“Clay, Later” – A Crossword Clue Decoded
This week’s crossword puzzle threw me for a loop. I was cruising through the early sections, feeling confident and smug, when I hit a brick wall. The clue stared back at me, mocking my supposed crossword prowess: “Clay, later.”
My mind raced, desperately trying to conjure up a connection between “clay” and “later.” Was it a type of pottery that was particularly popular in the future? Was it a slang term for something made of clay that was no longer fashionable?
I sat staring at the empty grid square, feeling a surge of frustration. I’d encountered cryptic clues before, but this one felt particularly impenetrable.
Frustration soon gave way to determination. I was not going to be defeated by this cryptic clue. I would crack it, even if it took all night.
With renewed vigor, I grabbed my trusty dictionary and thesaurus, ready to dive into the depths of language to decipher this enigmatic phrase. I began by exploring the different meanings of “clay,” noting down every possible interpretation: the material, the color, the adjective, the figurative term. Then, I moved onto “later,” scrutinizing its nuances and potential connections to “clay.”
As I sifted through the possibilities, a glimmer of hope emerged. Perhaps the clue was playing on a double meaning, a common tactic in crossword puzzles.
I was on the right track. But the solution remained elusive. Was the answer a person, a place, a thing, an idea?
I finally had to surrender to the fact that I needed a fresh perspective. I put the puzzle aside, hoping that the answer would reveal itself in a flash of inspiration.
I returned to the crossword later that day, feeling refreshed and ready to tackle the clue again. This time, I focused on the relationship between “clay” and “later.” What could potentially bridge the gap between these two seemingly unrelated words?
The answer was hiding in plain sight. It was a simple concept, yet one that had eluded me for hours.
The solution was…
…Stay tuned for tomorrow’s post where I reveal the answer and break down the logic behind the clue!
Available Answers:
ALI.
Last seen on the crossword puzzle: Thomas Joseph – King Feature Syndicate Crossword – Aug 6 2024