Here we are again, staring at the grid, a fresh cup of coffee by our side. The clue of the day that has us pausing is a deceptive little gem: “The Chicago Marathon, for one.”
At first glance, your brain might start pulling up images of Grant Park, of runners huddled against the Windy City’s chill, of that grueling 26.2-mile journey. You might even try to find a way to fit “CHICAGO” or “MARATHON” into the available squares. But that’s the beautiful misdirection, the first layer of this excellent crossword clue. The real key, the part that unlocks everything, lies in those last two words: “for one.”
This phrase is a classic signal in the world of puzzles. It’s the constructor’s wink to the solver, a gentle hint that we are not looking for the specific example given, but rather the general category to which it belongs. The Chicago Marathon isn’t the answer; it’s the evidence. Our job is to play detective and figure out what it’s an example
of
. This is what elevates a simple definition into a truly satisfying crossword clue.
So, let’s break it down. What is the Chicago Marathon? We can start with the most obvious and build from there. It’s a competition. It’s an athletic endeavor. It’s a long-distance run. It’s a major public gathering. Each of these is a potential path, a different lens through which to view the clue. The constructor is testing our ability to zoom out from the specific and see the bigger picture.
This is where the magic of the grid comes into play. Without looking at the number of boxes or the letters provided by crossing entries, this crossword clue has multiple valid interpretations. Is it a four-letter word? A five-letter one? Maybe something longer? The puzzle itself holds the final arbiter of truth. The structure of the grid is what narrows down the possibilities from a broad brainstorm into a single, perfect-fitting word.
Perhaps you already have a letter or two in place. An “A” in the second position? A “C” in the third? Each piece of intersecting fill acts as a crucial guide, helping you eliminate the incorrect categories and home in on the one the puzzle demands. This is the joy of a well-crafted crossword clue; it’s not just a test of what you know, but a test of how you think. It encourages a flexible mind, one that can see a world-famous event and think not of the event itself, but of its fundamental nature. It’s a small riddle that reminds us to always look for the pattern behind the example.
Available Answers:
RACE.
Last seen on the crossword puzzle: Washington Post Crossword -Tuesday’s Daily By C.W. Stewart / Ed. Patti Varol