Riddle Me This... a Puzzler

Good afternoon.

I spend my mornings with a smoothie, a cup of coffee, and the NY Times Puzzles. I figured if I wanted to make the NY Times, I could make the list of avid puzzle solvers. Leave me be, It helps to get the grey matter moving in the morn.

Oh don't give me that look, its not as easy as you may think, and it may not be as difficult as you believe.

Please allow me to show you.

We are going to work on the Letter Boxed Puzzle.

https://www.nytimes.com/puzzles/letter-boxed

Initially, it doesn't appear to be so difficult.

The goal is to Create words using letters around the square. You can use a letter more than once, but you can only use the letters on each side. The letter you end with, must be the first letter in the next word. The end goal is to use all the letters to make five words or less.

Ready?

My first word is symptom. I have used all four sides of the box, and ending with the letter M, which will be my first letter of the next word, which leaves me the letters, A, R,C, F, G and N.

Now I must start with M.

I am crossing the board using the A. You might have noticed there are only two vowels and a Y in this hand. It is difficult, but not impossible. I am now ending in the letter S, which will start my next word, which leaves the letter C, F, and G.

I want to be able to get it in one fell swoop, but it is going to cost me another move. I go for SCARFS which still leaves the Letter G. I'm within the parameters of solving in less that five words, since this makes number three. I am also ending in the letter S once more.

I complete the letter box with the word scrag and have solved the puzzle in less than four words.

It took a while for me to figure out how to play this game and even longer to realize how stunted my vocabulary is, and how this helps me to think outside of the letter box. You can sign up for the NYTimes Games with a monthly subscription of around $4.

Other Games which are available under the same subscription prices are: The Crossword, The Mini, The Spelling Bee, Tiles, Vertex and not listed is Soduko.

Get the grey matter moving and let's play.