National Puzzlers' League facts for kids

The National Puzzlers' League (NPL) is a group of people who love solving and creating word play and word games. It's a non-profit organization, which means it's not trying to make money, but rather to bring puzzlers together. Started way back in 1883, it's the oldest organization for puzzlers in the whole world! They used to have meetings twice a year, but now they have one big meeting every July.

The NPL's Story: A Puzzling Past

How It All Began

On July 4, 1883, a group of 28 young men who loved word puzzles met in New York City. They started a group called the Eastern Puzzlers' League. To celebrate, they each paid a penny to walk across the brand-new Brooklyn Bridge. In 1920, the group changed its name to the National Puzzlers' League, and it has been active ever since. It's amazing to think it's the oldest puzzle group in the world!

The Enigma Magazine

The league's official magazine started as The Eastern Enigma. At first, it didn't have many puzzles. Instead, it shared news from puzzle meetings, poems, and skits by members. It also talked about big debates, like whether old words or new types of puzzles should be used.

Early editors of the magazine often changed every year, and it wasn't always published on time. In January 1900, a puzzle section called "Penetralia" was added. It appeared regularly until 1903. "Penetralia" came back in February 1910, when The Eastern Enigma started coming out every month. It has been in every issue since! When the organization changed its name, the magazine became The Enigma. It is still published monthly and has over 1200 issues!

A Time of Growth and Change

In the 1920s and 1930s, puzzles became very popular again. This led to many new members joining the NPL. They even had a slogan: "The National Intellectual Pastime of America." In 1935, the NPL president, Everett M. Smith, even invented a very long word, Pneumonoultramicroscopicsilicovolcanoconiosis, at a meeting. Big newspapers often wrote about their meetings. During World War II, the government even hired some NPL members as cryptographers (people who solve secret codes) because of their puzzle skills!

In the 1960s, fewer people joined the NPL. But then, in the "modern" puzzle age, people like Dmitri Borgmann and Ross Eckler helped the group grow again. Many top puzzle makers and editors in America are NPL members. Author and member Willard Espy once said that talking about wordplay with this group was like "talking about religion with God," because they were so good!

Joining the NPL: Members and Noms

What is a "Nom"?

When someone joins the NPL, they usually pick a "nom." This is short for "nom de plume," which means "pen name." It's like a special nickname they use when talking to other members. Using these nicknames helps everyone feel equal, no matter their job or social class. It's also a fun way to play with words and describe yourself!

The "Krewe"

NPL members are known as "the Krewe." You can also call them "puzzlers," "Krewe members," or "NPLers." In 2018, there were about 700 members. Around 200 of them attend the big convention each year.

A famous puzzle expert, Will Shortz, is a long-time member. His "nom" is WILLz, which is a clever play on his name. He helps lead the NPL and is in charge of puzzles for the yearly convention.

Puzzles: The Heart of the NPL

Types of Puzzles in The Enigma

The Enigma magazine focuses on the kinds of puzzles that were popular in the 1800s. Interestingly, they don't usually include crosswords, which were invented later in 1913. Crosswords are put in a special "extras" category. All the puzzles in the magazine are based on wordplay and language.

The NPL puts puzzles into four main groups. The two oldest types are the "flat" and the "form." A "flat" puzzle has a one-line answer, while a "form" puzzle has an answer that takes up several lines. "Flats," like verse puzzles and anagrams, were very popular before crosswords existed. They might seem a bit strange to puzzlers today because you have to guess words from clues, which isn't a common way to solve puzzles now. Even so, "flats" still make up most of the puzzles in The Enigma. Other types, like cryptograms and "extras," were added later. You can find more details about these puzzle types on the NPL's official website.

NPL Conventions: Fun and Games

Where and When They Meet

The NPL holds a big meeting, called a convention, every year, usually in July. The location changes, but it's often in a major city in North America. Because members love wordplay, the convention's name often changes to match the city! For example, it was This con's in Wisconsin for Milwaukee, BeaCon for Boston, ConTex for Austin, Texas, and OreCon for Portland, Oregon.

What Happens at a Convention?

At these conventions, members enjoy lots of activities. They play word games and trivia games. There are also "hidden puzzles" that you have to find before you can solve them! Members might go on field trips to interesting places related to the NPL or do library trivia hunts. A big event is the "extravaganza," which is a multi-stage puzzlehunt that teams work together to solve. Besides the puzzles given out at the convention, many members bring their own puzzles they've created. Attendees often work on these in small groups, sometimes late into the night!