What to know about rebuses
“How and why did rebus puzzles get started?” — Toni, Cincinnati From Christina: I was surprised to learn from my research that the first rebus puzzle was published much earlier than I would have expected. For those unfamiliar with the concept, a rebus puzzle (sometimes called a rebus element) is any puzzle where a square contains anything other than a single letter. This could be a number, a symbol or multiple letters. It might even be a combination of two letters — one each for the Across and Down entries. Roberta Morse made the first rebus puzzle that was published in The New York Times in 1954. It had the numbers 1 to 4 in different quadrants of the grid; there was a numeral 1 in the first square, with the answer 1-DOWN clued as [First vertical word] at 1-Down. A few months later, Roberta’s husband, Anthony Morse, made the second rebus puzzle we published. This one had the four card suits placed in different quadrants of the puzzle. Since the puzzle was published in print, the assumption was that solvers would draw in a little diamond rather than write out the word “diamond.” This puzzle had entries like ❤️ACHE and ♦️MINES. Other early rebus puzzles included one with a single dollar sign, one with five ampersands and one with apostrophes. Of the first 10 rebus puzzles, five used numbers. From 1954 to 1974 The Times ran 16 rebus puzzles, averaging less than one a year. These days, we’re running them far more frequently — in 2024 alone, we ran 26 rebus puzzles. As for why rebus puzzles got started, crossword constructors are always trying to find ways to do new things in puzzles. Once someone decided to put numbers in the grid, it opened up the door — what else can you put in a square? Once a rule is broken, it can often inspire other constructors to challenge that rule in different ways. What rules would you like to see broken in crosswords?
Solve Friday’s Crossword on Easy Mode!
In today’s Wordplay column, Deb Amlen writes about a constructor’s extensive history with themeless puzzles. For expert hints on today’s puzzle, read her column here. Were you able to solve the Friday puzzle with Easy Mode? We want your input! Share your experience with us on the X platform, on Threads or by email. A Quick Cool-DownHow fast can you solve today’s Mini?
Get a ClueMy favorite clue from last week is 12-Down from Saturday, May 31. These words might give you a “pass” into a theater. 12-Down: Pass words?
How are we doing? Thanks for playing! Subscribe to New York Times Games. If you were forwarded this newsletter, you can sign up to receive it regularly here. P.S. The answer to Get a Clue is ADMIT ONE.
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