[9] Sharp began writing about the daily New York Times crossword puzzle as practice for a possible website for a comics course.
[6][10] He writes under a pseudonym—Rex Parker, King of CrossWorld—that was originally a nickname invented during a family trip to Hawaii; his real-life identity was outed in 2007.
[6][11] Five weeks after its inception on September 25, 2006, the blog received hundreds of views when the first puzzles he had written about were reprinted in national syndication.
[4][6] Posts additionally include the puzzle's solution, a difficulty rating, an explanation of the theme (Sunday–Thursday), a "word of the day", and topical pictures and music.
[14][17] Crossword editor Will Shortz has said he has "mixed feelings" about the blog, and the Times's "Wordplay" column has called it "decidedly divisive" for its occasionally caustic tone.