Membership
Each NPL member generally chooses a "nom" upon joining, an often cryptic nom de plume which serves as a nickname when communicating with fellow members (see below for an example). The use of pseudonyms, also commonly practiced by the compilers of cryptic crosswords, originally helped "to break down barriers of occupation or social class". It is also an opportunity for wordplay and self-description.
NPL members are known collectively as "the Krewe" and individually as "Krewepersons", "Krewemembers", or "NPLers".
Puzzle professional Will Shortz (whose "nom", WILLz, is a play on his name - Will+"short Z") is a long-standing member and officer of the NPL, currently serving as its historian (since 1992).
Read more about this topic: National Puzzlers' League
Famous quotes containing the word membership:
“The two real political parties in America are the Winners and the Losers. The people don’t acknowledge this. They claim membership in two imaginary parties, the Republicans and the Democrats, instead.”
—Kurt Vonnegut, Jr. (b. 1922)