My political crossword disaster today
Alright so I totally bombed solving this huge political events crossword this morning. Coffee hadn’t kicked in yet and I jumped straight in like an idiot. First thing I did? Grabbed some cheap pencil like it was kindergarten art class. Big mistake number one right there.
Error 1: Using garbage tools
That wimpy pencil? Point snapped clean off halfway through “Third_”. Thought I could just scribble in “Reich” lightly for “Third_Reich”. Nope. Looked like abstract art with lead smears everywhere. Couldn’t even read my own answers anymore. Switched to my wife’s red ballpoint like some kind of savage. Ended up crossing out so much stuff, the whole section looked like a murder scene.
Error 2: Going full history nerd
Got cocky after fixing the pen situation. Saw “Berlin blockade ally” with 7 boxes. My brain screamed “AIRLIFT!” but my fingers wrote “AMERIC-” cause, you know, Cold War trivia. Forgot crosswords want the common nickname for stuff. Slapped my own forehead when I realized “AIRLIFT” fit perfectly later. Lost like 20 minutes chasing dumb history rabbit holes.
Error 3: Ignoring tiny words
The final humiliation? “Post-_ Cold War agreement” at the bottom. Had “NATO” stuck in my brain. Stared at “POST_” like it owed me money. Tried “POST_YALTA” (too long), “POST_SUMMIT” (nonsense). Almost cried thinking about dinner plans. Then it clicked – “POST_SOVIET”. That little “S” prefix? Yeah, I’d glossed right over it earlier. Wanted to facepalm so bad.
Fixed my stupid mistakes
After lunch (and deep breaths) I finally pulled it together:
- Ditched the pencil drama – used a fine blue ink pen forever
- Stuck to simple, obvious answers even if they felt “basic”
- Reread every single clue twice – especially the prefixes/suffixes
Finished the dang thing in 10 minutes flat. Moral? Political crosswords ain’t history exams. Stop overthinking, check the little words, and use decent ink. Felt so good slapping that finished puzzle on the fridge like a trophy. Won’t be rushing tomorrow morning, that’s for damn sure.
