Okay, so today I messed around with the New York Times Crossword, and the clue was “Wake-up calls.” It got me thinking, how the heck do I even start solving these things? So I dove in, and here’s how it went down.
First off, I grabbed my phone and pulled up the NYT Crossword app. I usually just mess around with the Mini crossword, since it’s quick and easy, but today I decided to tackle the big one. I found the clue “Wake-up calls” and stared at it for a good minute. No idea.
Then I started looking around online. I found out that this clue had popped up before, back in July and September of last year, and once in March 2019. Seems like it’s a recurring one. That gave me a bit of hope, thinking there might be some answers floating around the internet.
I started plugging in letters I thought might fit, based on the other clues I had managed to solve. I noticed some folks online saying that the Monday crosswords are the easiest, and they get harder throughout the week. Saturday is apparently the killer. I made a mental note to stick to Mondays for now, until I get better at this.
After some trial and error, and a few hints from the app (don’t judge me), I started to see a pattern. The clue was looking for a plural answer, something that’s related to mornings and, well, waking up. I tried a few words, but nothing seemed to fit just right.
Then it hit me. I remembered reading somewhere that capitalization doesn’t matter in crossword answers. It’s all about the letters. So I started thinking about words that might fit the theme, regardless of how they’re usually written.
Here’s what I tried:
- ALARMS – Seemed like a good fit, since alarms are definitely a way to wake up.
- ROOSTERS – Another possibility, but it didn’t quite fit with the other clues I had.
- COFFEE – This one was a long shot, but hey, coffee definitely helps with waking up.
I kept going back and forth, trying different combinations, until finally, ALARMS seemed to be the winner. It fit perfectly with the other clues, and it made sense with the “Wake-up calls” theme. I plugged it in, and bam, it was correct!
So yeah, that’s how I solved the “Wake-up calls” clue in the NYT Crossword. It took some digging, some guessing, and a bit of luck, but I got there in the end. It was a fun little challenge, and I definitely learned a thing or two about how these puzzles work. Maybe I’ll try a Tuesday puzzle next week, feeling good!
