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Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2025 4:56 am
by Mikey
Maybe I was wrong about the herrings. Having two categories with near identical requirements was kinda mean, Wyna. How do you guess the purple one?

As for today's puzzle... I had to remind myself of the difference between generic and specific terms to get purple. Bleeeahh.

Connections
Puzzle #876
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Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Mon Nov 03, 2025 3:02 pm
by Danoff
Connections
Puzzle #876
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I had a hard time sussing out which one was purple. I had all of them solved before entering anything. I didn't spend a whole lot of time trying to ID purple so I just picked what I thought was the hardest... turned out to be the easiest color.

Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2025 1:37 pm
by Mikey
Connections
Puzzle #877
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Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2025 3:30 pm
by Danoff
Connections
Puzzle #877
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Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2025 5:28 pm
by GBO Possum
Connections
Puzzle #877
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Skill 81/99
Uniqueness 1 in a Million

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Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Tue Nov 04, 2025 5:53 pm
by Danoff
GBO Possum wrote: Tue Nov 04, 2025 5:28 pm Uniqueness 1 in a Million
One of the techniques that I use is to run down the typical tricky categories. I look for blank word, and word blank. And I also look for interior words, like words that can be made by dropping or adding letters. And I look for rhyming words, and words that could be names. I basically make sure I consider those kinds of categories every time. It makes it far easier to see some of the purple or blues. If you can find a common meaning among 3 sets of 4, you can almost stop thinking of common meanings and just switch to looking for the tricky categories I mentioned.

That's how I figured out the stupid zodiac things from the other day. I looked for partial words. Also, I just know that she has re-used zodiac signs and constellations way too much. Rolled my eyes at that one.

Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2025 9:21 am
by Mikey
I'm not sure what my skill or uniqueness stats are. As a non-NYT subscriber I don't have access to the Connections bot or analysis. (Incidentally, thanks for all the article gift links on the other site and here, GBO Possum; they're greatly appreciated.)

Today's grid tried its best to lead us down a blind alley but fortunately blue was in my wheelhouse.

Connections
Puzzle #878
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Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Wed Nov 05, 2025 4:19 pm
by Danoff
Connections
Puzzle #878
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Never had any idea about blue.

Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 3:40 am
by Mikey
Connections
Puzzle #879
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Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Thu Nov 06, 2025 3:02 pm
by Danoff
Connections
Puzzle #879
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Done in like 60 seconds.

Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2025 4:00 am
by GBO Possum
Connections
Puzzle #879
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Skill 95/99
Uniqueness 1 in 23

Done in like 60 minutes

Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2025 3:18 pm
by Mikey
Purple was a tiny bit tougher for this non-US player without solving the other categories offline beforehand. I got three but one only made sense to me after the puzzle was complete.

Connections
Puzzle #880
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Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2025 3:43 pm
by Danoff
Connections
Puzzle #880
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There was an ambiguity in this one that almost threw me off. Had to solve it all first.

Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Fri Nov 07, 2025 4:55 pm
by GBO Possum
Without any offline planning, something clicked din my head and the purple one just jumped out at me

Then I had a brain fart, followed by an easy run home

The bot rates this as a difficulty level of 1 (out of 5).

Connections
Puzzle #880
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Skill 92/99
Uniqueness 1 in 506

Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2025 5:49 am
by Mikey
Connections
Puzzle #881
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Fortunately one of the purples was a dead giveaway as to the category.

Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Sat Nov 08, 2025 2:43 pm
by Danoff
Connections
Puzzle #881
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Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2025 5:13 am
by Mikey
Lacklustre effort from my end today. Purple was a complete no-hoper for me and I should've tried solving green before yellow to eliminate the one which was in both groups. 😕

Connections
Puzzle #882
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Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2025 4:27 pm
by Danoff
Connections
Puzzle #882
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Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Sun Nov 09, 2025 5:02 pm
by GBO Possum
Mikey wrote: Sun Nov 09, 2025 5:13 am Lacklustre effort from my end today. Purple was a complete no-hoper for me and I should've tried solving green before yellow to eliminate the one which was in both groups. 😕

Connections
Puzzle #882
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Blue jumped out for me almost instantly and I finished up relegating yellow to last place even though I had no idea of purple

Connections
Puzzle #882
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Skill 96/99
Uniqueness 1 in 313

Re: Connections NYT

Posted: Mon Nov 10, 2025 2:21 am
by Mikey
Like GBO Possum I had to do blue first today since I never did purple at school. The other three fell into place shortly afterwards and fortunately Wyna's weak attempt at a red herring was easily seen through.

Connections
Puzzle #883
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