The crossword puzzle is both a new thing and a not-so-new thing. Since ancient times there was a word square. In a word square the letters spelled the same words horizontally and vertically.
The crossword is built on a pattern of black and white squares, with different words interlocking across and down. There are numbered definitions given as clues to the words. So the crossword puzzle added new things.
The very first crossword puzzle was put together by a man called Arthur Winn. It first appeared in a Sunday supplement of the New York World on December 21, 1913. It remained as a feature of this newspaper for some time.
In 1924, the first book of crossword puzzles appeared. Up until that time, the crossword puzzle had not been very popular. But after this, it became a nationwide craze.
|
Fact File: Another type of puzzle which is very popular is the jigsaw puzzle. In this there is a picture which is printed onto card and then cut into many pieces. These pieces interlock so that you can recreate the picture. |
Picture Credit : Google