ANSWERS: 5
  • hmmm interesting.... no idea! Maybe they're easier to make that way, but I've never tried making one.... Maybe so you only need to figure out the layout of half of it, and then the other half is done for you.... lazy arse crossword makers! x
  • It's just a tradition. Most puzzles in the US have point symmetry about the center, i.e., if you turn the puzzle upside-down by rotating 180 degrees, the grid looks the same. Some puzzles are mirror-symmetric about a vertical midline instead. From what I've read, crossword puzzle constructors usually start with a blank grid pattern first, then fill in the longer words, then the rest of the white spaces.
  • I read an article in Reader's Digest maybe a year or so ago about people who create crossword puzzles, and it mentioned some rule about being symmetrical. I don't know if it's just a certain group of creators or what, though. It's been a long time.
  • I never made crosswords, but I did make other grid puzzles like kakuro for example. I do find myself using some kind of symmetry most of the time, because it feels more elegant. It shows more craftmanship if it is clear you put some constraints when creating the puzzle (which makes creating a puzzle quite a puzzle in itself).
  • People are lazy and its easier draw half and copy it, or a quarter even

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