Nothing inspires people quite like three-word instructions. Live, laugh, love. Eat, drink and be merry. Stop, drop and roll. Reduce, reuse, recycle. What sets these triple commands apart from other pithy threesomes like “life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness” is the simple imperative. Eat, drink and be merry is an edict to live by, with no confusion as to how. I recognize that the Declaration of Independence was talking about inalienable rights, not necessities. But if left to my own devices with a phrase like that, I’d have no sense of how to live by it. Go to the beach, drink a beer and rearrange my furniture? Past Gameplay newsletters have covered other catchy sayings and rhetoric: Proverbs. Tricolon. Soccer chants. We’ve always been interested in how language fosters the spirit of play. And lately, I’ve been wondering whether solvers should have a motto that does the same. Think about it: Wouldn’t it be nice to have a cross-stitched reminder on the wall to encourage us in moments of frustration? A sign hanging above the front door that urges us to trust our instincts in Connections? A self-affirmation that prevents solvers from sweating a few false starts in Strands? I’ll level with you: This isn’t the first time I’ve considered a puzzle motto. I took a stab at one in a Wordplay column last year, promoting “the three B’s” for a successful solve: breathe, blink and take breaks. While I stand by the advice, I don’t see it catching on, if only because it would have to compete for attention alongside the existing three B’s from classical music (Bach, Beethoven, Brahms) and sitcom canon. But I’m not too proud to ask for help, and not so miserly as to gatekeep — and gaslight, and girlboss — a good saying. So, here’s the deal: Submit your best, boldest and brightest ideas for a solver’s motto to crosswordeditors@nytimes.com, and feel free to include context or reasoning. The only requirement is that it be a three-part imperative. There may be fame and glory (i.e. praise in a certain widely read newsletter) in your future.
Solve Today’s Capture
Puzzle of the WeekThis week, check out Zhou Zhang’s puzzle from Friday, Aug. 14. In the accompanying Wordplay column, Sean McGowan wrote: “Along with her frequent collaborators, Ms. Zhang tends to deliver freewheeling, out-of-the-box themes that leave solvers smiling. Today she’s debuting her first themeless puzzle, but the creativity clearly translates. This clean grid features two pairs of colorful 11-letter entries, some new answers and a few fun exclamatory phrases (especially the one at 2-Down). I’ll kick off the shouting: Onward!” All three crosswords are free this weekYou have access to every new crossword puzzle through Aug. 23. Whether you have a few seconds or 60 minutes, there’s a puzzle for everyone. Start solving today.
How are we doing? We’d love your feedback on this newsletter. Please email thoughts and suggestions to crosswordeditors@nytimes.com. Thanks for playing! Subscribe to New York Times Games.
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