Even if only crossword enthusiasts come out en masse to see Wordplay, that's still a hell of a lot of exposure for the subculture, and for Reagle himself. And at this early juncture, the movie seems a perfect contender for nomination for a 2006 Best Documentary Oscar. But, while he's glad his extended, eccentric family of English-language obsessives is garnering a little notice — and that his book sales will almost certainly see a bump as a result — Reagle seems a bit resigned when it comes to all the peripheral hoopla.
"My profile's getting higher than I want it to be," he admits. "It's always nice to be in demand, but it kills your ability to have time to do anything. It'll probably blow over, be a roller coaster ride for the next three or four months."
Then he can get back to sitting outside, pencil poised over an empty white grid, dreaming up themes like "Spot The Fake Painting" and clues to go with answers like "Washington crossing the Delaware Turnpike" and "Madonna and Julia Child."
"There's a style of puzzle-making where we want you to solve it, and you should be able to tell from the puzzle, if you are a veteran solver, that I want you to do it," he says. "I don't want you to be scratching your head and get pissed off and throw it away.
"I'm not for everybody. You can't just say, 'I want to solve a crossword puzzle,' and pick up one of mine. You have to learn the ground rules, but once you do, I'm your man.
"I'm not as hard as the New York Times Sunday puzzle," he adds, "but I'm funnier."