“ Now that we have tasted the pleasures of cross word puzzling, we are loath to give our time to anything else. What other amusement offers the pleasure, instruction and satisfaction that is to be found in Cross Word Puzzles? There is but one answer to that question, and—foregoing the movies—we settle down to the elusive task of tracking words to their lairs. ”

“ That is the simplest method of beginning the solution. When you have written in all the words you are sure of, you will have plenty of clues for the unknowns.
Don’t spent too much time with the long words unless you are sure of them. They will appear when the short ones have been solved. Of course, not all the short ones are easy, but they are generally more readily attended to than the long ones. Also, there are more of them, increasing the chances of finding familiar faces among the definitions.
If you think a word is right, pencil it in lightly till you are sure. ”

“ A book that makes it easy to find instantly just the word you are looking for. Any unknown or forgotten word may be found in Putnam’s Word-Book just as easily as a known word may be found in the dictionary. An index occupying 100 pages will direct you to the key-word under which all the synonyms and antonyms are listed. A book that is indispensable to every cross word puzzle fan, that will also prove its value in broadening your vocabulary and improving your conversation and writing. Bound in flexible embossed leatherette with round corners, colored edges and stamped in gold on front and back. ”

“ With nine vertical beginning with an A it is easy to find that ARE is the proper word. Ten horizontal [12] proves to be EGG and eleven becomes ART. We say to ourselves that if we could only get five vertical we would have the puzzle solved. Well, why not? Is the second letter an a, e, i, o, or u? The definition gives it as “a web.” What word will fit but TEXTURE? We place that into position. Now, we find that we have the puzzle almost completed. Fifteen horizontal needs a three letter word meaning “impair.” Its middle letter must be an A. With the A to guide us that is simple. ”

“ My next move is to start working on that part of the puzzle where I have filled in the largest number of words, because it is there that I have the greatest number of hints. If I strike a snag I immediately take up my work in some other place. And so I work my way around to completion.
Some people obtain excellent results by another method. They first do all the horizontal words which quickly come to [8] mind. And then all the vertical. Thus they get an excellent start from which to work. Some solvers use the system of building up from the first word which they can guess. ”

“ This, no doubt, is the secret of the irresistible fascination of Cross Word Puzzling. Every one enjoys being an amateur Sherlock Holmes—and the tantalizing black-and-white word patterns provide an ideal battle-ground for one’s detective instincts. ”

“ The chief difficulty which the uninitiate [6] meets lies in the struggle to concentrate on the explanation. In their simplest terms here are the rules and technique of cross word puzzling:
The primary object of the game is to fill up the blank spaces in a cross word design with letters which spell out words. The solver guesses the words from their definitions. By looking at a pattern we can tell how many letters are in a word to be guessed. Suppose, for example, you were asked for a six letter word meaning unsteady. You would go through all the synonyms for unsteady that you could recall. ”

“ How often does the solver struggle over such a definition as “light,” believing all the while that he must find a word meaning an illuminant, when the correct word is “airy”!
Third—Beware of sloppy printing and careless erasing. When you write in a word, letter neatly. Do not make a P look like an R. And when you find it necessary to erase be sure to obliterate every letter. Dangling characters which rubber crumbs have failed to pick up have cost so many wasted hours that experts in efficiency have taken up the matter in executive session. ”

“ You would accept groggy or fickle. Now apply this system to the solution of a puzzle.
The definitions of the words are shown in two divisions: one division is captioned Horizontal, the other Vertical. Before each definition is a number which indicates that the word defined has its first letter in the square of the same number on the pattern. For example, in the puzzle on the jacket of this book (which is Number 1 in the book itself) , we see under Horizontal, “1. stout.” This means that the word is read horizontally and starts in the space numbered “1” on the pattern. The answer is “plump.” ”

“ Puzzle No. 100 A HARD NUT TO CRACK By J. T. D.
Get out nutcracker, hammer, tongs and poker, for there are words in here that the English language doesn’t know it owns. J. T. D. is absolutely ruthless when it comes to cornering the odd and unusual word, and the unheard-of definition. This puzzle is included especially to show you to what lengths the innocent Cross Word can go when it tries. ”

“ Whatever method you employ or whatever mistakes you make, you will reap pleasure and profit for your time. You [9] will increase your vocabulary, give yourself mental discipline, and, above all, you’ll have fun.
I want to thank the Plaza Publishing Company, whose real name is Simon and Schuster, for its work in getting out these Cross Word Puzzle Books. Most of the puzzles are of the first rank and the variety of design is amazing. ”

“ The winner is the first person turning in a 100 per cent correct solution.
The price per puzzle (diagram and definitions) printed on stiff board (so that you won’t have to lean on a book or table) is ten cents. Each puzzle comes in an individually sealed envelope. You may order as many or as few as you require for your party. Merely name the number of the puzzle (or puzzles) you wish, referring to the numbers in this book, and state the quantity of each. Send ten cents for each copy you order. They will be sent to you post-paid. They may be had only direct from the publishers. ”

“ Thousands of puzzle enthusiasts have indicated their eagerness for this second series of cross words. This book, like the first volume, is edited and compiled by the Cross Word Puzzle Editors of the New York World, the undisputed leaders of the gentle art. Every effort has been made to safeguard the technical perfection of the puzzles. ”

“ Responding to a general request, therefore, we are reprinting each of the fifty puzzles in this book separately on stiff boards. In other words, every one at a party can now have his own puzzle, and a contest can be arranged to see who will be the first to turn in a perfect solution. ”

“ This deep-rooted appeal explains the extraordinary popularity of the book. When we announced in one of our early advertisements that “people do not want this book—they crave it!” we had actual proof to support this statement—frenzied fans storming the publishers’ office to get extra copies in order “to keep peace in the house.”
Six weeks after the publication of the first Cross Word Puzzle Book—May 18th, to be precise—the Cross Word Puzzle Association of America was formed at a convention at the Hotel Ambassador, New York. ”

“ If you believe that the people for whom you are planning the party have already done the puzzles in the Cross Word Puzzle Book, we can supply you with copies of 3 new puzzles specially constructed for parties, and not published anywhere. ”

“ Puzzle No. 92 ADAM’S RIB By E. Pinkerton
If this puzzle were Adam, that central double armed cross would be his rib just before it started turning into Eve. We observe nice fat masses of words at sides and corners. ”

“ Have the Best Opportunity to a Correct Solution When Equipped With
WEBSTER’S NEW
INTERNATIONAL DICTIONARY
“The Supreme Authority”
It contains over 407,000 words, including thousands of the new terms.
12,000 Geographical Names
32,000 Biographical Entries
Scholarly Treatment of Synonyms
One successful contestant of a word contest offering cash prizes writes:
“Have won nearly $2,000.00 this year. Utterly impossible to accomplish success without the NEW INTERNATIONAL.”
WRITE for specimen pages and prices. Free pocket maps if you name this publication.
Why not be in the Winning Class? ”

“ Puzzle No. 98 A NINE-CELLED HIVE By Edith S. Iseman
There is plenty of verbal honey in the nine divisions of this construction, and your search is not likely to result in any stings. The central interlock, perhaps, might be improved upon, but there! We have built puzzles ourselves, and know what the constructor is up against. ”

“ For many years the VENUS has been preferred by leaders in all professions where only the best pencil can be used.
After having experienced the pleasure of writing with a VENUS, we know you will continue to use this make of pencil at your office and home. There is a Venus Pencil for every requirement.
17 Black Degrees—3 Copying
For bold heavy lines 6B–5B–4B–3B For general writing, sketching 2B–B–HB–F–H For clean fine lines 2H–3H–4H–5H–6H For delicate thin lines 7H–8H–9H
Plain ends, per dozen $1.00 Rubber ends, per dozen 1.20
Something New! ”

“ Puzzle No. 75 LOCKED UP TIGHT By Gregorian
An all-over double interlock with a triply-locked center and corners. Probably considerably easier to solve than to construct. The words are weak in spots, but the construction passes the few obsoletes. ”

“ VERTICAL
1 Chief 2 Above and in contact with 3 Narrow strip 4 Alleged source of all human curiosity 5 Imaginary circle in the heavens 6 From 7 Sailing races 8 Doses: drafts 9 One 10 Sacred city of Tibet 11 A mountain 12 To shatter; crush 13 Exists 14 One who makes a practice of using new words, or new meanings 17 Destiny 20 Midday 22 Seaweed 24 Small insects 25 Savage wild beast 27 Spirit 29 Ends; aims 30 Fur-bearing animal 32 Absent 34 Center 36 Apparel 39 Receiver 41 Pert. ”

“ VERTICAL
1 Supersede 2 Black 3 A white linen vestment 4 Performs 5 That thing 6 Yourself 7 Jewish territorial organization 8 Thus 9 Street car 10 Tattered fragment 11 A Mohammedan college, or body composed of imams, muftis and cadis 12 Marked by indelible coloring matter, pricked in 15 Wholly 18 A measure of paper 19 Teutonic war god 20 A grain 22 Spikenard 25 Inferior 27 Fuss 30 To discover by close search 32 God (Ital.) ”

“ VERTICAL
1 Demonstrate 2 Above 3 Plan 4 Sow 5 Cooks 6 United 7 Exists 8 Sense 10 Past 12 Was partial to 14 Circus performer 16 Lukewarm 18 To check in development 20 Born 22 Corroded 25 Article of clothing 26 Natural phenomenon 27 Guard 28 Stains 31 Interjection of disgust 34 Conclude 35 End of day 37 Three-toed sloth 38 You
[17]
[Contents]
Puzzle No. 52 A TRIAL BOUT By Joseph A. Margolies
When four eleven-letter words meet each other at right angles, something is bound to happen. ”

“ VERTICAL
1 Exist 2 A stick 3 Designed 4 Chief actor in a play 5 A humanitarian society (abbr.) 6 ppp. (pl.) 7 Narrative poems 8 Preposition 11 A Gypsy 13 Point 14 Become insane (two words) 15 Present time 16 Holy person 21 Nothing 22 Extinct rulers 24 Looks furtively 25 Small hotel 26 New Testament (abbr.) 27 A prayer 28 Fruit of certain palm trees 31 Exclamation 34 Near
[19]
[Contents]
Puzzle No. 53 AS YOU LIKE IT By Mrs. J. Meissner
All the words in this pattern should be in your every-day vocabulary. ”

“ VERTICAL
1 Footless 2 Wound but not kill 3 Basket or trap for fish 4 Glowing 5 Unit of square measure 6 Trifler 7 Prick designs on skin 8 Coral island 10 Curl the lip 11 German town 14 Writes unskillfully 16 Keeper of an engagement 22 Openings 23 Pert. to Ireland 24 One who rents 26 Cuts out 27 Furnished with guard 28 All possible 30 Poplar 31 Gaze earnestly 34 Blood 36 German river
[85]
[Contents]
Puzzle No. 86 HEY, THERE! By Neophyte
Dear Neophyte: Whaddaye mean by those two bare, indecently naked words, each with three unkeyed letters? An expert like you? ”

“ HORIZONTAL
1 Cavity 5 Morning prayer 9 Down with 13 Form of “to be” 14 Condiment made from bean 15 A number 17 Short song 18 A seed vessel 21 To sift 23 Sooner than 24 A purpose 26 Point 27 Chronicles 29 Mexican cat 32 Terminate 33 Affinity 34 To be drowsy 36 By 37 Doctrines 38 Baubles 40 Parent 41 Spanish for “the” 42 Id est 43 Towards 45 Part of the eye 48 Petition 50 Indef. ”

“ HORIZONTAL
1 Penetrated 7 A fruit 13 Part of the day 14 A long spear 15 A fleet of ships 16 Finical 17 A war horse 18 Tight fitting caps 19 Foreign 21 Soup herb 22 India 23 Celtic hero 26 Establishes 28 Paradise 30 A roundabout way 32 Plain 34 Metamorphose 35 Rely upon 37 Wearing apparel 40 Length measures 41 Carried away 44 Sound of voice 45 One (Scot.) 46 Girl’s name 49 A natural right 51 Run away 53 Steppers 54 Marks of distinction 55 Always 56 A liquid compound 57 Formerly 58 Allures 59 Poisonous insects ”

“ VERTICAL
1 Thumps 2 Upon 3 Wireless signal for help 4 Paradise 5 To hasten 6 Bone 7 Low district 8 Edition (abbr.) 9 Intoxicating liquor 10 Whirled rapidly 11 Cured pork 12 Else 13 Lachrymose exudations 15 Small distance 16 Fem. pronoun 18 Snare 19 Father 21 Egg masses 23 Appendage 24 Color tint 25 Crazy 27 Unload by tilting 28 Uncontrolled anger 30 Necessitate 32 Walks with affected dignity 33 Fortress 35 Implement of war 37 To mend 39 Desires 41 A color 43 Water conveyance 45 Before Christ 47 Like 49 Indef. ”

“ HORIZONTAL
1 Original man of Horus 6 The first Jewish high priest 11 A genus of Am. plants 13 A member of the Creek Indian tribe 15 Metal for casting in pigs 17 A game played for stakes 18 A valley in N. W. Argolis 20 Sooner than 21 Track of a deer 23 One of a tribe of Algonquians 24 In the thing or individual 25 Permit (3rd per. sing.) (pl.) 27 A workman on shoes 29 Denoting the infinitive 30 An exclamation of surprise 31 Leisurely (obs.) ”

“ VERTICAL
1 An incarnation of Vishnu 2 Expert 3 Proceed 4 Before 6 Expends 7 To strike repeatedly with small missiles 8 Exists 9 Bay or chestnut mixed with white 10 Regard 11 Wrath 12 Otherwise 13 Tall slender building 14 Plane surface 16 Church holiday 18 Flag 21 Observe 23 Aged 26 Narrow toward a point 28 Evergreen 29 Pert. to tone 31 A certain soft stone 33 Tickle pleasantly 34 Remorseful ”

“ It won’t give you much of a wrestle—that is, if you are one of those hard-boiled solvers. But if you haven’t reached the state of complete addiction, or if you merely want a fillip, Mr. Fasel’s construction will please you.
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56
[30]
HORIZONTAL
1 Large drinking bowl 5 Ruin 9 Geometrical figure 10 Unlimited quantity 12 Fine particles of stone 14 Is situated 15 Footprint 17 Serpent of S. Amer. ”