Okay, so I tackled the New York Times Crossword today. Man, it was a doozy. I usually try to do these things on my own, but today, I’ll admit, I hit a wall.
Started off feeling pretty good. You know, getting those early words, building some momentum. I flew through the first few, feeling like a real wordsmith. The first one I got stuck on was the clue “lament”. Then I went to check out the answers on the internet.
- First, I checked how many letters this word got. Found out it had 4 letters.
- Then I saw it just appeared on April 21.
- Then I went to see some guides.
But then, things got tough. I mean, I was just staring at the grid, drawing a total blank. Some of those clues were real head-scratchers. I spent a good chunk of time just trying to figure out a single word. It’s like, you get one letter, and you think you’re on the right track, but then the other words just don’t seem to fit.
And it is interesting, there are some discussions online, saying that solving the puzzles is like mental yoga, which is challenging and relaxing at the same time. And there are some tips there. These are all making sense, and I do feel relaxed when I get the right answer.
Eventually, I did have to look up a couple of answers. I know, I know, it’s kind of cheating. But hey, sometimes you just need that little nudge in the right direction, right? Once I had those few words filled in, it helped unlock some of the other ones.
After what felt like forever, I finally managed to fill in that last square. What a relief! Even with the little bit of help, it still felt like a major accomplishment.
What I Learned Today
It’s not always about getting every answer yourself. Sometimes it is good to ask for help. Overall, it’s just a fun way to keep the mind sharp, even when it is frustrating at times, and I’ll keep doing it. Maybe next time, I will do better and check less answers online.
