So, I’ve been trying to get into crossword puzzles lately, just to give my brain a little workout, you know? Today’s theme was “Cheer on,” and let me tell you, it was quite the ride.
I started by scanning the whole puzzle, just to get a feel for it. Then I read through all the clues, even the ones that looked totally nuts at first glance. There were some that were pretty straightforward, like when a word indicates you need the opposite meaning. But others, man, they were tricky. Some clues had me searching for synonyms, and some required a bit more creative thinking, especially those that mentioned “seen in Universal puzzle” or “seen in Thomas Joseph puzzle”.
I noticed some clues that seemed to refer to the theme, so I focused on those first. I tried to think of different ways to say “cheer on.” Like, you could say “root for” or “support,” right? So, I jotted those down.
- root for
- support
- encourage
Then, I started filling in the easy answers, the ones I was pretty sure about. It was like a little victory every time I got one right! That’s when the cross-referencing came in. I looked at the letters I already had in the grid and tried to see if they helped me figure out the words that crossed them.
There were a couple of clues that had me totally stumped. One was “Cheers, get stuck into can,” and another one just said “Cheer (on)” with a note that it was from The New York Times Mini Crossword. It felt like I was missing something obvious.
I decided to take a little break, maybe walk around a bit, to see if it would help to clear my mind. Sometimes, you just need to step away for a minute, right?
When I came back, I looked at the puzzle with fresh eyes, and those “seen in” notes finally made sense. They were referring to specific puzzles where the clue had appeared before, meaning the answers would be the same as the ones there. With this new realization, I started making more progress. “Cheer on,” I figured, could also mean “egg on” or “boost.” I also found another that seemed to have something to do with numbers, because it mentioned “6 7 Letters,” which likely means the number of letters in the answer. It turned out to be “support”. I also found another one about “stuck on”.
Slowly but surely, I started filling in more and more of the puzzle. It was such a satisfying feeling to see it all come together. And you know what? I actually finished it! It took me a while, but I did it. Apparently, according to some website, the average time to finish is nine minutes and twenty-four seconds. I definitely took longer than that, but hey, I’m still learning!
I read somewhere that someone spent over 14 days of their life doing crossword puzzles. I’m not sure I’ll get to that level, but it’s definitely a fun way to challenge yourself. Plus, according to another source I found, there was one particular answer of “Cheer On” that showed up on February 24, 2020, in the NYT Crossword Puzzle.
My Takeaways
So, from my little crossword adventure today, here’s what I learned:
- Pay attention to the theme. It can give you hints.
- Don’t be afraid to write down ideas, even if they seem silly at first.
- Use the letters you already have to help you figure out the ones you don’t.
- Take breaks when you get stuck.
- If you see “seen in,” it’s likely referencing another puzzle.
- Most importantly, have fun! It’s not a race.
I’m definitely going to keep doing these. Maybe I’ll even get faster over time. Who knows, maybe one day I’ll be able to finish one in under ten minutes! It might be fun and I will keep trying on that.
