Okay, so today I decided to tackle the “once called NYT Crossword” thing. I’d heard about it, seen screenshots, but never actually tried it myself. Figured, why not? Let’s give this a shot.
First, I googled it, you know, just to get a feel for what I was getting myself into. Turns out, it used to be part of the actual NYT crossword, so that’s where the “once called” comes from. Now it’s its own separate thing. Okay, cool. I tracked down the website.
The interface was pretty clean, simple. Big grid, clues on the side. No confusing bells and whistles. I like that. I’m not exactly a crossword pro, more like a casual dabbler, so I didn’t want anything too intimidating.
I started with the across clues, just going down the list. Some were easy, like, “Opposite of black” – boom, “white,” got that one. Others, not so much. “Sound of a contented cat”? I stared at that one for a good minute. “Purr”? “Meow”? Nope, didn’t fit. Had to skip it.
- Tried the first few across clues.
- Got some easy ones right away.
- Struggled with a few… okay, maybe more than a few.
Then I moved to the down clues, hoping those would be easier. Same story. Some gimmes, some total head-scratchers. I started to see how the whole interlocking thing worked, though. Getting one word gave you letters for other words, like a little puzzle domino effect.
I spent a good chunk of time just going back and forth, filling in a letter here, a word there. It was kind of like a jigsaw puzzle, except with words instead of pictures. Frustrating at times, but also really satisfying when you finally cracked a clue that had been bugging you.
The Final Product(Well, Almost)
I’m not gonna lie, I didn’t finish the whole thing. There were still some blank spaces staring back at me, mocking my limited vocabulary.
But, I got a good chunk of it done! It was definitely a brain workout, and I can see the appeal. It’s like a mental gym session.
I’m probably gonna keep at it, chip away at those remaining clues. Maybe I’ll even become a crossword regular. Who knows? For now, I’m feeling pretty good about giving it a try. Not a total failure, and definitely a learning experience.
