Okay, so I’ve been having this thing with the NYT crossword lately. It’s like, you know, you get stuck on one clue and it just messes up your whole flow. And today’s was a real doozy: “Divination aids … or a phonetic hint to the shaded squares in this puzzle.” What the heck does that even mean, right?
So first, I tried just staring at it. Yep, that’s my go-to strategy. Stare really hard and hope the answer magically appears. Didn’t work this time. Shocking, I know. Then I started looking at the shaded squares, thinking maybe there’s some secret code in there. Nope, just a bunch of letters that didn’t make any sense together.
Then I got to the “phonetic hint” part. Okay, I thought, maybe it’s something that sounds like another word? So I started saying the letters out loud, trying different combinations. My cat looked at me like I was crazy. I probably sounded like I was summoning a demon or something.
- Tried to pronounce the shaded squares.
- Made weird sounds.
- Got a headache.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, I decided to check online. I typed “Divination aids nyt crossword” into the search bar. I skimmed through a few forum threads where people were discussing this, many were saying that there might be one solution, some even provided the answer.
There are so many different websites out there, that provide clues and answers to these crossword puzzles. Then I saw someone mention “May 2, 2024” and “9 letters.” And then it hit me. The answer is staring right at my face: TEA LEAVES!
Honestly, I felt so dumb. It was right there all along! But hey, at least I figured it out, right? And I learned a new word, I guess. Although, I’m still not sure how “tea leaves” is a phonetic hint, but whatever. Crossword puzzles are weird. And the answer date was May 2, interesting!
The Takeaway
Don’t be afraid to look for help online if you’re really stuck. And maybe, just maybe, don’t overthink it. Sometimes the answer is simpler than you think. Or maybe it’s just a really bad clue. Yeah, let’s go with that. It was a bad clue.
