Split The Difference

Though the end product of this puzzle is a crossword solution, Split The Difference has little in common with a crossword in the way it is solved. Each square of the grid contains two letters, one of which must be crossed out to leave a grid full of words. Solving depends on word recognition and elimination, rather than conventional crossword skills.

The puzzle is constructed in such as way as to present the solver with plenty of red herrings among the letters. The correct solution will be revealed only by thinking ahead and comparing possible words with their intersecting neighbours.

Since there are no clues and no letter counts in the puzzle, proper nouns, hyphenated words and phrases are all usually excluded from the answers. The compiler must also ensure that every red herring can be eliminated. It is very easy to miss alternative answers, especially in the shorter words.