MenteBrillante
June 22, 2026 · by farrudeveloper
The history of the crossword: a typo gave it its name
Arthur Wynne invented it in 1913 to fill a Sunday supplement. A printing error renamed it, and a publisher's first book turned it into a national craze.
The crossword is so everyday that it is hard to imagine somebody had to invent it. But that is what happened: it has a date of birth, an author, and even a small story of accidents behind its name.
A Sunday in December 1913
On 21 December 1913, the British-born journalist Arthur Wynne needed to fill the puzzle section of the Sunday supplement of the New York World. He came up with a diamond-shaped diagram and the instruction to fill in words that crossed each other. He called it a «word-cross».
A printing error weeks later flipped the words to «cross-word», and the name stuck. Sometimes history is written by typos.
From passing fad to worldwide phenomenon
For years it was considered a mere curiosity. Everything changed in 1924, when two newly established young publishers — Simon and Schuster — brought out the first crossword book. They released it almost sheepishly, keeping their name off the cover in case it flopped.
They sold more than a million copies. The crossword became a national fever:
- Trains put dictionaries at passengers' disposal.
- Some churches complained that people were solving crosswords during the sermon.
- An entire printed-puzzle industry was born.
Why they hook us
A good crossword combines two pleasures for the brain: language and spatial logic. Every word that fits releases a small dose of that «aha» feeling that pushes you to carry on.
Solving a crossword is not memorising: it is connecting what you already know in new ways.
And the crossing cells create a system of clues: one correct letter helps you with the neighbouring word. It is a puzzle that helps itself along.
The crossword today
More than a hundred years on, the format has barely changed, but the medium has. Today you carry it on your phone, with smart hints, no erasers and a new crossword every day.
At MenteBrillante we have looked after the detail: clear clues, cells that pre-fill as words cross, and the option to reveal a letter when you get stuck. The essence of 1913, with the convenience of 2026.
You can try free online crosswords with no sign-up, or the full version with a new one every day.
