Okay, so I’ve been getting into crossword puzzles lately, and I stumbled upon this thing called the “Nina” in the NYT crossword. I’d heard whispers about it but never really knew what it was, so I decided to do some digging.
First, I went on a little hunt online. I just looked up “Nina NYT crossword” and found some explanations, forum threads, things like that, nothing too serious. Some people had their experiences.
My First Nina Hunt
I started by just solving the puzzles like I normally do. No big strategy, just filling in the blanks. I noticed some weird words or phrases, and it’s kind of funny to see them in the grids.
Then, I began to look at the edges of the completed puzzles. I’d heard that Ninas are often hidden around the perimeter. So I’m squinting at the letters, top, bottom, sides, all of it. Sometimes I’d see something that might be a word, but I wasn’t sure.
I decided to be a bit more systematic. I’d pick a puzzle and highlight the perimeter letters, just to make them stand out. I tried reading them forward, backward, diagonally… you name it. I felt a little silly at first, like I was looking for secret codes in a cereal box.
One day, I spotted something! It was a short phrase spelled out along the top row. I was so stoked! It was like finding a hidden message just for me. I went back to that puzzle and highlighted the word that I found.
The message wasn’t really related to the puzzle’s theme, which I thought was interesting. It was more like a little inside joke from the constructor, So cool.
Getting Better at Spotting
After that first success, I got a little better at spotting them. Here’s what I’ve learned:
- Perimeter is key: I almost always start by looking around the edges.
- Short words: I don’t get too hung up on finding super long phrases. Often, it’s just a few short words.
- Don’t overthink it: Sometimes, it’s staring me right in the face, and I’m trying too hard to find some complex pattern.
I’m still not an expert by any means, but it’s fun to have this extra layer to the puzzle. I finished some puzzles and didn’t find anything. And that’s okay, too. It makes it that much more exciting when I actually do find a Nina.
If you’re into crosswords, I definitely recommend giving the Nina hunt a try. It adds a whole new dimension to the solving experience!
