The puzzle flipped last minute.
You probably noticed. The New York Times swapped the scheduled grid for today’s Connections #1105 at the very end. They pushed the original plan to June 30. Instead we got something topical. Specifically something about the team that just won the basketball championship in New York. You know the one.
So yeah. It’s a tribute.
There’s a bot now too. Like Wordle has. You feed it your plays after you finish and it spits back a score and a breakdown. If you’re into tracking your own data habits you can log in and watch the stats roll by: win streaks, perfect scores, how many puzzles you’ve crushed. Nerd out if you want to.
How to think before you guess
Four groups. Yellow through purple. Easier to harder usually. Not always.
- Yellow : Think about the eleventh letter. The one that makes noise but often sits quiet in words.
- Green : Someone saying they’ve got your back. Or is that the answer itself?
- Blue : Take a seat.
- Purple : Air guitar. Make the hand sign.
The breakdown
Yellow: Words with “K”
The theme ties things together through a specific letter sound. Sometimes you hear it. Sometimes you don’t.
– jackknife
– knapsack
– knicks (Shoutout to the champs 🏀)
– knock-knock
Silent Ks. Pronounced Ks. All mixed up in that easy first bucket.
Green: Endorsements
These are ways you show support. Verbally. Physically. Financially?
– back
– bolster
– champion
– support
Pretty straightforward synonyms for “I’m on your team.”
Blue: Things to sit on
Comfort. Utility. Variance.
– beanbag
– recliner
– rocker
– stool
Some have arms. Some don’t. Some are hard. One is literally a bag of beans.
Purple: Song title repetitions
This is where it gets weird. You’re looking for words that echo in famous lyrics. Specifically words repeated in the title itself or iconic phrases treated as titles? Wait. Check the logic. The answers are:
– jumpin’ (Jumpin’ Jumpin’? No. Probably Jumpin’ Jack Flash? No. Maybe just the act?) actually… wait. Jumpin’ Jack Flash doesn’t repeat Jumpin. Let’s look at Rebel Rebel. Yes. New York, New York. Yes. Louie Louie. Yes. And Jumpin’… is that from a specific song like Jumpin’ Out My Head? Or maybe the clue implies words found in songs like Jumpin’ Jack Flash where the word stands alone? Actually the prompt says “Words repeated in hit song titles.” Rebel is in Rebel Rebel. New York is in New York, New York. Louis is in Louie Louie. That leaves Jumpin’. Is there a song Jumpin’ Jumpin’? Yes. By Jill Scott? Or perhaps the Bee Gees? The grouping holds up even if you aren’t a music scholar.
- jumpin’
- louie
- new york
- rebel
Hard to catch unless you’ve been paying attention to music history lately. Who really memorizes these things?
The hardest ones yet
We keep track of the puzzles that made everyone swear. Just in case you want to suffer later. Or study.
- #5 : “Things you can set” (mood, record, table, volleyball)
- #4 : “One in a dozen” (egg, juror, month, rose)
- #3 : “Streets on screen” (Elm, Fear, Jump, Sesame)
- #2 : “Power ___” (nap, plant, Ranger, trip)
- #1 : “Things that can run” (candidate, faucet, mascara, nose)
Patterns exist if you squint hard enough.
Sometimes you get the easy puzzle on a day when your brain is mush. Other days the grid fights you. Today felt fair. Except for the switchup. Does it matter which puzzle you solve? As long as it’s Thursday. Or whenever Tuesday is.
