AN ESCAPE from loneliness, an antidote to the brain-numbing boredom of lockdown, a deeply satisfying and pleasurable way to while away the hours . . . There are many reasons to be a fan of YOU crosswords, and readers love nothing more than applying their minds to solving the puzzles that have become a hallmark of our printed titles.
Equally passionate about puzzles are the people who put it all together.
YOU has various compilers and they’re more than happy to take readers behind the scenes of their fascinating worlds.
“I started working on crosswords in 2011 with the first YOU Blockbusters magazine and we were super-nervous – so many words,” says Natalie Cavernelis, YOU’s puzzle magazines production editor. “But I loved it. Only in this job would I learn ‘emmet’ and ‘pismire’ are other words to describe an ant!
“I have a file on my phone where I note cool words I want to add to a crossword or ideas for a new word-search theme,” the mom-of-one from Bellville in Cape Town says. “Just yesterday I added the words ‘compunction’ and ‘lugubrious’ after seeing one in a book and hearing the other on TV. I love how they sound.”
Crossword compilers typically use software programs to create the various types. “It takes anywhere from 30 minutes to three hours to edit or compile a puzzle and either write or check the clues,” Natalie says.
“A small word search can be put together quickly but thinking up hundreds of new topics and enough words for the word-search topics can take time.”
Denne historien er fra 12 August 2021-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Denne historien er fra 12 August 2021-utgaven av YOU South Africa.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
Allerede abonnent? Logg på
PUSHED TO THE LIMIT
The unusual relationship between an heiress and her husband has taken a sinister twist
HOW TO MAKE A SUPERBABY
Noor Siddiqui says her company can test embryos for hundreds of conditions from diabetes to Alzheimer's. Critics call it social engineering but she insists she's just giving prospective parents the means to avoid a lot of future heartache
THE GROWN-UP BRAIN
If you think your brain deteriorates as you age, think again!
THE eyes HAVE IT
They're the windows to our soul - and the first place to show the stresses of everyday life. Juliette Winter reveals expert tips to de-puff, brighten and smooth this delicate area
WE'RE IN THIS TOGETHER
It hasn't been an easy road but now this bodybuilding couple are making waves in the industry
I CAN'T WAIT FOR SUMMER!
Annetjie's about to get effective treatment for the skin condition that has blighted her life and she's looking forward to hitting the shops and facing the world
'SHE NO THREAT TO ANYONE'
When SA boxer Chris van Heerden's Russian girlfriend went to visit her parents she was thrown in jail and accused of treasonnow he's in a fight to free her
SUNK IN 16 MINUTES!
A sun-drenched holiday turned into a living nightmare for those aboard this luxury vessel
READY TO SMILE AGAIN
A groundbreaking surgical procedure will restore this Limpopo teen's badly damaged jaw and teeth
HARRY AT A CROSSROADS
As the prince turns 40, royal experts paint a picture of a troubled soul- isolated, homesick and struggling to find a purpose in life