My Default list contains entries with fill scores ranging from 1 to 100. Entries with a 1 score are tagged for eventual deletion, and entries scored 5-25 are biological, medical, and cultural indelicacies that are not usable in mainstream crosswords but could be useful in other kinds of database projects. When I fill a crossword using entries from Default I generally use 40 as a minimum fill score. Default contains many yet-to-be-adjusted entries with scores of 29 and 39, and sometimes I will shift the minimum fill score to 39 to fill a tough corner. Often I can complete a grid section with a couple of 39s that, while not great, are acceptable and likely candidates for score promotion to 40 or above.
I took a break from scoring 10-letter entries this week and worked on the short list of 3-letter entries with a 39 score — 880 entries total. I ended up increasing the score of roughly three-quarters of these entries. Some were rescored as high as 55; DEV is an example that comes to mind, as more proper name/popular culture clue options have come up in recent years. Most New 3L 39S entries were abbreviations. Here are a few general scoring categories I chose:
Roman numerals were scored as 40. This was the entry type that was chosen as the 40 baseline at the beginning of the project.
Compass directions were scored as 40, though I personally dislike these entries, particularly when they are clued in very generic terms. Time zones also got a 40.
Monograms were clued as 35. A couple, such as JFK and LBJ, are iconic enough to merit higher scores, but EAP, GRF, and RLS seem to arbitrary.
Combining forms were scored 35 or lower. Most constructors/editors have stopped accepting the {Wine: prefix} style clues. Chemical suffixes still show up, but I would rather distance myself from the prospect of using ASE or OSE. The same goes for cutesy {Function start?} approaches to combining forms.
Sports leagues and conferences are mostly okay. Professional leagues such as NFL were already scored in the 50s and not in this list. NCAA conferences were often scored 45. I recently discovered that I appreciated NLL (National Lacrosse League) more than the New York Times. I had to swap that entry out for NLE, which I score as a 35.
A handful of stock ticker symbols showed up in the list. I gave TWX and USX a 40 score, but would score most others a 35.
