45. Crosswords w/ David Astle

When's the last time you completed a crossword puzzle? Or, maybe, you've never done one because you believe that it's something for an older generation to complete. Either way, with print media in decline, is the crossword puzzle under threat? And will the crossword ever see the same level of popularity on a computer or tablet screen? To discuss, I connected with English enthusiast and word nerd David Astle, who you may know as the dictionary keeper on the cult SBS game show Letters and Numbers. David has been creating crossword puzzles for The Sydney Morning Herald and The Age for nearly 40 years, and has written a number of books devoted to the black and white grid. We discussed the history of the crossword puzzle, and found that my presumptions about the demise of the crossword might well be wrong. David Astle can be found on Twitter @dontattempt. He can be heard on ABC Melbourne weeknights from 7pm, and his books Cluetopia: The Story of 100 Years of the Crossword, and Rewording the Brain are available now. You can read more about David at his website, davidastle.com. For more of David's tips on solving cryptic crosswords: 'Cryptic crosswords too confusing? Decipher them with these seven common clue recipes' by Simon Leo Brown at ABC Melbourne. Thanks for listening to the show, I'm genuinely thankful that you did. If you enjoyed it, please hit 'subscribe' on Apple Podcasts, or 'follow' on Spotify to get new episodes in your feeds every Tuesday. And leaving a rating and review really does help get the word out, so feel free to do so! Connect with the show: Instagram: @whatshallwedopod Facebook: @whatshallwedopod Twitter: @whatshallwepod Email: whatshallwedopod@gmail.com What Shall We Do About...? is hosted and produced by Sam Robinson, who is on Twitter @samsquareeyes.