who was the first ny times crossword editor

It publishes for over 100 years in the NYT Magazine. Will Shortz, the fourth person at the post, told me, “My goals have been to modernize the crossword vocabulary, reduce crosswordeseĪnd obscurity, introduce more playful themes and in general broaden the audience. Birds known to mimic car alarms and human speech New York Times Clue Answer.The NY Times Crossword Puzzle is a classic US puzzle game. Each New York TimesĬrossword editor since has put their mark on the evolution of the puzzle. Own.” Margaret Farrer, who co-edited the original Simon & Schuster crossword collection as well as many following editions, was hired as the paper’s first crossword editor. They get nothing out of it except a primitive sort of mental exercise, and success or failure in any given attempt is equally irrelevant to mental development.”Īlmost two decades later, says Shortz, “as the story goes, Times publisher Arthur Sulzberger had become tired of turning to the competing Herald Tribune for its crossword and decided The Times should have its 17, 1924, the crossword puzzle, “is not a game at all, and it hardly can be called a sport: it merely is a new utilization of leisure by those for whom it otherwise would beĮmpty and tedious. According to an opinion column, entitled “ A Familiar Form of Madness,” Last remaining newspapers in the United States to run one. Word’ puzzle.” Since then, the name has remained unchanged.ĭespite the widespread success of the puzzle, especially after the fledgling publisher Simon & Schuster came out with a collection of crosswords in 1924 (their very first book), The New York Times was one of the In addition to the puzzles, hell offer original word games and answer everything. Two weeks later, according to Will Shortz, the New York Times’ crossword editor, “a compositor accidentally transposed the words in the title to ‘Cross Times puzzle editor Will Shortz will again host. They get harder and harder to solve as the week passes. The puzzles of New York Times Crossword are fun and great challenge sometimes. Its popularity promptedĪnother iteration the following week. New York Times Crossword Puzzle Answers Today. After settling on that format, he formulated the clues and answers that would populate the grid in the style that is now familiar toĭespite one editor’s note that the staff at the paper “regarded the game as ‘beneath a sensible man’s consideration,'” the puzzle was a hit with readers. His solution was a diamond-shaped grid that could be read both across and down. Yet featured in “Fun” was the world’s first crossword puzzle, introduced as the “Word-Cross.”Īrthur Wynn, editor of the Fun section, “was determined to feature something new and special in the Christmas issue,” according to Michelle Arnot, author of “ What’s Gnu: A History of the Crossword Puzzle.” Next to these stories, the lighthearted Fun supplement introduced that day would not seem Rise after AT&T relinquishes its holdings of the Western Union Telegraph Company to mollify the Department of Justice. 21, 1913: woman in Yonkers is robbed at gunpoint, aviator Glenn Curtiss vows to make the world’s first transatlantic flight and phone stocks Visit Cruciverb.Among the items that appeared in The New York Sunday World on Dec.Or take a crossword from a newspaper and try filling it by hand.#1 – Learn your craft, whatever it is, and learn to do it well.Not easily only about 6 people in America make their living as puzzle makers.Still, the majority of solvers solve on paper.Electronic media also supplement the profit for the New York Times Company.Eliminating obscurities and writing better clues has become a lot easier First published during World War II as a way to distract and entertain war-weary readers, The New York Times Crossword is renowned for its uncompromising.Shortz no longer has “a huge advantage”.How has technology impacted the Times crossword puzzle? to get the puzzle where it needs to goįrank Longo Paula Gamache Anna Shechtman Joel Fagliano Ellen Ripstein Deb Amlen Works with interns, test solvers, distributors, etc.He corresponds with constructors on their puzzles and other crossword-related topics.He personally looks at ALL puzzle submissions.He is responsible for a quality crossword every day, seven days a week, 52 weeks a year.Wow, he’s done a lot in his career… what does he do from day to day? Became New York Times Crossword Editor on November 21, 1993.Founded the World Puzzle Championship in 1992.Has had a Sunday morning segment on National Public Radio since 1987.Founded the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament in 1978.Was Editor of Games Magazine for 15 years.Holds the world’s only degree in Enigmatology, the study of puzzles.

WILL SHORTZ New York Times Crossword Editor

Who was the first ny times crossword editor