Alright, let me tell you about my morning with the New York Times crossword. Saw the title, “Face of Change,” and thought, okay, this could be interesting, or tricky. Usually, those themed ones can go either way, right?
So, I grabbed my pen – yeah, I still use a pen, makes it feel final – and started scanning for the easy ones. You know, the fill-in-the-blanks, the three-letter words. Got a few down in the top left corner pretty quick. Felt good, like getting a little momentum going.
Hitting the First Snags
Then I hit the middle section. Oof. Things slowed down. I could see some longer answers taking shape, but the clues felt a bit off, a bit twisty. I was trying to make sense of that “Face of Change” theme. What did it mean? Were the answers about famous people who changed things? Or phrases about changing your expression? I wasn’t sure.
I remember specifically getting stuck on a clue that seemed simple, but the letters just wouldn’t fit with the crossing words I thought were right. That’s always frustrating. You start doubting everything you’ve already put down.
- Stared at the grid for a good while.
- Tried a few different guesses for a tricky four-letter word.
- Erased quite a bit (well, mentally erased, since I used a pen, haha – more like scribbling over).
Figuring Out the Twist
The breakthrough came somewhere in the lower right. There was a longer answer, and suddenly, I saw it. The theme wasn’t literal faces or literal change, but maybe phrases where one concept was swapped for the other, or something playing on words related to both. Once I got that one answer related to the theme, a few others clicked into place.
It’s like unlocking a door. Suddenly, those weird clues started making a bit more sense. You could see the constructor’s cleverness, or maybe just their weird way of thinking.
Finishing Up
After figuring out the theme gimmick, the rest went smoother. Not exactly easy, there were still some tough spots, some proper nouns I just had to guess at based on the crossing letters, but the main structure fell into place. Filled in the last few squares, reread the clues to make sure the answers fit.
And that was it. Done. Felt pretty good, actually. It was a decent challenge, made me think, especially figuring out that theme. Took a bit longer than some days, but it’s always satisfying to see the completed grid staring back at you. Another puzzle tackled.
