A Six-Letter Word for a Tricky Problem: Puzzle
- Grace Aspinall
- Jan 29
- 4 min read
National Puzzle Day was established in 1994 and achieved widespread recognition by 2002. The celebration offers puzzle lovers a dedicated day to engage in new and familiar activities. Youth and the elderly alike get a chance to test their mental dexterity by celebrating National Puzzle Day. Each year, the internet marks this occasion with a variety of brain teasers, puzzles, and video games on websites, online newspapers, and other platforms. Simply searching “activities for National Puzzle Day” yields more options than can be fit in a single day.
Some activities include a puzzle party in which contestants race to complete individual puzzles, organizing a puzzle exchange where everyone gets a chance to exchange a variety of games, looking for the online “Puzzle of the Day” and participating in the daily challenge, or simply searching online for “puzzles” and exploring the vast selection available. Personally, I enjoy crossword puzzles that let you know when you’ve entered the wrong letter and give you small hints, or a word, on request. These are a far cry from my talented and lovable father-in-law, who completed the daily newspaper crossword puzzle every day (in pen!), or from my daughter, who liked to tackle the daily puzzle by calling out clues like, “Six-letter word with a ‘T’ at the beginning and an ‘M’ in the middle.” Her hobby involved the whole family playing one game together!
What Exactly is a Puzzle?
According to Webster’s Online Dictionary, the noun puzzle is defined as “a toy, problem, or other contrivance designed to amuse by presenting difficulties to be solved by ingenuity or patient effort,” as well as “a cross-word puzzle” and “a jigsaw puzzle.” The last two are listed as separate puzzles in the dictionary, which is interesting. Scholars disagree on the origin of puzzles due to their versatility: a challenge could be designed on a clay tablet or simply exist as a series of knots in a rope.
The History of Puzzles
The oldest puzzle, although this can be debated, is generally considered to be the Stomachion, a 14-piece geometric brain-twister, believed to be designed by Archimedes. The puzzle takes the shape of a box, and the pieces inside it are in varying shapes and sizes. The challenge lies in taking it apart and putting it back into its original shape. Creating new figures and geometric arrangements with the pieces is encouraged.
Jigsaw puzzles typically consist of an image, originally a map, pasted onto a board, with certain elements dictating the cut-out shapes. This puzzle is attributed to John Spilsbury, an engraver in London, England, in the 1760s. Interestingly, 1,000-piece puzzles include more than 1,000 pieces (often 1,008 or 1,026) to make the puzzle appear as a specific shape (square, rectangle, circle, etc.). Each piece has a name, such as an interjamb or a tab.
During the Great Depression in 1933, puzzles were rented out for a nickel, and an estimated 10 million puzzles were created each week. This record was later broken during the first waves of the COVID-19 pandemic when the company Ravensburger sold over 28 million puzzles in 2020 alone.
Sudoku emerged relatively recently compared to other popular puzzles. To play, the player fills in the empty boxes with the appropriate numbers. One key tip is to avoid guessing the numbers, as one wrong entry can make the puzzle logically impossible to complete. The possible numbers based on the lines, columns, and squares can be written in the corner of an empty box. Sudoku began as “Latin Squares” that were published in French newspapers in 1895. The modern-day version is attributed to Howard Garns of Connersville, Indiana, and was entitled Number Place, appearing first in the Dell Pencil Puzzles and Word Games magazine.
In July 2025, Liza Fireman earned a Guinness World Record for the largest collection of jigsaw puzzles, with 4,060 different designs. She is particularly passionate about Ravensburger jigsaws, and her collection includes a monster Mickey Mouse puzzle with 40,320 pieces.
Puzzles are More than Just Fun and Games
The simplest of theories, brain teasers can improve our logical problem-solving skills in various environments, including corporate settings, mathematical equations, or any question that requires problem-solving. Puzzles that require interaction with other people enhance social skills and teach the art of collaboration or outsmarting one’s opponent. Completing puzzles encourages players to fully concentrate, which reduces stress and can foster a sense of internal peace. Sounds like a win-win!
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I am an enthusiastic woman who has been a freelance journalist, photojournalist, and photographer for many years and a Her Nexx Chapter blogger since 2018. Recently I am also serving as the HNC Editorial Project Director. As an accomplished equestrian with my horse Sonny Madison who has owned me since 2001, I also love my wonderful beagles, Lois Lane and Lana Lang; my awesome terrific children and grandchildren; and reading, writing, painting, drawing, photography, and traveling. A native of Williamstown, Massachusetts with a bachelor’s degree in English from Skidmore College and a master’s degree in Organizational Development – Corporate Communications from Norwich University, I now live in the metro Washington, DC area with my husband, where I display my talents for technical writing and other corporate/government duties.
