American crossword puzzle compiler and editor Eugene Thomas Maleska (1916 – 1993), Massachusetts, 1988. Maleska was New York Times crossword editor from 1977 until his death. (Photo by Michael Brennan/Getty Images)
8. In 1924, the New York Times described crosswords as a “sinful waste in the utterly futile finding of words, the letters of which will fit into a prearranged pattern.” It looks like critics were never really pleased. Now, the New York Times crossword is a popular feature, even paying crossword writers $200 for a weekday puzzle and $1,000 for a Sunday puzzle.