This talk introduces the audience to the history of the cryptic crossword, which will be 100 years old next year. From the early word puzzles in the ruins of Pompeii to the bustling streets of twentieth century New York, word puzzles have enchanted and entertained us. We'll discover how the first cryptic crossword was developed in the US and how it crossed the Atlantic in the 1930s. The talk will introduce key figures who developed clue writing into a fine art last century. We'll learn about how crosswords featured in films, novels and the theatre and how they paid a key role in recruiting code breakers at Bletchley Park in World War 2.