When Were Crossword Puzzles Invented?
When Were Crossword Puzzles Invented? Crossword puzzles originally appeared as a parlor game in the 1800’s. They were simple word squares in which a group of words were arranged so that the letters read the same both down and across. Modern crosswords, like those we work today, were made up by a newspaper editor named Arthur Wynne, and were first published in 1913 in The New York World.
Crossword puzzles appear in newspapers, magazines, and in books that contain only crossword puzzles. Special dictionaries have even been created to help the puzzle solver. In the United States, however, the puzzle developed into a serious adult pastime.
The first appearance of a crossword in a British publication was in Pearson’s Magazine in February 1922, and the first Times crossword appeared on February 1 1930. British puzzles quickly developed their own style, being considerably more difficult than the American variety. In particular the cryptic crossword became established and rapidly gained popularity. The generally considered governing rules for cryptic puzzles were laid down by A. F. Ritchie and D. S. Macnutt.
These people, gifted with the ability to see words puzzled together in given geometrical patterns and capable of twisting and turning words into word plays dancing on the wit of human minds, have since constructed millions of puzzles by hand and each of these puzzlers has developed personal styles known and loved by his fans. These people have set the standard of what to expect from a quality crossword puzzle.