Advertisem*nt
SKIP ADVERTIsem*nT
Supported by
SKIP ADVERTIsem*nT
words to know
A look at one of the entries that fooled solvers in last week’s puzzles.
By Deb Amlen and Will Shortz
Irony (noun): “Incongruity between the actual result of a sequence of events and the normal or expected result.” (Merriam-Webster.com)
Far be it for us to REBUS-shame anyone, but we’re a little surprised at the entry most solvers missed last week.
The entry REBUS last appeared in the New York Times Crossword on June 18 in a puzzle by the constructor Ricky Cruz, and it has been in the Crossword 90 times. It is a fairly regular element in Times Crosswords these days. The crosswords editor, Will Shortz, has published 440 of them since 1993.
It’s the thing people complain about most, in terms of how to know when to expect them (hint: it’s when you are making absolutely no headway and answers you are positive you know don’t seem to fit) or how to enter them on your devices.
The confusion might have come from the fact that most solvers are used to the modern rebus, which is most often multiple letters that are squeezed into a single square, as opposed to the visual puzzles that are also called rebuses. Those puzzles use pictures to convey words, such as a picture of a ewe to convey the word “you.”
So what exactly is a REBUS?
“A ‘rebus’ in a crossword is anything that gets entered in a square that’s not a single letter of the alphabet. Typically, rebuses are parts of themes,” Mr. Shortz said via email. “Love them or hate them, rebuses are now part of the crossword constructors’ repertoire, and no one should be surprised anymore when they appear!”
Mr. Shortz, a puzzle historian, recalled the first rebus puzzle in The New York Times.
“The first rebus crossword in The Times — way back when Margaret Farrar was crosswords editor — was by Roberta Morse and appeared on Monday, Sept. 6, 1954. Four squares in the grid needed digits in order to work: 1-STEP crossed 1-DOWN (appropriately at 1-Down), 2-WAY crossed 2-FACED, 3-LANE crossed 3-DAY and 4-MAN crossed 4-BIT. As a bonus, running down the center of the grid was FIVE-STAR ADMIRAL, although, in this case, the number was spelled out.
“It’s interesting that this puzzle appeared on a Monday, which nowadays is supposed to be the easiest day of the week. The modern convention of increasing difficulty from Monday to Saturday had not yet been established.
“The early rebus puzzles all used standard symbols — usually ones on a typewriter — like dollar signs ($), ampersands (&), digits and the like.
“From what I’ve heard, they were controversial, because they ‘broke the rules,’ and some solvers considered them unfair.”
How It Might Be Clued
“Visual puzzle,” “The heart in ‘I Love New York’ signs, e.g.,” “Puzzle with its pluses and minuses?,” “Picture puzzle,” “I C U, e.g.,” “Word puzzle with pictures,” “A ewe for you, say”
Deb Amlen, the crossword columnist and senior staff editor of Wordplay, believes that everyone can learn to solve the Times crossword. She is the author of the humor book, "It's Not P.M.S., It's You." More about Deb Amlen
Advertisem*nt
SKIP ADVERTIsem*nT
