A strange little side quest
Put Perfect Christmas next to the history of puzzles and a few unexpected connections appear. The first crossword puzzle book appeared in 1924 in a cautious initial printing of 3,600 copies, complete with a free pencil. The timeline takes another interesting turn: Pac-Man went on sale in 1980, and its creator Toru Iwatani famously linked the character's shape to a pizza with a slice missing. That history is one reason familiar mechanics can still feel new when they are recombined well.
