The Crazy Crossword

Written by: Anna Pafenberg

Throughout history, human kind has needed means for entertainment. Whether that be their job, such as hunting or farming, or something more trivial like a sport or art. Painters, athletes, and scientists have all used their curiosity combined with a hobby to create great things. A unique subsect of this included word games. Ever since humans could speak and write they have used their power to make jokes and unique ways of speaking. Word games and puzzles are a great way to pass time. Crosswords seem to be the crowning monarch in the world of puzzle games. They are played by millions and have enthralled us for decades. But how did this activity get its start? Like many other inventions, the crossword puzzle was invented during times of war.

In England in 1913 at the peak of WWI, the first crossword puzzle was published by Arthur Wynn. Wynne’s puzzle showed up in the newspaper New York World, the rest is history. This first crossword was diamond in shape and included no black squares. Soon, the United States caught on to the fad and included crossword puzzles in most newspapers. British newspapers are notorious for being trickier than American ones. They are considered Cryptic Crosswords whereas American ones are called Standard crosswords that contain more direct clues. Cryptic ones have more wordplay and metaphors. 

Shockingly, the New York Times, considered the king of crossword puzzles, thought that they weren’t worthy enough to be in their newspaper. They thought they were silly and trivial and not as intellectually stimulating as actual news. After the Pearl Harbour bombing in 1941, the New York Times decided that a crossword could lift spirits. It’s amazing how the crossword was created during times of war, and then used years later to lift spirits in war. 

Also during tense wartime, The Daily Telegraph published a puzzle that caused great controversy. The first crossword scandal! Leonard Dawe, the publisher at the time, was attacked for making the answer to one of the clues ‘DIEPPE’ which happened to be the day before the French Port was invaded. It happened a second time during D-Day when the paper used the word ‘UTAH’ which was a code name with soldiers. All along, Dawe’s students who give him answers to the puzzle, simply heard them when walking by a military camp. 

Overall, the crossword puzzle has a crazy history. Much of its peaks happened during times of war when people had uncertainty and wanted a distraction. Crosswords can be a great way to unwind after a stressful day, and the benefits include growing your vocabulary, and just having fun!