As anyone who knows me knows, I am a crossword puzzle hound. I love, love them. One might even say I am obsessed with them. Well, tomorrow, December 21, 2013 is the 100th anniversary of the crossword puzzle. Arthur Wynne, an editor at New York World, a newspaper, was asked to create a game for the comic section of the paper and he came up with a grid of white squares with definitions at the bottom and the readers were to fill in the words. It was called a “word-cross” initially.
Other papers began to publish them as well. In 1921, Margaret Petherbridge came up with the rules about the letters being part of the across as well as the down sections of the grid.
The Google doodle today is a crossword puzzle you can actually work. I did it and the first clue is what word was the first used as both across and down. Answer? Fun. And it’s been fun ever since- at least for me.
Jillian Chantal 
I’ve always wondered how they design crossword and word search puzzles. It looks pretty complicated to me, but in this day and age of computers, it’s probably easier than I think.
By: Laurie Ryan on December 20, 2013
at 2:12 pm
I read a book once about a couple that do them for several papers and it is very complicated. They have all kinds of research books they use to design the clues. It’s funny though how many of the answers are used over and over- especially the words with lots of vowels.
By: Jillian Chantal on December 20, 2013
at 2:25 pm
Interesting fact. I use to do cross word puzzles but not so much anymore.
By: Lavada Dee on December 20, 2013
at 4:17 pm
I’m addicted to them. Love, love.
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By: Jillian Chantal on December 20, 2013
at 4:25 pm
Yet another unexpected thing we have in common! I love word puzzles and adore crosswords. I blew a couple of people away by making up a few when I was a kid.I never thought they were particularly hard.
My niece has me reading the Puzzle Lady books by Parnell Hall. I don’t know if you are amused by them or not. He makes me laugh.
By: Tonette Joyce on December 20, 2013
at 7:54 pm
Haven’t tried those books. Will check out.
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By: Jillian Chantal on December 20, 2013
at 8:11 pm
I think you’d like them.They also include the puzzles that are used for clues…well-written humor,with mystery and cross-word puzzles, need I say more?
By: Tonette Joyce on December 21, 2013
at 6:50 pm
I do three a day, to keep my mind quick and strong. 🙂
By: Archon's Den on January 16, 2014
at 12:56 am
Awesome. I do at least three, too.
By: Author on January 16, 2014
at 7:15 am
My spouse and I stumbled over here coming from
a different page and thought I might as well check things out.
I like what I see so i am just following you.
Look forward to finding out about your web page repeatedly.
By: ask on March 27, 2015
at 4:03 pm
Ahh, happy anniversary, Crossword Puzzle! I enjoy them, but they aren’t my first form of entertainment. I like jigsaws better. But my step-Dad LOVED them. He had unfinished ones by his chair, his bed, in the car, even in the loo. 🙂
By: Laurie Ryan on April 4, 2015
at 10:16 pm
I love jigsaws too. I think that’s so funny about your stepdad. Lol.
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By: Author on April 5, 2015
at 9:21 am