Why settle for just one crossword puzzle?

The Double-cross puzzle works like an ordinary crossword puzzle: it includes a grid of possible word slots - arranged horizontally and vertically to intersect with each other - and clues to indicate what words should go into each slot.

But instead of just one puzzle solution, each Double-cross puzzle has two different solutions. So each clue has two synonyms that each fit in the provided answer slot.

For example, consider this partially-completed puzzle:

Now, 1. Down, A tool used to make something perfectly flat., has two solutions. Assuming we got LEADER and PUZZLE right, one starts with an "L" and the other starts with a "P". A LEVEL can make things perfectly flat, and so can a PLANE.

Now keep on like this, and you've solved a Double-cross!

Here are some tips to help you solve a Double-cross™.

• Avoid this pitfall: synonym anchoring
  People sometimes find one solution for a given clue, then look for other words similar to that word. But, while the answers go very well with their clue, the answers don't necessarily match each other particularly well. For a particularly egregious example of this, see "Parts of speech", below.
• Avoid this pitfall: undue specificity
  Double-cross clue answers fit their clues very closely in scope. So answers to a clue like "One who creates the content of a book or article." will typically include only words that match the same general extent, like "writer" and "author", not a specific instance of that thing, like "Stoker", "Koontz", or "Ludlum".
• Parts of speech
  The Double-cross puzzle gets double-duty from each clue, and that can cause some (delightful) confusion. Just like a regular crossword puzzle, the clue will typically suggest the part of speech of the answer. So if the clue works like a noun, then both answers will also work like a noun.
  • To scortch; to make very hot. (suggests a verb) => sear, char (both verbs)
  • Steady, as a consistent hand. (suggests an adjective) => even, firm (both adjectives)
  However, in particularly difficult puzzles, a clue could require answers from two different parts of speech.
  • Fly (could mean a noun or a verb) => zipper (noun), aviate (verb)
• Senses
  Usually, both answers to a Double-cross clue will use the same sense of the clue word or phrase.
  • To test => assess, verify.
  But as with part of speech, clues in more difficult Double-cross puzzles may use different senses of the clue word or phrase.
  • To raise => erect (as in "to raise a scaffolding"), evoke (as in "to raise a concern").
  • To bear => carry (as in "to bear arms"), yield (as in "to bear fruit").
• Quotes
  If a clue contains a quoted string, then the answer has a direct relationship with that specific text.
  • One of the father-daughter pair who lamented saying "Somethin' Stupid". => Frank, Nancy (Sinatra, who released the #1 Billboard hit Somethin' Stupid in 1967).
• Particular clue words
  Some clues contain specific words that suggest the form of the answer word. While these don't always work, they may help.
  • Clue starts with "One who": consider answers that end in "-er".
  • Clue starts with "More" or "Less": consider answers that end in "-er".
  • Clue starts with "Most" or "Least": consider answers that end in "-est".

Having trouble with Double-cross™ Puzzle #1?

The shaded squares in the following grids contain vowels in Double-cross™ Puzzle #1.

Puzzle Solution 1 1 2 3

Puzzle Solution 2 1 2 3

Details

The Double-cross puzzle seems possible only because of modern computing power. The combinations of words to make these puzzles grows exponentially, making the number astronomical for even simple puzzles. The 5x5 donut-shaped puzzle, using one particular thesaurus as a source of clues, has 3,336,217,600,000,000 possible combinations of words, only a small portion of which make puzzles. Searching the entire set for usable puzzles takes time. Even testing one billion of those combinations per day, it would take over 9,000 years to search them all.

Legal

Double-cross™ is a legal trademark of Phillip M. Eberz. Software Copyright © Phillip M. Eberz 2017. All rights reserved.

Some Double-cross puzzles may contain data from Princeton University's WordNet lexical database, in addition to other sources. Princeton's content is used under the WordNet 3.0 license, also available at http://wordnet.princeton.edu/wordnet/license/:

WordNet 3.0 Copyright 2006 by Princeton University. All rights reserved. THIS SOFTWARE AND DATABASE IS PROVIDED "AS IS" AND PRINCETON UNIVERSITY MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED. BY WAY OF EXAMPLE, BUT NOT LIMITATION, PRINCETON UNIVERSITY MAKES NO REPRESENTATIONS OR WARRANTIES OF MERCHANT- ABILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PARTICULAR PURPOSE OR THAT THE USE OF THE LICENSED SOFTWARE, DATABASE OR DOCUMENTATION WILL NOT INFRINGE ANY THIRD PARTY PATENTS, COPYRIGHTS, TRADEMARKS OR OTHER RIGHTS. The name of Princeton University or Princeton may not be used in advertising or publicity pertaining to distribution of the software and/or database. Title to copyright in this software, database and any associated documentation shall at all times remain with Princeton University and LICENSEE agrees to preserve same.