Woke up early today and grabbed my coffee, thinking about that Connections puzzle from September 15. Decided to dive straight into Puzzle #462. Always start by scanning all words first, you know? Saw “Chip,” “Dip,” “Put,” “Make” – thought maybe it’s party snacks or something. Tried grouping those: “Chip” and “Dip” together felt right, but “Put” and “Make” didn’t fit. Failed instantly. Ugh.
The Messy First Attempt
Got frustrated and stared at the list again. Noticed “Tinder,” “Hinge,” “Match,” and “Bumble.” Laughed out loud – obviously dating apps! Highlighted all four with my finger. Boom, yellow category popped up: “Dating App Names.” Score! One group down.
Slow Progress & Another Guess
Then eyeballed “Check,” “Raise,” “Fold,” “Call.” Poker terms, right? Felt confident. Slammed them together… but got “Poker Moves” (green group) instead of “Poker Terms.” Close enough! Took what I could get. Two groups gone now.
Left with eight words: “Chip,” “Dip,” “Make,” “Put,” “Trick,” “Light,” “Spot,” “Touch.” Stuck here for ages. Pondered chip and dip again – maybe it’s verbs? Tried “Make” and “Put” with “Trick” and “Light.” Nope. Error. Only one mistake left, sweating bullets.
The Lightbulb Moment
Scratched my head. Randomly thought about phrases like “touchdown spot” in football? Then “spotlight” hit me. Wait! Could “Trick,” “Light,” “Spot,” “Touch” be… stage lighting terms? YOLO, grouped them:
- Light
- Spot
- Trick (like special effect?)
- Touch (as in spotlight touch?)
Purple category flashed: “Types of Stage Lights!” Nearly spit my coffee. Never would’ve guessed that.
Finishing Strong
Last four: “Chip,” “Dip,” “Make,” “Put.” Obvious now – “Makeup Terms!” Slapped them together for blue group. Felt like a genius after all that struggle. Puzzle done before my coffee went cold. Moral? Sometimes you overthink chips and dips when it’s just makeup. Classic Connections.