Okay, so I was messing around with the crossword in the newspaper this morning, and I hit a real snag. The clue was “impossible to tell apart,” and I was completely stumped. It was a seven-letter word, and I just couldn’t get it.
First, I tried to think of synonyms for “identical” or “indistinguishable.” I scribbled down a few ideas on the side of the page, like “SAME,” “EQUAL,” and even “CLONES,” but none of them fit the seven-letter requirement. No luck there.
Then, I started looking at the crossing words. Maybe I could get some letters filled in that way and get a better idea. I managed to get a couple of the downs, giving me an “I” in the second position and an “A” in the fifth. So now I had “_ I _ _ A _ _”. Progress, but still not enough.

I decided to go online. I know, I know, it’s maybe cheating, but hey. I typed “impossible to tell apart crossword clue” into the search bar. Some of the suggested web show me 7 letters, but, I’m not sure.
- IDENTICAL
So i try to put the word on the crossword, then, BOOM! it fits!
It was “IDENTICAL”! I felt so stupid for not getting it sooner, but that’s crosswords for you, I guess. Sometimes the most obvious answers are the hardest to see. Anyway, mystery solved, and I can finally finish my coffee in peace.