Are there any cruciverbalists out there who are well versed in British crossword puzzles? I think I spent about 5-10 minutes on one once, but quickly gave up after realizing I had (almost literally) no clue how to do it. I think the Americans got the jump on the crossword idea (1913)--at least ahead of the British (1924), but they certainly did take it in a different direction. Here's an excerpt from the article I've linked below:

And then I'll translate for him, perhaps this gem from the latest Spectator: "Constitution for EU amended (five letters)".

"This is something to do with our Monsieur Giscard?" he will ask.

"Not at all", I'll explain.

"Quite simple really. It's an anagram - signalled by the word 'amended' - of the two words that precede it: 'for EU'.

"Answer: 'fuero' - the constitution offered to the Basques in the old Spanish monarchy."

Oh yes, quite simple. Really. Everyone knows 'amended' is a code-word for 'anagram'. This guy seems a bit full of himself but it's an interesting article nonetheless:

news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/progr...4172455.stm