Crossword puzzles are so common that almost everyone knows how they work. Yet crosswords as we know them first appeared less than a hundred years ago. Before then, the only known word puzzles were simple British children’s games. In these, letters could be arranged into connecting words. A clever child could read words both across and down.
In 1913, newspaper editor Arthur Wynne wanted a unique activity for the “Fun” page of his Sunday paper. He retrieved the old idea of the children’s word puzzle. Wynne’s innovation was to expand it into a larger written format. He drew interlocking boxes in a diamond shape. He gave clues to help solvers fill the boxes with letters to form linking words. Wynne’s puzzle started a trend that others would perfect.
In 1924, Margaret Farrar published the first book of crossword puzzles. It became an instant best-seller. People did crossword puzzles to relax, to improve their vocabulary, and to keep their minds nimble.
Crossword puzzles quickly became a fad, and nearly every American newspaper featured them. In the days before television, people gathering to solve puzzles became a jovial social event. The fad grew into a familiar feature of daily life. Soon, serious puzzle solvers demanded more challenges. Puzzle makers began to develop larger diagrams with a minimum of blank spaces.
They wrote hard clues based on obscure facts, current events, quotations, puns, and riddles. In 1942, the New York Times added a Sunday puzzle, edited by Mrs. Farrar. This
happened at an opportune time—during World War II—when war-weary readers were glad for a break from bad news. Farrar’s puzzles were wildly popular. Today, you will find
crossword puzzles everywhere—in newspapers, magazines, books, at online interactive websites, and even on place mats.