The New York Times Connections
The New York Times Connections

NEW YORK — Saturday's New York Times Connections puzzle uses two-word phrases throughout, and every category depends on spotting the right half of each phrase.

Puzzle No. 1210 is rated moderately difficult, about 2.5 out of 5 according to the Connections Companion. Players who notice the pattern early should find it much easier to solve.

Below are hints and tips to help you work through the grid, followed by the full answers.

How Connections works

Connections, launched by The New York Times in 2023 and edited by Wyna Liu, gives players 16 words or phrases to sort into four groups of four. Each group shares a common theme.

The groups are color-coded by difficulty:

  • Yellow is the easiest.
  • Green is moderately easy.
  • Blue is harder.
  • Purple is the most difficult and usually involves wordplay.

Players can make up to four mistakes before the game ends. A new puzzle is released daily at midnight local time.

Today's grid

Saturday's puzzle features 16 two-word entries:

CAN OPENER, HEAD WAITER, JOHN DENVER, W.C. FIELDS, ELBOW GREASE, FAT CATS, LINDA HAMILTON, SOMETHING WICKED, BROAD BEAN, GETTY IMAGES, MET HALFWAY, WHITNEY HOUSTON, DIET SPRITE, MERV GRIFFIN, NY GIANT, RIVER PHOENIX

The key to today's puzzle

Every entry contains two words, but only one word in each entry matters for its category. Two of the four groups are based on the first word of each entry, and the other two are based on the last word.

Once players figure out which half to focus on, the categories become much clearer.

Category hints

If you want to solve the puzzle yourself, try these clues:

Yellow: Look at the first word. Think about a room you visit several times a day.

Green: Look at the last word. Think of shows on Broadway.

Blue: Look at the first word. Think of places where you can see art and history in the United States.

Purple: Look at the last word. Think of creatures from myths and legends.

One entry from each group

Need more help? Here is one entry from each category:

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  • Yellow: CAN OPENER
  • Green: FAT CATS
  • Blue: WHITNEY HOUSTON
  • Purple: DIET SPRITE

Strategy tips

Saturday's puzzle does not rely heavily on red herrings. The main challenge is recognizing that each phrase contains a hidden clue.

  • Read both halves of every entry. Ask whether the first or last word could fit a theme.
  • Start with the most obvious category. The toilet slang in the yellow group is a good starting point.
  • Look for famous names. Several entries are well-known people, but their full names are not the connection.
  • Use the shuffle button to see the entries in a new arrangement and spot patterns.

Today's category names

Here are the four categories:

  • Yellow: Starting with terms for "toilet"
  • Green: Ending in musicals
  • Blue: Starting with U.S. museums
  • Purple: Ending in fantasy creatures

Today's Connections answers

Spoiler warning: The full solutions are below.

Yellow — Starting with terms for "toilet": CAN OPENER, HEAD WAITER, JOHN DENVER, W.C. FIELDS

"Can," "head," "john" and "W.C." are all informal or slang terms for a toilet.

Green — Ending in musicals: ELBOW GREASE, FAT CATS, LINDA HAMILTON, SOMETHING WICKED

Each entry ends with the title of a famous musical: "Grease," "Cats," "Hamilton" and "Wicked."

Blue — Starting with U.S. museums: BROAD BEAN, GETTY IMAGES, MET HALFWAY, WHITNEY HOUSTON

Each begins with the name of a major American museum: the Broad in Los Angeles, the Getty in Los Angeles, the Met in New York and the Whitney in New York.

Purple — Ending in fantasy creatures: DIET SPRITE, MERV GRIFFIN, NY GIANT, RIVER PHOENIX

Each entry ends with a mythical or fantasy creature: sprite, griffin (an alternate spelling of griffon), giant and phoenix.

Why the purple group stands out

The purple category is harder because some entries disguise their creatures well. "Griffin" is better known as a surname, as in the late talk show host Merv Griffin, while "Sprite" may first bring to mind the soft drink rather than a mythical spirit.

"Giant" can also cause confusion, as many players will think of the New York Giants football team before considering legendary giants.

Yesterday's answers

For players catching up, Friday's puzzle (No. 1209) had these solutions:

  • Yellow — Finance: BACK, BANKROLL, FUND, SUPPORT
  • Green — Fingers: INDEX, LITTLE, MIDDLE, RING
  • Blue — Customary: COMMON, ROUTINE, STANDARD, STOCK
  • Purple — Prime ___: NUMBER, REAL ESTATE, RIB, TIME

What's next

A new Connections puzzle will be released at midnight local time Sunday, Oct. 4. Check back for hints, tips and answers to help keep your winning streak alive.

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