Issue #852 Tue 2 Sep
Connections hints — September 2, 2025
Today's grid asks for careful attention to phrasing and a willingness to look past the literal. Expect a few sharp turns that challenge your initial associations.
yellow group 7 nudges
Yellow group
A bitten tongue, a slammed door, the sharp intake of breath when the hammer misses the nail and finds a thumb instead.
Linguistic registers
Direct synonyms
Members are 8–17 letters; first letters E, F, P, S.
CURSES
One is EXPLETIVES.
EXPLETIVES · FOUR-LETTER WORDS · PROFANITY · SWEARING
green group 7 nudges
Green group
A worn copy on the nightstand, its spine cracked, pages yellowed from decades of bedtime recitations.
Literary references
Shared source material
Members are 5–9 letters; first letters C, H, M, S.
IN "A VISIT FROM ST. NICHOLAS"
One is CHRISTMAS.
CHRISTMAS · HOUSE · MOUSE · STIRRING
blue group 7 nudges
Blue group
A garage sale find, still in the original box, representing a very specific moment in nineties design history.
Pop culture artifacts
Categorical attributes
Members are 7–13 letters; first letters E, M, N, P.
WORN BY EARRING MAGIC KEN
One is EARRING.
EARRING · MESH SHIRT · NECKLACE · PLEATHER VEST
violet group 7 nudges
Violet group
The way a word changes when you isolate the first two letters and read them as a separate, personal pronoun.
Linguistic wordplay
Orthographic composition
Members are 7–9 letters; first letters H, M, O.
STARTING WITH POSSESSIVE DETERMINERS
One is HERRING.
HERRING · HISTAMINE · MYSTERY · OUROBOROS