Alright, so I sat down with the LA Times crossword earlier, like I often do. Got stuck for a bit on one clue: “just decide”. Seemed simple on the surface, but sometimes those are the ones that trip you up.
My first step was just thinking about what it means. “Just decide”. Like, stop dithering, make a choice. Commit to something. That sort of vibe.
So, I started brainstorming words. My brain immediately went to the obvious ones:
- Choose
- Pick
- Select
- Elect
You know, the standard stuff. But then I thought about the “just” part. It adds a bit of emphasis, doesn’t it? Like telling someone to get on with it. Makes it feel a bit more abrupt, maybe a shorter word was needed.
I didn’t have any crossing letters filled in yet for that spot, which always makes it harder. So, I had to guess the length. Often, these kinds of direct action clues can be short.
If it was three letters, OPT jumped out. That’s a classic crossword answer for ‘choose’ or ‘decide’. It felt pretty good, nice and concise, matching that “just get it done” feeling.
If it turned out to be longer, maybe five letters, then ELECT could work. Still fits the meaning, just a bit more formal than OPT.
I also considered if it was some kind of phrase, but that seemed unlikely for a standard daily puzzle unless the letter count was way off. Usually, it’s a direct synonym.
So, I mentally bookmarked OPT as the most likely candidate, especially if the space was short. It’s common, it fits the meaning, and it has that directness. If that didn’t fit once I got some crossing letters, I’d revisit ELECT or maybe even CHOOSE if it was six letters.
That’s pretty much my process. Read it, think about the meaning, spitball synonyms, consider the length and common crossword words, and make an educated guess to start with. Nothing fancy, just working through it step-by-step.
