Mastering the Saturday Crossword

The Saturday New York Times crossword is the summit. Some people think it's the Sunday, but they only show themselves to be mere dilettantes (the Sunday is only as hard as a Wednesday or Thursday, but quite a bit bigger). The Saturday has no theme to guide you, no gentle Monday clues to ease you in—just pure, unforgiving wordplay. So what would it actually take to master it?

I was chatting with Grok about this and we put together a semester-long syllabus. Fifteen weeks to transform from crossword casual to Saturday solver. Here's the curriculum:

The goal: achieve a 99% completion rate on Saturday puzzles by the end.

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Week 0: The Meta-Crossword Stuff

Before we get to the actual syllabus, a note on what's not here.

In a real college course, you'd spend five weeks on crossword meta-content: grid anatomy (how puzzles are constructed), solving strategies (crossing letters, partial fills, time management), review and consolidation, advanced themes and meta puzzles, and finally a crossword marathon. Five weeks! This tells you something about how much of college is filler.

But that's not really the point of this exercise. The impressive thing about being able to bang out a Saturday crossword isn't knowing what a "Natick" is or understanding rotational grid symmetry. It's being a well-rounded, educated person—someone who knows their Greek mythology, can place historical events in context, recognizes pop culture references across eras, and has absorbed enough of the world's knowledge to make connections on the fly.

Studying crossword theory and strategies is for crossword nerds. Being genuinely well-educated is for everyone, and it's far more impressive.

That said, if you want the meta-content, I've consolidated all of it into Crossword Strategy—grid anatomy, solving techniques, vocabulary, and recommended sources. Treat it as Week 0 reference material. Skim it once, then forget about it and focus on actually learning things.

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Week 1: Greek and Latin Roots, Mythology Basics

• Objectives: Master etymology for clue solving
• Topics: Common roots (e.g., "tele-" for far, "chrono-" for time); Greek gods (Zeus, Hera, Apollo); myths (Trojan War, Odyssey); Roman equivalents (Jupiter for Zeus)
• Key Concepts: Word origins aid synonyms; myths provide fill like "EROS" or "NYMPH"
• Examples: Clue "Messenger god" = HERMES; root "aqua" in water-related terms
• Readings: Excerpts from mythology primers
• Assignments: Memorize 20 roots; solve mythology-themed puzzle

Week 2: History Crash Course

• Objectives: Cover eras for historical clues
• Topics: Ancient (Egypt, Rome); Medieval/Renaissance; Modern (World Wars, Civil Rights); U.S. presidents, key dates (e.g., 1776, 1945)
• Key Concepts: Focus on recurring figures (e.g., FDR, MLK); treaties, battles
• Examples: "Pearl Harbor year" = MCMXLI; "Emancipator" = LINCOLN
• Readings: Timeline summaries
• Assignments: Quiz on 50 events; history puzzle practice

Week 3: Pop Culture

• Objectives: Tackle entertainment references
• Topics: Movies (Oscars, directors like Spielberg); TV (sitcoms, "SNL"); Music (Beatles, Beyoncé, genres); Recent hits (streaming shows, memes)
• Key Concepts: Cross-era icons; abbreviations (e.g., "IDOL" for talent shows)
• Examples: "Friends" star = ANISTON; "Thriller" artist = JACKSON
• Readings: Entertainment Weekly overviews
• Assignments: List 100 icons; solve pop-themed grid

Week 4: Science and Nature

• Objectives: Learn STEM basics for clues
• Topics: Elements (periodic table); Planets/biology (DNA, species); Physics (E=MC2); Animals/plants (e.g., fauna like "EMU")
• Key Concepts: Acronyms (RNA, ATP); common terms (quark, nebula)
• Examples: "Noble gas" = ARGON; "Darwin's ship" = BEAGLE
• Readings: Science glossaries
• Assignments: Memorize table sections; science puzzle

Week 5: Geography

• Objectives: Map out location-based fills
• Topics: Capitals (e.g., Oslo); Rivers (Nile, Amazon); Mountains (Everest); Countries' spellings (e.g., Qatar); U.S. states abbreviations
• Key Concepts: Tricky borders; anagram clues for places
• Examples: "Seine city" = PARIS; "Asian sea" = ARAL
• Readings: Atlas excerpts
• Assignments: Label maps; geography quiz puzzle

Week 6: Literature

• Objectives: Explore books and authors
• Topics: Classics (Shakespeare, Austen); Poets (Frost, Poe); Quotes (e.g., "To be or..."); Genres (noir, sci-fi)
• Key Concepts: Character names (HAMLET); plot summaries
• Examples: "Bard of Avon" = SHAKESPEARE; "1984" author = ORWELL
• Readings: Lit overviews
• Assignments: Read short excerpts; lit-themed solve

Week 7: Sports Trivia

• Objectives: Cover athletic references without depth
• Topics: Teams (Yankees, Lakers); Players (Jordan, Serena); Terms (slam dunk, hat trick); Olympics, major leagues
• Key Concepts: Nicknames (e.g., "IRONHORSE" for Gehrig)
• Examples: "Court king" = LEBRON; "Super Bowl site" varies
• Readings: Sports almanacs
• Assignments: Memorize basics; sports puzzle

Week 8: Linguistics

• Objectives: Decode wordplay mechanics
• Topics: Synonyms/antonyms; Anagrams; Abbreviations (e.g., "RR" for railroad); Homophones; Foreign words (French "ETRE")
• Key Concepts: Clue indicators (e.g., "perhaps" for pun)
• Examples: "Mix up" for anagram; "Sounds like" for homophone
• Readings: Wordplay guides
• Assignments: Create clues; linguistics drill

Week 9: Arts

• Objectives: Appreciate cultural arts
• Topics: Painters (Picasso, Monet); Composers (Bach, Beethoven); Ballet/opera terms; Sculptures (David)
• Key Concepts: Movements (Impressionism); famous works
• Examples: "Mona Lisa painter" = DAVINCI; "Ring" cycle = WAGNER
• Readings: Art histories
• Assignments: Identify works; arts puzzle

Week 10: Current Events

• Objectives: Stay updated without spoilers
• Topics: Politics (elections, leaders); News (awards, scandals); Trends (tech, social media)
• Key Concepts: Pattern spotting in headlines; avoiding direct spoilers
• Examples: Recent Nobel winners; viral events
• Readings: Daily NYT summaries
• Assignments: Track week's news; apply to puzzle