Another term relating to SLIDE is "continuing to use the same words over and over instead of trying to be creative." I get the Times, Register and Daily News and I'm really getting bored with doing all the puzzles when I see certain short words appearing in five or six puzzles every week. Today's Times puzzle includes ADO, CUL, EMO, SAAB, TETE, AGES, OGLE, IPOD, RENE, ALOT, ORES, EMIR, ONTV, ARLO and ASTER, all of which I've seen in several other puzzles recently. I wonder if anyone has compiled a list of the most common "Crosswordese" words. And I wonder if anyone has managed to make a puzzle without such words. He'd be a genius!