My Little Puzzle Adventure
So, the other day, I was tackling the New York Times crossword. You know, my usual routine, trying to keep the old brain sharp. Got my coffee, settled in, and was cruising along okay until I hit this one clue: Need of a screwdriver. Five letters.
My first thought, honestly? I looked over at my toolbox. Did I leave a project unfinished? My mind went straight to actual screws and maybe needing a Phillips head or a flathead. But no, this is the crossword, gotta think differently.
Okay, “screwdriver”. What else could it be? Ah, the drink! Vodka and orange juice. Right. So, what’s the “need” related to that screwdriver?
- Maybe you need the vodka?
- Maybe you need the orange juice?
- Maybe you need ice?
- Could it be a place, like a BAR? (Only three letters, though)
I started penciling in some letters from the crossing words I already had. Let’s see… it looked like it ended in a ‘J’. That got me thinking. What part of a Screwdriver drink ends in J? OJ! Orange Juice. That felt right. You need OJ for a screwdriver. Simple, classic crossword misdirection, leading you down the hardware path first.
Sometimes the clue is about what you feel after needing (or having) too many screwdrivers, like maybe AHANGOVER, but that’s way too long for five letters. For this one, with the ‘J’ fitting perfectly, I felt pretty good locking in OJ.
It’s funny how these little puzzles work. Makes you twist your thinking from the literal to the figurative, or in this case, from the toolbox to the breakfast table (or the bar, depending on your timing!). Just a small victory in my day, figuring that one out. On to the next clue!
