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Oreos and the Art of Crossword Puzzle Construction

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“Cookie that some people eat with mustard.” Before 2020 got crazy, this little clue from a USA Today crossword puzzle captivated a nation. Although the clue is odd, the answer — OREO — is common. It has three of the five most used letters in crosswords, making it an easy word for puzzle constructors to fit with other words. OREO is the seventh most common four-letter answer since 1993, according to a database of over four million clues from numerous publications. This fact also makes OREO’s corresponding clues stale. "Sandwich cookie" has appeared verbatim over 100 times. So USA Today spiced it up with some mustard, an obscure reference spotted in Shay Mitchell’s pregnancy craving mukbang. That’s the story. Still hungry? We’ve got a lot more though…tap level 2 below for cool charts and stuff. Or if crossword puzzles aren’t your thing, check out other visual essays from The Pudding instead: Where in the USA is this? A Visual History of WNBA Kicks What Airport Traffic Tells Us About the

Oreos and the Art of Crossword Puzzle Construction Russell Samora January 2021 This is an investigation into 2020’s most notorious crossword puzzle clue, told at three levels of complexity. Use arrow keys or tap below to navigate Level 1 Level 1 mini ~ 30 second read Bite-size and snackable, the flavor without the calories. Level 2 : more complex “Cookie that some people eat with mustard. ” Before 2020 got crazy, this little clue from a USA Today crossword puzzle captivated a nation. Although the clue is odd, the answer - OREO - is common. It has three of the five most used letters in crosswor

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