It's Christmas Day, and it's time for another Connections puzzle from the New York Times! If you've tackled their holiday puzzles before, you know they can be surprisingly subtle. Need a hand with today's challenge? This guide provides hints, category clues, and even full spoilers, leaving out only the basic rules of the game itself.
Today's Connections puzzle (December 25th, 2024, #563) includes these words: Queen, Star, Cupid, Strong, Rudolph, Sagittarius, Nanny, Comet, Vixen, Moon, Robin Hood, Shannon, Hawkeye, Fey, Jenny, and Planet.
What's a Jenny?
A "jenny" can refer to a spinning jenny (a yarn-spinning machine), a female given name, a female animal of certain species, or a slang nautical term for a type of jib sail.
Hints and Spoilers:
Here's some help, broken down by color-coded category:
General Hints:
- Forget reindeer names.
- Female first names aren't the key here.
- "Shannon" and "Strong" belong together.
Yellow Category (Easy):
Hint: Think black holes and satellites.
Answer: Celestial Objects
Words: Comet, Moon, Planet, Star
Green Category (Medium):
Hint: Katniss, Artemis, and Legolas might also fit.
Answer: Archers
Words: Cupid, Hawkeye, Robin Hood, Sagittarius
Blue Category (Hard):
Hint: Consider a doe, a hen, or a molly.
Answer: Female Animals
Words: Jenny, Nanny, Queen, Vixen
Purple Category (Tricky):
Hint: Think comedians.
Answer: SNL Cast Members
Words: Fey, Rudolph, Shannon, Strong
Complete Solution:
- Yellow - Celestial Objects: Comet, Moon, Planet, Star
- Green - Archers: Cupid, Hawkeye, Robin Hood, Sagittarius
- Blue - Female Animals: Jenny, Nanny, Queen, Vixen
- Purple - SNL Cast Members: Fey, Rudolph, Shannon, Strong
Ready to play? Find the New York Times Games Connections puzzle online!
