The ASp and I know a guy who makes crossword puzzles. He's sold some to the NYT. One of us will ask him how he is at Scrabble, etc.

Cryptic puzzles are certainly harder to do than the normal kind, and not just because of the clues. With half the letters not crossed you get less support for figuring out what the words are. But, by the same token, I would think they would be easier to make. So if making a cryptic was hard, Jackie, think what it is like to make a regular one. I've tried upon occasion and have failed miserably.