Okay, so, let me tell you about my little adventure with the New York Times crossword puzzle the other day. I’ve been trying to get into these things, you know, to keep my brain sharp. And, well, they can be pretty tough sometimes!
So there I was, staring at this clue, “Hit + run,” and my mind was just blank. I mean, it could be anything, right? It’s one of those clues that’s supposed to be a play on words, which makes it even trickier. You see, when there’s a question mark at the end, it usually means you gotta think outside the box.
Getting Started
I started by just trying to think of anything related to “hit” and “run.” I jotted down some words, just free associating, you know? “Strike,” “flee,” “smash,” “dash”… nothing was really clicking. I even tried acting it out a bit – don’t laugh! I was pacing around my living room, pretending to swing a bat and then take off running. My cat was looking at me like I was crazy, but hey, you gotta do what you gotta do, right?
The Struggle
I spent a good chunk of time just staring at the empty boxes, trying to fit in words that I thought might be related. Sometimes I’d think I had a breakthrough, like, “Oh, maybe it’s ‘SMASHANDGO’?” But nope, that didn’t fit. It was frustrating, to say the least. I even noticed some clues in the puzzle just had a dash, which means it is related to other clues. I know I need to connect them together, but how?
The Breakthrough
Then, after what felt like forever, I decided to look online. I found some forum where people were discussing the same puzzle, the one from June 19th. And someone mentioned that they saw this clue before on June 20th. This is getting interesting.
Someone said they had solved it, and the answer was “SLAPDASH.” And it was five letters – BINGO! I carefully put “SLAPDASH” into the puzzle, and it was a perfect fit! I felt like a genius, honestly.
The Payoff
Solving that one clue, it was like a key that unlocked a bunch of other answers. Suddenly, the whole puzzle started to make more sense. I was on a roll! I managed to finish the whole thing, which is a pretty big deal for me. It was super satisfying to see it all filled in.
- First, I tackled the “Hit + run” clue head-on, brainstorming and trying different words.
- Then, I got stuck and decided to seek some help from other crossword enthusiasts online.
- Finally, I found the answer “SLAPDASH” and it unlocked the rest of the puzzle for me!
So, yeah, that’s my little crossword story. It was a bit of a rollercoaster, but I learned a lot. And you know what? It was actually kind of fun, even with all the head-scratching. I might even try another one tomorrow. Wish me luck!
