Alright, so I decided to tackle this thing called “elite crossword”. Been doing crosswords for years, you know, the ones in the paper, maybe a few online. Thought I was pretty decent. Then I heard about these “elite” ones, supposed to be real tough. Figured, why not? Give it a shot.
Getting Started
So, I found one. Looked pretty standard, just a grid and clues. Didn’t seem too intimidating at first glance. Just black and white squares, letters to fill in. How hard could it really be? Famous last words, right?
The Actual Attempt
Man, oh man. Sat down, got my pen ready, feeling confident. Read the first clue. Blank. Read the second clue. Blank. Okay, maybe jump around a bit. Found one I thought I knew, wrote it in. Then looked at the crossing clue… nope, that didn’t fit at all. Had to erase it. This happened a few times.
These clues were on another level. Not just simple definitions. They used weird puns, anagrams I couldn’t untwist, stuff I’d barely even heard of. It was slow going. Really slow. Spent maybe thirty minutes and had like, three answers filled in. And I wasn’t even sure about those!
This wasn’t like my usual puzzle time. Normally it’s relaxing. This felt like actual work. Had to really wrack my brain. Stared at the grid for ages, just hoping something would click. It felt like trying to remember a dream you just had, the answer felt right there but I couldn’t quite grab it.
Hitting a Wall (and Maybe Getting a Nudge)
Okay, gotta be honest here. After getting seriously stuck in one corner for what felt like forever, I might have… checked a reference. Just for one clue! To get me moving again. Felt a bit like cheating, but staring at a blank square wasn’t fun either. Needed something to get the ball rolling.
It’s funny, reminds me of when I tried learning to knit from a book. The instructions seemed clear, showed pictures and all. But my hands just couldn’t make the yarn do the right thing. Ended up with a tangled mess. Sometimes you just need a little outside help, or a different way of looking at it. With the crossword, seeing that one tough answer helped me see the pattern for a couple of others nearby.
Making Progress, Finally
Once I got a few key answers locked in, things started to flow a tiny bit better. One answer would give me letters for another, and slowly, painfully, the grid started filling up. It was like chipping away at a big block of stone. Each little piece felt like a victory.
- Had to think differently about word meanings.
- Spotted a few clever tricks the setter was using.
- Erased answers quite a few times when conflicts came up.
Finishing Up
Took me way longer than I expected. Wasn’t a quick coffee break puzzle, that’s for sure. More like an evening’s project. But I got there in the end. Filled in that last square. Felt pretty darn good, I have to admit. Like I’d climbed a small mountain.
So, yeah. “Elite crossword”. It lived up to the name. Definitely a step up in difficulty. Was it fun? Kinda, in a challenging, makes-your-brain-hurt sort of way. Would I do it regularly? Probably not. Need to recover first. But glad I tried it. Good to know what the fuss was about.
