December 29, 2023 • 12 mins
Hello, Puzzlers! This week, we're gifting you a holiday grab bag of some of our favorite puzzles. Today: join A.J. and Greg at Mohonk Mountain House where we recorded this episode during the Wonderful World of Words weekend.
Join host A.J. Jacobs and his guests as they puzzle–and laugh–their way through new spins on old favorites, like anagrams and palindromes, as well as quirky originals such as “Ask Chat GPT” and audio rebuses.
Subscribe to The Puzzler podcast wherever you get your podcasts!
"The Puzzler with A.J. Jacobs" is distributed by iHeartPodcasts and is a co-production with Neuhaus Ideas.
Our executive producers are Neely Lohmann and Adam Neuhaus of Neuhaus Ideas, and Lindsay Hoffman of iHeart Podcasts.
The show is produced by Jody Avirgan and Brittani Brown of Roulette Productions.
Our Chief Puzzle Officer is Greg Pliska. Our associate producer is Andrea Schoenberg.
See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.
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Transcript
Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Speaker 1 (00:04):
Hello, Puzzlers, Welcome to the Puzzler Podcast, the Giaroscuro in
your Italian puzzle painting. I am your host, AJ Jacobs,
and the Puzzler is on the road. We are at
the historic Mohunk Mountain House in Newpault's, New York for
(00:28):
a special live Puzzler episode, and we are here with
Chief Puzzle Officer Greg Puliska.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Welcome Greg, Thank you, a Jay who.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
It's crazy that we're doing this live, like we're in
the same room, and we're in the same room with
other people.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
And not just other people, other other word people, other
word nerds. I think that we can say word nerds
and they won't be offended because this is the annual
Wonderful World of Words Festival.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Is it a festival, it's a weekend, it's a weekend,
it's a program weekend here at Mohunk Mountain House.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
I thought you would go with the alliteration of Wonderful
World of Words weekend, but that's not actually part of
the title.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
Now it's just called the Wonderful World of Words.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Gotcha all right? I found feel free to throw in
the weekend.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
I will well I had that it found it forty
two years ago by Gloria and Larry Rosenthal.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
And now you are.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Then Will Shortz took over running the Weekend for quite
a long time, and then I've in the last few
years have taken over.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
And it's basically just a weekend.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
It is a weekend all about language and words, and
people come. We have a tremendous speakers who come and
talk about linguistics and grammar and palindromes and wordplay. We
have puzzles, we have games, and really we have a
terrific group of people who love this stuff and love
each other.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
So it's a great place, the Weekend and the name
itself is alliterative.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I believe quite a literative.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
By the way.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Just side note, I heard someone the other day say
alliteration is awesome, and as a word nerd, I thought,
you know what, it's not alliteration. Assonance is also awesome,
which that is truly awesome anyway, But I felt if
I've pointed that out, I would get a fist in
my face, which is that is alliterative?
Speaker 2 (02:23):
It is all right?
Speaker 4 (02:25):
All right?
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Well, today, since we are in this historic place, we're
gonna do We usually have a puzzle. Greg gives me
a puzzle, or we give a celebrity guest.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
But we thought we would do a.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Little history of puzzles because we love history, and I
thought today we might do talk about the very first
crossword puzzle. Now there is some dispute as to what
was the first crossword puzzle. It's not a clear cut issue.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
It's not.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Black and white. I thought, as word people, I thought.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
You wouldn't want to get boxed in with.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Will Schwartz, the New York Times puzzle guru and puzzle historian,
has found at least twenty proto crossword puzzles in Italian
and British publications, but most puzzle historians say that the
actual first bona fide crossword puzzle appeared in the New
(03:23):
York World newspaper on December twenty one of the year
anyone know, nineteen thirteen.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
A little before.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
I actually was surprised it was that reason, and it
was created by a Liverpool born part time violinist. I'm
not going to tell you his name in honor of him,
I'm going to give you the clues. His first name
is the same as a bespectacled Ardvarc, so that Arthur exactly.
(03:54):
And his last name is the same as a disgraced
casino executive, Steve Win exactly.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
I don't think he spelled it the same way as
Steve Win. Oh really, I think Arthur Wynn had an
E and Steve Winn doesn't.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
I didn't know that.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
That's interesting if we had Andrea, who are also on
our production team, she's looking this stuff up while we're broadcasting.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Exactly, So we have no idea I did anything.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Wyn's name and it's like Winkowski or something. And that
was this original name. Yep, yep, I was right, all right,
So uh it appeared and I am holding a copy
of it right now.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
It was it was called a word cross.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Well, that's right, it was a word cross. And then
it changed, according to the lore, it changed a few
issues later because of a typographical error, like the typographer
made a mistake. But for that, but for that miss,
we would be all talking about.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
We're just gonna I can be clear.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
This was in the New York World, New York World
made by Arthur Winn, yea Arthur Winn.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
And it was a word for it was so it
was Wind's World. Word cross was.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
All very good, very good.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Here at the Wonderful World of Words, nicely done weekend.
So it was as you can see, it was different
than our current crosswords. It was not square. It is
diamonds shaped. It has a little hole in the middle,
but it has enough that it is officially considered. It's
(05:27):
got the numbers, it's got the interlocking words. And I
don't want to you know Arthur when he created something
that I love, So I'm not gonna trash talk him
too much, but I will say it's not a great
crossword puzzle by modern standard, our standards.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
No, I mean nothing.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
The first of anything is not going to be great.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
The first movie, if you've ever seen the first copyrighted movie,
is called.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
The Sneeze and it is a guy sneezing. Thomas Edison
was the director. That's not great.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
I mean it is, uh, the first act is okay,
but then it just falls apart. So anyway, it's not great.
And I'll tell you why it's not great by our
standard's The clues are not so clever. So let me
give you an example. Take ten across. Now, the answer
to ten across is a four letter word. I'm going
(06:22):
to tell you how it's clued in modern days in
the New York Times, and you can shout out the
answer after I give you the clues. Then I'm going
to tell you how it was clued in the first
Crossword Okay, so now it would have been clued by
things like ice cream bar brand, hawk's opposite, magician, dove exactly,
(06:45):
peace symbol another one, So dove, that's the answer. Here's
how it was clued in the very first crossword puzzle.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
A bird.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
That's not that clever. That's not that clever. What's worse,
it gets worse. That word appeared twice in the first
Crossford puzzle, which we all know is a no.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
No, was it clued the same way both times?
Speaker 1 (07:10):
No, it had a much more clever clue. That time
it was a pigeon. All right, So let me give
you one more example of why this is not the
greatest puzzle ever. The answer to this one is a
three letter word. Now here's how it's been clued in
the New York Times. I'm such a meathead, stupid me
(07:34):
play blank or exclamation from Homer Simpson, Wait, dot exactly do.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Three letter word? Now we got it.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
I mean, the Simpsons was not around in nineteen thirteen.
I think it started in like nineteen seventeen. Yeah, yeah,
so so you got to give him a little.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
But here's how he clued it.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
The fiber of the gamooty palm.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
I don't even understand what that's such a giveaway. You
don't want to use that.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Yeah, it's a Malaysian palm tree. And apparently the fiber
is dope. All right, so a little obscure. Uh. I
will say one thing. He did have a meta clue,
which was which wasn't pat so it was what this
puzzle is. It was a four letter word. It was
the answer is four letters and the clue was what
this puzzle is, and it certainly applied to the camoody palm.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
It was hard so uh. Even though it was not.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
The greatest puzzle ever, it was still good enough that
it became Crosswords became a huge hit. They became a sensation,
hundreds of papers. There was a Broadway show. There was
songs like Crossword, Mama, you puzzle me, but Papa's gonna
figure you out, uh, which apparently Greg said you sang here.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
At theme so I didn't sing it.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
I think a yes.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Nowitz Broadway lyricist was a guest here once and did
a rendition of that song.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
Were nodding, they remember that?
Speaker 2 (09:08):
So anyway there was there's a lyric.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
From that song that is, if you don't come across,
I'm going to be down.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Oh that's clever. You don't want that is clever? You
don't hear that nowadays?
Speaker 1 (09:19):
There was one paper that did not adopt the crossword
and anyone remember what The New York Times. So as
a wrap up, we have a little extra credit puzzle
for you out there and also at home. It turns
out the Times they didn't print crossword puzzles, but they
(09:40):
did print several articles about how horrible crossword puzzles were,
that they were for the one pastor said that it
was for the simple minded, were weak minded, which I disagree. Yeah,
So which of these three is no an actual New
(10:01):
York Times headline about crossword puzzles? And we will give
the answer on a future episode.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
So don't shout out the answer in the room.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Oh good point, thank you, Greg. All right.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Number one husband shoots wife, then kills himself when she
won't help do crossword puzzle. Number two crossword dispute erupts
at Lindy Hop number three, crossword headache, Boom's optical trade,
new strain on eyes reveals defects and vision.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
So think about that. Which is it?
Speaker 1 (10:35):
And puzzlers, please don't forget to subscribe to the Puzzler Podcast.
I'm looking at you right now and we will see
you here tomorrow for more puzzling puzzles that will puzzle
you puzzlingly.
Speaker 5 (10:54):
Hello puzzlers, this is Greg Pliska, your chief puzzle officer,
here to share with you the extra credit answer from
our previous episode. We played Game Theory with Bomani Jones,
where every answer is a two word phrase with the
same initials as Game Theory, G and T. Of course,
you had to also append with the Bomani Jones because
(11:16):
we're imagining these all as shows that would be hosted
by our wonderful guest, Bomani Jones. Here's your clue. Bomani
interviews pet owners about the sponsor's dog food brand. All
you dog loving puzzlers out there know the answer to
this one. It's gravy Train with Bomani Jones. I hope
(11:37):
you're watching that show, and I hope you continue listening
to the Puzzler here on iHeartMedia. Thanks for playing along
with the team here at The Puzzler. I'm Greg Pliska,
your chief puzzle Officer. Our executive producers are Neelie Lohman
and Adam Neuhaus of New House Ideas and Lindsey Hoffman
(11:59):
of iHeart Podcasts. The show is produced by Jody Abergan
and Brittany Brown of Roulette Productions. Our associate producer is
Andrea Schoenberg. The Puzzler with AJ Jacobs is a co
production with New House Ideas and is distributed by Apathetic
Dross No wait, rearrange those letters. It's distributed by iHeart Podcasts.
(12:28):
If you want to know more about puzzling puzzles, please
check out the book The Puzzler by AJ Jacobs, a
history of puzzles that The New York Times called fun
and funny. It features an original puzzle hunt by yours
truly and is available wherever you get your books and puzzlers.
For all your puzzling needs, go visit the Puzzler dot com.
(12:50):
See you there.
Hello, Puzzlers, Welcome to the Puzzler Podcast, the Giaroscuro in
your Italian puzzle painting. I am your host, AJ Jacobs,
and the Puzzler is on the road. We are at
the historic Mohunk Mountain House in Newpault's, New York for
(00:28):
a special live Puzzler episode, and we are here with
Chief Puzzle Officer Greg Puliska.
Speaker 2 (00:37):
Welcome Greg, Thank you, a Jay who.
Speaker 3 (00:42):
It's crazy that we're doing this live, like we're in
the same room, and we're in the same room with
other people.
Speaker 1 (00:47):
And not just other people, other other word people, other
word nerds. I think that we can say word nerds
and they won't be offended because this is the annual
Wonderful World of Words Festival.
Speaker 3 (01:01):
Is it a festival, it's a weekend, it's a weekend,
it's a program weekend here at Mohunk Mountain House.
Speaker 1 (01:06):
I thought you would go with the alliteration of Wonderful
World of Words weekend, but that's not actually part of
the title.
Speaker 4 (01:13):
Now it's just called the Wonderful World of Words.
Speaker 1 (01:16):
Gotcha all right? I found feel free to throw in
the weekend.
Speaker 3 (01:19):
I will well I had that it found it forty
two years ago by Gloria and Larry Rosenthal.
Speaker 1 (01:25):
And now you are.
Speaker 3 (01:26):
Then Will Shortz took over running the Weekend for quite
a long time, and then I've in the last few
years have taken over.
Speaker 1 (01:33):
And it's basically just a weekend.
Speaker 3 (01:36):
It is a weekend all about language and words, and
people come. We have a tremendous speakers who come and
talk about linguistics and grammar and palindromes and wordplay. We
have puzzles, we have games, and really we have a
terrific group of people who love this stuff and love
each other.
Speaker 1 (01:51):
So it's a great place, the Weekend and the name
itself is alliterative.
Speaker 2 (01:56):
I believe quite a literative.
Speaker 4 (01:58):
Yes.
Speaker 2 (01:59):
By the way.
Speaker 1 (02:00):
Just side note, I heard someone the other day say
alliteration is awesome, and as a word nerd, I thought,
you know what, it's not alliteration. Assonance is also awesome,
which that is truly awesome anyway, But I felt if
I've pointed that out, I would get a fist in
my face, which is that is alliterative?
Speaker 2 (02:23):
It is all right?
Speaker 4 (02:25):
All right?
Speaker 1 (02:25):
Well, today, since we are in this historic place, we're
gonna do We usually have a puzzle. Greg gives me
a puzzle, or we give a celebrity guest.
Speaker 2 (02:34):
But we thought we would do a.
Speaker 1 (02:36):
Little history of puzzles because we love history, and I
thought today we might do talk about the very first
crossword puzzle. Now there is some dispute as to what
was the first crossword puzzle. It's not a clear cut issue.
Speaker 2 (02:51):
It's not.
Speaker 1 (02:53):
Black and white. I thought, as word people, I thought.
Speaker 4 (02:58):
You wouldn't want to get boxed in with.
Speaker 2 (03:00):
Oh.
Speaker 1 (03:03):
Will Schwartz, the New York Times puzzle guru and puzzle historian,
has found at least twenty proto crossword puzzles in Italian
and British publications, but most puzzle historians say that the
actual first bona fide crossword puzzle appeared in the New
(03:23):
York World newspaper on December twenty one of the year
anyone know, nineteen thirteen.
Speaker 2 (03:33):
A little before.
Speaker 1 (03:34):
I actually was surprised it was that reason, and it
was created by a Liverpool born part time violinist. I'm
not going to tell you his name in honor of him,
I'm going to give you the clues. His first name
is the same as a bespectacled Ardvarc, so that Arthur exactly.
(03:54):
And his last name is the same as a disgraced
casino executive, Steve Win exactly.
Speaker 3 (04:04):
I don't think he spelled it the same way as
Steve Win. Oh really, I think Arthur Wynn had an
E and Steve Winn doesn't.
Speaker 2 (04:10):
I didn't know that.
Speaker 3 (04:10):
That's interesting if we had Andrea, who are also on
our production team, she's looking this stuff up while we're broadcasting.
Speaker 4 (04:17):
Exactly, So we have no idea I did anything.
Speaker 1 (04:20):
Wyn's name and it's like Winkowski or something. And that
was this original name. Yep, yep, I was right, all right,
So uh it appeared and I am holding a copy
of it right now.
Speaker 4 (04:35):
It was it was called a word cross.
Speaker 1 (04:37):
Well, that's right, it was a word cross. And then
it changed, according to the lore, it changed a few
issues later because of a typographical error, like the typographer
made a mistake. But for that, but for that miss,
we would be all talking about.
Speaker 2 (04:53):
We're just gonna I can be clear.
Speaker 1 (04:54):
This was in the New York World, New York World
made by Arthur Winn, yea Arthur Winn.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
And it was a word for it was so it
was Wind's World. Word cross was.
Speaker 2 (05:03):
All very good, very good.
Speaker 1 (05:06):
Here at the Wonderful World of Words, nicely done weekend.
So it was as you can see, it was different
than our current crosswords. It was not square. It is
diamonds shaped. It has a little hole in the middle,
but it has enough that it is officially considered. It's
(05:27):
got the numbers, it's got the interlocking words. And I
don't want to you know Arthur when he created something
that I love, So I'm not gonna trash talk him
too much, but I will say it's not a great
crossword puzzle by modern standard, our standards.
Speaker 2 (05:44):
No, I mean nothing.
Speaker 1 (05:46):
The first of anything is not going to be great.
Speaker 2 (05:48):
I don't know.
Speaker 1 (05:49):
The first movie, if you've ever seen the first copyrighted movie,
is called.
Speaker 2 (05:53):
The Sneeze and it is a guy sneezing. Thomas Edison
was the director. That's not great.
Speaker 1 (06:00):
I mean it is, uh, the first act is okay,
but then it just falls apart. So anyway, it's not great.
And I'll tell you why it's not great by our
standard's The clues are not so clever. So let me
give you an example. Take ten across. Now, the answer
to ten across is a four letter word. I'm going
(06:22):
to tell you how it's clued in modern days in
the New York Times, and you can shout out the
answer after I give you the clues. Then I'm going
to tell you how it was clued in the first
Crossword Okay, so now it would have been clued by
things like ice cream bar brand, hawk's opposite, magician, dove exactly,
(06:45):
peace symbol another one, So dove, that's the answer. Here's
how it was clued in the very first crossword puzzle.
Speaker 2 (06:52):
A bird.
Speaker 1 (06:55):
That's not that clever. That's not that clever. What's worse,
it gets worse. That word appeared twice in the first
Crossford puzzle, which we all know is a no.
Speaker 4 (07:08):
No, was it clued the same way both times?
Speaker 1 (07:10):
No, it had a much more clever clue. That time
it was a pigeon. All right, So let me give
you one more example of why this is not the
greatest puzzle ever. The answer to this one is a
three letter word. Now here's how it's been clued in
the New York Times. I'm such a meathead, stupid me
(07:34):
play blank or exclamation from Homer Simpson, Wait, dot exactly do.
Speaker 2 (07:43):
Three letter word? Now we got it.
Speaker 1 (07:45):
I mean, the Simpsons was not around in nineteen thirteen.
I think it started in like nineteen seventeen. Yeah, yeah,
so so you got to give him a little.
Speaker 2 (07:55):
But here's how he clued it.
Speaker 1 (07:57):
The fiber of the gamooty palm.
Speaker 2 (08:01):
I don't even understand what that's such a giveaway. You
don't want to use that.
Speaker 1 (08:07):
Yeah, it's a Malaysian palm tree. And apparently the fiber
is dope. All right, so a little obscure. Uh. I
will say one thing. He did have a meta clue,
which was which wasn't pat so it was what this
puzzle is. It was a four letter word. It was
the answer is four letters and the clue was what
this puzzle is, and it certainly applied to the camoody palm.
Speaker 2 (08:31):
It was hard so uh. Even though it was not.
Speaker 1 (08:36):
The greatest puzzle ever, it was still good enough that
it became Crosswords became a huge hit. They became a sensation,
hundreds of papers. There was a Broadway show. There was
songs like Crossword, Mama, you puzzle me, but Papa's gonna
figure you out, uh, which apparently Greg said you sang here.
Speaker 4 (08:58):
At theme so I didn't sing it.
Speaker 2 (08:59):
I think a yes.
Speaker 3 (09:00):
Nowitz Broadway lyricist was a guest here once and did
a rendition of that song.
Speaker 4 (09:05):
Were nodding, they remember that?
Speaker 2 (09:08):
So anyway there was there's a lyric.
Speaker 4 (09:10):
From that song that is, if you don't come across,
I'm going to be down.
Speaker 2 (09:13):
Oh that's clever. You don't want that is clever? You
don't hear that nowadays?
Speaker 1 (09:19):
There was one paper that did not adopt the crossword
and anyone remember what The New York Times. So as
a wrap up, we have a little extra credit puzzle
for you out there and also at home. It turns
out the Times they didn't print crossword puzzles, but they
(09:40):
did print several articles about how horrible crossword puzzles were,
that they were for the one pastor said that it
was for the simple minded, were weak minded, which I disagree. Yeah,
So which of these three is no an actual New
(10:01):
York Times headline about crossword puzzles? And we will give
the answer on a future episode.
Speaker 4 (10:08):
So don't shout out the answer in the room.
Speaker 2 (10:10):
Oh good point, thank you, Greg. All right.
Speaker 1 (10:13):
Number one husband shoots wife, then kills himself when she
won't help do crossword puzzle. Number two crossword dispute erupts
at Lindy Hop number three, crossword headache, Boom's optical trade,
new strain on eyes reveals defects and vision.
Speaker 2 (10:33):
So think about that. Which is it?
Speaker 1 (10:35):
And puzzlers, please don't forget to subscribe to the Puzzler Podcast.
I'm looking at you right now and we will see
you here tomorrow for more puzzling puzzles that will puzzle
you puzzlingly.
Speaker 5 (10:54):
Hello puzzlers, this is Greg Pliska, your chief puzzle officer,
here to share with you the extra credit answer from
our previous episode. We played Game Theory with Bomani Jones,
where every answer is a two word phrase with the
same initials as Game Theory, G and T. Of course,
you had to also append with the Bomani Jones because
(11:16):
we're imagining these all as shows that would be hosted
by our wonderful guest, Bomani Jones. Here's your clue. Bomani
interviews pet owners about the sponsor's dog food brand. All
you dog loving puzzlers out there know the answer to
this one. It's gravy Train with Bomani Jones. I hope
(11:37):
you're watching that show, and I hope you continue listening
to the Puzzler here on iHeartMedia. Thanks for playing along
with the team here at The Puzzler. I'm Greg Pliska,
your chief puzzle Officer. Our executive producers are Neelie Lohman
and Adam Neuhaus of New House Ideas and Lindsey Hoffman
(11:59):
of iHeart Podcasts. The show is produced by Jody Abergan
and Brittany Brown of Roulette Productions. Our associate producer is
Andrea Schoenberg. The Puzzler with AJ Jacobs is a co
production with New House Ideas and is distributed by Apathetic
Dross No wait, rearrange those letters. It's distributed by iHeart Podcasts.
(12:28):
If you want to know more about puzzling puzzles, please
check out the book The Puzzler by AJ Jacobs, a
history of puzzles that The New York Times called fun
and funny. It features an original puzzle hunt by yours
truly and is available wherever you get your books and puzzlers.
For all your puzzling needs, go visit the Puzzler dot com.
(12:50):
See you there.
Hosts And Creators
Greg Pliska
A.J. Jacobs
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