A hundred years ago today a venerable tradition began: the New York Times pooh-poohing crosswords. The puzzles were dead on arrival, per the Times; "Cross Word Puzzles Embalmed Between Covers," went the title of the paper's review of April's The Cross Word Puzzle Book.
In February, 1914, Arthur Wynne—whose December 1913 “Word-Cross” birthed the American crossword as we know it—challenged solvers to transform themselves into contributors: “FUN’s crossword puzzles apparently are getting more popular than ever. The puzzle editor has received from readers many interesting new cross-word puzzles, which he will
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2024 is experiencing a crossword craze. The American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, held each year in Stamford, Connecticut, had to turn people away for the first time. Magazines are adding or reviving puzzle sections. Apple and Hearst have entered the mobile crossword game. Speed solving tournaments with punny names are being