A molecular biologist from Madurai, our quizmaster enjoys trivia and music, and is working on a rock ballad called ‘Coffee is a Drink, Kaapi is an Emotion’. @bertyashley
Quiz | Easy like Sunday morning: All about crosswords
Will Shortz, The New York Times crossword puzzle editor, graduated from Indiana University with a degree in the study of puzzles.
1 / 10 |
On December 21, 1913, the New York World published a diamond-shaped puzzle with 32 clues by journalist Arthur Wynne. It had a title that referenced the nature of the puzzle. Unfortunately, due to a typesetting error, the order got mixed up and has been referred to by a different name ever since. What was the original title of this puzzle?
2 / 10 |
On February 5, 2022, the NYT crossword had an across clue by Stephen McCarthy: ‘The better of two sci-fi franchises’. It was a quantum puzzle as either of the two answers would have worked. What are the two options that both start with the same four letters and involve interstellar adventures?
3 / 10 |
Leonard Dawe, a school headmaster in Surrey, compiled the crossword for The Daily Telegraph. In May 1944, his puzzles had answers such as ‘Utah, Omaha, Neptune and Overlord’. This got the British Secret Service suspicious, and they interrogated him for espionage. Later, it turned out that by coincidence, they were codewords in a historic military operation. What was the event?
4 / 10 |
Of the many types of crosswords, the most popular in Commonwealth countries is where the clues themselves are puzzles. There will be an element of wordplay, and a definition which is a direct reference to the answer. What term is given to these crosswords: “Puzzling — like this clue (7 letters)”?
5 / 10 |
The term for the white squares in a crossword puzzle doesn’t come from their colour, but the fact that they give a clue to the answer. What term is this, which is — “Not heavy, but bright” (5)?
6 / 10 |
Crossword setters use many clever ways to point the player towards the answer. One wordplay is indicated by words such as ‘scrambled’ or ‘mutated’. What word play is this, seen in clues like: “Pay attention to silent moves (6)”?
7 / 10 |
Will Shortz, The New York Times crossword puzzle editor, graduated from Indiana University with a degree in the study of puzzles. ‘______tology’ was coined by him, and he is currently the only one with this degree. What is the term, which can also be described as “Mystery rearranged in game (6)”?
8 / 10 |
Another form of wordplay is to hide the answer within the clues. What form of clueing is this: “All clever riddles often seem to intimidate, confuse beginners” — that’s a type of clue! (8)
9 / 10 |
Though there might be a lot of wordplay in a cryptic crossword, the clue must read like a normal sentence. The term given to this refers to the appearance presented by the clue: “Exterior of car fuse, after melting (7)”. What term is this?
10 / 10 |
An interesting convention while setting crosswords has its roots in its aesthetic appeal. It ensures the puzzle still works if the newspaper is turned away, but also ensures consistency in word length. What convention is this?
Published – December 18, 2025 12:37 pm IST
