HVNW ASLU SR….. (Please refer to your newspaper for complete puzzle.)
TODAY’S CLUE: D = P
ANSWER: WHEN LOTS OF PEOPLE ARE CLAMORING TO FILL IN A GRID BASED ON CLUES, THAT’S A CROSSWORD BUSTLE.
CROSSWORD PUZZLES
WORDS • CLUES • BLACK-AND-WHITE GRIDS • OVER A CENTURY OF PUZZLING FUN
📰 THE PUZZLE THAT STARTED IT ALL
On December 21, 1913, journalist Arthur Wynne published a word puzzle in the New York World newspaper. His diamond-shaped creation, called a “Word-Cross,” is widely recognized as the beginning of the modern crossword puzzle.
✏️ A LITTLE PRINTING MISTAKE!
Wynne originally called his invention a “Word-Cross,” but a typesetting error reportedly changed the name to “Cross-Word.” The new wording caught on, and eventually the hyphen disappeared, leaving us with the familiar word “crossword.”
📚 WHEN AMERICA WENT CROSSWORD CRAZY
Crosswords became a nationwide sensation during the 1920s, appearing in newspapers and popular conversation. In 1924, Simon & Schuster published a collection of crossword puzzles, helping launch a successful publishing business.
🗞️ BETTER LATE THAN NEVER!
Despite the crossword craze, The New York Times waited until February 15, 1942, to publish its first puzzle. Margaret Farrar became its first crossword editor, helping establish many of the conventions still used in American crossword grids.
🧠 THINK ACROSS, THINK DOWN!
Crossword clues can test vocabulary, history, geography, and clever wordplay, with intersecting answers helping solvers uncover missing letters. British-style cryptic crosswords add another challenge by hiding wordplay instructions within their clues.
🌟 A CENTURY OF FILLING IN THE BLANKS
More than a century after Wynne’s first puzzle, crosswords remain popular in newspapers, books, and digital apps. Whether solved with a pencil or on a screen, the satisfaction of filling that final square never seems to grow old.
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