Most newspapers include crossword puzzles.
While most people are familiar with the standard black and white grid, crossword puzzles actually come in various permutations. The American-style grid generally has no more than one-sixth of its squares darkened, and most of the letters will “compare” with each other. This means that getting most of the clues in one direction (cross or down) will automatically provide the words for the other direction. British and Australian puzzles have a lattice-like grid, with the black squares arranged so that only half the letters are marked. There are also crossword puzzles, which have bold lines separating the squares, instead of black lines.
Standard crossword puzzles have a black and white grid.
Crossword puzzles appeared in the United States in 1913. They became so popular that newspapers began using them and word enthusiasts began creating them in large numbers. They jumped into the pond in 1924, with their first appearance in the UK. They are now available in most newspapers, some magazines, and puzzle books around the world.
The most familiar variation of the puzzle is the standard “quick” clue. These are simple clues with one word answers. Acronym clues are also used, as well as abbreviation clues and indirect clues.
Pencils are used for crossword puzzles because mistakes can be easily erased.
Brain teasers, in which the clues themselves are small puzzles, are more common in the UK. Some crossword puzzles are even written so that all the answers are in a foreign language. There are also two-way crossword puzzles. They are puzzles designed so that the worker can follow a list of simple clues or turn the page and use the encrypted clues, thus increasing the difficulty of the puzzle but allowing beginners or experts to solve the same puzzle.
Encrypted crosswords have numbers on the clues, and the puzzler must crack the encrypted code to read the clues and solve the puzzle. A diabolical twist on them is the UK variation called a diagramless puzzle. These puzzles involve getting answers to all the clues and then placing them on the puzzle grid so that the answers are checked correctly.
A new crossword puzzle is the extremely popular Sudoku. This involves placing the digits 1 through 9 on a grid so that each row, and each 3-by-3 square, contains each of the numbers, without repetition. As long as humans enjoy playing with words, crossword puzzles will certainly have a place on the list of favorites.
