So, I decided to give the New York Times crossword a shot today. Saw the theme mention, something about “bad blood,” and thought, “Okay, let’s see what this is about.” Always like a bit of a theme to guide things, you know?
Getting Started
Fired up the puzzle on my tablet. First thing I usually do is scan for the really short answers, the three or four-letter ones. They often feel like quick wins and help get some letters on the board. Got a few right off the bat:
- ERA
- ATE
- SEA
Felt good, like getting the engine started. Then I looked for clues that seemed pretty straightforward, maybe some common knowledge stuff or fill-in-the-blanks.
Hitting the Wall (and the Theme)
Things were moving along okay, but then I hit a few sticky spots, especially in the middle section. Some clues were just not clicking. I noticed a few answers seemed a bit… off, or maybe forced? That’s when I started thinking more about that “bad blood” theme.
I specifically remember struggling with a longer answer. I had some letters crossing it, but the word just wouldn’t form. I took a break, grabbed some water, and looked at it again. Then it clicked – the theme wasn’t just about feuds in general, maybe it related to specific phrases or people known for feuds, or even the Taylor Swift song, perhaps?
That realization helped a lot. I went back to some clues I was stuck on, thinking about rivalries or conflicts. One clue suddenly made sense when I considered a famous feud. It wasn’t immediate, took some staring and thinking “What kind of ‘bad blood’ are they talking about here?”
Working Through It
Once the theme started making sense, some of the tougher clues began to fall into place. It’s always satisfying when that happens. You connect the dots between the theme hint and the actual answers. I worked through the grid section by section, using the crossing letters from the themed answers to unlock other words.
There were still one or two tricky proper nouns I wasn’t sure about, had to rely purely on the crosses for those. Sometimes you just don’t know a particular actor or river, and that’s okay. The crossing words are your friends then.
Finishing Up
Finally got down to the last few squares. Filled them in, checked everything over. Got the little confirmation jingle. Done. Felt pretty good to wrestle with that one, especially figuring out how the “bad blood” theme worked across the different clues. Just another daily puzzle tackled, you know? Always a nice little mental workout.
