# NYT Online Crossword Puzzle Question **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Tags:** board-card-word-game\ **Created:** [October 6, 2023, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-online-crossword-puzzle-question/991199 "2023-10-06T17:18:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 5:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-online-crossword-puzzle-question/991199/1 "2023-10-06T17:18:04Z")
I have been on an unwanted hiatus from work for the past six weeks. Since there’s only so much time I can spend bingeing quality programming, I’ve taken to seeking out and solving online puzzles and brain teasers. For the past two weeks, I’ve succeeded each day in solving the New York Times online crossword (yay, me!). I’m wondering about something I’ve noticed the puzzle board doing though. Sometimes, when I successfully complete a word, the letter in the box will do a little animation, as though it’s exploding. The animation only lasts for a fraction of a second, then the letter returns to its normal appearance. This phenomenon follows no pattern of occurrence that I’ve been able to discern, nor have I found any reference to it after several Google searches. Does anybody have any idea what this is all about? ---
**Author:** ![steepone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/977dab/32.png) [@steepone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/steepone)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 5:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-online-crossword-puzzle-question/991199/2 "2023-10-06T17:23:15Z")
I think it’s letting you know you’ve done half the crossword ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-online-crossword-puzzle-question/991199/3 "2023-10-06T17:41:50Z")
Ah. Thank you very much. I’ll look out for that tomorrow. ---
**Author:** ![Jas09](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/d07c76/32.png) [@Jas09](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jas09)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-online-crossword-puzzle-question/991199/4 "2023-10-06T17:43:00Z")
There is another one at the 3/4 mark as well. ---
**Author:** ![kaylasdad99](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaylasdad99/32/3398_2.png) [@kaylasdad99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaylasdad99)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-online-crossword-puzzle-question/991199/5 "2023-10-06T17:45:47Z")
Heh. They should do a Zeno’s progression thing, and explode the letter at 7/8, 15/16, 31/32, etc. ---
**Author:** ![RitterSport](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rittersport/32/6326_2.png) [@RitterSport](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RitterSport)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 5:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-online-crossword-puzzle-question/991199/6 "2023-10-06T17:45:51Z")
> [@steepone](#): > > I think it’s letting you know you’ve done half the crossword > [@Jas09](#): > > There is another one at the 3/4 mark as well. I think this is exactly what you’re seeing. ---
**Author:** ![K364](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/k364/32/5_2.png) [@K364](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/K364)\ **Post date:** [October 6, 2023, 7:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-online-crossword-puzzle-question/991199/7 "2023-10-06T19:23:13Z")
In the setting gear thing, you can change that behaviour