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New Year’s Crossword Puzzles: Engaging Themes and Wordplay

1/5/2026

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Summary

Story summary

The New Year’s crossword puzzles by Jeffrey Martinovic and Lynn Lempel offer engaging themes for solvers.
Jeffrey Martinovic's puzzle features gatherings, with clues such as "SQUARE DANCE" and "CELL RECEPTION."
Lynn Lempel's puzzle invites travelers to imagine a journey, using clues that cue flight stages such as "BOARDROOM" and "TAKE OFF FROM WORK."
Both puzzles reflect a light-hearted New Year approach and appeal to wordplay enthusiasts.

History

Historical Context

The crossword puzzle's origins trace back to 1913 when Arthur Wynne published the first "word-cross" in the New York World. By 1924, Simon & Schuster capitalized on its popularity with the first crossword puzzle book, featuring over 200 puzzles. This sparked a nationwide craze, establishing crosswords as a staple of American entertainment and social interaction, a tradition that continues today.

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Story summary

The New Year’s crossword puzzles by Jeffrey Martinovic and Lynn Lempel offer engaging themes for solvers.
Jeffrey Martinovic's puzzle features gatherings, with clues such as "SQUARE DANCE" and "CELL RECEPTION."
Lynn Lempel's puzzle invites travelers to imagine a journey, using clues that cue flight stages such as "BOARDROOM" and "TAKE OFF FROM WORK."
Both puzzles reflect a light-hearted New Year approach and appeal to wordplay enthusiasts.

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