The “Face Palm” Factor: When Obvious Crossword Clues Elude Us
We’ve all been there. Staring at a crossword grid, convinced there’s some devilish trickery afoot, some arcane wordplay we’re just not sophisticated enough to decipher. Hours (or what feels like hours) tick by. Coffee is brewed (and re-brewed). Maybe you even consult a friend, convinced two heads are better than one when battling cryptic clues.
And then… the penny drops.
It’s a moment of simultaneous triumph and self-reproach. The answer, previously cloaked in impenetrable mystery, suddenly leaps from the page in all its blindingly obvious glory. A collective groan ripples through the room (or, more likely, your own mind). “How could I have missed that?!” you lament.
This week, I battled just such a beast. A deceptively simple-seeming clue nestled amongst its more challenging brethren. It seemed, at first glance, utterly generic, the kind of clue that could yield dozens of potential answers. I spun my wheels, brainstorming possible synonyms, anagrams, and even trying to force-fit phrases that sounded vaguely plausible.
I dove deep into the crossword solver’s mental toolkit. First, I meticulously counted the number of letters. Check. Then I examined the surrounding intersecting answers, hoping for some crucial letter clues. Nothing. Zilch. Nada.
The frustration began to mount. Was this some obscure foreign word? A reference to a historical figure I’d somehow forgotten? I even questioned the validity of the clue itself – perhaps there was a typo, a misprint that was throwing me off the scent.
I consulted online crossword dictionaries, typed in potential word fragments, and scrolled through pages of possibilities. Still, the solution remained stubbornly elusive.
Defeated (at least temporarily), I moved on to other sections of the puzzle, hoping a fresh perspective might spark some inspiration. Sometimes, stepping away from a particularly vexing clue allows the subconscious to work its magic. You might be surprised what surfaces when you’re not actively trying to force an answer.
Hours later, after successfully navigating a particularly tricky double-definition and a clever pun-based clue, my gaze drifted back to the offending word. And then, it hit me.
The answer, so simple, so straightforward, that it was almost insulting. It was right there, staring me in the face, hidden not by complexity but by its very obviousness.
The satisfying “click” of the pen as I filled in the squares was accompanied by a sigh of relief… and a hearty dose of self-deprecation.
The experience serves as a reminder that in the world of crossword puzzles, the most challenging clues aren’t always the most complex. Sometimes, the answer is so close to the surface, so deeply ingrained in our everyday language, that we simply overlook it.
It’s a humbling experience, but also a valuable lesson. Keep an open mind, don’t overthink it, and remember that sometimes the solution is staring you right in the face.
So, have you encountered a similarly frustratingly obvious clue lately? Share your stories in the comments below! Misery (and triumphant breakthroughs) loves company!
Available Answers:
DUH!.
Last seen on the crossword puzzle: 0728-25 NY Times Crossword 28 Jul 25, Monday