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Apple-based Products: Brandy, Butter, Cider, and Sauce are all derived from apples.
Business Terms: Concern, Firm, House, and Outfit all relate to companies.
Country Abbreviations: Germ, Luxe, Malt, and Port hint at European country names.
The New York Times Connections puzzle still tests and delights with its clever wordplay and multilevel themes. Saturday’s edition, though, was even more complicated, even for experienced solvers. While weekends are typically a time for fare that is lightweight, today’s grid provided unseen depth and deception.
Gleefully, several of the words seemed to hint at a common thread about beverages or spirits. But as most solvers soon found out, the true relationships were much more subtle, combining business jargon, geographical pieces, descriptive terms, and culinary terms.
For those wishing to find an answer, or who simply want to check their hypotheses, here’s a full analysis of today’s puzzle.
BRANDY, MALT, FIRM, BUTTER, STOUT, CIDER, PORT, HOUSE, LUXE, OUTFIT, THICK, SAUCE, SQUAT, GERM, CONCERN, SOLID
Blue – Apple Products: Brandy, Butter, Cider, Sauce
These are all apple-derived items, cleverly hidden under the designation of ‘products.’
Yellow – Stocky: Solid, Squat, Stout, Thick
Each word is used to describe a sturdy, compact shape, whether used for a person or an object.
Green – Company: Concern, Firm, House, Outfit
This set includes synonyms or definitions of business organizations. ‘Concern,’ while less frequently used in general American usage, is a valid word for a business enterprise, especially in European settings.
Purple – European Country Starts: Germ, Luxe, Malt, Port
These are shortened or abbreviated country names: Germany, Luxembourg, Malta, and Portugal. A gentle but refined case of geographic punning.
Saturday’s Connections puzzle was a classic example of the game’s skill at balancing surface-level simplicity with more profound linguistic and contextual challenges. Although clues might have initially suggested going in one direction, victory lay in lateral thinking and accepting less-than-obvious connections.
Whether you managed a perfect score or learned something new from the reveal, the beauty of the puzzle lies in its daily invitation to look at language through a more curious and playful lens. Until tomorrow, happy solving.
