Issue Date: July 15, 2001

Leisure

A clue by any other name ...

If Brendan Emmett Quigley's name showed up as a clue for one of the crossword puzzles he routinely cranks out, the answer might be "puzzleguru." The Bostonian, 27, has made a name for himself as Gen X's crossword crossover. (Bjork is a likelier entry than Sinatra.) His hip wordplay in such prestigious publications as "The Wall Street Journal" is enticing a new generation of fans who finally are "gettingit."

How long does it take you to craft a puzzle?
I can knock out a daily in eight hours. Sundays could take 12 to 14 hours.

What's the best dictionary to use?
People say Random House Second Unabridged, which I don't have [laughs]. I use the American Heritage College Dictionary, because I got it for free.

And what do you get paid per puzzle?
Seventy-five bucks for a daily and $350 for a Sunday.

Wow. So why do it? Waiters make more!
I've always been fascinated by puzzles. So the sheer thought I've managed to make this my career is fantastic.

Can you actually solve an entire New York Times crossword puzzle?
Yeah. I can usually finish Friday's in under 20 minutes, Monday's probably in under six or seven minutes.

You must have a really high IQ. Did you ever win a spelling contest?
No. In fact, I bombed the verbal SAT. I think I got 320.

What words do you use most?
Probably all the ones that everybody else puts in ... "Oreo," "aria," "opera." Anything that's got a lot of vowels.

What's the secret to decoding puzzles?
An elastic mind. A healthy affinity for bad humor. And a pot of coffee.

-- Michele Hatty