On May 13, 2024, Alex Bellos presented a series of wordplay puzzles provided by the National Puzzlers' League (NPL), an organization established in 1883 dedicated to word puzzle enthusiasts. Bellos shared an array of puzzles known as "flats," which consist of light verses with missing words to be filled in based on clues related to wordplay. Each puzzle varied in format and clues, featuring heteronyms, rebuses, and homonyms, among other types.
In each flat, the title indicated the type of wordplay, and the number of letters in each answer was specified. The solutions involved creative uses of language, with answers such as "park office, park off ice" for a heteronym flat and "grandparenting" for a rebus flat. Other notable answers included "mounts the lens, Mount St Helens" and "Oregon do laborers" (a play on Oregon laborers).
The solutions were elaborated through hints that ranged from natural phenomena to pop culture references, enhancing the engagement of those familiar with the subjects. The column not only contained these engaging puzzles but also provided an invitation to join the NPL, thereby connecting puzzle aficionados with a larger community.