See 52 Across. Photo taken in Dahshur, Egypt, Nov. 2025
Words: 72 (21×11)
Average Length: 5.25
While mulling over ideas for a Labor Day puzzle, I found the quote that’s the focus of this puzzle and knew I had to use it. The title refers to the ratio of Fortune 500 CEO pay to the pay of an average worker in those companies. I believe it answers the question in the quote.
See 63 Down. Photo taken in Rockville, Maryland, April 2026
Words: 92 (17×17)
Average Length: 5.15
Among my many nerdly pursuits, I’m a history buff. I find it fascinating how events unfold, no matter the time period or part of the world. In particular, I’m intrigued by how contingent history is, as the author of this puzzle’s quote emphasized throughout his long, brilliant career. Only in retrospect does history appear pre-ordained.
When I came across the quote in a posthumously published book of the author’s essays, I knew I wanted to build a puzzle around it. The trick was figuring out how to display the quote symmetrically; turns out I needed a super-sized grid and mirror (left-right) rather than the traditional rotational symmetry.