Crosaire facts for kids

John Derek Crozier (born November 12, 1917 – died April 3, 2010) was a famous crossword maker. He was known by his special pen name, "Crosaire." He created the tricky cryptic crossword for The Irish Times newspaper for a very long time, starting in 1943. Even after he passed away, his crosswords were still published for a year!

Because he was the only person making these puzzles for 68 years, people started calling the crossword itself "the Crosaire." His pen name "Crosaire" is a clever mix of his last name, Crozier, and the Irish word crosaire, which means "crossroad." After he died, The Irish Times officially named the crossword after him to honor his amazing work.

Crosaire's Life Story

Early Life and Education

John Derek Crozier was born in Dublin, Ireland. He went to a special school called a preparatory school in Dalkey and then to Repton School in England. In 1940, he finished his studies at Trinity College Dublin. After college, he worked in the office at the famous Guinness Brewery in St. James's Gate.

Crozier first started making crosswords just to entertain his wife, Marjorie. She was actually much better at solving them than he was! Soon after, a friend introduced him to the editor of The Irish Times newspaper. Crozier told the editor that making crosswords was a long-time hobby of his. He convinced the editor to let him create some puzzles for the paper. The very first "Crosaire" crossword was printed on March 13, 1943.

Life in Zimbabwe

In 1948, Crozier moved to Southern Rhodesia, which is now known as Zimbabwe. He became a farmer there, growing tobacco and maize. Farming was tough, and the money he earned from his crosswords was very important for him.

From 1963 to 1989, he worked as a teacher at St. George's College in Salisbury (now Harare). He often sent his crossword puzzles to Ireland with friends or visitors traveling abroad. This helped make sure the puzzles arrived on time, avoiding problems with the postal system in Zimbabwe. By the time he passed away, he had so many puzzles ready that there was over a year's worth waiting to be published!

In 1993, Crozier traveled back to Dublin for the 50th anniversary of his first puzzle. He even appeared on a popular TV show called The Late Late Show. He also met 400 fans who were chosen by a lottery. He passed away at his home in Nyanga when he was 92 years old. A special service was held for him at St. George's College, and his three sons attended.

The Crosaire Crossword

How the Puzzles Were Made

Until about 1988, Crozier's wife, Marjorie, would draw the crossword grid. Then, Crozier would create all the clues. Later, Crozier would spend about three to four hours making each puzzle himself. He had his own special way of writing clues, which was different from some of the common British styles.

Crozier often used a small number of 15x15 grid patterns for his daily puzzles. These grids had a special design called four-fold rotational symmetry. This means the grid looks the same if you turn it a quarter of the way around. The Saturday "Crosaire" puzzle was a bit different. It had 13-letter answers on its four edges, and these answers often shared a common theme.

Who Continued the Legacy

Crozier's very last puzzle was number 14,605, published on October 22, 2011. After his death, other talented people took over making the "Crosaire" crossword.

Roy Earle, who used the pen name "Mac An Iarla," created the "Crosaire" from October 24, 2011, to June 9, 2012.

After Earle, Paul O'Doherty, known as "Crossheir," took on the job for ten years. His last puzzle was on April 30, 2022.

Now, two different crossword setters take turns creating the "Crosaire." They are Tony Davis, whose pen name is "Dominic," and Niamh O'Connor, who uses the name "Le Corsaire."