Of Crossword Puzzles and Red Wine – A Study in Economics

How to stay normal when the whole world is crazy

How is it possible, I ponder, as I fill in the C, that the answer to the clue "Warm up" in the New York Times crossword turns out to be 'DEICE'? One of these days, I promise myself, I will get myself a No Fax Cash Advance and buy myself a new crossword dictionary, one with all the latest words, like DEICE which means 'Warm up.' I am sadly out of date and lagging behind in my English.

"We're going shopping!" The cry comes from the kitchen. I look around. There are only two of us here and WE'RE going shopping? The penny drops and I unwind from the couch with a grand operatic groaning performance.

Sunday night in the supermarket? "They've got specials for one night only!" And the whole town knew about it except for a few crossword fans who were busy with the really important stuff. The supermarket is standing room only. "DEICE" meaning 'Warm Up'? Oh you idiot, I tell myself. It's DE-ICE and everyone turns to see who is shrieking with crazy laughter. Of course it's DE-ICE. Serves you right. Now you are consigned to the supermarket. May as well be positive. Anyway DE-ICE wasn't exactly fair. The clue should have indicated that the answer was hyphenated. What's on sale? ... click here to read the rest of the article titled "Of Crossword Puzzles and Red Wine – A Study in Economics"