Okay, so I’ve been seeing “way up” pop up a lot in the NYT crossword lately, and it finally clicked that I should just sit down and figure out all the possible answers. It’s one of those clues that can have a bunch of different solutions depending on the crossing words, you know?
My “Way Up” Brain Dump
So, I grabbed my notepad and a pen – yeah, I’m old school like that – and started brainstorming. First thing I did was just free-associate. What comes to mind when I think “way up”?
- High – Obvious, right?
- Aloft – This one feels crossword-y, a bit more formal.
- Skyward – Always possible.
- Above– Maybe, depend on others words.
Then I thought about things that are physically “way up”:
- Maybe something like related with ATTIC.
I even considered if it could be part of a longer phrase, something like “on the way up”, you know, like someone getting a promotion.
Putting It All Together
After getting that, I started looking at the length, I tried to find something about “way up” with 3 letters,4 letters,5 letters…
Finally I realized the answers should be:
- ALOFT
It worked! Another blank filled in. Feels good, man. Gotta keep this list handy for next time, though. “Way up” will definitely be back to haunt me, I just know it.
