THE CROSS-WORDS MANIA
[To the Editor of the SPECTATOR.] Sm,—There are several things I should like to say on Mr. Denis Mackairs article on Cross-Words Puzzles. I confine myself, however, to one point. He speaks of Acrostics as if they belonged to the same category as Cross-Words. This is not so. A good Acrostic is of a literary nature, and its solution is a literary pleasure. The Cross-Words Puzzle is relatively mechanical and requires nothing but a good dictionary and endless patience.
To illustrate : In a recent Observer acrostic one of the bars was :—
"Her heart, we read, one sought to soften, By sitting still and smiling often."
To find out that this means COW takes some ingenuity, and some familiarity with the great bards of England! The Cross-Word equivalent is "Domestic Animal" (three spaces). One has simply to choose between Pig, Hog, Cat; Dog, and Cow. Verbum sap ! The Cross-Words craze will die out. Magna est axpoo-rotxts et prevalcbit !—I am, Sir, &c., JAMES F. MUIRHEAD.
12 Campden Hill Square, London, TV. 8.
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