Man, today was a bit of a downer, so I decided to tackle the NYT Mini Crossword to lift my spirits. Figured it’d be a quick win, you know?
I jumped right in, and the first clue that caught my eye was “In need of some cheering up.” Classic crossword stuff, I thought. I started running through the usual suspects in my head – sad, down, blue… nothing fit.
Trying Different Words
Mumbled a few more words under my breath, trying to conjure up the right one. Then I decided to look at the other clues, hoping for some inspiration. I saw “Be of good cheer” and quickly filled in “EXULT.” Alright, progress! Then there was “Cry when you see 3-Down on your card” which was obviously “BINGO.” Got that one in a snap. “Light-colored variety of 8-Across” had to be “LAGER,” and “‘What ___?’ (end of a riddle)” was clearly “AM I.”
Figuring It Out
Okay, so now I had a few letters to work with. I went back to that “In need of some cheering up” clue. With the letters I had, I started to see a pattern. It looked like it was going to be a longer word than I initially thought. I scribbled down a few possibilities, and then it hit me – “GLOOMY”! That’s it!
- “Be of good cheer” – EXULT
- “Cry when you see 3-Down on your card” – BINGO
- “Light-colored variety of 8-Across” – LAGER
- “‘What ___?’ (end of a riddle)” – AM I
- “In need of some cheering up” – GLOOMY
Filled it in, and bam, puzzle solved! It’s funny how such a small thing can turn your mood around. Felt like a champ after that, even though it’s just a mini crossword. Sometimes, it’s the little victories, right?
