Culture & the people behind the puzzle
The history, the constructors, the strange durable culture that has grown up around the daily word grid. Long features, profiles, and essays. Edited by Margaux Chen.
Featured · The Big Read
Why we can’t stop doing the crossword.
In a year of doomscrolls and dopamine traps, the daily crossword is the rare 15-minute habit that leaves you smarter than it found you. We talked to neuroscientists, constructors, and a 78-year-old grandmother on a 2,341-day streak about why this thing has staying power.
Read the feature →Profile
The constructor who hides her name in every grid she builds.
History
A short, slightly chaotic history of the crossword.
Profile
Margaret Farrar built the modern crossword — and almost nobody knows her name.
Essay
The strange grief of breaking a 1,200-day streak.
Reporting
The crossword has a diversity problem. A new generation is fixing it.
Reporting