I've already thanked everyone for sending greetings to Derek Crozier on the occasion of his recent birthday. Now I am thrilled to be able add a note of thanks from Derek himself, that he has asked me to pass on to everyone.
When you get to my age there are two things above all to be feared: being unoccupied and being useless. I live for making up the crosswords, and as for being useless --- well, the answer is in your letters ... Believe me, I can't express my gratitude to you all. Please pass my thanks to all the writers [,Bill], I find it overwhelming.
... I'll keep Crosaire going as long as I'm able and so long as the Irish Times is prepared to publish it. Not to mention so long as you people are prepared to do them.
You [, Bill] mention that when you were young the I.T. cost 50p. when I was young the price was tuppence!
Bless you all, and may I continue to infuriate you for a good long time yet.
Yours so very sincerely,
Derek.
Saturday, Nov. 14, 2009
The following is the original post that prompted those kind words from our very own M. Crosaire:
November 11th is a major milestone in the history of Irish crosswords, as the Irish Times publishes Crosaire Crossword No: 14,000! And the next day we celebrate the 92nd birthday of Derek Crozier, the man behind all 14,000 of those puzzles. Please join me in congratulating Derek by leaving a comment below. I will forward the whole collection of greetings directly to Derek on his birthday on the 12th.
Derek was born in Dublin in 1917, and emigrated to Rhodesia (now Zimbabwe) in the late 1940s with his wife, Marjorie. He has done it all, from working as a young man in the Guinness Brewery in Dublin, to tobacco farming, school teaching and even running for public office in Zimbabwe. You can read a little more about Derek's life and the Crosaire Crossword here on the Blog.
Derek wrote the first crossword for the Irish Times, published anonymously on March 13th, 1943. It wasn't until Crossword No: 4 a few weeks later, that the world was introduced to the moniker, Crosaire. Some of the Blog readers have revisited that first puzzle and you can read our comments about it also here on the Blog.
Also on the blog, WEB Crossword No: 028 from November 8, 2009 is titled "Many Happy Returns, Derek!" so check it out!
44 comments:
Happy Birthday, Derek!
My Dad got me into crosswords when I was only a wee lad, and we did crosswords together for the whole of his life. It was a special bond that we shared, just the two of us.
I started doing the Crosaire puzzle back in the seventies, on the bus on the way home from school in Dublin. We school kids could get the Irish Times at the discounted price of 50p back then, so as soon as I was hooked on the crossword, the IT sucked up all my pocket money!
Derek, you've been feeding my addiction for almost 40 years now. I look forward to getting my Crosaire fix for many more years to come. Have a great birthday, and congratulations on No: 14,000!
Dear Derek,
I hope you have a very happy birthday on the 12th.
Many thanks for the years of puzzlement, challenge, and the gratifying moment of realization when all comes together. Your crossword is an unmissable part of each day.
Hugh Fogarty, Dublin
Happy Birthday, Derek,
I hope you are well and want to thank you for many hours of pleasure and confoundment.
You have teased, bewildered and delighted me on many occasions with the range and sheer cleverness of your cluing.
So touched have I been by your art, that I have tried in some small way to compose my own puzzles. Bill has offered me great support as we both set off on our compiling paths. Indeed, my greatest accolade came from him when he likened some of my efforts as being in your very own style.
I take this as the ultimate praise. I wish you well into the future.
God Bless you.
With fond regards,
Tommy Moran
Derek,
Many happy returns.
I have been enjoying your crossword for almost 40 years now. It is like an old friend, and something I look forward to every morning.
Thank you!
David
Harold's Cross, Dublin
Happy Birthday Derek
I struggle every day to get through your puzzle, but I love the challenge... sometimes it takes me a couple of days if I am honest.
Often the rest of the Irish Times is a bit of a blur as I speed read to get through to the Crosaire.
My 14 year old daughter Jessica now sits in with me as we do the crossword, and she loves the wordplay and puzzles involved... I think you have a new generation of fans getting hooked.
Heres to many more years of Crosaire
thanks and greetings from Eamonn and Jess in Dublin
I am an inveterate solver for years of locally available crosswords. Yours I have solved occasionally on the Web and have loved the change that it offered me.
It is a pleasure to be writing to a crossword composer on the momentous occasion of a forthcoming birthday.
Wish you many happy returns.
Rishi
in Chennai that was Madras, India
Dear Derek,
Happy Birthday!
Thank you so much for the many hours of pleasure I've had from puzzling over your crosswords this last 30 years. When I first looked over a classmate's shoulder as she tried to do the crossword I commented - "you'd have to have a very warped mind to figure those out"! I'm now delighted to say that thanks to you, I have that warped mind!!
Best wishes
Martina - Cork
Dear Mr Crozier,
As an addict of your work,I would like to congratulate you on behalf of myself and my late father on a long and inspiring career which has brought both solace and entertainment in a world increasingly devoid of cerebral pursuits.Happy Birthday,keep up the good work,and thank you.
Declan,
Cork City.
Dear Mr. Crozier,
My family and I are delighted to have the opportunity to wish you a happy birthday.
I can remember my grandfather doing the Irish Times crossword with my mother, her with me, and now my husband and I find ourselves competing with our son to get to the crossword first.
Thank you for all the years of shared entertainment.
Best wishes,
Maureen, Jim and Noel
Dublin
Dear Mr Crozier,
I wish to add my voice to the praise that your fans are bestowing upon you on the occasion of your birthday. Like all the others, your crossword has brought me great pleasure, and the loss of my hair whilst trying to complete them. I now live in France and my day feels incomplete without my daily Crosaire!
May you continue to challenge us for many years to come.
Happy birthday
Laurie
Happy Birthday Derek
I'm a recent convert to Crosaire, but have very quickly become addicted. The more the puzzles infuriate me, the more I find myself going back for more. Well done on such a huge achievement!
I wish you many more years of happy puzzling.
Best wishes
Megan
Dear Derek
I am relatively new to crosswords and enjoying them thoroughly. Thank you for the hours of frustration followed by occasional moments of deep joy and satisfaction.
I hope you have a wonderful 92nd birthday.
Very best wishes
Susan Eustace
Dublin
Dear Derek,
Wishing you a very Happy Birthday.
I have been doing Crosaire for a good few years now and I have to say that it is truly something I look forward to each day before I start college. It is a fantastic achievement to reach 14,000 unique puzzles.Well done.
I myself have compiled a handful of puzzles similar to your style and it is something I really enjoy doing.
Thanks to Bill, the online Crosaire community is thriving and also he has given us this chance to personally wish you the best.
Thank you and enjoy your day.
Best regards,
Mark Bell
Dublin
Congratulations on your birthday, a big achievement.
I am delighted when I can solve 7 clues, but this is only the beginning..
Hello Derek from another one!
I've tried to complete your puzzles on on and off, with friends and loved ones, with varying success for 20 or so years and nothing pleases us better than when that final answer is achieved.
Happy 92nd birthday and may you continue to frustrate for a long time to come
Kind regards,
Derek, Dublin
Happy Birthday Derek,
My Grandfather introduced me to your work many years ago.
Whilst I have spent many hours pulling my hair out over your puzzles I still thank him for that introduction.
It is remarkable how you manage to keep each puzzle feeling fresh. I still feel a sense of achievement when completing a Crosaire correctly.
Happy Birthday again, enjoy your day and keep up the good work.
Mick H from Kerry.
Birthday Greetings from the sunny southeast and home of heroic hurling (ro4w!)..Kilkenny of course!
I used to do the Crosaire on a regular basis many years ago but due to failing eyesight had to relinquish the pleasure...however, due to modern developments in ophthalmology I have rediscovered that wonderful pastime and thanks to Bill have been able to hone my skills.
I thank you with all my heart for all the hours of pleasure and frustration you have bestowed on me in my lifetime and congratulate you on the occasion of reaching 14,000 Crosaire puzzles and your 92nd birthday!
Go n-eiri an bothair leat!
Cheers, Moley
One of the few things that helps me get through the day. While I rarely finish it, doing so always feels like a major accomplishment. La breithe shona dhuit.
Dear Derek,
Happy birthday and thank you.
Bob - Cork and Dublin
Dear Derek,
Although your crosswords have provided me with countless hours of frustration, they have also given me many small moments of joy as I solve each individual clue.
My earliest experiences of cryptic crosswords was with the Crosaire in the Irish Times, and although I have tried into other types of cryptics, I still think of the Crosaire as the original and the best.
Happy birthday and many happy returns from a humble Crosaire devotee.
John
It’s about 25 years since I attempted my first Crosaire puzzle, solving 3 or four clues! But that didn’t put me off! After each of my humble efforts, I eagerly awaited the next day’s paper to see the solutions...and then worked backwards to try and understand the logic!
25 years later, and with more than a little help from Bill and his blog community, I’ve improved a little, but you still manage to stop me in my tracks all too regularly...confounded, frustrated, baffled and bewildered betimes...but never completely beaten! You see, I’m still convinced that I’ll be an expert any day now!
I would like to say a very sincere ‘thank-you’ for all the pleasure and happy puzzling that Crosaire has given me over the years, and I look forward to teasing out your unique style of puzzle for many years to come.
With very best wishes for the future,
La breithe shona dhuit
from Liz in Cork
happy birthday crosaire..focal Gaeilge é seo dar ndóigh
Hi Mr Crozier! "Derek" appears too irreverant to me! My mother wouldn't approve! Just a little gift of simple gratitude for your work. In my life friendships have been formed, conversations initiated, bets won (and lost!), pride swollen, egos dented and vocabulary expanded. Crosaire has absorbed me on planes,trains and automobiles; eeked away at hours in a hospital bed, waiting rooms and (surrepticiously) at staff meetings (it makes my face appear intensely sagacious). Without my daily dose, I would be quite discombobulated! Go raibh mile maith agat. @//•_•\\@
Happy Birthday, Mr. Crozier,
I'm a fairly recent but avid convert to Crosaire. I really enjoy the challenge, especially on Saturday mornings when I can have a go, with a fresh cup of coffee before the kids are up
All the best and thanks.
PN Dublin
Happy Birthday!
From John
I am from 'where tibetan monk conceals himself' (8 letters) in County Dublin.
For Derek Crozier
On the occasion of his 92nd birthday
Ave, mighty wordsmith and puzzler sublime,
Companion of leisure, consumer of time,
You elate and frustrate in inscrutable ways,
You beguile me at midnight, you brighten my days.
May your anagrams addle, may your synonyms shine,
May your downs and acrosses all fall into line,
May your palindromes pop and your homophones pun,
“Happy birthday, Mr. Crossaire”, - and thanks for the fun!
With all my good wishes
Eleanor
Derek,
Thanks for the many years of fun and mental gymnastics which you have given me through your Crosaire puzzles. I continue to share the fun of solving of your puzzles with my mother -now almost 90- and my daughter -now 30. There are few other activities which are as evergreen and can be shared across the generations in this way. Wishing you a Happy Birthday and many more years of Crosaire.
Brian in Limerick
Derek
Happy birthday and thanks for many hours of enjoyment.
Bob – Dublin & Wexford
Happy Birthday Mr. Crozier!
Thank you so much for puzzling me for al these years. Looking forward to many more to come! Right now I'm stuck on 8 down....
Mr. Crozier,
I'm afraid I am not a crossword fan, but I'd still like to wish you a very happy birthday, and like to congratulate you on your exceptional track record with the Irish Times. I really do so on behalf of my mother and father (now deceased). I know if they were still with us, they would have me pass on their kindest regards.
One of the most enduring memories I have of my parents, is them sitting quietly working on the Crosaire crossword together. I don't think they ever thought of getting two copies of the puzzle. One would start, and inevitably the other would have to help get the crossword finished. My sense is that you provided decades of crossword fun for them.
Maybe one day, I will follow in their footsteps, but in the meantime, Mr. Crozier, sincere thanks and many happy returns.
Maurice from Dublin
(son of Maurice and Sarah)
Hi Derek,
Happy Birthday.
You have brought a lot of pleasure and frustration to many over the years.
And to me Crosaire brings to mind the many I have shared the crossword with over the years.
Great memories.
Long may they and you last...
All the Best
Bustop
Dear Derek'
'Hippo Birdie two ewe'.....by the sound of it!
Many, many happy returns,
Gabrielle,
Co. Wicklow
Many happy returns Derek and thanks for many years of head scratching and wondering !
Greetings from the town of Maumere on Flores, Eastern Indonesia.
Mark
Happy Birthday Derek,
I would like to say a big thank-you for your continuous stream of puzzles that provide a combinataion of amusement, frustration and education that is a healthy addiction for many people.
It's only been about three or so years for me, but the day just wouldn't be quite complete with the daily Crosaire.
Looking forward to number 14000 tomorrow!
Many Happy Returns,
Barry
Happy Birthday Derek,
Nothing more pleasing than sinking into the couch with a cup of tea, the kids sound asleep and starting to grapple with your clues.
Long may you continue in your fine teasing work. I want to able to pass on the privelege to my son and daughter, as my father did for me.
Paul in Dublin.
Mr Crozier,
Congratulations on your Birthday!
It is my honour to be able to greet a living legend; I thank you for the countless hours of pleasure (and frustration) your puzzle has provided.
Colm
Dublin
Happy Birthday Mr. Crozier
Thank you for the pleasure and frustration,in equal measure,you have given me over the years.Keep up the good work!
John
Cork
Dear Mr Crozier,
After over 30 years being a Simplex man, I have recently taken to your daily challenge. With the help of Bill & co, I have come to enjoy the enigmatic delights you present us with.
Thanks for the joy you bring to us every day. Happy Birthday
Paul Fox, Waterford
Happy Birthday Mr. Crosaire.
I don't have a cross word to say about you, only thanks for the continuing daily challenge that is
the Crosaire Crossword puzzle.
Have a great Birthday, and keep up
the good work!
Best Wishes,
Karl,
Celbridge, Kildare.
Happy Birthday Mr. Crozier !
And thank you for the many hours of enjoyment you have given me over the lat 18 years or so since I first started trying the "hard one" in the Irish Times. Having started on your Simplex stablemate I was emboldened to move on to your one.
The first few years will always be associated with my baby boys - the stereo went on, the baby and his bedtime bottle in one hand, the crossword and a pen in the other and a can of beer nearby to oil the mind !!
My older boy is now 19 !! When he was about 3 my wife noticed a discarded paper from a distance on which it seemed I had done both the Simplex and your one. On closer inspection she found that he had used a pen to make small marks both on the white spaces of the Simplex and on the numbers beside the clues - copying what he had seen me doing so many times !! Needless to say they were only scribbles rather than solutions but it said a lot about my addiction by then !!
I hope you have a lovely birthday and live on for another 14,000 crosswords !! But perhaps that's a selfish wish - in any event I wish you well and thank you again.
Peter O Rourke, Cork.
Happy Birthday Mr Crozier,
14,000 thank yous for the fun and frustration that you have provided to me and many others over the years.
It is always a pleasure pitting my wits against the black and white squares every day in the Irish Times.
Many happy returns,
Colin
Dublin
Derek,
Best wishes on your 92nd birthday. The crosaire provides an ideal switch-off from the travails of work every day at lunchtime. With practice, and the assistance of Bill's excellent blog, we have achieved the lofty goal of being able to tackle your superb puzzles every day.
Go maire to an chéad.
Eoin Ó Catháin
Bit late in the day, but happy birthday Mr Crogs. I was just talking to some of my old class mates about some of our adventures at Saints. You will be pleased to know that you received an honourable mention. You never actually taught me, but I was in one of Mrs Crogs's geography classes for a year or two. I hear that you are still fighting the good fight in Zim. best wishes, J.
Dear Mr. C,
I'm 50. I grew up with your crosswords. My late mother had you down almost flat, whereas I was always struggling.
Crosaire is a uniquely Irish thing, and I am so glad to be able to try one every day.
Like most, I get some of the answers immediately, and the rest -well, better to be lucky than smart when it comes to dealing with your amazing crosswords.
Happy 92nd birthday, and thank you for keeping me entertained and challenged and occasionally stumped for countless years.
With love I would only send to a crossword constructor,
J
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