Sofia

@Kotes I understand how you feel!! I've been doing the NYT crosswords for almost 2 years now, and at the beginning I felt like you did. I feel like most clues will be a mix of trivia and interesting ways to clue common words. It can be really frustrating at first, but one month is such little time! Allow yourself to search for what you don't know and learn new things. You will also start seeing patterns in the clues. There are only so many ways that the constructors can clue ORCA, OBOE, OREO, ENO, etc. lol. For me, it did not click immediately. I filled out what I could, and searched the rest. Without realizing it, over time I've gotten better at reading into the clues and finally getting it without trying. It's like a new neural pathway opens up in your brain titled "The Way Crossword Clues Are Written" and it just happens with practice and over time. Just to give you perspective, it's been 2 years of crossword solving for me and I can easily do Mon and Tues; depending on the puzzle I can do Wed and Thurs with more effort and some searching; I do Fri on Easy Mode (def recommend doing Fri on easy mode and then putting in the words on the OG one so you can practice how the clues work); Sat I don't even bother; and Sun I usually fill it out enough to solve the "theme" but it is rare that I finish it without help. (Usually solving the theme makes me feel accomplished enough lol)

@Sofia naanapology*