The crossword puzzle was published on the eve of the first day of the Jewish festival, Hanukkah.
A screengrab of the controversial ‘New York Times’ crossword puzzle.
CAPE TOWN – A New York Times crossword puzzle is causing outrage after several readers pointed out that it was shaped like a swastika.
The crossword puzzle was published on the eve of the first day of the Jewish festival, Hanukkah.
Social media users were divided after it was shared on Twitter.
Some high-profile commentators tore into the New York Times, questioning not only the shape of the crossword but the timing of its publishing.
Others believed it wasn’t intentional, but blamed the publication’s editors for not picking up that the puzzle resembled a swastika.
The popular paper and online publication defended the puzzle.
“This is a common crossword design: Many open grids in crosswords have a similar spiral pattern because of the rules around rotational symmetry and black squares,” Jordan Cohen, New York Times executive director of communications told American publication, Newsweek.
Fact-checking website Snopes said that when the crossword was first published, it was described as a “fun whirlpool shape” and that the creator “started this grid in the middle and worked his way out”.
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