When I was in high school, a teacher once joked that the sole reason to pursue a liberal arts education was to be able to understand “The Simpsons,” with its never-ending references. There is some truth in that — but I think it’s even truer when applied to crossword puzzles.
To love the crossword is to believe that figuring things out — not just knowing facts — matters. Beyond the trivia of dates and names, it’s about appreciating how words and ideas bump against each other. There’s a small, rare pleasure in getting a clue not because you memorized something, but because you get the joke — because you’re in on the bit. That’s what makes a crossword, even the mini, worth your time.
Today, The Herald launched its new games page, where the entire Brown community can enjoy new 5x5 mini crosswords from The Herald, in addition to The Herald’s weekly news quiz.
Crosswords are a shared cultural literacy, a snapshot of how we think and what we notice. And this crossword is a shared cultural literacy for Brown in particular. Beyond film, literature and the internet, this puzzle will pull from our daily lives — Sidechat, College Hill, maybe even your favorite club. The clues will wink at you with the same self-aware irony that defines our student body. Solving it isn’t just about being clever, it’s about belonging to this ecosystem of jokes, complaints and drama. That is, this puzzle will do its best to speak fluent Brunonian.
That’s what makes this project special. It’s not merely a game — it’s “The Simpsons,” but just for you. Every clue is a test of what it means to belong to this campus in this particular moment. Whether it's a snippet of Latin or the Josiah’s menu, it’ll give you a daily reason — maybe even a bit of a reminder — for why you need not just any college experience, but this one in particular.
In a world of infinite scrolling, the crossword is one of the last good rituals of the internet age: bounded, self-contained and weirdly human. It doesn’t demand your attention — a good puzzle earns it. For around a minute, you’re reminded that language can still surprise you, that words contain edges, histories and jokes within themselves.
So come check it out. And if you’re so inclined, write a puzzle to be published in these pages: We’re open for submissions.
Paul Hudes ’27 is The Herald’s games editor and can be reached at paul_hudes@brown.edu. Please send crossword submissions to games@browndailyherald.com, and play our first mini here.
Paul Hudes is an opinions editor and head of editorial page board for The Brown Daily Herald, where he also serves the paper's games editor. Paul studies Applied Math Economics and English Literature.
