![]() Then you look at the entry that crosses the first letter of CAT and the clue is “Honest _ (presidential moniker).” The answer to that one is ABE, so CAT must be wrong. You might not see this in a Monday puzzle, but say the clue is “Black Halloween animal,” and you have confidently written in “CAT.” Let’s look at an example of why it pays to work those crossings. You can confirm whether your answer is right by solving the entries that cross it. Once you have a few answers in the puzzle, sit back and congratulate yourself. Surely you still know what a hockey PUCK is. “Hockey disk” Not into sports? Not to worry. Your brain will do it even when there is no blank.Ģ. These easy clues don’t even have to be fill-in-the-blanks. “Leonardo daVinci’s _ Lisa” Even if art isn’t your thing, your brain knows the answer to this: It’s MONA, for MONA Lisa. Fill-in-the-blank clues, such as “_ of Arc,” for the answer JOAN, tend to be easier because your brain just loves filling in missing information.ĭon’t believe us? Try these clues that are designed to be easy for most people:ġ. You can also pick out the clues that are meant to be easiest and tackle them first. “Good crosswords connect to everything in life.” – Will Shortz To borrow a sports term, a puzzle or individual clue on topics that you know well is said to be “in your wheelhouse.” You’ll be able to find at least a few things in each puzzle that you know. Scan the clue list for the things you already know, or “gimmes,” and write those in first. You already know more than you think you do. It’s also useful to read Wordplay and/or other puzzle blogs, which helped me internalize the tricks and tropes of crossword clues while I was learning the ropes.” – Dan Feyer, seven-time champion of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament The more you solve, the better you’ll get. But I gave it a shot every day anyway, and I’m willing to bet that the exposure helped me improve faster.” – Tyler Hinman, five-time winner of the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament, featured in 2006 documentary “Wordplay” “Do more puzzles. For a solid month after I started regularly attempting The Times puzzle, I couldn’t even solve Tuesdays. “Keep working the puzzle every day as best you can. Of those, OREO has been clued in one form or another as the cookie a total of 278 times.įun fact: Before 1993, when the editor Will Shortz took over, OREO had been clued almost exclusively as the combining form or prefix of the word “Mountain.” Thanks, Will! The entry OREO has appeared in The New York Times Crossword a total of 389 times since the puzzle began running in 1942. Let’s look at our friend the OREO cookie again. The brain works in weird and wonderful ways, and when you start solving crosswords consistently, you’ll surprise yourself when you say, “Hey, I know that one!” Once you’ve learned an answer and how it’s clued, you can almost be sure you’ll see it again. Eventually, you’ll be ready for more of a challenge, and that’s when you move on to Tuesday puzzles. If you’re just getting started, though, make your life easy and solve as many Monday puzzles as you can. That doesn’t mean that you can’t work your way toward solving a late-week puzzle – and we recommend that you do, because they’re fun – but it takes experience and patience. There is a big difference between a Monday puzzle and a Saturday puzzle. “Nabisco cookie”Īnd here are some late-week clues, which might require more specialized knowledge about these delicious treats: “Snack since 1912” A typical Monday clue for OREO will be very straightforward and drive you almost directly to the answer. OREO cookies (answers in puzzles are generally written in all capital letters) are such a popular entry in crosswords that they have been dubbed by some as the “official” cookie of the crossword. ![]() Just to drive the point home, let’s take a look at the difference between a Monday clue and a late-week clue for a popular crossword entry. Some later-week puzzle clues may require specialized knowledge. Mondays have the most straightforward clues and Saturday clues are the most vague or involve the most wordplay. ![]() ![]() Contrary to popular belief, the Sunday puzzles are midweek difficulty, not the hardest. How hard could it be?įun Fact: The Saturday crossword is actually the hardest puzzle of the week. So, not to be outdone, you pick up the paper or download our app and turn to the Saturday puzzle. Your officemate keeps bragging about his ability to finish The New York Times Crossword. You know what it’s like: You have some downtime on a Saturday and you look around for something to pass the time. This is probably a beginning solver’s most common mistake. ![]()
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