Alright, let me tell you about my little adventure with the NYT crossword and this thing called a “Nina.” I do the crossword pretty regularly, you know, it’s part of my morning routine. Coffee, quiet, and the puzzle. Usually, it’s just about filling in the squares, getting that satisfying click when a tricky answer falls into place.
But sometimes, things feel a bit… different. I first heard about “Ninas” ages ago, probably stumbled across it online or maybe someone mentioned it. It’s basically a hidden message or picture tucked away inside the grid by the constructor. Not part of the actual solving answers, but like an easter egg for people who look closely. Sounds neat, right? But honestly, most days I’m just happy to finish the puzzle without cheating.
Finding My First Nina
So, there was this one puzzle, I think it was a Thursday or maybe a Sunday, can’t recall exactly. I was chugging along, filling things in. Some answers felt a bit forced, you know? Like the constructor really wanted a specific letter in a specific spot. Didn’t think much of it at first, just kept going.
After I finished, I sat back, feeling pretty good. But then I noticed something. Looking over the grid, certain letters seemed to pop out, or maybe there was an odd symmetry I hadn’t seen while solving. I remembered that “Nina” thing.
Here’s what I did:
- I started just scanning the grid, row by row, then column by column.
- I wasn’t looking for answers anymore, just patterns in the letters themselves.
- I looked at the unshaded squares, sometimes they form shapes or letters.
- I checked the diagonals, the perimeter squares, the center block.
It took a while, honestly. My eyes were glazing over a bit. Was I just imagining things? Maybe this puzzle didn’t even have one. But then, bam! Along one of the diagonals, or maybe hidden symmetrically in the corners, I saw it. It spelled out a word, or maybe a short phrase. Sometimes it relates to the theme, sometimes it’s just a little signature from the puzzle maker.
Finding that first one felt pretty cool, like I’d unlocked a secret level. It wasn’t just about getting the answers right anymore. It added this whole other layer to the experience. Now, I don’t hunt for a Nina every single time, that would probably drive me nuts. But when a puzzle feels a little quirky, or after I finish a particularly interesting one, I might spend a few extra minutes just… looking. It’s a neat little reminder that there’s often more going on beneath the surface.
