Okay, so today I decided to tackle the “Pressed Hard” New York Times crossword. I’ve been doing crosswords on and off for a while, but I’m definitely no expert. I usually aim for the Monday or Tuesday puzzles, but I was feeling ambitious.
I started by scanning the clues, looking for any “gimmes” – you know, the ones you just know. Fill-in-the-blanks are usually good for this. I got a few of those right off the bat, which gave me some starting letters in the grid.
Then, I started working through the clues systematically, going across and then down. Some were pretty straightforward, but others… woof. There were a couple of times I got stuck and had to just stare at the grid for a while, hoping something would pop into my head.
- I used the crosses I had to help me figure out the trickier words. Like, if I had three out of five letters, I could usually guess what the word might be.
- There were a few clues where I just had no idea. So I skipped them and moved on, hoping I could come back to them later.
Slowly but surely, I started filling in more and more of the grid. It’s always satisfying when you finally crack a clue that’s been bugging you. And it helps get other words too, of course!
The Final Push
Towards the end, I had most of the puzzle done, but there were still a few stubborn clues left. I went back to those ones I had skipped earlier and tried some different approaches. Sometimes, just taking a break and coming back with fresh eyes can make all the difference.
And finally… I got it! It took me a good chunk of time, but I managed to finish the whole thing. Definitely felt a sense of accomplishment. It’s like a little mental workout, you know?
It wasn’t easy, sure, but I like to think of every try is like a win. Maybe some days not all the way through, but I sure did have my fun!
