A journey to confirm that you are knowledgeable in a way that gives your brain that addictive high of accomplishment. When you think about it, crossword puzzles are kind of like a quest for confirmation. Isn’t it really the case that solving crosswords is the opposite of quest for knowledge? Moments like those confirm, even if it’s only to yourself, how knowledgeable, smart and well-informed you are. Recall that ‘aha’ moment when you finally get that elusive word or phrase solution. There’s also an almost addictive pleasure to finally finishing a puzzle. Word puzzles are not only fun, but immensely satisfying as every crossword problem has that one perfect solution – the feeling of perfection we miss in our everyday lives and seek through art, literature and now the Internet. The Addiction Theory Of Why We Love Crossword Puzzles Ultimately, the current format with its compact square diagram of white spaces and black bars, with connected across and down words, and numbered clues became popular. Wynne also took inspiration from another puzzle, the acrostic – in which sets of letters (such as the initial or final letters of the lines) taken in order form a word or phrase or a regular sequence of letters of the alphabet. Wynne was inspired by ancient word squares – where words read the same across and down. Feigenbaum, Crosswords at a Crossroad, The Puzzle Turns 100. “I’m glad to have had a hand in it, and no one is more surprised at its amazing popularity” (Lynn J. “… all I did was take an old idea as old as language and modernize it by the introduction of black squares,” he said in 1925.
Years later, the puzzle’s success surprised Wynne:
This was the same year when the World published its first daily crossword puzzle.Īrthur Wynne, creator of the first crossword puzzle The craze of word puzzles spread after publishing firm of Simon & Schuster launched its career in 1924 with a book of puzzles. However, when journalist Arthur Wynne invented and printed the first ever “word-cross” puzzle in the New York World newspaper on December 21, 1913, it was hardly met with much fanfare.Īn editorial in The New York Times published on Novemcalled crossword puzzles “a primitive sort of mental exercise” and a “sinful waste” of time. The crossword – a standard feature in newspapers across the globe – celebrated its hundredth birthday on December 21, 2013. When Did We First Get Hooked on Crosswords?: To give a parallel example, it’s kind of like how songwriters find it easier than anyone else to remember the lyrics they’ve penned. The people who design crossword puzzles – the cruciverbalists – experience the ultimate benefits.Īs dedicated logophiles, crossword puzzle designers love using obscure words whenever and wherever they can.Īnd because they’re the architects of these games, they’re the ones most likely to remember the words they’ve enjoyed building into them. Here’s Who Really Benefits From The Memory Andīrain Fitness Benefits Of Crossword PuzzlesĬan you guess who gets the most bang for their buck in the crossword universe? The idea that crossword puzzles will develop your memory is true enough. Then again, so will developing your own mind as the perfect vocabulary builder (our focus on this YouTube playlist): Playing word games may legitimately improve your vocabulary. Many consider crossword puzzles to be the pastime of the intelligent and knowledgeable people – a connection that we are only too happy to have. The question is… Why Do People Believe These Crazy Things About Crossword Puzzles? Many people also believe that the health benefits of crossword puzzles can even keep Alzheimer’s or dementia at bay. One that is generally assumed by far too many people who hope, wish and pray that doing word puzzles regularly can help keep your brain young and active. In fact, there’s a pernicious myth out there. Unfortunately, that’s not necessary true. That could be a wise decision.īut for over 50 million people, crossword puzzles are a part of their daily lives. Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Google Podcasts | Stitcher | RSSĭo you reserve your Saturday afternoons for the brain fitness promised by crossword puzzles?
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