Deb Amlen

Deb Amlen is the head writer and senior editor of the New York Times Wordplay column.

Crosswords caught on in the first half of the 20th century, but the New York Times, whose puzzle is now famous, didn't publish a crossword until 1942.

How the Crossword Became an American Pastime

The newspaper standby still rivets our attention a century later

Page 1 of 1