CRUCIVERB.COM
Constructing => General Discussion => Topic started by: ebirnholz on October 04, 2011, 01:43:43 PM
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How do people feel about repeating small words in a grid? I know that some common words are probably acceptable to use twice in the same grid (like "a" or "to"), but what about the following example:
I've made a grid that currently has both SOSO and AMSO in it, in which the word "so" is repeated. Because I don't really like the partial AMSO, I was able to change that part of the grid, but with that change, I now have ERAT and ERATO elsewhere in the same grid. ERAT and ERATO are two different words, but ERAT basically shows up twice since it's completely encompassed in ERATO. In neither the SOSO/AMSO nor ERAT/ERATO configurations do the repeated words cross one another.
These are the best two combinations I've been able to put in the grid without inserting some really obscure words that cross each other. Do people feel that repeating either the word "so" or "erat" would be a deal-breaker for an editor? Keep in mind that, based on the NYT database, it has been done before, but not recently:
SOSO/ORSO:
Wednesday, June 27, 2001 (http://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=6/27/2001&g=1&d=D)
ERAT/ERATO:
Monday, November 13, 2000 (http://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=11/13/2000&g=57&d=D)
Wednesday, April 19, 2000 (http://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=4/19/2000&g=36&d=D)
Sunday, October 24, 1999 (http://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=10/24/1999&g=30&d=D)
Monday, June 29, 1998 (http://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=6/29/1998&g=8&d=D)
Wednesday, July 12, 1995 (http://www.xwordinfo.com/Crossword?date=7/12/1995&g=38&d=D) (and they actually crossed in this one)
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Never mind. I actually just got a brief reply from Will saying that ERAT/ERATO is fine since they aren't related in meaning and only share a common string of letters, and that SOSO/AMSO would be okay provided they don't cross.
Problem solved!