# NYT Sunday crossword puzzle - circled letters and words? **URL:** \ **Category:** The Game Room\ **Created:** [June 17, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-sunday-crossword-puzzle-circled-letters-and-words/625453 "2012-06-17T20:46:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 3\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 8:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-sunday-crossword-puzzle-circled-letters-and-words/625453/1 "2012-06-17T20:46:07Z")
I occasionally take a shot at the puzzle. Last week’s, revealed in this Sunday’s edition of the mag, was titled “Getting Around.” There were a few words in the puzzle, or parts of compound words, that had their spaces circled. The words don’t make any sense to me in any combination I can see, and I can’t figure out what is the significance of these circled letters/words. Not being an expert in crosswords, I figure that I’m missing or overlooking some basic code or plan. Any help, Dopers? xo, C. ---
**Author:** ![CC](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f1d935/32.png) [@CC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CC)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-sunday-crossword-puzzle-circled-letters-and-words/625453/2 "2012-06-17T22:44:04Z")
Say, mods, if this is more likely to get responses in Cafe Society, would you please move it there? tx ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nyt-sunday-crossword-puzzle-circled-letters-and-words/625453/3 "2012-06-17T22:51:18Z")
[This blog entry](http://rexwordpuzzle.blogspot.com/2012/06/benedictine-monk-who-founded.html) will explain all. (Given here, and not just explained, to link folks to an interesting daily analysis of the NYT puzzle. Check it out!)