We Need to Talk About Wednesday’s Doggone Connections Puzzle
Connections players on Reddit say it was ruff.
Our expert staff selects products we cover, rigorously researching and testing our top picks. If you purchase through our links, we may receive a commission. The New York Times Connections puzzle, which replaced Wordle as a favorite online challenge, presents a dogged challenge on Wednesday, September 2. In this puzzle, players must sort 16 words into four related categories, with half of the words containing the word "dog."
Words such as "corn dog," "hunting dog," "sheep dog," "rescue dog," "salty dog," "prairie dog," "top dog," and even "sausage dog" all contain the term "dog." The seemingly random placement of the unsorted grid begins with "BOW" and "WOW," which do not fit into any category.
Upon review, the puzzle creators initially classified the "dog" words into a category relating to real canines, including hunting, rescue, sheep, and a questionable "sausage," which I believe refers to the dachshund. The remaining four dog words were placed in the purple category, alongside words that are not real canines, such as "corn dog," "prairie dog," and "salty dog" and "top dog."
Reddit users expressed frustration with the puzzle, with some lamenting the abundance of answers and others questioning the meanings of certain dog-related terms. A common lament was, "there's 7 answers???" Players also expressed confusion over the term "sausage dog," which is an Australian and UK term for the dachshund breed.
Upon losing the puzzle, some players turned to Google in search of answers, with one user searching "TF is a sausage dog." Some Reddit users pointed out that "sausage dog" is a term used in Australia and the UK, while others noted that the dachshund breed could have been referred to as "wiener dog" rather than "sausage dog."
Several Reddit commenters suggested that the puzzle trains players to "presolve," meaning that they must sort all 16 words out before attempting to solve the puzzle. Regardless, the Connections streak likely suffered a setback for many players, with the New York Times puzzle creators once again putting their players through the wringer.
Written by urgent.news from CNET's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
