Hey everyone, so I’ve been getting into crossword puzzles lately, and I came across this clue in the New York Times puzzle the other day: “Social media symbols”. It totally stumped me at first! I mean, there are so many symbols associated with social media these days, right? Hashtags, at-signs, hearts, you name it.
I started by thinking about all the different platforms and their logos. Tried to fit “Facebook” or “Twitter” into the grid, but they were all too long. Then, I listed out common symbols. Hmm, maybe it’s that “like” thumbs-up thing? Nope, that didn’t work either.
Then I had a “Eureka!” moment. I remembered seeing something online about rebus puzzles. Apparently, sometimes in crosswords, you have to squeeze multiple letters or even symbols into one square. Could this be one of those? I doubted it at the beginning, this symbol must be a word instead of a sign.
So, I went back to the drawing board. I started thinking about symbols that get used within the text of social media posts, not just the platform logos. And that’s when it hit me! What’s the one symbol you see all the time when people are tagging or mentioning someone else on social media?
The at-sign (@), of course! It’s used to tag people on pretty much every platform out there. I filled in “ATS” in the grid, and it was a perfect match! All the intersecting words checked out too.
- First, I brainstormed all the social media platform logos and symbols I could think of.
- Then, I tried to fit those names into the puzzle grid, but none of them worked.
- Next, I considered the possibility of it being a rebus puzzle but then doubted it.
- Finally, I refocused on symbols used within social media posts, and that’s how I figured out it was “ATS”.
Lessons Learned
This whole experience taught me a few things. One, don’t get tunnel vision when you’re solving crossword puzzles. Be prepared to think outside the box. And two, sometimes the most obvious answers are the ones that are staring you right in the face!
So, yeah, that’s the story of how I finally cracked the “Social media symbols” clue in the NYT crossword. It was a fun little challenge, and I definitely feel a sense of accomplishment now that I’ve solved it. Has anyone else struggled with this clue? Let me know in the comments!
