History Main / CrosswordPuzzle

* ComicStrip/{{Blondie}} is often depicted doing a crossword while Dagwood watches television as they sit in the living room. (In recent years she's switched to Sudoku instead, probably as an example of WereStillRelevantDammit.)

** ''Series/PeoplePuzzler'' would then be the third game show to offer similar rounds.

** In "The One With The Dirty Girl," Rachel wants to try and complete a crossword puzzle without anyone's help, and struggles with the thing the entire episode. It drives her crazy, but in the end she finishes it (even if she has to rather obliquely ask Chandler the 1996 Best Musical Tony winner, [[spoiler:''Rent'']].

* ''ComicStrip/{{Garfield}}'': In one strip, Jon works on a crossword puzzle and asks Garfield for a six-letter word for "pain." Jon answers with his WrittenRoar of "ARRRGH!!!" after Garfield smashes his hand.

* Solving crossword puzzles in ''VideoGame/{{Persona 5}}'' improve your Knowledge stat.

* ''WesternAnimation/TheSimpsons'' used the documentary ''Wordplay'' as the basis for an episode where Lisa becomes an expert cruciverbalist. Will Shortz and Merl Reagle have a cameo, and the Sunday puzzle featured in the episode ran in that Sunday's ''New York Times''.

* In ''WesternAnimation/SpongebobSquarepants'', Mr. Krabs answers "money" in all five-letter word clues.

** ''Piilosana'' ("candid word")': The words are either anagrams, hidden within the hint text or read [[SdrawkcabName sdrawkcab]] within the hint. Hint phrases are usually obscure or lenghty to make the puzzle even more difficult.

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[[folder: Puzzles]]

* The title character of ''Series/InspectorMorse'' is very good at cryptic crosswords, and often uses this ability to solve some of the more fiendishly difficult crimes that come his way. This continues in the {{prequel}} series ''Series/{{Endeavour}}''. Creator/ColinDexter, the man who wrote the original novels, was also a crossword compiler and even wrote a non-fiction book called ''Cracking Cryptic Crosswords: A Guide to Solving Cryptic Crosswords''.

* British crosswords resemble snaking mazes with clues that require a working knowledge of mythology and literature, with cryptic clues layered with double meanings (non-cryptic crosswords are known as "quickie" crosswords). A character seen completing ''[[UsefulNotes/BritishNewspapers The Times]]'' or ''[[UsefulNotes/BritishNewspapers The Guardian]]'' crossword (or, in extreme cases, ''[[Magazine/RadioTimes The Listener]]'') will be '''very''' smart. In contrast, a character shown doing crosswords in ''The Sun'' will be ridiculed.

* The title character of ''Series/InspectorMorse'' is very good at cryptic crosswords, and often uses this ability to solve some of the more fiendishly difficult crimes that come his way. This continues in the {{prequel}} series ''Series/{{Endeavour}}''. Creator/ColinDexter, the man who wrote the original novels, was also a crossword compiler and even wrote a non-fiction book called ''How to Crack Cryptic Crosswords''.

* The title character of ''Series/InspectorMorse'' is very good at cryptic crosswords, and often uses this ability to solve some of the more fiendishly difficult crimes that come his way (this continues in the {{prequel}} series ''Series/{{Endeavour}}''.

* An episode of ''Series/21JumpStreet'' begins with Doug asking about a crossword clue. Harry gives him a word to use. When Doug later asks for a much harder clue and Harry knows that answer, too, Doug is incredulous. Harry tells him that he has ''yesterday's'' crossword puzzle and that Harry's been giving him answers from the printed solution in the current paper.

* In the recent novels of the ''Literature/{{Discworld}}'' series, the ''Ankh-Morpork Times'' publishes British-style cryptic crosswords, which Lord Vetinari enjoys. As with many British crossword compilers, the ''Ankh-Morpork Times'' setter goes by an appropriate pseudonym, in this case simply "Puzzler". (The founder of this trend in RealLife was "Torquemada" of ''The Observer''.)
** These types of crosswords are described by Internet humorist Lore Sjoberg as involving [[http://www.bookofratings.com/pencilpuzzles.html "anagrams, wordplay, and trafficking in the occult."]]
** Note that crossword puzzles in Discworld apparently predate the ''Ankh-Morpork Times'', as Vimes compared the references Heralds work into coats-of-arms as "crossword clues" back in ''Literature/FeetOfClay''.
** They've also introduced Sudoku, under the name "Jikan no Muda", in ''Literature/MakingMoney''). The name itself can be [[FunWithForeignLanguages translated as]] "Waste of Time" and Vetinari views it as far simpler than the crossword. Fittingly, "words versus numbers" is a minor theme of this book, with Vetinari and [[ConMan Moist]] preferring words, and [[MadMathematician Mr. Bent]] preferring numbers.

* Amy Santiago in ''Series/BrooklynNineNine'' is a crossword enthusiast, to the point that when she gets to solve a case with a writer of the NYT crossword, she behaves like a crazed [[FanGirl]].

References:
* [[https://wordscramble.eu crossword puzzles rebus]]

** Note that crossword puzzles in Discworld apparently predate the ''Ankh-Morpork Times'', as Vimes compared the references Heralds work into coats-of-arms as "crossword clues" back in ''Discworld/FeetOfClay''.
** They've also introduced Sudoku, under the name "Jikan no Muda", in ''Discworld/MakingMoney''). The name itself can be [[FunWithForeignLanguages translated as]] "Waste of Time" and Vetinari views it as far simpler than the crossword. Fittingly, "words versus numbers" is a minor theme of this book, with Vetinari and [[ConMan Moist]] preferring words, and [[MadMathematician Mr. Bent]] preferring numbers.

** In another ''Series/BarneyMiller'' episode, Barney asks Dietrich (Main/TheSmartGuy) for help on a six-letter word meaning 'occupation on the floss' because 'dentist' has seven letters. [[spoiler: There's a novel ''Literature/The Mill on the Floss', so the answer could be 'miller', Barney's last name.]]

** In another ''Series/BarneyMiller'' episode, Barney asks Dietrich (Main/TheSmartGuy) for help on a six-letter word meaning 'occupation on the floss' because 'dentist' has seven letters. [[spoiler: There's a novel ''The Mill on the Floss', so the answer is 'miller', Barney's last name.]]

** In another ''Series/BarneyMiller'' episode, Barney asks Dietrich (the Main/SmartGuy) for help on a six-letter word meaning 'occupation on the floss' because 'dentist' has seven letters. [[spoiler: There's a novel ''The Mill on the Floss', so the answer is 'miller', Barney's last name.]]