A cruciverbalist is a person who specializes in the construction and solving of crossword puzzles and related word games. Will Shortz, a noted cruciverbalist who has worked as an editor and “puzzle master” for the New York Times and National Public Radio, is one of the most well-known cruciverbalists in the world. Cruciverbalists can be found in a variety of places, from public competitions to the editorial pages of small town newspapers, creating and solving crossword puzzles.
The term “cruciverbalist” appears to have originated in the 1980s, when it first began to appear on a regular basis, though it is difficult to pinpoint when it first appeared, let alone who coined it. It’s a backformation of Latin that includes the Latin words for “cross” and “word” in a nod to the well-known crossword puzzle, which entails filling in squares of a grid with words that can be read both vertically and horizontally.
A cruciverbalist is a person who creates crossword puzzles. They create grids and clues to help people fill them in. Because constructing crossword puzzles requires a high level of skill and can be costly and time consuming, some newspapers retain their own crossword makers, while others may use syndicated crosswords. A cruciverbalist needs a large vocabulary, the ability to generate appropriate clues, and the ability to assess the difficulty of a puzzle, which can range from simple to extremely difficult.
Cruciverbalists who enjoy solving puzzles can do so on a casual basis by working crosswords from newspapers or puzzle books, or they can compete in crossword championships using crosswords as the foundation. Crossword puzzles are sometimes used in psychological therapy or education to help people expand their vocabulary and play with words. Crossword puzzles, like other brain teasers, force the brain to work harder, and doing them on a regular basis may improve cognitive function.
While a cruciverbalist specializes in crossword puzzles, he or she may also dabble in other word games such as jumblers and anagrams. A wide range of puzzles can be used to improve skills and vocabulary while also encouraging the brain to think creatively and flexibly. It’s not unusual to see a cruciverbalist who enjoys board games that combine word play and linguistic skills, and these games can be used to keep one’s skills sharp.