Alright, so I’ve been trying to tackle this crossword thing from the New York Times, and let me tell you, it’s been a journey. The clue that really got me was “brush it off”. At first, I’m thinking, “What does that even mean?”
So, I started with what I always do: go through the whole puzzle, and do the ones I know for sure. This gives me some letters to work with on the harder clues. That’s my strategy, anyway. After I filled in a bunch of the easier clues, I came back to “brush it off.” I looked at what letters I already had from the other clues, and that narrowed it down a bit.
Trying to Figure It Out
I started brainstorming. What do you brush off? You brush off dirt, dust… and then it hit me. Crumbs! That’s gotta be it. I looked at the letters I had, and they fit perfectly. I filled it in, and it worked with all the other clues around it. I was feeling pretty good at this point.
I kept going, using the “crumb” letters to help me with other clues. It’s like a puzzle, you know? Each piece helps you with the others. But honestly, it took me a while to complete the whole thing, nearly ten minutes. I’ve done these puzzles a lot, over two thousand times apparently, so I’ve got a bit of a system. I usually do the easy ones first, the fill-in-the-blanks, because those are usually just common knowledge stuff. Then I use those letters to help me figure out the trickier clues.
Practice Makes Perfect (Almost)
The more I do these crosswords, the better I get. I hear the Monday puzzles are the easiest, and they get harder during the week. I guess I still have a ways to go before I can do the Saturday ones quickly.
- Start with the easy clues, like fill-in-the-blanks.
- Use the letters you know to figure out the harder clues.
- Think about common phrases and words related to the clue.
- Don’t give up! It takes time and practice.
Anyway, that’s how I figured out “brush it off” in the New York Times crossword. It was a bit of a challenge, but I got there in the end. Now, onto the next puzzle!
