense of failure to be stumped on 16 across: “One charging a flat rate.” 8 letters*

PeezPIX 

Sadie Roo, 2007-2020

 

 

 

 

 

The October issue of SENIOR NEWS is scary good. Online here.

 

FREE! TODAY'S WORD ON JOURNALISM This free “service” is sent to rafts of subscribers worldwide more or less every weekday morning during WORD season. If you have recovered from whatever illness led you to subscribe and don’t want it anymore, send “unsubscribe” to ted.pease@gmail.com. Or if you want to afflict someone else, send me the email address and watch the fun begin. (Disclaimer: Don’t shoot the messenger. I just quote ’em, I don’t necessarily endorse ’em.)

 

“I don’t think writers are sacred, but words are. They deserve respect. If you get the right ones, in the right order, you can nudge the world a little.”—Tom Stoppard

 

* ANSWER: landlord

 

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Edward C. Pease, Ph.D.
Professor & Department Head Emeritus
Department of Journalism & Communication
Utah State University
Today's WORD on Journalism