Hints, Answers, and Help in Today’s New York Times, December 17, No. 289

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It’s taken an embarrassingly long time to link to today’s title Branches A puzzle with its theme. The title of the puzzle is “It’s Lit!” Which I understand as a Gen Z phrase for something exciting or fun, like a party. But as an English major, I should have seen immediately that “lit” is also short for “literature.” Anyway, if you need more hints and answers to today’s Strands mystery, read on.

I also delve into it The rules of the threads in this story.

If you are looking for today’s Wordle, Connections and Mini Crossword answers then visit the site CNET’s NYT Mysteries Tips Page.

Read more: NYT Connections turns 1: These are the 5 toughest puzzles yet

Hint for today’s Strands puzzle

Today’s Strands topic is: It’s lit!

If that doesn’t help, here’s a guide: the departments in your bookstore.

Keywords to unlock in-game hints

Your goal is to find the hidden words that fit the theme of the puzzle. If you’re stuck, search for any words you can find. Every time you find three words of four letters or more, Strands will reveal one of the keywords. These are the words I used to get those hints, but any four or more letter words you find will work:

• came, scepter, rent, rim, wet, more, chorus, choruses, joint, ting, smear, stew, west, rest, late.

Today’s Strands Puzzle Answers

These are the answers that relate to the topic. The goal of the puzzle is to find them all, including the spangram, which is a thematic word that connects from one side of the puzzle to the other. When you get them all (I initially thought there were always eight but learned the number can vary), every letter on the board will be used. Here are the non-Spanish answers:

• Crime, fantasy, romance, western, historical

Strands spangram today

Strands spangram today is Fantasy type. To find it, start with the letter F which is four letters from the first row to the far left, and then work your way to the other side.