- Merl Reagle: [driving by a Dunkin' Donuts shop] Dunkin' Donuts... put the D at the end, you get Unkind Donuts... which I've had a few of, in my day.
- Merl Reagle: And there's word-choice rules. You can't use - usually - bodily functions in puzzles, you know. "Urine" would bail me out of a corner, I mean, a million times a year. Same with "enema." "Enema" - talk about great letters...
- Tyler Hinman: [Asked how he feels after winning the crossword puzzle tournament] Words are failing me. I'm glad they waited until now to do so.
- Jon Stewart: I am a Times puzzle fan. I will solve, in a hotel, a USA Today, but I don't feel good about myself when I do it.
- Merl Reagle: [On why bodily functions and other possible unpleasant words have been banned from the NY Times crosswords] They're sitting there relaxing and here comes RECTAL? I don't think so.