Don’t get scared if you can’t guess the first horizontal word. Go
through the list till you find a definition that you’re sure of. That
is the simplest method of beginning the solution. When you have written
in all the words you are sure of, you will have plenty of clues for the
unknowns.
Don’t spend too much time with the long words unless you are sure of
them. They will appear when the short ones have been solved. Of course,
not all the short ones are easy, but they are generally more readily
attended to than the long ones. Also, there are more of them,
increasing the chances of finding familiar faces among the definitions.
If you think a word is right, pencil it in lightly till you are sure.
This saves erosion of paper and temper. But never hesitate to try a
word that may be right. The trial and error method holds in puzzling as
it does in life.
Remember that the horizontals furnish a sure check on the verticals,
and vice versa.
If you are hopelessly stuck, try another puzzle. Inspiration sometimes
waits for a return engagement.
A pleasant feeling of something attempted, something done, accompanies
the solution of a cross word puzzle. It’s good for the inferiority
complex.