Okay, so I’ve been hearing a lot about how good the NYT crossword is, especially from some friends who are really into puzzles. I’ve always kinda liked crosswords, but I wouldn’t say I was ever good at them. You know, the occasional newspaper one on a Sunday, that sort of thing. But I figured, why not give the “big leagues” a shot? So, today was the day I tackled the exceptional NYT crossword.
First thing I did was head over to the, uh… place where you get the crossword. I signed up for a, you know, an account. It cost a little bit of money, so I was hoping it was gonna be worth it.
Getting Started
Once I was in, I just stared at the grid. Honestly, it was a little intimidating! All those empty squares… I didn’t even know where to begin. I decided to scan for the “gimmes” – you know, the really obvious ones. I found a couple of short, three-letter word clues that I knew right away.
- One was “___ Paulo, Brazil”. Obviously, that’s SAO.
- Another was something like “Hawaiian hello.” Boom, ALOHA.
Getting those first few filled in felt great. Like, “Okay, I can actually do this!” It’s funny how much of a confidence boost those easy ones give you.
Hitting the Wall
Then… I hit a wall. A big one. I was staring at clues that made absolutely no sense to me. Stuff about obscure historical figures, wordplay that went completely over my head… I started to feel that familiar frustration that I used to get with crosswords. You know, the feeling that you’re just not smart enough.
And, there was a tool to help. It was something like a “check” feature to check the letter. It was like taking one letter from someone else. So I took a few and got some hints, and after a few moments of thought, I was able to get the answer. This helped me break down the wall that I was on.
The Grind
But I didn’t give up! I decided to try a different tactic. Instead of trying to get every single clue in order, I started jumping around. I’d look for a clue that intersected with one I’d already filled in, and try to work from there. Like, if I had the “A” in “ALOHA”, I’d look for a clue that used that “A” in a different word.
It was slow going. Really slow. I spent a good chunk of time just staring, thinking, and occasionally muttering to myself. I even Googled a couple of things, I’m not gonna lie. Hey, sometimes you just need a little nudge in the right direction, right?
The Breakthrough
And then, slowly but surely, it started to come together. One word led to another, and another, and another. There were moments of pure “Aha!” that felt amazing. Like, when you finally crack a clue that you’ve been staring at for 20 minutes… it’s the best feeling.
Victory (Sort Of)
I wouldn’t say I finished it quickly. It definitely took me a while. And I definitely didn’t get every single clue on my own. But I got a lot further than I thought I would. And more importantly, I actually enjoyed it. It was challenging, frustrating at times, but ultimately really satisfying.
So, yeah, the NYT crossword? It’s definitely exceptional. It’s hard, but in a good way. It makes you think, and it gives you a real sense of accomplishment when you make progress. I’m definitely going to keep at it. Maybe one day I’ll actually be able to finish one without any help… but I’m not holding my breath!
