There are certain crossword clues that feel less like a challenge and more like a perfectly set trap. They sit there in the grid, short and seemingly innocent, winking at you. You read the clue, your brain serves up an immediate, obvious answer, and you feel that familiar flicker of confidence. You start mentally penciling it in. Then, you pause. It’s a little too easy, isn’t it?
Enter today’s delightful little puzzle: “Units of pop.”
Instantly, the mind floods with images from a convenience store cooler. The first path is a well-trodden one. You think of measurements. Ounces? No, that doesn’t quite feel right for a standard crossword clue. Liters? Maybe, if it’s a Tuesday puzzle. The most common “units” are, of course, the containers themselves. Cans. Bottles. You cycle through them, checking the letter count against the empty squares in your grid. It’s a compelling direction, the one the puzzle constructor surely wants you to take. It’s the shiny lure dangling just below the surface.
But a seasoned solver knows that the best crossword clues are masters of misdirection. The genius of a truly great clue lies in its ambiguity, its ability to pivot on a single, unassuming word. Here, that word is “pop.”
Once you abandon the beverage aisle, the journey gets more interesting. What else does “pop” mean? There’s the onomatopoeia. A pop of a bubble, a pop of a balloon, the pop of a cork. Are we looking for some kind of sound? A burst? A bang? This feels a bit more creative, but it’s often hard to find a satisfying, common answer on this path. This particular crossword clue seems to demand a more concrete noun.
So, we pivot again. What about pop culture? Pop music, perhaps? This is a fertile ground for any puzzle. “Units of pop” could be referring to hit songs, singles, or maybe even the bands themselves. It’s a legitimate and clever interpretation of the clue, and for many, this might be the second stop on the mental roadmap. You start thinking of famous pop groups or music industry terms, hoping one clicks with the crossing letters you’ve already filled in.
And yet, there’s often another layer. The best crossword clue will make you re-examine the most basic definition of a word, one you haven’t considered since you were a child. It asks you to step back from the literal and the figurative and find the colloquial, the familiar.
Think about the word “pop” not as a thing, a sound, or a genre, but as a title. A name. A term of endearment. When a crossword clue nudges you in this direction, it’s a magical moment. The entire phrase reconfigures itself in your mind. The meaning of “units” shifts from measurements or items into something far more personal. Suddenly, you’re no longer thinking about what you buy in a store or what you hear on the radio. You’re thinking about family.
This is the art of the crossword clue in its purest form. It’s a simple phrase that leads you down a garden path, lets you explore a few dead ends, and then, with a subtle turn of phrase, reveals a completely different, and often heartwarming, destination. It’s the kind of clue that, once solved, earns a satisfied nod and maybe even a little smile.
Available Answers:
LITERS.
Last seen on the crossword puzzle: Washington Post Crossword -Sunday’s Daily By Adam Simpson & Katie Hale / Ed. Patti Varol