Crosswords are supposed to be relaxing. You grab a coffee, sit in a sunlit nook, and fill in words like "ERIE" or "ALOE" until your brain feels sharp. But then there’s not only that crossword. It’s the kind of puzzle that doesn’t just sit there on the page; it haunts you. You find yourself staring at a four-way intersection of white squares at 2:00 AM, wondering if the constructor is a genius or just someone who enjoys watching the world burn. Honestly, it’s rarely just about the words. It’s about the cultural friction that happens when a clue is so specific, or so bizarrely phrased, that it breaks the unwritten contract between the solver and the creator.
The term "not only that crossword" has become a sort of shorthand in the community for those moments when a puzzle transcends the grid. We aren't just talking about a Friday New York Times stumper. We are talking about the puzzles that spark 500-comment threads on Reddit or Wordplay.
The Anatomy of a Crossword Controversy
Most people think crosswords are static. They aren't. They are living documents of language. When a puzzle like not only that crossword hits the digital newsstands, it usually does so by pushing a boundary. Maybe it’s a "rebus" puzzle where you have to cram an entire word into a single square. Or perhaps it’s a "Schrödinger" puzzle—the holy grail of construction—where two different letters could work in the same spot, creating two entirely different but equally valid sets of answers.
Remember the 1996 Election Day puzzle by Jeremiah Farrell? It’s the gold standard. The clue was "Lead story in tomorrow's newspaper," and the answer could be either CLINTON or DOLE. Every crossing clue worked for both. That is the energy people are looking for when they search for not only that crossword. They want the puzzle that broke the rules.
But sometimes the "not only that" part refers to the backlash.
Language evolves faster than dictionaries. If a constructor uses a piece of Gen Z slang or a very niche technical term, the older demographic of solvers—who, let’s be real, make up a huge chunk of the core audience—goes into a tailspin. You’ll see complaints about "green paint" entries. In crossword parlance, "green paint" refers to an answer that is a real phrase but isn't "lexically significant." Like, you could describe a house as "brown house," but it’s not a thing. If a puzzle is filled with "green paint," it feels cheap. It feels like the constructor gave up.
Why We Get So Obsessed With the Grid
It’s about the "Aha!" moment. Scientists call it the "incubation period." You stare at a clue—let’s say it’s "Not only that..."—and your brain stalls. You go wash the dishes. You walk the dog. Suddenly, while you’re picking up poop in the park, it hits you. The answer is MOREOVER. Or BESIDES. Or PLUS.
That dopamine hit is addictive.
The community around these puzzles, specifically the enthusiasts who track not only that crossword trends, are meticulous. They follow constructors like they’re rock stars. Names like Elizabeth Gorski, Patrick Berry, or Brendan Emmett Quigley carry weight. When Quigley drops a puzzle with a punk-rock attitude and "non-standard" fill, the traditionalists grumble, but the younger solvers celebrate. It’s a constant tug-of-war.
The complexity of modern construction is actually insane. Most pros use software like Crossword Compiler or CrossFire, but the software only handles the "fill." The "theme"—the heart of the puzzle—has to be human. It has to have soul. A computer can find words that fit, but it can’t create a pun that makes you groan and smile at the same time.
The Rise of the Independent Constructor
The New York Times is the "Grey Lady," the undisputed heavyweight. But the "not only that" movement has shifted toward indie venues.
- The Inkubator: Focuses on puzzles by cis women, trans women, and non-binary constructors.
- American Values Club (AVCX): Known for being edgy, political, and way more "online" than the mainstream.
- Crucinova: Pushes the visual limits of what a grid can even look like.
If you’re only solving the daily paper, you’re missing the weird stuff. You’re missing the puzzles that use emojis, or the ones that require you to literally fold the paper to find the final answer. These are the ones that trend on Google Discover because they’re essentially "playable art."
The Logic of the "Not Only That" Clue
Let’s get technical for a second. When you see a clue like "Not only that," the question mark at the end (if there is one) is your best friend and your worst enemy. A question mark means "I’m lying to you." It means there’s a pun involved.
If the clue is Not only that..., it’s likely looking for a transition word. If it’s Not only that crossword?, it might be a meta-reference to the puzzle itself.
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- Check the tense. If the clue is "Jumped," the answer must end in -ED.
- Look for plurals. If the clue is "Crossword fans," the answer almost certainly ends in S.
- Cross-reference the "fill." Sometimes the theme is so complex that the individual words don't make sense until you unlock the "revealer" clue, usually located near the bottom right.
The frustration people feel with not only that crossword usually stems from a "Natick." This is a term coined by Rex Parker (the most famous, and most cantankerous, crossword blogger). A Natick is a point where two obscure proper nouns cross, and the shared letter could be anything. It’s considered the cardinal sin of puzzle design. If you’re stuck on a Natick, it’s not your fault. It’s the constructor’s.
How Social Media Changed the Game
We used to solve in silence. Now, we solve in a global stadium.
Twitter (X) and TikTok have birthed a new generation of "speed solvers." Watching someone like Erik Agard solve a Saturday NYT in under three minutes is like watching a professional athlete. It’s a feat of pattern recognition that seems superhuman. But for the rest of us, the "not only that" experience is more about the journey.
We share our "grids" on social media. We complain about the "fill." We argue about whether "YEET" belongs in a crossword (it does, get over it). This digital campfire has made crosswords more relevant than they’ve been in decades. It’s not just a hobby for grandpas anymore. It’s a competitive, social, and deeply intellectual subculture.
Actually, the NYT Games app has seen a massive surge in users specifically because of Wordle, which acted as a "gateway drug" to the crossword. People come for the five-letter boxes and stay for the 15x15 grid. They start noticing that not only that crossword they played yesterday was hard, but it was also clever. They start to see the hand of the creator.
Tips for Mastering the Impossible Puzzles
If you want to stop being intimidated by the "not only that" level of difficulty, you have to change how you think.
Stop thinking about definitions. Start thinking about synonyms and associations.
Most people give up because they think they don't "know enough facts." Crosswords aren't trivia tests. They are tests of your ability to navigate the English language’s quirks. You don't need to be a history professor; you just need to know that "Napoleon" might refer to the man, the pastry, or even a coin.
- Fill in the "gimmies" first. These are the fill-in-the-blank clues. "____ and cheese." Easy.
- Trust your gut on suffixes. If you see a clue that's an adjective, look for -ISH or -Y.
- Embrace the erasure. If you’re using a pencil (or an app), don't be afraid to delete. The biggest mistake solvers make is clinging to a wrong answer because they "really like it." If the crosses don't work, the word is wrong. Period.
Honestly, the best way to get better is to solve every day. The "NYT Monday" is the easiest. The "Saturday" is the hardest. Sunday is just a big Thursday—it’s themed and tricky, but not necessarily as "vocabulary-dense" as Saturday.
The Future of the Grid
We are moving into an era of "interactive" crosswords. Imagine a grid that changes as you type, or one that incorporates audio clues through your phone. The not only that crossword of 2026 isn't just black and white squares. It’s a multimedia experience.
Yet, the core remains the same. It’s you vs. the constructor. It’s a battle of wits that hasn't changed much since Arthur Wynne published the first "Word-Cross" in the New York World in 1913.
Whether you’re a casual solver or a "pro" who attends the American Crossword Puzzle Tournament (ACPT) in Stamford, the goal is the same: clarity. That moment when the fog lifts and the grid is full.
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Next Steps for Your Solving Journey:
Start by diversifying your sources beyond the major newspapers. Download the Puzzazz app or subscribe to a few indie newsletters like Grids These Days. If you’re stuck on a specific clue that’s driving you crazy, use a site like Wordplay or Rex Parker Does the NYT Crossword to see the logic behind the answer. Don't just look up the word—read the explanation. Understanding why an answer is correct is the only way to ensure you'll get it right the next time a constructor tries to pull a fast one on you. Finally, try your hand at construction; even sketching out a small 5x5 grid will give you a profound respect for how hard it is to make a puzzle that isn't just "not only that," but truly exceptional.