The Saturday edition of NYT Connections arrives with puzzle #937, serving up a grid that rewards pop culture knowledge and military terminology. Today's challenge particularly favors music fans who can spot chart-topping hits and those who recognize singular clothing terms.
What Makes Connections Tick
For newcomers, NYT Connections presents 16 words that must be sorted into four thematic groups of four.
The twist?
You're limited to four mistakes, and the color-coded difficulty system (yellow being easiest, purple being trickiest) means surface-level connections often mislead.
Since its June 2023 launch, Connections has carved out its niche in the Times' puzzle ecosystem, standing alongside Wordle and the crossword as a daily ritual for millions of players worldwide.
The game's genius lies in its red herrings, words that could fit multiple categories but belong in only one.
Today's Grid at a Glance
Here are the 16 words staring back at you in puzzle #937:
GENERAL | BAR | BLANKET | SLACK
OVERALL | WORK | UMBRELLA | NURSE
PRIVATE | JEAN | MAJOR | DIAMONDS
WILLY | JOGGER | SOS | CAPTAIN
A seemingly random collection that somehow connects into four perfect categories.
Strategic Hints (No Spoilers Yet)
Yellow Category Nudge: Think about military hierarchy and chain of command.
Green Category Clue: These are all types of pants or trousers, but pay attention to the singular form.
Blue Category Hint: This category celebrates a Barbadian superstar's chart-topping success.
Purple Category Teaser: Each of these words can follow "WET" to create a common phrase or expression.
The Full Solutions
Last chance to solve independently: answers below
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Yellow (Army Ranks): CAPTAIN, GENERAL, MAJOR, PRIVATE
These four words represent standard military ranks in ascending order of authority.
The category is straightforward for anyone familiar with military hierarchy, though "PRIVATE" could potentially mislead solvers looking for privacy-related terms.
Green (Legwear in the Singular): JEAN, JOGGER, OVERALL, SLACK
Each term refers to a type of pants or trousers when used in the singular form.
The trick here is recognizing that "JEAN" (singular) refers to the fabric or garment type, not the plural "jeans" most people use daily.
Blue (Rihanna #1 Hits): DIAMONDS, SOS, UMBRELLA, WORK
These are all titles of Rihanna songs that reached number one on the Billboard Hot 100 chart.
"DIAMONDS" (from "Diamonds"), "SOS," "UMBRELLA" (featuring Jay-Z), and "WORK" (featuring Drake) represent some of the Barbadian singer's biggest commercial successes.
Purple (WET ___): BAR, BLANKET, NURSE, WILLY
Each word completes the phrase "WET ___" to form common expressions: wet bar, wet blanket, wet nurse, and wet willy.
This category requires lateral thinking to move beyond literal interpretations and recognize these idiomatic phrases.
The Verdict
Puzzle #937 registers as moderate difficulty with a clever pop culture twist.
Yellow falls quickly for anyone who recognizes military hierarchy, while green requires thinking about clothing terminology in its singular form.
Blue separates the music enthusiasts from casual listeners.
Purple, predictably, is the streak-ender - those "WET ___" phrases won't reveal themselves without serious lateral thinking about idiomatic expressions.
The real trap lies in words like "WORK" and "SLACK," which could easily fit into productivity or relaxation categories, and "NURSE" which might lead medical-minded solvers astray.
"DIAMONDS" also presents a potential red herring for those thinking about card suits rather than pop music.
Reset and Repeat
Tomorrow's puzzle drops at midnight in your timezone.
Until then, reflect on today's performance: did Rihanna's discography trip you up, or did the military ranks come easily?
The beauty lies not in perfection but in training your brain to spot these hidden patterns.
For now, puzzle #937 is solved.
See you at midnight for round #938.
