In the context of the New York Times (NYT) crossword, a “magic word” is not an official term but colloquially refers to a pivotal answer. This entry typically unlocks the puzzle’s theme, resolves a particularly challenging section, or provides a significant “aha!” moment for the solver.
Key Roles of a Potential “Magic Word”
- Theme Revealer: This is often a long answer, or a conspicuous shorter one, whose clue or entry explicitly states or strongly hints at the puzzle’s underlying gimmick or common thread among other theme entries. Solving it clarifies how other thematic answers are constructed or interconnected.
- Keystone Entry: An answer, frequently centrally located or intersecting with multiple difficult words, whose correct placement provides crucial letters that significantly aid in solving a large, stubborn portion of the grid.
- Instructional Element: Particularly in more complex puzzles (often found later in the week, like Thursday or Sunday), a “magic word” might be part of an answer that instructs the solver to perform an action with other entries (e.g., anagramming, dropping/adding letters, rebus interpretation).
Strategies for Identifying Such Pivotal Entries
Target Long Answers: Theme revealers and major keystone entries are almost invariably among the longest answers in the grid. Pay special attention to entries that span a significant portion of the puzzle.
Scrutinize Clues with an Asterisk or Special Notation: The NYT often marks theme-related clues. Clues for revealers might also be more self-referential, unusually phrased, or directly ask about the puzzle’s nature (e.g., “…and a hint to [n] other answers in this puzzle”).
Look for Symmetric Counterparts: If you suspect one long answer is thematic, check its symmetrically placed counterpart in the grid, as theme entries are often placed symmetrically.
Consider the Day of the Week: Monday puzzles rarely have complex “magic words” beyond a simple revealer. As the week progresses, the complexity and subtlety of these pivotal entries increase, peaking on Thursday and Sunday.
Impact on the Solving Experience
Identifying and correctly filling in a “magic word” can dramatically change the solving process. It can turn a frustratingly opaque puzzle into a suddenly clear and conquerable challenge, providing the necessary framework or insight to understand and complete the remaining theme-related entries and their often tricky crossings. This breakthrough is a core part of the satisfaction derived from solving NYT crosswords.
