Prompt Cast
The Evolution and Popularity of the New York Times Crossword Puzzle
TLDR The New York Times crossword puzzle, initially dismissed as a brainless fad, has become the most iconic and popular crossword puzzle in the United States. Margaret Petherbridge and Margaret Farrar played significant roles in shaping the rules, design, and cultural impact of crosswords.
Timestamped Summary
00:00
The New York Times crossword puzzle was initially looked down upon as a brainless fad, but eventually became the most iconic and popular crossword puzzle in the United States.
05:30
Margaret Petherbridge helped codify the rules and design of crosswords, including the use of separate lists for across and down, no unchecked boxes, and symmetrical black squares, which became a standard feature in crosswords.
10:33
The amateur crossword puzzle league of America had rules that included not using black squares to create isolated grids and not using too many black squares, as they believed it made the crossword too easy and "lame."
15:52
Cryptic crosswords in Britain have different rules than American ones, with clues that involve word play and puns and require a deeper level of thinking to solve.
21:24
The New York Times crossword puzzle gained popularity during World War II and Margaret Farrar became the first editor, holding the position for 27 years, making a significant impact on society and culture.
26:58
The best crossword clues are ones that you can figure out even if you don't know the answer, and they tap into a different part of your mind and intellect, making it a pleasurable experience.
32:07
Crossword puzzles get progressively harder throughout the week, with Sunday puzzles being larger but not necessarily more difficult, and themes are a common feature in many puzzles.
37:43
The New York Times has a crossword columnist named Deb Amlin who provides tips for solving crosswords faster, such as starting with the answers you know for sure and taking a break if you get stuck.
43:07
Some tips for solving crosswords faster include starting with the answers you know for sure, doing all the crosses first and then the downs, using checks to see what you've gotten wrong, and adding an S or ED to plural or past tense clues.
48:18
The process of creating a crossword puzzle involves multiple teams, with one team coming up with the theme and answers, another team creating the grid, another team populating the grid with words, and finally a team writing the clues based on the words in the grid.
53:19
The number of crossword puzzle submissions to the New York Times has increased significantly, with about 200 submissions per week, and the age of submitters has decreased to the mid to late 30s, thanks to efforts to be more inclusive in the crossword world.
58:20
Possums do not actually eat ticks, despite a popular myth, as a recent study found no evidence of possums consuming ticks in the wild.
Categories:
Society & Culture
