Okay, so today I decided to tackle the “In Your Face” NYT crossword. I’ve been doing crosswords on and off for years, but I wouldn’t call myself an expert or anything. Just someone who enjoys a good word puzzle challenge. I usually do them online, but today, I did using paper and pen!
I started, like I always do, by scanning the clues. I’m looking for anything that pops out immediately – fill-in-the-blanks, straight-up definitions, anything that I know for sure without any crossing letters. Got a few of those right off the bat, which always feels good. Little victories, you know?
Then, I go back and focus on the shorter words. Three-letter, four-letter words – those are usually easier to guess, and they can give you some crucial crossing letters to help with the harder clues. I Filled in a couple more that way, slowly building out from the answers I already had.
- Found some answers I truly know.
- Tried some short length of words first.
There were a few clues that I just stared at, totally blank. That happens. So, I use the crossing words strategy. I look at the letters I do have in the intersecting words and try to think of words that fit. Like, if I have a five-letter word that starts with “B” and ends with “T,” what could it be? “BRUNT”? “BLAST”? Keeps trying and find the correct one!
This particular puzzle had a theme, which I started to figure out about halfway through. It is related to “In your face!”, so I am trying to think about related meanings. That helped me unlock a couple of the longer answers, which was a big help.
I hit a wall at one point, though. A whole section in the lower-left corner that just wouldn’t come together. So, I put the puzzle down, and went to do something else for a bit. Got some drink, came back after 10 minutes and looked at it with a fresh mind.
I am looking at the puzzel, and found a four-letter word I missed, and that opened up the whole section! It’s amazing how taking a break can help you see things you missed before.
Finally Done!
Eventually, after some persistence and maybe a little bit of guessing, I got it all filled in! It’s always a satisfying feeling to finish a crossword, especially one that challenges you. Today’s wasn’t the hardest one I’ve ever done, but it was definitely a good workout for the brain!
