Okay, let’s talk about today’s little project: the NYT crossword, the one they called “Take Your Pick”.
Getting Started
So, like most days, I grabbed my coffee and sat down with the puzzle. I usually start with the Monday or Tuesday puzzles because, let’s be honest, they ease you in. But today was whatever day it was, and this was the puzzle presented. First glance, didn’t look too terrifying. I always scan the clues first, looking for the low-hanging fruit.
You know the ones:
- Fill-in-the-blanks
- Super common crossword words (like OREO or EPEE)
- Stuff I just happen to know
Got a few of those scattered around pretty quickly. Felt good, like getting a little momentum going. Put in things like AREA and ERA, maybe an easy three-letter actor’s name. Standard stuff. This helps build a framework, gives you some letters to work with for the tougher clues crossing them.
Hitting the Middle Ground
Then I hit the usual roadblocks. There was this one section, maybe the northeast corner, that just wasn’t clicking. The clues felt vague, or maybe they were about stuff I just had zero clue about. Happens all the time. I tried staring at it, rearranging letters in my head for the half-finished words, but nothing. Frustrating.
So, I did what I always do: I jumped ship. Moved to a totally different part of the grid. Found a clue that seemed doable, worked on that. Got an answer, which gave me a letter for a crossing clue, and suddenly that one made sense. It’s like untangling a knot – sometimes you gotta pull on a different string.
I bounced around like this for a while. Filling in a word here, getting stuck there, moving on. Little victories. I started noticing a pattern, or maybe I was just hoping there was one. The title, “Take Your Pick”, kept rattling in my head. What did that mean?
Figuring Out the Theme (Maybe?)
I think I had a few longer answers partially filled. One looked like it might end in CHOICE? Another seemed to involve OPTIONS? Hard to say for sure. But it felt like the theme clues were playing with the idea of alternatives or decisions. There was this one clue, I forget the exact wording, but the answer turned out to be something like EITHER OR. That felt like a breakthrough moment. Okay, so the puzzle wants me to think about choices.
Knowing the theme (or thinking I knew it) sometimes helps with the really tricky ones. You can sort of guess the kind of answer they’re looking for, even if the clue itself is tough. It gave me a new angle to attack those stubborn empty squares.
Wrapping It Up
With the theme sort of clicking, I went back to some of the areas I’d abandoned earlier. That northeast corner still fought me, but having a few more crossers made a difference. One answer finally popped into my head, and the rest of that section tumbled pretty quickly after that. It’s always satisfying when that happens.
The last few squares are always a mix. Sometimes it’s a relief, sometimes you’re guessing a bit on a proper noun or some obscure word. Today felt pretty smooth towards the end. Filled in the final letter, got the little success chime (if you’re doing it online). Done.
Overall, a decent puzzle. Not brain-bustingly hard, but tricky enough to make me work for it. The theme was okay, maybe a bit straightforward once you saw it. But hey, finishing the crossword is always a good way to start the day, or kill some time. Felt like a productive little session.
