Boston Crossword Puzzle Tournament this weekend!

this man is likely to get laid this weekend

The brows will furrow and the pens will squeal this Sunday, April 5, as wordsters from across (and down) New England compete in the Boston Crossword Puzzle Tournament from 1-4 p.m. at the Harvard University Science Center.

New York Times puzzle editor and King of Crosswords Will Shortz will “entertain” spectators as brainy contestants vie for the shortest time to complete four new, never-before-seen Times crosswords. Depending on the difficulty, time limits range from 15 minutes to a full hour.

“One of the competitors can do a Monday puzzle in about three minutes,” said Eric Helmuth, founder of Cruciverbalists of Boston, co-sponsor of the event along with the Harvard College Crossword Society. 

While the prizes won't make anyone rich -- winners will receive free crossword books, mostly -- the “fame and glory” of being the best of the best in language-loving Boston, Helmuth said, should be worth it. That, and the merriment.

“I found that crossword people are surprisingly social,” he said.  “I always thought they were nerdy, withdrawn awkward folks. It turns out that it’s fun, articulate smart people. It’s a blast.”

The competition is $10 to enter (unless Harvard-affiliated), free to watch it all go down. Only 50 out of the 150 spots for competitors remain. Sign-in begins at noon. For more information or to register, visit http://www.bostoncrosswordtournament.org.

-- Alexis Hauk