One crossword theme I really enjoy is the hidden word puzzle. You’ve probably seen it: A word is disguised within another word, or a phrase: for example, the word CAT can be found within AMERICA THE BEAUTIFUL.
I thought this week’s NYT Monday crossword by Kevin Christian was an effective example of this theme, and it got my wheels turning on some of the finer points.
[Warning: Spoilers ahead. To solve the crossword first, click this link.]
The Solving Experience and the “Aha” Moment
Here’s the completed grid for NYT Monday, July 12, 2021:
As you can see, all of the long across entries contain countries from AFRICA (62-across), with those letters stylishly circled:
- I’M A LITTLE TEAPOT (MALI)
- ALBERTO GONZALES (TOGO)
- THROWING A BONE TO (GABON)
- CHICKEN YAKITORI (KENYA)
Given the subjective nature of puzzles (and books, film, art, people, etc.) I can’t speak to the *objective* values of this grid. But I can speak to my own personal experience – where I got stuck, how much fun I had. So what was my experience as a solver?
To start: I typically solve the grid in descending order, beginning at the top left-hand corner, and working my way down towards the bottom right-hand corner. My impression is that most people do the same. For this puzzle, the first theme entry I solved was I’M A LITTLE TEAPOT. I worked my way eastward. Eventually I solved the rest of the themers in (roughly) top-down order: THROW A BONE TO, CHICKEN YAKITORI, and finally ALBERTO GONZALES. (As a small note: ALBERTO GONZALES threw a wrench into my top-down process, since I needed most of the crossings to figure it out.)
But here’s the thing: Even though I didn’t necessarily know the long theme entries, the theme revealed itself to me very quickly. As soon as I filled in “I’M A LITTLE TEAPOT” and saw MALI, I was pretty sure that the rest of the entries were going to contain African countries. My suspicions were confirmed when I solved 18-down (Band with the 1983 #1 hit “62-Across”), which led to the revealer (Where this puzzle’s circled letters can be found). At this point, I was praying that the theme was “Africa,” since I don’t know any other Toto songs.
No Circles, No Problems?
The question of whether to exclude the circles arose, I think, due to how early the theme revealed itself. I imagine that some solvers with similar experiences (especially the more ~jaded~ ones) could feel frustrated with how fleeting the “aha!” moment was. And I can also understand how solving the rest of the puzzle might feel a bit like a chore.
And so let’s consider the alternate option, where the letters aren’t circled. The benefit is that the solver fills in these seemingly-unrelated answers, all for the purpose of an extremely satisfying “aha!” moment at the end:
- “I’M A LITTLE TEAPOT?” “ALBERTO GONZALES? What the heck is the theme? These are just random entries!”
- “Wait, AFRICA?!? In each of the theme entries?”
- “Yes, look! That’s MALI, and that’s TOGO! The themers were connected after all!”
And scene. Essentially, the “aha!” becomes delayed until the very, very end, in a massive firework finale that requires the solver to complete *one more puzzle.*
By delaying the satisfaction of solving the theme (i.e. “Phrases with hidden African countries”), there’s perhaps a clearer reward system: Solve the puzzle, get the prize (in the form of the wordplay in the theme). The solver is spurred on to finish: not through a grudging sense of responsibility, but by genuine curiosity.
A Case for Circles
And yet, I still think that there are still benefits to circling the hidden words.
First of all, I think circles are beneficial for a Monday puzzle that is ultimately aimed at newer solvers. Understanding the theme early on would open up the grid, allowing for an easier solve. The Monday is what got me into crosswords, and I don’t think younger-me would be grumpy about a little extra help.
Second, even though my own solving experience was shaped by knowing the theme, I still found joy in the longer crossings with the theme in mind. “THROWING A BONE TO? Oh, it’s got GABON in it! I wouldn’t have realized that otherwise.” It’s kind of like micro-dosing satisfaction – one theme entry at a time – but I think there’s something to be said for a more consistent enjoyment of a puzzle.
Finally, not using circled letters could feel a bit like a forced scavenger hunt at the end, which has its downsides. People solve in different ways, and sometimes you just want a puzzle to be over when you finish. Feeling obligated to parse out African countries, especially if the solver is unfamiliar with the territory, seems especially frustrating – as if you listened to an entire shaggy-dog joke only not to understand the punchline.
To Circle or Not to Circle?!?
As you can tell, I don’t really have a single answer to my deep philosophical question. Some situations are more obvious; for instance, if there’s no revealer, I think you definitely have to circle. But puzzles like these could truly go either way. At the very least, I think that recognizing these various benefits and drawbacks is important, especially as I endeavor to create my own hidden-word puzzle (hopefully!).
I don’t think you can fault this puzzle for circling the letters. And I’m still not sure what version (circles or non-circles) would be better. Even if the countries weren’t circled, I’d probably still be writing a post wondering what it would look like with circles!
For my own construction aspirations: Maybe the most important thing is that I should try to step into my solver’s shoes. What would be fun for them? What would be frustrating? Exciting? Hopefully if I do that, I can’t go too wrong.
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Grid Alchemy 