Department of Anthropology Goldsmiths Anthropology ... · The People’s Puzzle: crosswords and...
Transcript of Department of Anthropology Goldsmiths Anthropology ... · The People’s Puzzle: crosswords and...
Department of Anthropology
Goldsmiths Anthropology Research Papers
The People’s Puzzle: crosswords and knowledge politicsOlivia Swift
The People’s Puzzle: crosswords and knowledge politicsOlivia Swift
GARP13GoldsmithsCollege2007
Goldsmiths Anthropology Research Papers
Editors:MaoMollona,EmmaTarlo,FrancesPine,OliviaSwift
TheDepartmentofAnthropologyatGoldsmithsisoneofthenewestinBritain,having
beenformallycreatedin1985.Weareproudofwhatwehaveachievedsincethen,and
inparticularofthewaythatpeopleinthedepartment–students,staffandresearchers
–havesoughttobroadenthefrontiersofthedisciplineandtoengagecriticallyand
creativelywiththetraditionsofanthropologyinthecontemporaryworld.
WehopethatGoldsmithsAnthropologyResearchPaperswillprovideaplatformto
communicatesomeoftheworkthatmakestheGoldsmithsdepartmentdistinctive.It
includesarticlesbymembersofacademicstaff,researchfellows,PhDandotherstudents.
GARPNumber13
©GoldsmithsCollege,UniversityofLondonandOliviaSwift2007
OliviaSwiftisaPhDcandidateintheDepartmentofAnthropologyatGoldsmithsCollege,
conductingavillagestudyoftradeunionismamongFilipinoglobalseafarers.Shehasa
professionalbackgroundinjournalismandtheartsandisfrustratinglybadatcrosswords.
ISBN978-1-904158-88-2
CoverimagecourtesyofOliviaSwift
Allrightsreserved.Nopartofthispublicationmaybereproducedinanyformorbyany
meanswithoutthepermissionofthepublishers.
FirstpublishedinGreatBritain2007byGoldsmithsCollege,UniversityofLondon,
NewCrossSE146NW.
AdditionalcopiesofthispublicationareavailablefromtheDepartmentofAnthropology,
Goldsmiths,UniversityofLondon,NewCross,LondonSE146NW.
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics �
The People’s Puzzle: crosswords and knowledge politics
Everyday,millionsofpeoplelosethemselves
intheworldofcrosswords.Thispaper
considerstheirmotivesfordoingsoandthe
effectcrosswordshaveontheirlives.Itstems
frommyideathatthebarsofthecrossword
gridrepresenttheprison-likeCulture
Industry,asdescribedbyTheodorAdorno
oftheFrankfurtSchoolofcriticaltheorists
(1991)1.IdonotknowwhetherAdornodid
crosswords,butwerehetohavetheorised
aboutthem,Isuspecthewouldhavesee
themnotasdeviceswithwhichsolversare
freetoboosttheirbrainpowerandtoenjoy
afewmomentsescapefromdailylifeover
acupoftea,butratherasalienatingtools
thatdictateknowledge,rationaliselived
experienceandmaintainthestatusquoof
socially-circulatinginformation.
Thispessimisticviewofthefunctionof
crosswordswaswhatfirstencouragedme
tothinkmoreaboutcrosswords.Ithen
wantedtoseewhetheritrangtrue,by
tracingtheculturalpoliticspervadingthe
relationshipsbetweenthoseinvolvedinthe
productionandconsumptionofcrosswords.
WhatIdiscoveredwereopportunitiesfor
freedom,escape,inspiration,innovation,
mediation,subversionandcritique,
whichexistedalongsidethepotentialfor
alienation,colonialdominationandeven
apossibleroleincontemporaryformsof
Empire.Ratherthanpresentingcrosswords
asachallengetoAdorno’sCultureIndustry
model,Iarguethatallthispotentialis
entirelycompatiblewithit,solongas
theCultureIndustryisunderstoodas
complexratherthansimplyasagrim,all-
encompassing,impenetrableandalienating
socialconstruction.
Theresearchforthispaperincluded
interviews–mostlyone-to-one-with
crosswordsolvers,setters,editorsand
publishers,aswellasarchivalresearch.The
solitarynatureofcrosswordsolvingmeant
thattherewasnooneobvioussiteinwhich
toconductmyinvestigations,although
duringthecourseofthestudyIdid
discoveravarietyofcommunitiesformed
fromaloveofcrosswords.Although
Iadvertisedforresearchparticipants
inlocationsattractingwide-ranging
demographicssuchascommunitylibraries,
themajorityofcrosswordsolvingresearch
1ThetermwascoinedbyAdornoandHorkheimer,
exiledfromNaziGermanytotheU.S.wherethey
foundcapitalistdemocracytobeasbrutalaregimeas
thattheyhadleftbehind.Thetermreferstoashiftin
theconceptof‘culture’–associatedinitsidealstate
withart,withsomethingsetapartfromindustry–to
aconceptionof‘culture’asacommodity,subsumed
withincapitalism,thathaslostitsabilitytocritique
therestoflife.AmongtheimplicationsoftheCulture
Industryarethecollapsingtogetherofhighandlow
artand,criticaltothispaper,that‘work’and‘leisure’
arenotindependentofoneanotherbutthatleisure
reproduceswork.
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics�
participantswereeitherknowntome
priortothisstudyorintroducedtomefor
itspurpose.Therefore,theydonotreflect
necessarilythetruevarietyofthosedoing
crosswords.Manyforexampleweremen,
whereasthemajorityofsolversareinfact
women(ifstatisticsprovidedbyapuzzle
publisherquotedlaterarerepresentative
ofcrosswordsolversatlarge).
Ihopeneithertohaveoverlyreified
crosswordsnortohaveneglectedthe
actualpeoplesolvingthem.AsAppadurai
notes‘nosocialanalysisofthingscan
avoidaminimallevelofwhatmightbe
calledmethodologicalfetishism’(1986:5).
However,Iintendcrosswordstoactmerely
asameansofglimpsingonewayinwhich
peopleinteractwithoneanotherusingan
object,anobjectalltooreadilydismissed
assolitaryinitsusageandtherefore
outsidetherealmofanthropologicalstudy.
Thesolitarynatureofcrosswordsismore
apparentthanrealhowever2,becauselike
allcompanionlessactivities,crosswords
involveinstitutionalprocessesandshared
values(Long1989:185).
Sincecrosswordsareobjectsmadefrom
bars,squaresandalsowords,Ialsohope
toavoidtheoverlycommonseparationof
wordsandthings,(notablyreconciledby
FoucaultinLes Mots et Le Choses,1966),
therebyminimisingthemethodological
fetishismdescribedbyAppadurai.A
crosswordwithoutwords(orthepromise
ofwords)isjustanobjectonapage.In
crosswords,thingsandwordsareone.
Althoughwordsandthingsareonein
crosswords,otherdichotomiesareinherent
withinthisstudy.Referencestotheblack
andwhiteandthe‘downandacross’
structureofthecrosswordgridcameup
timeandagainininterviews,andechothe
useofopposingbinariesinstructuralistand
cognitiveanthropologybythelikesofLevi-
StraussandofMaryDouglas–whosesocial
modelcontrastsgroupwithgrid–and
alsobythelesser-knownMonicaHeller
(1994)whomakesspecificuseofcontrast
withincrosswordsasametaphorforthe
interweavingofformthatisapartof
ethnographicresearchingeneralandher
studyoflanguage,educationandethnicity
inFrenchOntarioinparticular.
Whilethisstudyisnotanexercisein
findingmetaphorsforthedisciplineof
anthropology,thefactthatcrosswordsare
builtaroundcontrastmakesthemauseful
toolforthinkingaboutanthropology,most
notablythatunlikecrosswordsthemselves,
ananthropologyofcrosswordsisnotblack
2Competition,whilenotathemespecificallyexplored
inthispaper,appearstomediatethedynamicin
crosswordconsumptionbetweentheindividualand
others/thegroup,intheformofcompetingagainstthe
self,friends,foraprize,againsttheclock,theCulture
Industryandcapitalism.
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics �
andwhite.Rather,itisgrey.Notgreyas
inaboringshadebetweenextremesof
colourbutgreyasinagreyarea,aspaceof
interestinguncertaintyinwhichcrosswords
emergeneitherexclusivelyastheproduct
ofaCultureIndustrythatdictates
knowledgeinaone-waydirectionasa
meansofrationalisingandstandardising
humanlife,norassourcesofrecreation
andknowledge,freefromculturalpolitics.
Thispaperformsfoursections.Thefirst
examinescrosswordsassocialagentsthat
mediaterelationshipsandcommunities.
Thesecondaskswhattypesofpeople
formthesecommunities,andwhatthis
mighttellusabouttheroleofcrosswords
asalienatingdeviceswithintheCulture
Industry.Thethirdarguesthatthemaking
anduseofcrosswordsdemonstrate
thecomplexitiesofAdorno.Thepaper
endswithspeculationsabouttheroleof
crosswordsinapostcolonial,globalcontext.
Crosswords as social agents
Crosswordsarenotdesignedtobeshared.
Inthewordsofoneresearchparticipant,‘I
liketobeincontrolofthepensosharing
acrosswordistricky’.Ithinkthatitisfor
thisreasonthatsharingthecrossword
isforsome,anactofintimacy.Another
intervieweereflectedthathe‘wouldn’t
docrosswordswithastranger.Iusually
dothemalonebutsometimesalsowith
mygirlfriendoverbreakfastinbedat
weekends.’‘Crosswordsareawayof
communicating’,concludedanother,
‘ajumbocrosswordisthesavinggrace
ofatriptomyparents’.The Guardian
underestimatedtheimportanceof
crosswordstorelationshipswhenit
moveditscrypticandquickcrosswords
tothesamepage,muchtotheannoyance
ofcouplesnolongerabletodoacrossword
each,simultaneously.
Beyondthemostintimateofrelationships,
crosswordssurelyplayapartinimagined
communitiesformedbyreadersof
newspapers(cf.Anderson1983)andalsoin
similarlyanonymousrelationshipsbetween
settersandsolvers,fondlydescribedin
thefollowingwordsofsetterEdmund
Akenhead:‘Settersareofcoursesadists
(althoughinthenicestpossibleway)and
sinceallsolversappeartobemasochists
thisleadstoaratherbeautifulrelationship’
(quotedinGreer2001:13).AdamReed,
inhisstudyofenthusiastsoftheauthor
HenryWilliamson,recountsresearch
participantsdescribingtheactofreading
ashostingtheauthor’sconsciousness(2002:
7).Inarelatedvein,solverstowhomI
spokeseemedtoinstilcrosswordswith
personhood,despitetheanonymityof
somecrosswordsorthepseudonymsused
byothersthatactivelydistancesolversfrom
setters.One‘blamesthecrossword’when
heisstuckonthefinalfewclues.Another
associatedcrosswordspublishedon
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics�
differentdaysoftheweekwithdifferent
setters:‘IgetonwellwithMonday’sand
Friday’scrosswordbutamstillatodds
withTuesday’s’.
Thesecommentsallsuggestanawareness
ofthepersonwhocreatedthepuzzle
withinthepuzzleitself.Amongmy
researchparticipants,thisawarenesshad
notmotivatedthemenoughtoactually
contactasetteroreditor.However,one
setterspokeofbeingtakenoutforlunch
onaregularbasisinpaymentforthe
pleasurehiscrosswordsbroughttoone
manandhiswife.
Cananthropologyhelpushere?
Anthropomorphisingofthegridmay
suggestloosesimilaritieswiththatof
decorativeartdescribedbyAlfredGell
(1988).Likethepsychologicalappealof
decorativeartthatresultsinwhatGell
describesas‘abductionofagency’,the
imbuingofcrosswordswithpersonhood
mayalsoberelatedtosomekindofdraw
tothegrid.‘Openingupthecrossword
pageofthepaperislikethedrawoffresh
snowtofeet’saidoneenthusiast.Another
wasattractedtothesymmetriesofpuzzles.
Severalparticipantsreferredtocrosswords
as‘littleblackandwhitesquares’,
reflectingperhapstheuniversalappealof
thetwocoloursasestablishedbyBerlinand
Kay(1969)3.
Ultimatelythough,whatperhapsmakes
agridcomealiveisthatmosthumanof
qualities:humour.DuringmyresearchI
heardrepeatedlythatagood(cryptic)
clueisonethatbringsasmiletoasolver’s
face.Topresenthumourasasocialgelin
relationsbetweensettersandsolversbegs
alookatAdorno’stakeonhumour.For
him,humourisa‘parodyofhumanity…to
laughatsomethingisalwaystoderideit’
(1979:141).Quotingfurther,‘Thetriumph
ofbeautyiscelebratedbyhumour…There
islaughterbecausethereisnothingto
laughat’(ibid.:140),and‘Inafalsesociety
laughterisadiseasewhichhasattacked
happinessandisdrawingitintoitsown
worthlesstotality’(ibid.:140).Importantly
then,humour,asasocialgel,andhumour
asasmokescreenforemptiness,arenot
independentofoneanother.Iconsiderthe
formertobecontainedwithinthelatter.
Justascrosswordsmediaterelationships
betweensolversandsetters,theyalsobring
togethergroupsofsetters.Suchgroups
seemtoprovidecomforttothosesharing
intheexperienceofsetting,especially
itssymptomatic‘insanity’,describedby
onesetterthus:‘everythinghascluing
potential,yourheadneverstopsplaying
withwords.Itmakesyouquestionyour
sanity’.Sincemostcrosswordprofessionals
worklonghoursonafreelancebasisat
3Althoughblackandwhitearenottechnicallycolours.
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics �
homesgeographicallyfarapartfrom
oneanother,relationshipsbetween
themseemtobebaseduponsporadic
email,telephoneandchatroomcontact,
punctuatedbymeetingsatspecificevents
andcompetitions,suchastheAzed4
gathering–asocietyofcrosswordsetters,
editorsandenthusiasts-whichhasmet
regularlyforthelast20years.
Solversalsoform,orreinforce,real(rather
thanimagined)relationshipswithone
another.Inspiteofmostparticipants
statingapreferenceforusingpen
andpaperforthesettingandsolving
ofcrosswords,onlinecrosswordsand
associatedchatroomsdoexist.Some
participantshadspecificfriendswhothey
wouldtextwhenneedinghelpsolving
clues.Otherswerepartofphysicalgroups
formedfromacommonloveofcrosswords.
‘Atcollegetherewasagroupofuswho
woulddothecrosswordoverfryups’said
onesolver.‘Evennow,threeofusmeet
everySaturdayanddothecrossword
together.’
Just a game?
Havingconsideredsomeoftheformsof
communitymediatedbycrosswords,the
nextquestiontoansweriswhattypeof
personscomprisessuchcommunities?
Undeniably,themajorityofcrossword
settersandeditorsarewhite,middle-class
meninpossessionofBourdieu’scultural
capital(1989),accumulatedviafamily,
diffuseandinstitutionalisededucation.
Forexample,amongthesettersand
editorstakingpartinthisstudywerea
civilservant,cricketumpire,statistician,
novelist,andbarrister.OfthesettersI
spoketo,almostalldescribedgrowing
uparoundacrossword-solvingparent
orgrandparentasinfluencingtheirown
crosswordhabits.Oneheldaparticularly
clearimageofhisgrandfathercutting
outThe Timescrosswordeverymorning,
4AzedisthepseudonymofJonathanCrowther,
crosswordsetterforThe Observer.TheAzedcrossword
appearsinThe ObservereverySundayandtheAzed
honourslistawardspointsfor1st,2ndand3rdplacings
inthemonthlyclue-writingcompetitions,aswellas
forVHC(VeryHighlyCommended)clues.Afulllisting
ofcluesanddetailedcommentsbyAzedareavailable
inthemonthlyAzedSlips.Thesedatebacktothestart
oftheAzedseriesin1972andcontinueatradition
begunbyAzed’spredecessorXimenes.Onceayear,the
SlipincludestheAnnualHonoursListofcompetitors
whohaveaccumulatedthemostpointsinthecourse
oftheyear.Asilversalverispassedoneachyearfrom
theholderoffirstplaceintheHonoursListtohisor
hersuccessor,andasmallsilvercupislikewisepassed
onfromthewinnerofeachmonthlycompetitionto
thenext.EachSlipalsoincludesAzed’scommentson
thecurrentcompetitionandhisideasoncrosswordsin
general,givingadviceonclue-writingandanswering
solvers’queries.Inthiswayadialoguebetweensetters
andsolversismaintained.Approximatelyeveryfive
years,milestonenumbersintheAzedcrosswordseries
aremarkedbydinnersforsolversandtheirpartners
andfriends.TheSlipsubscriberslistisusedtoinform
solversoftheseevents(whicharealsoannouncedinThe
Observer),enablingkeensolverstomeeteachotherand
Azed.Seewww.crossword.org.uk/azed.htm
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics�
attachingittohismirror,shavingwhile
mentallysolvingthepuzzle,beforecalmly
goingdowntobreakfast.
Familyinfluenceswererarelydescribedas
activeinfluencesbutratherlikeosmosis.
‘Idon’tremembersittingdowntolearn
howtosolvecrosswords.Itjustsortof
happened’,ponderedonesetter.‘Learning
crosswordswaspartoflearningthefacts
oflife’,suggestedanother.Athirdrecalled
afavouriteschoolteacherstartingeach
lessonwithacrosswordclue.Anothersaid
‘crosswordsarejustthingsyouendupdoing
atschool.Itwasthatkindofenvironment’.
Thedemographicmakeupofthose
solvingcrosswordsishowevermorevaried.
Crosswordsarecarriednotonlybynational
broadsheetsbutalsobyanendlessarrayof
‘low-brow’publications,manyofwhichare
aimedatthefemaleand/or‘grey’markets.
AccordingtopuzzlepublisherBauer,85
percentoftheirreadersarefemaleandon
averageareatleast50yearsofage5.
Ithardlyneedsstatingthenthatcrossword
solvingisnotexclusivelythepursuitofthe
bourgeoisiebutalsooftheworkingclass,
notonlyofmenbutalsoofwomen,notonly
oftheemployedbutalsotheunemployed
andretired.Howthenarewetounderstand
crosswordsinrelationtoworkasopposedto
leisure,abinarycentraltoAdorno’sCulture
Industry?InAdorno’swords:
Thedifferencebetweenworkand
freetimehasbeenbrandedasanorm
inthemindsofthepeople,atboth
theconsciousandtheunconscious
level.Because,inaccordancewiththe
predominantworkethic,timefree
ofworkshouldbeutilizedforthe
recreationofexpendedlabourpower,
thenwork-lesstime,preciselybecause
itisamereappendageofwork,is
severedfromthelatterwithpuritanical
zeal(1991:189).
Thecategorisingofcrosswordsasleisure
iswellestablished.80percentofreaders
ofBauerpuzzletitles,forexample,agree
thatpuzzles(includingcrosswords)help
themrelaxandunwind6.Manyinterviewees
associatedcrosswordswithbeingonholiday.
Asapeacefulandpositivemeansoffilling
leisuretime,crosswordstoptheUK’sHome
Officelistofapprovedrecreationalactivities
forprisoninmates(Balfour2003:38).And
thecategorisingofcrosswordsasleisureisof
coursereinforcedbytheirplacementamong
backpagesofpublications,farremoved
fromthenewsstoriesandfeaturesthat
dominateearliersections.
Soentrenchedistheequatingofcrosswords
withleisuretimethatcrosswordshave
attractedcriticismfordiminishingeconomic
5www.tpconline.co.uk/website/puzzle.cfm6www.tpconline.co.uk/website/puzzle.cfm
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics �
productivity.A‘crosswordwidow’in
Chicago,forexample,suedherhusbandfor
neglectinghisfinancialresponsibilitiesby
spendingtoomuchtimesolvingcrosswords
andwasorderedbyajudgetolimithimself
tothreepuzzlesperday(Greer2001:3).A
morepubliccomplaintwasmadeagainst
crosswordsbyThe Timesin1924:‘All
Americahassuccumbedtothecrossword
puzzle.Itisamenacemakingdevastating
inroadsontheworkinghoursofevery
rankandsociety’.Thepaperestimatedthat
Americansspentfivemillionhoursevery
daydoingcrosswordpuzzles,manyof
which,itscolded,shouldhavebeenworking
hours(quotedinBalfour2003:115).
FromAdorno’sperspectivehowever,The
Timesmissedthepoint.Leisure,heargued,
isanartificialconcept.Althoughopposed
toworkinthemindsofthepeople,leisure
infactreproducesit,byrefreshingworkers
andincreasingproductivitywhileatthe
sametimefuellingtheeconomywith
theprofitsoftheleisureindustry:‘Free
timemustnotresembleworkinanyway
whatsoever,inorder,presumably,that
onecanworkallthemoreeffectively
afterwards’(Adorno1991:189).
Whilecrosswordsarenotinaneinthe
samewayasthoseleisureactivitiesto
whichAdornoprimarilyreferred(and
perhapsforthisveryreason),theycouldbe
conceivedofasameansofeasingworkers
intothementalrequirementsdemanded
ofthemintheworkplace,particularlyin
thecontemporaryknowledgeeconomy
(Castells1996)7.SolversIspoketo
supportedthisposition.Onepresented
atheorythatThe Timescrosswordis
purposefullylessdifficultatthestartof
theweekasameansofeasinginworkers,
becomingincreasinglymoretaxingasthe
weekgoesonasameansofmaximising
solvers’mentalpotential.Another(a
composer)describedhowdoingthe
crosswordinthemorningindicatesthathe
‘wasnothung-overandthatitwouldbea
goodcomposingday’.
Ifcrosswordsreproducethelogicoflabour,
wouldwenotexpectthemajorityof
thosesolvingthemtobeworkers?Andif
so,whatarewetomakeofthemarked
popularityofcrosswordsolvingamong
womenandtheelderly?WhileIcannot
answerthesequestions,Icanonlyconcede
thatneitherAdornonorBourdieuare
abletoexplainthescopeofcrossword
consumption(examinedin
7HencewhyIdonotdistinguishdifferentdegreesof
inanityinleisureactivitiesinthispaper.Instead,Iargue
thatwhilecrosswordsappearamore‘productive’use
ofleisuretimevis-à-visotheractivities,theymustbe
understoodaspartofahomogenisedleisurecategory
thatreproduceswork,inorderthattheirguiseas
providingopportunitiesforindividualstobetter
themselvesoutsideofcapitalism,mightbecritiqued.
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics�
thenextsection)8.Thisispartlybecause,
asAdornohimselfmadeclear,astudyof
consumptioninisolationofproductionis
necessarilyblinkered.Adornounderstood
audienceresponsesasmerefunctions
ofproduction(1991:67,citedinHutnyk
2000:48).Giventhelimitsofthisresearch
paper,Iamunabletodescriberelations
andprocessesofcrosswordproduction,as
ideallyIwouldinalargerproject.However,
whileIfocusoncrosswordconsumption,
IdonotabandonAdorno.Indeed,Inow
reviewthecommodificationofcrosswords,
inorderthattheyqualifyforanalysisusing
hisCultureIndustrycriteria.
Trapped in the grid?
Crosswordsarefoundnotonlyin
newspapersbutalsoinmagazinesand
booksandonwebsites,NTL,digitalTV,CD
Romsandpocketelectronicgames.Interms
ofnewspapersales,theoldmaximrings
true:‘Theycomeforthenews,theystayfor
thefeaturesandinparticulartheystayfor
theobituariesandthecrossword’(Balfour
2003:54).Almostallmyparticipants
quotedcrosswordsasamotiveforbuying
apaper,onefacetiouslysaid‘finishingthe
crosswordquicklyonalongtrainjourney
isreallyannoying.Itmeanshavingtoread
therestofthepaperthatthecrossword
wasanexcusetobuy’.Giventhatinthe
USalone,anestimated27percentof
thepopulationdocrosswords(Balfour
2003:121),theproportionofpublications
boughtbecauseofthecrosswordmustbe
staggering,andofparticularconcernto
theeditorofThe Timesinthelate1920s
whofoundhimselfinacirculationwar
witharivalpaperwhich,likeThe Times,
waspricedattwopencebutunlikeThe
Timesatthatpoint,boastedthecrossword
puzzlethatreaderscraved(Greer2001:5).
Furthermore,crosswordsoffernotsimply
ameansofsellingpublicationsbutalsoof
advertisingapublication’sethos.Themore
liberalnatureofThe Guardiancrossword
forexamplediffersmarkedlyfromthe
classicalconservatismofThe TimesorThe
Telegraphcrosswords,bothstylesreflecting
thewiderethosofeachnewspaper.
Researchparticipantsconsidered
informationinThe Guardiancrossword,
forexample,morecontemporaryandmore
liberalinitspoliticalbiasthatthatofThe
Timescrossword.Theydescribedthelatter
as‘moretraditionalandconservative’.
Thesedifferencesmatchedparticipants’
impressionsofthetwopublicationsoverall.
Crosswordsinnewspapersarenotfound
8Theymaybemoreusefulifcrosswordsareconceived
ofasaseriesoftypes(e.g.crypticandquick,those
inpuzzlebooks,popularmagazines,etc.)insteadof
onesinglecategory.Thisheterogeneousapproach
howevermisseswhatisinherentandinterestingabout
crosswords(e.g.thenotionofcontrast,grid,hidden
meaningandsoforth),andrenderscrosswordsmere
representativepartsofwiderpublications,eachof
whichismorereadilyassociatedwithaspecificclass
thanthecrosswordpuzzleisinisolation.
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics �
inisolationfromothercrosswordproducts.
Manycrosswordsarelinkedtoother
fundraisinggimmicksthatcreatenew
opportunitiesforprofit.AlmostallBritish
crossword-carryingnationalnewspapers,
forexample,alsohaveanonlinecrossword
sectionrequiringsubscriptionfees,along
witha60pence-per-minuteclueanswering
hotline.Somenewspapersalsoseek
sponsorshipfortheircrossword,afurther
chanceforgeneratingincome.Although
thetotalrevenuegeneratedbycrosswords
isimpossibletocalculate,thespecialist
puzzlepublishingmarketalone,ofwhich
crosswordsareamajorpart,isworthsome
£50million9.Asanindustry,crosswords
involvenotjustsettersbutahugeweb
ofemployeesincludingeditorsand
publishers,puzzleconsultantsandmedia
servicesemployees(whoactasmiddlemen
betweenpuzzleproducersandpublishers).
Viewingcrosswordsascommoditiesallows
ustoassessthemasaproductwithinthe
CultureIndustryasunderstoodbyAdorno.
Here,Iconsiderseveralaspectsofthis
functioning,thefirstofwhichconcerns
standardisation(Adorno1979,1991:68)(of
culturalproductsratherthanproduction
processes)andrationalisation.Others,that
Icometolater,lookattherelationship
betweencrosswordproducersand
consumers;thewayinwhichconsumers
usecrosswordstocritiquepowerwithin
language;crosswordsassourcesof
innovationratherthanrestriction;cultural
productsspun-offfromcrosswords
(themselvespartoftheCultureIndustry);
andthepotentialofcrosswordsfor
politicalsubversion.
Adornoexplainshisuseoftheterm
‘rationalisation’asreferringnotto
technologicalproductionprocessesbutto
theincorporationofindustrialformsof
organisationwithinacultural,ratherthan
manufacturing,realm(1991:100–1).While
thisistrueofthecrosswordindustry,I
prefertotreattherationalityofcrosswords
aspartoftherationalisationofcrosswords
asindustry.
Standardisation and rationalisation
Crosswordsatfirstappearprimeexamples
oftheprocessesofstandardisationand
rationalisation.Theirordereddesignand
theunambiguousnature(ofcrypticclues)
areinherentlyrational.Crosswordscanbe
seenaspartofa‘cultoffacts’thatAdorno
describedasreplacing‘thecultofGod’
(2001:157).Amidasenseofuncertainty
thatisaprimeco-ordinateofmodernity,
theCultureIndustry,arguedAdorno,
maintainssocialorderbypromoting
rationality,andcrosswordscouldbe
seenasonewayofdoingso.Crosswords
arguablyalsoperpetuatetheideathat
‘solutions’existforall‘problems’andthat
9www.puzzlemedia.com
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics�0
thoseinauthorityhaveprivilegedaccessto
thesesolutions(whetherpoliticians,state
intelligenceofficials,crosswordsetters,
newspapereditorsandsoforth).Thus,
theyencourageablinkeredloyalty
towardthoseinpositionsofpower
(cf.Adorno1991:105).
Certainly,crosswordcommentatorBarnard
attributesthepsychologicalappealof
crosswordstotheircomfortingrationality:
Itisstrangeinaworldbesetbyreal
problemsofinescapableclamancy,
manshouldchoosetosethimself
stillmoreproblemsintheformof
patternsandclues…Itmaybethat
hefindsitawelcomechallenge
tograppleoccasionallywithsome
challenge,which,unlikesomanyof
theworld’sproblems,reallycanbemet
–somethingwhichreallyhasgotan
answer,andcanbesolved(Barnard,
quotedinGreer2001:9).
Myresearchparticipantsalsoalludedto
somethingtherapeuticaboutcrosswords:
‘solvingcrosswordsiseasierthansolving
problemsinreallife’broodedone.‘When
IwasgrowingdepressedinBerlinthey
weretheonlythingthatkeptmesane’.
Another(quotedinBirkner2003)described
losinghimselfincrosswords:‘It’sanescape
toventureintotheworldoflittlewhite
boxes.Youfeelfarremovedfromallthe
thingsyouhavetodothatday.’
Crosswordsalsoinitiallyappeartofunction,
likeAdorno’sCultureIndustry,tomaintain
thestatusquoofcapitalismintheminds
ofthepeople.Theydemandmental
attentionandthenappeartodictate
limitedknowledgeinreturn.Consider,for
examplethetypeofknowledgeconveyed
inthecrosswordsofpopularmagazines.
Ithardlyneedsstatingthatcelebrity
magazinecrosswordscarryknowledge
aboutcelebritiesandthatmusicmagazine
crosswordscarryknowledgeaboutmusic.
Men’spopularmagazinehavecrosswords
containinginformationaboutcomputer
games,popularmusic,cars,filmandsport;
Private Eye’scrosswordinvolvessatire;
thecrosswordinThe Lady(long-running,
Britishwomen’stitle)holdsknowledge
aboutart,flora,faunaandliterature.The
typesofknowledgeineachreinforceinthe
mindsofreaderstheinformationstatus
quouponwhichthepublication’sculture
isbuilt.
Suchastancegoesagainstthebeliefheld
bythesolversIspoketothatcrosswords
areadeviceforlearning,ratherthan
reinforcingexistinglimitsto,knowledge.
When,however,Ipressedparticipants
aboutwhattheyhadlearnedfrom
crosswords,noonecouldrecallexamples
otherthanwhatBerry(2004)describes
as‘crosswordese’:wordsfavoured
bycrosswordsettersbecauseoftheir
arrangementoflettersbutwhicharetoo
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics ��
obscuretoariseinday-to-daysituations.
Examplesinclude‘smee’(akindofduck),
‘ulu’(aknifeusedbynativeAlaskans),
and‘esne’(amedievalEnglishlabourer).
StanleyBaldwinreferredtosuchwordsata
PressClublunchinthe1920s:
IasPrimeMinisterandyouas
journalistsareengagedinthecommon
workoftryingtoelevatethepeoplein
thiscountry,andyouaredoingittoday
throughthatmarvellousmedium,the
crosswordpuzzle.Thereishardlynow
aman,womanorchildinthiscountry
whoisnotfamiliarwiththenameof
Eli.ThefactthatAsawasKingofJudah
canbeconcealednowfromnone
(quotedinGreer2001:4).
Thiskindofknowledgeservesonlyto
betterequipsolversastheyanswerclues
butasameansofdevelopingpractical
knowledgeitisredundant.Accordingto
industryspecialistshowever,‘crossword-
specific’knowledgeisindecline.We
canassumethereforethatcrossword
knowledgeingeneralislesslikelythanever
toteachasolversomethingtheydonot
alreadyknow.Afterall,andassettersstress,
crosswordcluesshouldbebattlesofwits,
nottestsofknowledge(Greer2001:30).
Whatarewetomakethenoftheinsistence
ofbothsettersandsolversthatcrosswords
areameansoflearning?Andifcrosswords
werenoteffectivevehiclesforlearning,
whywouldteachersusethemaseducation
devices?Theadvicegiventosettersof
The Timescrosswordreadsasfollows:
‘Vocabularyshouldbefamiliartoaperson
ofareasonablelevelofeducationand
knowledge…Ontheotherhand,one
ofthebenefitsofdoingcrosswordsis
learningnewwords,soanoccasionalless
commonwordisjustifiable’(quotedin
Greer2001:52).
Clearly,thereisacaseforthecrosswordas
ateachingdeviceandalthoughitmayonly
beafractionofapuzzle’scluesthatfurther
asolver’sknowledge,itwouldbepremature
todismisscrosswordsasmaintainingstatus
quowithoutfirstconsideringtheactive
effortonthepartofsetterstofurthertheir
ownknowledgeandthatoftheirsolvers.
AsWillShortz,crosswordeditorofThe New
York Timeswrites:
Thereissomuchknowledgeinthe
worldandItrytoencompassallof
it–literature,opera,classicalmusic,
geography–uptomodernsubjects
likemovies,TV,rock‘n’rollandsports
(quotedinBirkner2003).
Appadurai,inhisaccountofthe
standardisationoftechnicalproduction
knowledge,acknowledgesthatsecondary
orluxurycommoditiesincurgreater
variationinproductionknowledgedue
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics��
to‘taste,judgementandindividual
experience’(1986:42)whencompared
toprimarycommoditiessuchasgrains
andfuels.Followingthisformulation,I
suggestcrosswordsfallintothisluxury
category.Otherthanhavingtoconform
toapublication’shousestyle,mostsetters
describethemselvesasfreetochoose
themesandcontentofcrosswords.Indeed,
manyincludesecretmessagestofriends
orlovedoneswithintheirpuzzlesona
regularbasis.Inonewell-knownexample,
theThe New York Timescrosswordonce
carriedamarriageproposal.
OnesetterIinterviewedclaimedstarting
eachcrosswordwithawordfromthe
dictionaryhedidnotalreadyknow.
Similarly,thethemeshechosewere
inspiredbythingshehadreadelsewhere
orbypersonalexperiences:‘forexample
IwasataconcertinChesterCathedral
lastweekwithmywifeandheardapiece
byBenjaminBrittenaboutbirdsong.I
knewlittleaboutthetopicsoitseemed
aninterestingthemeforacrossword’.
Andsureenough,ashortwhilelaterThe
Spectator’s1,677thpuzzlewaspublished
withthetheme‘DawnChorus’.
Ultimately,settershavetoproducepuzzles
thatstandoutfromothersreceivedby
crosswordeditorsiftheirpuzzleisto
bepublished(inmuchthesameway
asanauthor’sworkhastocatchthe
eyeofapublisher).Thisthendemands
thatcrosswordsinvolveanelementof
innovation,whichinturnguarantees
thattheknowledgetheyimpartismore
thanarepeatofwhathasgonebefore.
Forallthesereasons,viewingcrossword
producersassilentcollaboratorsinthe
workingsoftheCultureIndustrymaybe
naïve.Thisshouldnotofcoursebetaken
asacritiqueofAdorno,whomakesclear
thescopeforinnovationscontainedwithin
commodityproduction,butrathera
reminderthatwithintheCultureIndustry,
suchinnovationsarecontained(Adorno
1979:18–22).
Other ways in which crosswords demand
complex readings of Adorno
Thereareotherwaysinwhichcrosswords
requireacomplexreadingofAdorno.
First,crosswordknowledgedoesnotflow
inaone-waydirectionfromproducers
toconsumers.Sometimes,editorsreceive
lettersfromsolvers,writingtochallenge
theaccuracyofinformation.Although
thisgoesagainstasimplifiedviewof
theCultureIndustryastoomightytobe
challenged,Iconsideritalsoanexample
ofwhatAdornocalls‘secretomnipresence
ofresistance’(Adorno1991:67,citedin
Hutnyk2000:7,203).Similarly,boundaries
betweenproducersandconsumersare
blurred.Severalparticipantscalling
themselvessolvers,hadalsotried,orhoped
totry,setting.Ontheotherhand,setters
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics ��
claimedto‘relaxbysolvingcrosswords’.
The Timesonlinecrosswordclubhostsa
regularclue-writingcompetitionforits
solvers.Birmingham Evening Mailusedto
publishacrosswordsetbyitsreaders.The
Azedgroupactivelyencouragesdialogue
betweensettersandsolvers(seefootnote
four).Clearly,solversandsetters,like
writersandreaders,areco-constituting.To
viewsolversasdistinct,andatthemercy
oftheCultureIndustryanditscrossword
producingpawns,ismisleading.
Secondly,anoverly-simplisticreadingof
Adornomightalsoexpectsolverstobe
passiveplayers.Isuspectthoughthat
Adornowouldhavepreferredtheword
‘complicit’,knowinglycaughtwithina
totalisingsocietybutnotwithoutsome
elementofreflexivityandresistance.
Insteadofpassivity,Ifoundsolversspokeof
thewaycrosswordshelpthemdeconstruct
andcritiquelanguageinotherarenasin
whichpowerresides(cf.Bourdieu1991)10.
Oneofmyintervieweesclaimedfor
examplethat,‘doingcrosswordsmakesme
constantlydeconstructlanguageindaily
life’.‘It’sasthoughlanguageismadeup
ofmoleculesanddoingcrosswordshelps
breakitdownintoatoms,protonsand
electrons–intothesmallestunitsoftruth.’
Anothersaid:‘crosswordsmakeyouaware
ofhiddenmeaningsinlanguage.They
makeyoumoresensitivetosay,political
slogans.’Viewingsolversaspassivealso
makesnosenseofthepersonalnarratives
evokedwhensolvingclues.AsBalfour
writes,acrypticcrosswordclue‘whenread
straight…shouldbethesortofphrasethat
triggersmemories,orthoughts,orextracts
anemotionalresponse’(2003:86).
Evenifitcouldbesaidwithcertaintythat
(cryptic)crosswordsallownoscopefor
individualinterpretationoragencyinthe
processofsolvingclues,inherentwithin
crypticcluesthemselvesisasourceofhope
thatgoesagainsttheclosedandcontrolled,
overly-simplisticimageofcrosswords
asCultureIndustryproducts.Cryptic
crosswordcluesdrawunrelatedstrands
ofknowledgetogether,asdometaphors,
andarehenceinNietzsche’sandAristotle’s
terms,asourceofinnovationandof
truth,ratherthanofrestrictionand
falsehood(Culler1981:204–5;Lakoff&
Johnson1980).Amorecomplexreadingof
crosswordsrecognisestolerated,contained
‘agency’and‘hope’,asfreedomthatleads
tothelimiteddiversityuponwhichthe
CultureIndustrythrives.
Furthermore,crosswordsarealsoasource
ofartisticinspiration.1920ssongsincluded
‘CrosswordPuzzleBlues’and‘Crossword
10Adornomighthoweverhaveinterpretedthis
sensitivityasakindofparodyingofpolitical
sloganeering,inwhichcrosswordsfunctionasariddle
thatdistractsfromthecritiquingofpoliticalwordplay
athigherlevels.
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics��
MammaYouPuzzleMe(ButPapa’sGonna
FigureYouOut)’.OnesolverIspoketo
contemplatedchoreographingdancebased
onthesymmetriesofcrosswordgrids.Such
examplesarefarremovedfromasimplified
understandingofAdornothatseesthese
artisticpursuitsasdisqualifyingcrosswords
fromthedampeningCultureIndustry,but
notfromamorecomplexunderstanding,
onewhichviewsthemasspin-offproducts
containedwithinit.
Afinalpointdemandingacomplex
understandingofAdornoisthe
opportunitycrosswordsprovidefor
politicalstatementsandsubversion.While
thisappearsatoddswithasuperficial
viewoftheCultureIndustryascrushing
(Adorno1979:126),amorenuanced
understandingseessubversioncontained
withintheCultureIndustryandsoagain,
doesnotdisqualifycrosswordsfrombeing
apartofit.Oneexampleisacrossword
thatappearedinThe New York Timeson
ElectionDayin1996,whichcontainedthe
clue‘Leadstoryintomorrow’snewspaper
(7,7)’.Theanswerappearedtobe‘Clinton
elected’butbecauseoftheintended
ambiguityofinteractingclues,theanswer
couldalsohavebeen‘BobDoleelected’.
WillShortz,thecrossword’seditor,said:
ItwasthemostamazingcrosswordI’ve
everseen.Assoonasitappeared,my
telephonestartedringing.Mostpeople
said‘Howdareyoupresumethat
Clintonwillwin!’Andthepeoplewho
filledin‘BobDole’thoughtwe’dmade
awhopperofamistake!
(Shackle2002)11.
AsimilarcasearoseinThe Daily Telegraph
withtheclue‘OutcryatToryassassination
(4,6)’,towhichtheansweris‘blue
murder’.Whileinitselfperhapsnotall
thatobjectionable,thefactthatthe
cluehappenedtoappearinacrossword
publishedon30July1990,thedaythat
IanGow,ajuniorministertoThatcher’s
governmentwaskilledbyabombplanted
bytheProvisionalIRA,causeduproar
(Balfour2003:120).
Themostfamousexampleofcrosswords
assubversivehoweveristhecaseof
crosswordscontainingcodewordsforthe
D-Dayoperation.Overaperiodofmonths,
solutionstocluesofcrosswordspublished
inThe Daily Telegraphincludedwordssuch
as‘Juno’,‘Gold’and‘Sword’,allofwhich
arecommonincrosswordsbutwhichalso
happenedtobecodewords.Thencame
‘Utah’,alesscommoncrosswordsolution
andanothercodeword.Afterit,andonly
daysbeforetheplannedlandings,the
crossworddeliveredcodewords‘Omaha’,
11Thisanecdoteperhapsisalsoanexampleofthe
‘secretomnipresenceofresistance’(Adorno1991:67,
quotedinHutnyk2000:7,203).
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics ��
‘Overlord’,‘Mulberry’andfinally‘Neptune’.
WarningbellsrangatMI5,especiallyasthe
Telegraph’scrosswordhadbeendrawnto
itsattentiontwoyearspreviously.
Anexplanationfortheappearanceof
thecodewordswasnotdiscovereduntil
1984,bywhichpointthestoryhadbecome
somethingofamodernlegend,claiming
thecrosswordstohavealmostcausedthe
landings’cancellation.Ittranspiredthatthe
manresponsibleforthepuzzles,Leonard
Dawe,taughtataschoolwhereheset
puzzlesfromwordsthatstudentsinserted
intoblankcrosswordgrids.Theschoolwas
locatedclosetocampsofsoldiersawaiting
theinvasion.Thecodewordsapparently
werewellknowndaysbeforetheinvasion
andpickedupwithexcitementbythe
students,whointurnusedtheminDawe’s
gridswithoutanyintendedagenda
(Gilbert2004).
Whatevertheexplanation,thestory
illustratesthepotentialofcrosswordsto
commentonandinfluencepoliticalevents
andhenceresistsaviewofcrosswords
asgridsimprisoningsolversinmuchthe
samewayasanarrowviewofAdorno
seesmasscultureterrorisingthepublicat
large.Crosswordsmaycompriseaseries
ofrulesandrationalitiesbutIargue
thattheseexamples(althoughmany
areserendipitous),showthatwithinthe
CultureIndustry,genuineopportunities
forfreedom,creativityandsabotageexist.
Adornowouldnotbesurprised.Hehimself
admittedthatitwasanunresolvedasto
whetherart,orothercreativities,might
escapethetotalisingCultureIndustry(1997:
251–2).‘Therealinterestsofindividuals’
hewrote,‘arestillstrongenoughtoresist,
withincertainlimits,totalinclusion’
(1991:197).
Beforeconcluding,letustakestockof
theargument.Mystudyofcrossword
consumptionrevealsthemtobenotsimply
commodifiedinstrumentsofoutright
dominationbutalsoobjectsofpleasure
andpossibility.Whiletheseoppressiveand
liberatingaspectsofcrosswordsstruggle
tocohabitwithinanoverly-simplistic
understandingofAdorno’sCultureIndustry
modelasdespairinglysoulless,Iarguethat
thepleasureandpotentialofcrosswords
isverymuchpartofwhatqualifies
crosswordsformembershipwithinthat
samemodel.Anotableexceptionmaybe
whencrosswordsinvolveblackhumour
orirony–suchasthe‘Toryassassination’
cluementionedearlier–somethingfor
whichtheCultureIndustry,oranyserious
analyticalframe,cannotaccount.
Crossword colonialism
InthisfinalsectionIbroadenthe
geographicalcontextofthisdiscussion,
lookingbackattheoriginsandexport
ofcrosswordsaroundtheworld.Iendby
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics��
speculatingabouttheplaceofcrosswords
inshiftingformsofEmpire.
Althoughfoundallovertheworld,
crosswordsretainanassociationwith
Britain.Theyarethoughttohavebegun
inNewYorkin1913whenanEnglish
émigré,ArthurWayne,editorofthethen
New York Worldneededtofillspacein
the‘fun’sectionofthenewspaper,andso
devisedwhathecalleda‘wordcross’which
requiredreaderstofillinthediamond-
shapedgridwithwordsmatchingthelisted
definitions(Balfour2003:114).The1920s,
however,wasthetimewhencrosswords
trulytookoff,thankstotwoyoung
graduates,SimonandSchuster,publishing
theCross Word Puzzle BookinNewYork,
whichwasanimmediatesuccess.
FiveyearsafterthepublicationofSimon
andSchuster’sbook,allBritishnational
dailynewspaperscarriedacrossword12.
Overthelastsevendecades,crosswordsin
Britaininparticularemergedintheircryptic
form13.Asaresult,crypticcrosswordsin
generalhavebecomeassociatedwith
BritainandBritishcrypticcrosswordsdiffer
notablyfromthoseofothernationalities.
The New York Timescrypticcrossword,for
example,ismoreliteralandlessnarrative
initscluesthanBritishcrypticvarieties
(Balfour2003:103).ThecluesoftheBritish
crypticcrosswordarecharacteristically
unambiguous,perhapsreflectingthe
peculiarlyBritishnotionoffairplay
(Balfour2003:116).
OriginatingintheUSA,adoptedbyother
nations’mediaandbythatoftheBritishin
particular,crosswordshavesubsequently
spreadtofar-flungcornersoftheearth,
aidedinrecentdecadesbytheInternet.
Atthetimeofmyresearch,The Times
crosswordalsoappearedinThe Press(New
Zealand),The AustralianandSouth China
Morning Post.The Guardiancrosswordwas
carriedbyHindustan Times(India),andthe
Evening StandardcrosswordbytheKhaleej
Times(UAE).Americanmediasyndicates
providedbothThe Daily Observer
(Antigua)andThe Times of Indiawith
theircrosswords.
Thesignificanceoftheseexamplesof
crosswordexportperhapsliesinthe
natureoftheknowledgecommunicated
bycrosswords.The Timescrosswordfor
examplecarriesclassicalknowledgeabout
Greekmythology,floraandfauna,thearts,
literature,andsoon,muchofwhichisEuro,
12ThewiderBritishcrosswordindustrybeganlater
however.Themarketleaderinpuzzlepublicationsfor
exampledatesbackonlytothe1970s
(www.puzzlemedia.com).13Thisdevelopmentiscommonlycreditedtothe
punningpotentialoftheEnglishlanguage.Itshould
howeveralsobenotedthatcrypticcrosswordsarefound
inotherlanguagessuchasHebrew,WelshandBengali
(Greer2001:15).
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics ��
ifnotAnglo,centric.Inordertosolveit,
oneneeds,accordingtoacrosswordexpert:
‘TheremnantsofsomeLatin…some‘Kubla
Khan’,quotationsfromHamlet, Macbeth…
Somecricket,thetitlesofafewmusicals,
andthestockisalmostcomplete’(Norton,
quotedinGreer2001:54).
Thislistisofcoursenottobetakenliterally.
Howeveritislistedthough,crossword
knowledgesuchasthatcarriedinThe
Timesandexportedelsewhereisprimarily
accessibletothoseeducatedinEuropeor
preferablyBritain,orinlocationswhere
Britishcontrolhashadalastingimpacton
everydayknowledge.
Suchknowledgeisalsosubjectto
censorshipalonglinesaccordingtoa
veryBritishtypeofsensibilityandmust
fitwithintheparametersofwhatThe
Timeshousestyledescribesasacceptable
‘drawing-roomconversation’.Loosely,
thismeansthatwordslabelledbythe
dictionaryas‘vulgar,disparaging,or
offensive,andwordsthatrelatetotopics
suchassex,bodilyfunctions,deathand
disease,anddruguse’(Berry2004:113)
arediscouraged,thoughaccordingtomy
participants‘badtaste’istoleratedtoday
morethanitusedtobe.
Moreover,itisnotuncommonforBritish
crosswordstorequireknowledgeof
Britishsubjectssuchascricketinorderto
understandthemechanicsofaclue,before
theactualanswercanbereached.The
presenceoftheword‘leg’inacrypticclue
canforexampleindicate‘on’(asinthe
cricketterm‘legon’).Or‘maiden’cancarry
thehiddenmeaning‘over’,asitwouldin
cricket(Balfour2003:109,150).Eventhe
goldenruleofcrosswordsetting–that
settersneednotmeanwhattheysaybut
mustsaywhattheymean–isbasedupon
aquintessentialBritishliterarycharacter,
LewisCarroll’sMadHatter14.
Bygivingamessageaboutwhatconstitutes
expectedanddesirableeveryday
knowledgetoreadersinternationally,
crosswordscreateorperpetuatecolonial
structuresofdominationbetweennations,
unchallengedbecauseoftheirguiseas
harmlessleisure.Insodoing,crosswords
supportthecaseforthecontinued
significanceofthenation-stateinworld
politics(ifpoliticsisunderstoodaspower
relationsbetweenpeopleratherthan
worldgovernmentalaffairs).Suchan
argumentperhapsgoesagainstthat
ofHardtandNegri(2000)forwhom
contemporaryEmpiretakesanewform
inwhichthepowerofthenation-state
isindeclineandissupersededbytiers
14‘WhopointedouttoAlicethattosaythat“Imean
whatIsay”meansthesameas“IsaywhatImean”isas
illogicalastosaythat“IseewhatIeat”meansthesame
as“IeatwhatIsee”’(Greer2001:7).
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics��
ofpower,thethirdofwhichhousesthe
media15.Crosswords,ofcourse,arepartof
themediabutunliketherestofitretain
contentandanidentityfirmlyassociated
withoneortwonation-states(Britain
primarily,butalsotheUSA).Theytherefore
offeratbestapointofcrossoverbetween
oldandnewformsofEmpire,reminiscent
ofCastells’notionofnodesbetween
networksinsociety(2004).Andlike
Castells’nodes,crosswordsareallthemore
potentfortheirstatuswithintwoworlds.
Amoremodestreadingofcrosswords’
dualstatusisthatitdemonstratesareality
(whichHardtandNegriacknowledge,
2000:311)inwhichthemedia,rather
thanrepresentingtheglobalPeople,
independentofthegraspofnation-states,
isinfactrarelyfreefromstatecontrol.
Thispaperbeganwithindividuals-with
thepeoplewieldingthepen-andfound
thatnoonetheoreticalmodeofanalysing
crosswordsaccountsforsimilaritiesand
variationsintheirconsumptionacross
theclassspectrum.ItendswithEmpire
-withthenationswieldingworldpower
-andheretooIamunabletoexplain
thedifferencesbetweennationsin
crosswordhabits(classandnationalitynot
necessarilybeingmutuallyexclusivefactors
determiningcrosswordconsumption).
Theideaofhistoricalrelationsbetween
nationscontinuedinrelationsbetween
theirmediaisapartofwhycrosswords
areaproductspreadunevenlyaroundthe
world.Butsoaresocialisationprocesses
thatleadtoculturalcapitalaccumulation
amongindividualscomprisingthose
nations,nottomentionvariationsin
experiencesofmodernity:therationality
ofcrosswordsappealingindifferentplaces
atdifferenttimestodifferentpeoplefor
differentreasons.Thepuzzlesetatthe
startofthispaperwaswhypeopledo
crosswordsandhowcrosswordsaffect
theirlives.Wordshavebeenoffered,some
ofwhichhelpsolvethequestion.Some
boxesrightlyremainunfilledhowever,
forblackandwhiteboxfillingisnotwhat
anthropologicalquestioningisabout.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Thankstoeveryonewhotookthetime
totalktomeaboutcrosswordsand
particularlytoTimMooreyandAzed.
Thanksalsoto:‘Leaderincrosswords,
mostlyhard-workingandunknown’(7)
(Ans:Cassidy,Rebecca)and‘Couldbe
think-guywithoutGramsci’sextremes’
(6)(Ans:Hutnyk,John),SophieDay,Mao
MollonaandEdwardSimpson,fortheir
patientadvice,andtotheUniversity
ofManchester’sSocialAnthropology
Departmentfortheirenthusiasticfeedback
andthePeter’sEssayPrize(2005).
15ForacritiqueofHardtandNegri,seeHutnyk2004.
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics ��
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Puzzle postscript
Thisstudyhasplacedcrosswordswithin
anthropologicalandothertheory.The
crosswordonthefrontcoverplaces
anthropology,theoryanditstheorists
withinacrossword.Thankyou,Doc(Tom
Johnson)ofThe Spectator,forsettingit.
ACROSS
1Isthisanthropologist’sworkagrind?(6)
4Germancriticaltheoristhastodecorate
withlove(6)
9Fixingship’sropes(7)
10Excessivelyinappropriate(5)
11&21AThrowmeasurestothisSpanish
sociologist(8)
12Significantnarrative?(7)
14He’sdedicatedtoamonasticlifewith
theRoundTable,maybe(6)
16Portuguesecurrency(6)
19Civilization’sbeliefsandvalues
associatedwithvulturesandClub(7)
21See 11 across(4)
23Incites(5)
24Freetimewithwreath.Certainly!(7)
25IndianDravidianlanguage(6)
26Carnivorethatgoespop!(6)
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics ��
DOWN
1SpoilunknownauthorofDas Kapital(4)
2Asymmetricalattachmentto9(7)
3Citedincorrectorder(5)
5AnthropologistontheIsleofMan(7)
6Morethanonespoke(5)
7Gettoobig–forone’sboots?(8)
8Gemstone,silver,wornaway(5)
13Philosopher’spendulum(8)
15Isagustthemakingofan
anthropologist?(7)
17Mutualchangewithsmallaccents(7)
18Kingdom’sgenuinemale(5)
20Lawfulversionof22A(5)
21BanishmentfromSussex–Ileft!(5)
22L-legupforartanthropologist(4)
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics��
RESEARCH in the DEPARTMENT OF
ANTHROPOLOGY at GOLDSMITHS
TheDepartmentofAnthropology
atGoldsmithsprovidesalively,
interdisciplinaryenvironmentforresearch
andpostgraduatestudents.Ourstaff
membershaveinterestsinLatinAmerica,
East,WestandCentralAfrica,SouthAsia,
thePacific,Europe(includingBritain,
ScandinaviaandtheMediterraneanarea)
andtheCaribbean.Theteachinginthe
Departmentalsostressestherelevanceof
anthropologytounderstandingthesociety
inwhichwelive,andourownplacewithin
it.BecauseGoldsmithsisacollegeofthe
UniversityofLondon,studentsalsohave
theopportunitytoattendseminarsand
coursesthroughouttheUniversity,aswell
asavailingthemselvesoftheexcellent
libraryfacilitiesofSenateHouseandthe
constituentcolleges.
Specialfeaturesinclude:
• Amulti-disciplinarydepartmentwith
specialistinterestsintheenvironment,
peasantries,kinship,gender,sexualities
andidentities,powerandtransnational
processes,institutionsandorganisations,
medicalanthropologyandhealth,
theEuropeanUnion,development,
post-structuralism,mediaandvisual
anthropology,materialandpopular
culture,andtheCaribbean
• TheDepartmentoffersawiderangeof
undergraduateandpostgraduatedegree
programmes.Pleasevisit
www.goldsmiths.ac.uk/anthropologyfor
furtherdetails.
• Extensivecomputingfacilitiesanddirect
accesstothecampusnetwork.Wide
rangeofpackages,includingemailand
Internet,SPSS,Endnote,MicrosoftOffice,
AppleMacandothersoftware,according
toindividualneeds
• Closelinkswithotherdepartments
(particularlySociology,theCommunity
andYouthWorksectionofProfessional
andCommunityEducation,Politics,
CentreforCulturalStudies,Mediaand
Communications)
• Anthropologystudentsarewelcometo
attendpostgraduateseminarsinother
partsoftheCollege.
• Researchlinkswithotherprivateand
publicinstitutions:InstituteofLatin
AmericanStudies,CNRS(inParis),
FederalUniversityofBahia(Brazil),Royal
AnthropologicalInstitute,Schoolof
MedicineatStMary’sHospital
• Otherlinks:NationalMaritimeMuseum,
InstituteofCommonwealthStudies,
SocratesErasmusProgramme(which
involvesanthropologydepartmentsin
theUniversitiesofAmsterdam,Lisbon,
Oslo,SienaandStockholm)
ThePeople’sPuzzle:crosswordsandknowledgepolitics ��
Contact us
TheDepartmentofAnthropology’swebsite
isatwww.goldsmiths.ac.uk/anthropology
Foraprospectusandapplication
form,pleasevisitwww.goldsmiths.ac.uk
Oremail:[email protected]
(UKandEUstudents)
(overseas(non-EU)students)
Goldsmiths,UniversityofLondon
NewCross,LondonSE146NW,UK
Previous GARPs:
1. Gorer’sGaze:aspectsoftheinaugurationofaudiencestudiesinBritishtelevision.
Gareth Stanton
2. PerilousIdeas:anthropologicaldebatesincross-culturalarts-projects.
Eleanor Jupp
3. Identity,ResettlementandPerceptionsofChange:theVasavaBhilsofGujarat,India.
Roxanne Hakim
4. TheVirileNation:genderandethnicityinthere-constructionofArgentinianpasts.
Victoria Goddard
5. EnablingFictions:politics,representationandtheenvironmentinMaluku,Indonesia.
Nicola Frost
6. The‘politicsoftheeveryday’:populism,genderandthemediainLaPazandElAlto,Bolivia.
Sian Lazar
7. LifeDownUnder:waterandidentityinanAboriginalculturallandscape.
Veronica Strang
8. ‘Sitanywhereyoulike,we’reallfriendstogether’:reflectionsonbingoculture.
Katherine Mann
9. StudyingWorldSociety.
Keith Hart
10. NegotiatingAutonomy:girlsandparentalauthorityinmultiethnicNorway.
Hilde Lidén
11. AnthropologyandAnarchism:theelectiveaffinity.
Brian Morris
12. TheDevilisintheDetails:representationsofconflictinNorthernMaluku,
easternIndonesia.
Christopher R Duncan