The Curious Case of Jam Packed Puns The world of crosswords has long been a hotbed of linguistic trickery, but sometimes it's hard not to feel like we're stuck in a cycle.
A recent Slate crossword puzzle is a prime example: "Slate Crossword: They're Jam Packed! " – an 11 letter puzzle that's equal parts clever and annoying. The answer, it turns out, is "condiment.
" But why the emphasis on condiments? And what's with the playful use of parentheses in the puzzle title itself?