Crossword

A crossword is a puzzle in which numbered clues lead to words that are written into a grid across and down, so that each answer shares letters with the ones that cross it.

Look at any crossword and you will see the same parts: a grid of white squares and black ones, numbers in the corners, and two lists of clues, Across and Down. Each white square usually belongs to two answers, one in each direction, which is what makes the puzzle self-checking.

The parts

• The grid. Most newspaper grids are symmetrical, and the black squares break the grid into words.
• Entries. The answers. Longer ones often carry a theme.
• Clues. A short hint for each entry, with a number of letters shown in brackets in some styles.
• Crossings. Where an Across and a Down answer meet, they share a letter, which lets a solver get unstuck.

History

The first crossword appeared in 1913, and the form took off in the 1920s. The New York Times resisted it for years, then added a daily puzzle in 1942. British cryptic crosswords developed along their own lines.

How they are made

A constructor picks a theme and the long answers, lays them in the grid, then fills the rest with words that fit. The hard part is the crossings. Every filled word limits the next, so good grids avoid obscure fill and keep every answer fair.

Why it matters to a writer or editor

Crossword makers think about words as sounds and spellings, which makes them good copyeditors. Solvers learn the habits of language, such as how a plural or a past tense is signalled. The form also rewards precise definitions, so writing a crossword clue is practice in saying exactly what a word means in as few words as possible. Related forms include the anagram, the cryptogram and the word ladder.

Frequently asked questions

Who invented the crossword?

Arthur Wynne, a journalist at the New York World, published the first one on 21 December 1913. It was diamond-shaped and called a word-cross.

What is the difference between a standard and a cryptic crossword?

A standard crossword gives a definition or a hint for each answer. A cryptic gives a wordplay puzzle plus a definition, so the clue works in two ways at once.

What is a themed crossword?

One whose longest answers share an idea, a pun or a hidden trick, so solving the theme helps fill in the rest.