On most days of the week, I don’t feel truly awake until I’ve had a coffee and completed Connections and Waffle. I’m an avid LA Times Crossword connoisseur as well, but I don’t always have the 5-20 minutes avail in the morning. Having spent so much time on these games, I decided to reveal some secret rules that you may not have figured out. Here’s your insider tips to help you look like a puzzle master.

Crosswords: My Favorite Game!

1. Start on Mondays: If you’re new to crosswords, start with Monday puzzles—they're easier. As you master common answers (like "Asps," a snake I’ve never referenced outside of a crossword), you can graduate to Tuesdays. Then Wednesdays. Saturdays are notorious for their difficulty, considered the hardest of the week. Sundays are long and complex, but also themed.

2. Themes & Circles: Saturday and Sunday crosswords often have a theme that’s hidden in the puzzle’s title. If you see circled letters, those usually spell out a hidden word or concept. If the circles show repeated letters, you’ve stumbled upon a crucial clue for the bigger picture. [If you see a section with circles around A, B, C and D, and another section with circles around C, D and A, you can assume the 4th circle is B.

3. Match Clue Tenses: If the clue is in the past tense, the answer is too. If the clue is abbreviated, so is the answer. For example, “Dr.’s order” could be “Rx,” while “Worked hard” could be “Toiled.”

4. Crossword Difficulty Varies by Country and Pub: British and Hebrew crosswords are brutal compared to American ones (like LA Times or NY Times), largely because they don’t intersect as frequently. I think the puzzle makers are just lazy. Try different publishers out if you can.

5. Use a Dictionary! You’re allowed to use a dictionary if you don’t know a word! The whole point is to learn. It’s not cheating—it’s studying. What could be more fun?

Wordle: The Viral Game That Spawned Endless Clones

1. Starter Words Don't Matter (Much): Many people swear by starter words like "adieu" for vowel coverage, but I prefer "stake" because E is a more common final letter than U, and S and T are among the most used consonants. Ultimately, use what works for you, but don’t overthink it—your first guess is just the warm-up. Puzzle masters tend to avoid starters.

2. Sound it Out: Sometimes, the word just sounds right, even if you can’t immediately see it. Listen to the combination of letters and trust your instincts.

3. Try Harder Variants: I’m good at letter swapping in my mind, so Wordle is just not for me. I can do Spanish and Hebrew wordle better than friends who speak those languages. If Wordle is too easy for you too, try Quordle, where you solve four Wordles at once. I prefer Waffle, which we’ll talk about next.

   PS: Check out my Simpsons Wordle clone at wordleydurdley.com. The words are perfectly cromulent.

Waffle: A Better Wordle?

For those unfamiliar, players aim to unscramble a grid of letters to form words both horizontally and vertically. Max efficiency means having five swaps left.

1. Focus on Unique Letters: Waffle drove me nuts until I realized I was playing it wrong. Instead of trying to solve one word at a time, focus first on letters that appear only once in the grid. These unique letters can only go in one spot, so you’re not wasting swaps.

   For example, if you see one Y, three L’s, and two X’s, place the Y first. It’s guaranteed to be efficient! Starting with L or X may reduce your effiency.

2. Deluxe Waffle = Brain Melt: For the larger "Deluxe Waffle," you'll either need to be a puzzle savant or use pen and paper to map out the swaps. It becomes more like Sudoku, where you need to think multiple steps ahead to avoid inefficient swaps. Good luck with these!

Connections: 2024’s Word Association Game

1. Obviosly, Start with the Obvious: Always knock out the most obvious connections first. Is there a name, like Nickelodeon, that only has one usual usage? Do you immediately spot four colors, sports teams or animal group names? Waiting to eliminate will make the game impossible.

2. Check for a Fifth Option: If you see a connection, double-check that there isn’t a fifth word that fits the group. Sometimes, you’ll group words only to realize later you missed a better set.

3. Avoid Forbes, Use CNet, Mashable or another site for Clues: If you’re really stuck, Google “Connections Clues” and go for results from CNet or Mashable. Forbes has a paywall. These sites let you see one or two clues if you don’t want to jump to the answers.

4. Watch for Homophones: The final group is often the trickiest and may involve words that sound alike rather than look alike. Keep in mind that words can be linked by how they’re pronounced, not just by their spelling.

Conclusion:

Without knowing the rules, you stand as much chance of winning as by clicking random squares in Minesweeper. Though the game play is simple, there are intrinsic rules to figure out. Of course, the real secret is that these games get easier and easier the more you play them. Crossword fans can see one word in a clue (‘snake’) and know the answer (‘asp’). Just remember—the real fun is researching the things you didn’t know.

PS If you need a harder challenge, try this: https://www.missionstreetpuzzles.com/three-cheers/