Alright folks, let me tell you about my battle with today’s NYT crossword puzzle – the “bordeaux red” one. It was a doozy!
So, I started like I always do, scanning the clues for the easy pickings. Usually, there are a few gimmes to get you going. Not this time! I stared at the grid, completely blank, for a good five minutes. Seriously, nothing jumped out. I almost gave up right then and there, haha.
Finally, I spotted a clue that seemed vaguely familiar: “Common garden pest.” I wracked my brain, thinking about all the critters that plague my tomato plants. Aphids? Slugs? Then it hit me: SNAIL! Boom, five letters in. That was my foothold.
From there, I started piecing things together. The “S” in SNAIL helped me get “_S_A,” clued as “Jazz instrument.” SAX! Okay, we’re cooking with gas now. I started focusing on the shorter words, trying to build off the letters I had. Three-letter words are usually my bread and butter, but this time they were putting up a fight.
I spent way too long trying to figure out “Eagerly await.” I kept thinking of things like “hope,” “wish,” or “expect,” but none of them fit. Then, after staring at it for what felt like an eternity, it dawned on me: AWAIT! Ugh, so obvious in hindsight. That one really slowed me down.
The southeast corner was particularly brutal. The clues were vague, and the answers were things I’d never heard of. I even had to resort to using the “check puzzle” feature a couple of times – something I rarely do. I hate admitting defeat, but sometimes you just need a little nudge in the right direction.
One clue that really tripped me up was “Bit of wordplay.” I was thinking of puns or anagrams, but the answer turned out to be REBUS! Who even thinks of that? I felt so dumb when I finally got it.
After what seemed like an eternity, I finally filled in the last square. Victory! It wasn’t pretty, and I definitely needed some help along the way, but I conquered the “bordeaux red” crossword. My time wasn’t great, but hey, a win’s a win. Now, time for a celebratory beer!
Lessons Learned:
- Don’t get discouraged if you don’t see anything right away. Sometimes you just need to stare at it for a while.
- Focus on the shorter words. They can often unlock larger sections of the puzzle.
- Don’t be afraid to use the “check puzzle” feature if you’re really stuck. There’s no shame in getting a little help.
- Sometimes the most obvious answers are the hardest to see.
Until next time, happy puzzling!
