Culture | Get a clue

What is a 14-letter word for a constructor of crossword puzzles?

A new book looks at the history of the crossword through the women who designed it

An image showing the first crossword puzzle, from the “New York World”, December 1913, against a yellow background.
Back to square oneIllustration: The Economist/Alamy

What is a three-letter word for “preppy, party-loving, egotistical male, in modern lingo”? Answer: “Bro”. When Anna Shechtman, a cruciverbalist (crossword constructor), introduced this clue to the New York Times crossword puzzle in 2014, readers took notice. “Bro” was traditionally clued as “sibling for sis”. Ms Shechtman was modernising the puzzle and capturing the zeitgeist.

This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Get a clue”

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