Issue #185 Wed 13 Dec
Connections hints — December 13, 2023
A tidy grid today, though the final group demands a keen eye for spelling irregularities. The categories provide a measured progression from the literal to the linguistic.
yellow group 7 nudges
Yellow group
The rake left in the sand, a long walk between flags, and the quiet tension of a ball rolling toward a drop.
Sports venues
Synonyms for specific terrain features
Members are 5–7 letters; first letters B, F, G, R.
GOLF COURSE PARTS
One is BUNKER.
BUNKER · FAIRWAY · GREEN · ROUGH
green group 7 nudges
Green group
Raising a white flag, tapping the mat, or simply walking away from a losing argument.
Social interactions
Synonyms for surrender
Members are 4–6 letters; first letters E, M, S, U.
“I GIVE!”
One is ENOUGH.
ENOUGH · MERCY · STOP · UNCLE
blue group 7 nudges
Blue group
A whispered joke in the back row that makes the teacher look over their spectacles.
Adjectives
Synonyms for impropriety
Members are 4–6 letters; first letters B, C, R.
INDECENT
One is BAWDY.
BAWDY · BLUE · COARSE · RISQUÉ
violet group 7 nudges
Violet group
Read them aloud and notice how the ending changes entirely despite the shared visual appearance.
Linguistics
Words sharing a common orthographic sequence
Members are 5 letters each; first letters B, C, D, T.
”-OUGH” WORDS THAT DON’T RHYME
One is BOUGH.
BOUGH · COUGH · DOUGH · TOUGH