The Most Puzzling Online Sites

Eight letters. Begins with an I. Has helpful resources for crossword puzzle lovers.Answer: I-N-T-E-R-N-E-T.

Beginning with tools to end frustration when confronted with an elusive clue, one need only point and click to the Jumble and Crossword Solver Web site at https://odin.chemistry.uakron. edu/cbower/jumble.html. Puzzled puzzlers can type in the known letters with question marks substituting for the unknown characters and, in seconds, a qualified list of words is gleaned from Webster’s dictionary.

More serious solvers can join Grolier Encyclopedia’s American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, which is being conducted online at https://www.grolier.com/crossword. You can enter just for fun or register as an official contestant eligible for prizes.

To keep your solving skills sharpened, check out the Puzzle Depot at https://iquest.com/pinnacle/links.shtml. This Web page features links to popular crossword puzzle sites along with dictionaries available online, and even downloadable software programs to create your own crosswords. Puzzle pals from across and down the globe congregate in the Internet Usenet discussion group rec.puzzles.crosswords. The topics range from favorite cryptic clues to helpful hints.

Internet Usenet groups and the World Wide Web are available through America Online (Keyword usenet or web); CompuServe (Go usenet or netlauncher for the Web) and Prodigy (Jump web or usenet).