r/crossword • u/Electronic_Tank_2945 • 3d ago

Beginner and want to decrease time

Hey guys, just wanted to come on here to see if there are on recommendations for a newbie like me. My time today was 27 minutes and I just am a bit disappointed. I’m 20 and literally just started getting into crosswords, so I know it’ll take some time before I start getting my times down.

Besides just doing more crosswords do yall have anything specific that you do to decrease solve time? Also how much do you think it’s just an IQ filter—I’m curious as to the consensus on that is.

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u/DuronHalix 3d ago

All I can really say is what the others said. Experience does help in terms of looking for the patterns that keep happening over the course of a lot of puzzles. I'll say experience really hasn't helped me in getting that much quicker though. I did have over hour Monday's when I started, but I'm still hovering around 8-10 minutes on them now when I hand-write (~5-6 when it's computerized). Granted, the curve is mostly flat for the rest of the week, but still, I wouldn't be respectable if I showed up to a crossword solving contest.