How Did the Cruciverbalists Make a Heathen Chicken Crossword?

Crossword puzzles have been a popular hobby for many years, offering a fun and challenging word game for both people who make them and people who solve them. Recently, a crossword clue got a lot of attention for being funny and sarcastic: “How did the cruciverbalists make a heathen chicken? They ___.” The answer, “paganized,” is a funny example of how cleverly puzzle builders use wordplay in their clues. But how did the puzzle writers come up with this cheeky chicken crossword?

Decoding the Clue

Here are the parts of this clue that will help you understand how it was put together.

• “Cruciverbalists” refers to crossword constructors, those who make crossword puzzles.

• “Heathen” indicates something considered primitive, wild, or uncivilized.

• “Chicken” is used here to mean a cowardly or fearful person

• “Paganized” means to make something heathen or non-Christian.

So the clue equates crossword writers “paganizing” a “heathen chicken” – in other words, making something already wild even more uncivilized.

Choosing the Right Answer

The clue calls for a verb, and “paganized” fits the bill as both the right part of speech and definition. Other possible answers like “barbarized” or “corrupted” work definition-wise, but don’t quite have the same playful ring.

“Paganized” stands out for its comedy value – connecting the dots from “heathen chicken” to transforming something rustic into something downright sacrilegious. The constructor chose an unexpected yet apt word to elicit an amused reaction.

Working Backwards

Crossword puzzle experts usually start with the answers and build clues around a word or phrase they want to use. Probably someone came up with the funny word “paganized” and then made a clue to go with it.

Starting with “paganized,” the constructor could brainstorm phrases containing “pagan” – like pagan rituals, pagan gods, or pagan symbols. But pairing it with “chicken” added a touch of absurd humor while still making contextual sense.

Adding Wordplay

Wordplay clues use puns, rhymes, homophones, and other linguistic tricks to hint at the answer. This allows the clue to engage solvers’ minds in more indirect, clever ways versus just straightforward definitions.

This play on words builds suspense by teasing “how did the cruciverbalists create a more pagan chicken? Leaving the answer blank adds to the sly tone, almost daring people to figure it out.

Result: A Memorable Crossword Clue

At the end of the day, the goal of any great crossword clue is to stick in solvers’ minds while challenging them just enough. This cheeky chicken clue succeeded on both fronts through its humor and wordplay, resulting in a crossword entry solvers won’t soon forget.

The amusing irreverence and unexpected laugh out loud moment also makes it a clue worth sharing and discussing among fellow cruciverbalists. These serendipitous creative moments are what constructors live for – and solvers too!

So that’s the recipe behind this “heathen chicken” crossword – a perfect blend of comedy and wordplay that baked up one memorable crossword clue. It demonstrated how with a little imagination and humor, crossword writers can turn even an offbeat idea into an entertaining puzzle entry.