This here thing, this “distinction” thing, it’s a real head-scratcher, ain’t it? Like trying to find a black hen in a coal bin. You see it in them crossword puzzles, the ones my boy Jimmy used to do before he moved to the city. He got all educated and whatnot. Me? I just like to sit on the porch and watch the cars go by. But this word, “distinction,” keeps popping up like a weed in my garden.
Now, Jimmy, he told me once it’s about seeing the difference between things. Like telling a hawk from a handsaw, or a pig from a poke. You gotta look close, he said. See what makes one thing special, different from all the others. This “distinction crossword clue” is like trying to find that one special bean in a whole pot of ’em.
I seen this clue, this “distinction” clue, in them papers. Sometimes it’s got 7 letters, sometimes more. It’s a tricky one. Reminds me of them riddles old man Hemlock used to tell. You gotta twist your brain around like a wet dishrag to figure ’em out.
- This “distinction” thing, it can be a lot of different words.
- Sometimes it’s “honor,” like when they give a medal to a soldier.
- Sometimes it’s “difference,” like the difference between a mule and a horse.
- Or it could be “fame”, like that movie star everyone’s talking about.
One time, I remember, the answer was “nuance”. What in the Sam Hill is a “nuance”? Jimmy tried to explain it, but it went right over my head, like a bird flying to the moon. He said it’s like a little, tiny difference, a shade of meaning, he said. I told him, “Jimmy, if it’s that small, how’s anyone supposed to see it?”
February 8, 2023, I saw one. It says, “Distinction clue in NYT Crossword Puzzle.” It makes me think the answer should be simple. Just one word. Just like when you try to tell apart one chicken from another. They all look the same until you look real close. Some of them crosswords, they show up more than 20 times! You’d think folks would remember the answers by now. Like knowing your own name.
And these crossword things, they got all sorts of words. “Contrast,” that’s another one. It’s like “distinction,” but maybe sharper, like the difference between black and white. They say there’s 30 answers to that one. 30! How’s a body supposed to keep track of all that? They got a “Crossword Solver” that found the answers, but I don’t trust them machines. They might be saying all sorts of nonsense. Just like the neighbor’s dog barking at nothing.
June 17, 2020, there’s another one. “Give Distinction To.” It’s like you are trying to make something stand out. Like putting a red ribbon on a prize-winning pig. You want it to be noticed. You want everyone to see how special it is. That’s what “distinction” is all about, I reckon. Making something special. Like how that one lady with the blue hat always stands out at church.
They even have something called a “Fill-Ins”. It is like them crossword puzzles but they give you the words instead of the clues. You gotta figure out where they go. Like putting the right seeds in the right rows in your garden. If you mess it up, nothing’s gonna grow right. The words should fit perfectly, like a hen on her nest.
Then there’s this other one, “Object of wishful thinking?” They say the answer is “GENIE.” Now, a genie, that’s something else. Like in them stories where you rub a lamp and a magical fella pops out and grants you wishes. But what’s that got to do with “distinction”? Maybe it’s saying that having “distinction” is like a wish, something you hope for, something special.
Sometimes they use big words to talk about this “distinction”. “Celebrated,” “eminent,” “illustrious.” Sounds like a bunch of fancy folks talking at a tea party. Me, I just say someone’s “well-known” or “important.” Like the mayor, everyone knows him. He’s got a kind of “distinction”, I suppose.
One thing is for sure, this “distinction crossword clue” sure does get around. It is like that one weed that keeps coming back no matter how many times you pull it. You think you got rid of it, and then, bam, there it is again. That is why people keep searching for it. Like trying to catch a greased piglet at the county fair. It is not easy, but you keep trying.
These word puzzles, they’re a curious thing. They make you think, make you scratch your head. Maybe that’s why folks like ’em. Keeps the mind busy, like shucking corn or churning butter. It is a chore, but it gives you something to do. And maybe, just maybe, it helps you see the world a little different. Like finding that four-leaf clover in a whole field of green. That’s “distinction”, I reckon. Finding the special in the ordinary. And that’s something, ain’t it?
