National Puzzlers' League
Encyclopedia
The National Puzzlers' League (NPL) is a nonprofit organization focused on puzzling
, primarily in the realm of word play
and word game
s. Founded in 1883, it is the oldest puzzlers' organization in the world. It originally hosted semiannual conventions in February and September of each year, but conventions are now held annually, in July.
and founded the Eastern Puzzlers' League; they then celebrated the event by paying a penny each to walk across the newly dedicated Brooklyn Bridge
. Renamed the National Puzzlers' League in 1920, the organization has been in continuous existence ever since that first meeting and is the oldest puzzlers' organization in the world.
The league's official publication began as The Eastern Enigma. It originally contained few, if any, puzzles, and instead reported on business transacted at puzzlers' conventions, presented verses and skits composed by members, and relayed debates on the controversial puzzling topics of the day, such as obsolete words, esoteric references, and new types of puzzles.
Early editors rarely served more than a year at a time, and the publication schedule was often irregular. The January 1900 issue initiated a puzzle department called "Penetralia", which appeared regularly until 1903. "Penetralia" was resumed in the February 1910 issue, when The Eastern Enigma began monthly publication, and has continued to appear ever since. On the organization's name change, the magazine was retitled "The Enigma"; it continues to be published monthly and has now reached over 1200 issues.
A puzzle renaissance in the 1920s and 1930s led to a high point in NPL membership, during which it adopted the slogan "The National Intellectual Pastime of America". In 1935, president Everett M. Smith invented the word Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
at the annual League meeting. The biennial conventions were covered by major newspapers and wire services. During World War II
, the Signal Intelligence Service recruited several NPL members as government cryptographers based on their puzzling experience.
In the 1960s, membership slumped significantly, but began rebounding in the "modern" puzzling era with the promotional efforts of Dmitri Borgmann
, Ross Eckler, and others. Many of the leading puzzle editors and constructors in America are members; author and member Willard Espy said of the league's expertise, "I'm a little nervous talking about wordplay with this group .... it's like talking about religion with God."
NPL members are known collectively as "the Krewe" and individually as "Krewepersons", "Krewemembers", or "NPLers".
Puzzle professional Will Shortz
(whose "nom", WILLz, is a play on his name - Will+"short Z") is a long-standing member and officer of the NPL, currently serving as its historian (since 1992).
The NPL has also published several editions of Guide to The Enigma (formerly Key to Puzzledom); a mini-sample of the puzzles in The Enigma, available free to prospective members from the editor; a member directory; and book compilations of hard cryptograms and cryptic crosswords.
, invented as late as 1913, is spurned by the journal, which relegates it to the category of "extras". However, all of its puzzles are based on wordplay and linguistics.
The NPL groups puzzles into four primary categories. The oldest two are the "flat" (which has a one-line answer) and the "form" (which has a multi-line answer). Flats (verse puzzles and anagrams) were a leading type of wordplay before black-squared crosswords were invented. They seem strange to modern puzzlers, because they require inferring words from context, which is not now a familiar solving technique. Nonetheless, flats today still make up most of the puzzles in The Enigma. Cryptograms and extras, as well as catchall categories for rule-breaking puzzles, were added later. More information on these puzzle types can be found at the NPL's official website.
that requires team effort to solve).
Puzzle
A puzzle is a problem or enigma that tests the ingenuity of the solver. In a basic puzzle, one is intended to put together pieces in a logical way in order to come up with the desired solution...
, primarily in the realm of word play
Word play
Word play or wordplay is a literary technique in which the words that are used become the main subject of the work, primarily for the purpose of intended effect or amusement...
and word game
Word game
Word games and puzzles are spoken or board games often designed to test ability with language or to explore its properties.Word games are generally engaged as a source of entertainment, but have been found to serve an educational purpose as well...
s. Founded in 1883, it is the oldest puzzlers' organization in the world. It originally hosted semiannual conventions in February and September of each year, but conventions are now held annually, in July.
History
On July 4, 1883, twenty-eight word puzzlers, mostly young men, met at Pythagoras Hall in New York CityNew York City
New York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
and founded the Eastern Puzzlers' League; they then celebrated the event by paying a penny each to walk across the newly dedicated Brooklyn Bridge
Brooklyn Bridge
The Brooklyn Bridge is one of the oldest suspension bridges in the United States. Completed in 1883, it connects the New York City boroughs of Manhattan and Brooklyn by spanning the East River...
. Renamed the National Puzzlers' League in 1920, the organization has been in continuous existence ever since that first meeting and is the oldest puzzlers' organization in the world.
The league's official publication began as The Eastern Enigma. It originally contained few, if any, puzzles, and instead reported on business transacted at puzzlers' conventions, presented verses and skits composed by members, and relayed debates on the controversial puzzling topics of the day, such as obsolete words, esoteric references, and new types of puzzles.
Early editors rarely served more than a year at a time, and the publication schedule was often irregular. The January 1900 issue initiated a puzzle department called "Penetralia", which appeared regularly until 1903. "Penetralia" was resumed in the February 1910 issue, when The Eastern Enigma began monthly publication, and has continued to appear ever since. On the organization's name change, the magazine was retitled "The Enigma"; it continues to be published monthly and has now reached over 1200 issues.
A puzzle renaissance in the 1920s and 1930s led to a high point in NPL membership, during which it adopted the slogan "The National Intellectual Pastime of America". In 1935, president Everett M. Smith invented the word Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis
Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis is, according to the Oxford English Dictionary, "a factitious word alleged to mean 'a lung disease caused by the inhalation of very fine silica dust, causing inflammation in the lungs. A condition meeting the word's definition is normally called...
at the annual League meeting. The biennial conventions were covered by major newspapers and wire services. During World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
, the Signal Intelligence Service recruited several NPL members as government cryptographers based on their puzzling experience.
In the 1960s, membership slumped significantly, but began rebounding in the "modern" puzzling era with the promotional efforts of Dmitri Borgmann
Dmitri Borgmann
Dmitri A. Borgmann is an author best known for coining the word logology and for writing Language On Vacation: An Olio of Orthographical Oddities, published in 1965. This book led Ross Eckler and Trip Payne to join the National Puzzlers' League...
, Ross Eckler, and others. Many of the leading puzzle editors and constructors in America are members; author and member Willard Espy said of the league's expertise, "I'm a little nervous talking about wordplay with this group .... it's like talking about religion with God."
Membership
Each NPL member generally chooses a "nom" upon joining, an often cryptic nom de plume which serves as a nickname when communicating with fellow members (see below for an example). The use of pseudonyms, also commonly practiced by the compilers of cryptic crosswords, originally helped "to break down barriers of occupation or social class". It is also an opportunity for wordplay and self-description.NPL members are known collectively as "the Krewe" and individually as "Krewepersons", "Krewemembers", or "NPLers".
Puzzle professional Will Shortz
Will Shortz
Will Shortz is an American puzzle creator and editor, and currently the crossword puzzle editor for The New York Times.-Early life and education:...
(whose "nom", WILLz, is a play on his name - Will+"short Z") is a long-standing member and officer of the NPL, currently serving as its historian (since 1992).
Publications
The Enigma, the NPL's official publication, is distributed monthly to its members. It provides a medium for members to share their original word puzzles for fellow members to enjoy. The Enigma also contains articles and announcements of interest to its members.The NPL has also published several editions of Guide to The Enigma (formerly Key to Puzzledom); a mini-sample of the puzzles in The Enigma, available free to prospective members from the editor; a member directory; and book compilations of hard cryptograms and cryptic crosswords.
Puzzles
The Enigma specializes in the types of puzzles that flourished in the 19th century; the crosswordCrossword
A crossword is a word puzzle that normally takes the form of a square or rectangular grid of white and shaded squares. The goal is to fill the white squares with letters, forming words or phrases, by solving clues which lead to the answers. In languages that are written left-to-right, the answer...
, invented as late as 1913, is spurned by the journal, which relegates it to the category of "extras". However, all of its puzzles are based on wordplay and linguistics.
The NPL groups puzzles into four primary categories. The oldest two are the "flat" (which has a one-line answer) and the "form" (which has a multi-line answer). Flats (verse puzzles and anagrams) were a leading type of wordplay before black-squared crosswords were invented. They seem strange to modern puzzlers, because they require inferring words from context, which is not now a familiar solving technique. Nonetheless, flats today still make up most of the puzzles in The Enigma. Cryptograms and extras, as well as catchall categories for rule-breaking puzzles, were added later. More information on these puzzle types can be found at the NPL's official website.
Conventions
The NPL holds an annual convention, usually in July. The location varies, but has historically been a major North American city. Nearly a quarter of the membership can be expected to attend. Examples of convention activities include word games, trivia games, hidden puzzles (which must be found before they can be solved), local field trips to places of NPL interest, library trivia hunts, and an "extravaganza" (a multi-stage puzzlehuntPuzzlehunt
A puzzlehunt is a puzzle game where teams compete to solve a series of puzzles at a particular site, in multiple sites and/or via the internet. Groups of puzzles in a puzzle hunt are often connected by a metapuzzle, leading to answers which combine into a final set of solutions...
that requires team effort to solve).