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How today's NYT Connections answers and red herrings fit together. Note: Make sure to complete today’s NYT Connections before reading further! We’ll be getting into spoilers for today’s game pretty quickly. If you need some help to complete the grid, you can find my NYT Connections hints and answers column for today right here. Hey there, Connectors! Welcome to my deeper dive into today’s NYT Connections answers. The idea behind this is to help clear things up for anyone who isn’t sure how today’s groups fit together. I’m going to assume that a) you know how to play NYT Connections and b) you’ve already beaten today’s game. If I’ve missed any red herrings or misunderstood something, let me know via email, Bluesky or Discord. I don’t typically look at X or check the comments here. We’re going straight into spoiler territory here. So, consider this your one and only warning. Here are today’s NYT Connections answers explained (and any red herrings I spot) for Tuesday, October 28: Today’s NYT Connections Answers Explained NYT Connections – Yellow Group MORE FOR YOU 🟨 banality (CHESTNUT, CLICHÉ, PLATITUDE, TROPE) These all reference very humdrum, overseen and overheard things that show a lack of originality. CLICHÉs and TROPEs are both commonly used devices, themes, expressions or (in fiction) plot points. A PLATITUDE is a trite, dull or meaningless statement that’s been said many times but is still said as though it was a new idea. It can be used to try to calm a volatile or uneasy situation. As for CHESTNUT, that can refer to an old joke or story. Perhaps most commonly heard in this context via the expression “oh, that old CHESTNUT!” NYT Connections – Green Group 🟩 in the know (AWARE, HIP, SAVVY, WISE) Pretty straightforward synonyms here. HIP is perhaps more a colloquial one, but it’s right there in Merriam-Webster as an adjective meaning “having or showing awareness of or involvement in the newest developments or styles.” NYT Connections – Blue Group 🟦 remote control buttons (BACK, HOME, MENU, SELECT) Again, pretty straightforward. These are buttons on a remote control, typically one for a TV or streaming device. NYT Connections – Purple Group 🟪 one-named singer plus starting letter (GUSHER, KENYA, OCHER, PELVIS) This is the reason I needed to make time to put together an Answers Explained today. A GUSHER is something that gushes, like an oil well after it’s struck or me with praise for things I really like. What came to mind first for me though was blood gushing out of a severed artery. That means I’ve been probably playing too much Ghost of Yōtei with the ultra-bloody Miike Mode enabled. Anyway, this word refers to Usher, whose biggest hit to date is probably “Yeah.” An absolute club classic: KENYA is, of course, an African country. I just read the Wikipedia article about video games in the country and found it pretty interesting! The one about Kenya’s Silicon Savannah smart city project is a good read too. Anyway, KENYA refers to Enya. “Orinioco Flow” is such a fascinatingly constructed and performed song. It’s real good, folks: I had absolutely no idea what OCHER was. My general knowledge is pretty good, but I had no doubts that this had to be a purple word today. As it turns out, this is an earthy iron ore that’s usually red or yellow and used as a pigment. Knock off the “O” and you’re left with the legendary Cher. Tempted as I am to drop in “Believe” here, I’m going to go with one of her slightly earlier hits. Love this one. What an incredible voice: Last but not least today, we have PELVIS. This is the bony structure that connects our abdomen to our legs. As it happens, Elvis Presley shook his pelvis quite a bit. What a tremendous performer. I already used an incredible “Suspicious Minds” performance as the recommendation in today’s main column, so let’s go with this culture-shaking (because his hip thrusts were so very provocative) rendition of “Hound Dog” from 1956: NYT Connections – Red Herrings Connections often has some red herrings. Let's take a look at today's (assuming I spotted any). SSPL via Getty Images The only red herring I saw this time was HIP, BACK and PELVIS. If you’d like to chat about today’s game of NYT Connections with a group of exceptionally cool and lovely people and also me, you can do just that in our Discord community. We’d love to have you join us. I’ll be back with another set of NYT Connections hints and answers tomorrow, as well as another edition of this one, all going well. You’ll be able to find both of those on my Forbes author page when the time comes (following me there helps me out too!). As for the weekend editions of my NYT Connections hints and answers column, I’m currently doing that via my newsletter, Pastimes. Editorial StandardsReprints & Permissions
