World Is Still Crazy About the Crossword

Summary

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Question: It all began in 1913, its original name now reversed, so popular today it is recognized the world over, yet it took 10 years before a book of them was published and then only under a company pseudonym, though the book became a best seller.

The whole idea became a national craze in the United States, with tournaments, costumes, limericks, and even doctors pontificating about the dangers of eyestrain. When the craze crossed over to Britain, Queen Mary and the prime minister became enthusiasts. By the time of the originator's death in 1945, these were being solved in many different languages. What got all this started?

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Extract

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World Is Still Crazy About the Crossword

Answer: The first crossword puzzle, by U.S. journalist Arthur Wynne, who called it a "word-cross," done for the 1913 Christmas edition of the...

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