Crosswords #30.1-30.3: History in the Gizmaking

 ...

You were expecting a Gizmo puzzle today, weren't you?

After all, he went back in time to 2023 to steal ideas from his more creative younger self. (Remember that?)

He seemed convinced he'd have a puzzle every day until Gizmo Day.

Where's the puzzle?

Frustrated, you decide to treat yourself to a little light reading to pass the time. Something up your alley... an article about the history of crosswords? That sounds good.

You start reading...

Wait, what?

You rub your eyes. Classic case of Gizmo on the brain.

But no, it's still there.

You quickly find an image of one such Gizmo square dating back to the Roman empire. Your head starts to hurt. Wasn't this called something else before...?

 

You now have an uneasy feeling. How could this Gizmo square exist? You're pretty sure that most of those letters weren't around at the time.

Nervously, you scroll to another article, another piece of tainted history. You grimace. No, this is wrong again... if only you could remember what was right...

The world's first? No, no, Gizmo was that shitposter from the 2020s... although, you realize, the name is familiar... neurons crash together and you find yourself more confused than ever. What was this puzzle like, anyway?

   

Okay, now you're pissed. You've been solving puzzles for years, and now Gizmo's patented bullshit has infiltrated even the hallmarks of crossword history. This is not okay. This is... wait. Oh no. What about... cryptics? You shudder at the idea of a century's worth of Gizmo cryptics. You find an old London Times scan online and flip to the puzzle page. To your horror... he's here, too.

  

This is a travesty. But the more you think about it, the more you remember... Gizmo Thwomp, the elusive force in the puzzle world. A nom de plume that has been around for centuries. You remember eerily accurate predictions. You remember documentaries about the mystery behind Gizmo's identity, mostly on the History Channel. You also happen to remember a news story about a young college student who made millions off of crossword prediction markets on Kalshi... This has gone too far. Whatever Gizmo is doing this time, it's putting the timeline in some serious trouble.

He'll be back soon.