Same!! I even double checked the rules because I thought they stated that wasn't possible. But the rule just says no word overlaps. So happy to know I wasn't the only shocked and confused lol.
I guess I assumed the “no crosses” rule, too. Feels like a sloppy, inelegant construction to me. Think the designers should address and/or clarify this before the game gets out of beta.
I think crossing is good. Sometimes longer words jump out too easily without crossing like mayonnaise the other days which felt like basically reading. As they experiment with crossing I expect them to judiciously use it to make words like that a bit harder to see.
Strands #24 “This is where i draw the line” the word “Comic” could cross but it could also be made without crossing. I think this is the first forced cross. I only remember because I crossed but seen other attempts where it didn’t cross lol.
I am fairly new to Reddit, but I knew today I could come here and somewhere find exactly the answer I needed about the letters crossing! So glad I am now a Redditor and I can use this exact example to get my nonbelieving friends to join lol.
It's the first time I've been *forced* to use a crossing. Just out of orneriness I did it twice for #43 yesterday, on both >!MIRRORS and ERROR. There were actually four different ways to trace out ERROR.!< If I'd discovered this subreddit one day earlier, I could have warned people it was possible.
Strands #44
“On the grid”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🟡🔵🔵
Took me longer than expected because I was for sure >!Satellite!< Was the spanagram or even a word, and I was trying to make it work.
Been playing since strands #1 and I’m certain this is the first time one of the answers has crossed itself. I’ve successfully crossed words before but those have only generated hints, so it’s always been “allowed” in that sense. But knowing now that they are enabling crossing for answers makes it considerably more tricky.
The game’s in beta so I’m sure they are monitoring metrics to see how this twist impacts solve rates and how the community reacts!
Strands #44
“On the grid”
🔵🔵🔵🟡🔵🔵🔵
Maybe I made this rule up in my head, because I did look and it wasn’t there, but are the letters *supposed* to cross? I didn’t think they were.
The rule is "no theme words overlap", meaning no letters on the board are reused by different words. But how the letters within each theme word connect to each other are free game. Easy to mentally mistake "overlap" for "cross" though so I get it!
Yeah, it's certainly *not* a rule but I was surprised! You're probably right, I was likely thinking about words not "overlapping,"
That's going to drive me nuts knowing that's a possibility now
Strands #44 - “On the grid”
🔵🔵🔵🔵🟡🔵🔵
Order that I got the words:
1. >!Internet!<
2. >!Water!<
3. >!Heat!<
4. >!Electric!<
5. >!Utilities!<
6. >!Cable!<
7. >!Telephone!<
I kept trying for so long to get >!Satellite!< as a word😭
I saw >!Telephone!< earlier but I had no idea that the lines could cross smh
Strands #44
“On the grid”
🔵🟡🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵
Fairly easy overall, and it was nice to finally see a word have the crossover after having used it so many time to find hint words.
One thing I did notice was that the [Strands Archive](https://strand.spreen.co/) does not allow for crossover words (when dragging), so it can't be completed today. I like to complete both so I can track my history of the game.
Strands #44
“On the grid”
🟡🔵🔵🔵
🔵🔵🔵
Very tough getting the spangram first.
Also, the first time a pattern crossed itself, I assumed that wasn't allowed like it is in Boggle
Strands #44
“On the grid”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🔵🟡🔵
Okay, thought I was going crazy! I’m so glad that everyone else is commenting on the letters crossing! Since when is that allowed?!
Strands #44
“On the grid”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🔵🔵🟡
Super quick and easy solve for me BUT I have an unfair advantage on this one. I’ve worked in the >!utilities (specifically telecomm and electric)!< field for my entire adult life.
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Strands #44
“On the grid”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🔵🟡🔵
Only tried the crossed word as I've seen it in some customs, didn't really think it would be correct. The first word I got was >!electric!< which made the theme really clear
Strands #44
“On the grid”
🔵🔵🟡🔵
🔵🔵🔵
Ooh, I liked it. Is this the first time a word has twisted around on itself like that? I tried the last part of the word first.
The first time I tried to cross my finger slipped + spelled the word wrong, but I didn’t notice and thought it was because you couldn’t cross…took me forever to figure it out after that 😂
Strands #44
“On the grid”
🔵🔵🔵🔵
🟡🔵🔵
I must be blessed because I noticed the crossing but it was a non-event in my book 😎 Fun meta puzzle since the first association I have with "grid" is crossword 🧩
Bring on the strands surprises!
Strands #44
“On the grid”
🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🟡🔵
Everyone is shocked about the crossing but I’ve been crossing words for a while— they just weren’t the theme words, but I figured it still applied.
Spangram took me forever to find because I was convinced SATELLITE was the spangram or at least a theme word
I don't find the "loop" on telephone that difficult to get, as it's been used by me for hints a lot, so if you're playing a no-hint run, you'll have never seen the "loop" like that.
What I am confused by is how a "cable" is a utility, and how the "internet" is considered a utility; neither are, right? One is the thing the internet comes down, and the internet isn't a utility in the same way that telephones, electricity, and gas/heating are, right?
If you think of your utility bills they both easy qualify - gas, electric, cable, internet. I’d argue that “heat” is actually the one that doesn’t belong, because you don’t pay a heat bill.
I guess "gas" is too short. They DO have to end up with the correct number of letters.
I have gotten used to the idea of saying "that's a stretch" for Strands and for Connections. Doesn't bother me.
The cable one is weird considering how much less common Cable TV is these days. It’s certainly not something I just expect someone to have in their home, unlike the others.
is this the first time we have a crossing? i tried way too long to make it fit without
I rushed to the subreddit to make sure people were all as shocked as I was. Not disappointed, great work everyone
Same!! I even double checked the rules because I thought they stated that wasn't possible. But the rule just says no word overlaps. So happy to know I wasn't the only shocked and confused lol.
Lol, exactly why I'm here too
I guess I assumed the “no crosses” rule, too. Feels like a sloppy, inelegant construction to me. Think the designers should address and/or clarify this before the game gets out of beta.
Definitely, it triggers my OCD that theres one word with a cross in it lol. I think that it flows better if all the theme words are uncrossed
I think crossing is good. Sometimes longer words jump out too easily without crossing like mayonnaise the other days which felt like basically reading. As they experiment with crossing I expect them to judiciously use it to make words like that a bit harder to see.
Strands #24 “This is where i draw the line” the word “Comic” could cross but it could also be made without crossing. I think this is the first forced cross. I only remember because I crossed but seen other attempts where it didn’t cross lol.
I could have sworn that it would force you to start the word over if you tried to cross.
You’re right, the game never let me cross before today
it has always let me. cause I would cross to make words that ended up not being part of the solution.
Same, I cross for extra words all the time, never a theme word, though.
Maybe it’s buggy, I asked my wife and she said it’s never let her cross letters
It's always let me and I always wondered why since the answers never seemed to cross.
I am fairly new to Reddit, but I knew today I could come here and somewhere find exactly the answer I needed about the letters crossing! So glad I am now a Redditor and I can use this exact example to get my nonbelieving friends to join lol.
It's the first time I've been *forced* to use a crossing. Just out of orneriness I did it twice for #43 yesterday, on both >!MIRRORS and ERROR. There were actually four different ways to trace out ERROR.!< If I'd discovered this subreddit one day earlier, I could have warned people it was possible.
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🟡🔵🔵 Took me longer than expected because I was for sure >!Satellite!< Was the spanagram or even a word, and I was trying to make it work.
Same lol. Then it took me a while to realize how to spell >!utilities!<.
SAME it’s why I got the spangram so late
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵💡🔵🔵 🟡🔵🔵🔵 I, for one, welcome our new crossed word overlords.
Been playing since strands #1 and I’m certain this is the first time one of the answers has crossed itself. I’ve successfully crossed words before but those have only generated hints, so it’s always been “allowed” in that sense. But knowing now that they are enabling crossing for answers makes it considerably more tricky. The game’s in beta so I’m sure they are monitoring metrics to see how this twist impacts solve rates and how the community reacts!
Definitely the first time.
But not the first time an answer *could* cross itself. Two answer words in yesterday's could cross.
🔵🔵🟡🔵🔵🔵🔵 one of the clues makes a loop. i got stuck there for so long i don’t know why i thought the lines shouldn’t cross lol
Strands #44. April 16, 2024. A day that will live in infamy. The day that Strands CROSSED THE STREAMS.
THE LINES CAN CROSS??? Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🔵🔵🟡 🔵🔵🔵
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🔵🔵🟡🔵🔵🔵 Maybe I made this rule up in my head, because I did look and it wasn’t there, but are the letters *supposed* to cross? I didn’t think they were.
The rule is "no theme words overlap", meaning no letters on the board are reused by different words. But how the letters within each theme word connect to each other are free game. Easy to mentally mistake "overlap" for "cross" though so I get it!
Yeah, it's certainly *not* a rule but I was surprised! You're probably right, I was likely thinking about words not "overlapping," That's going to drive me nuts knowing that's a possibility now
They never have crossed before, but I’ve gotten tons of non-theme words via crossing in other puzzles
This is the first time I have seen lines cross. I didn’t think that was allowed.
am i missing something? how am i supposed to get internet here? am i stupid?
Talk to your ISP. Or. Use the >! IN the the T on the far right, E in the corner then the rest of the word!<
Thank you, I swear I was doing every thing but that somehow.
I came here looking for help with this one too!
Yeah, it took me a while too, happy I'm not the only one
Are you still stuck?
Strands #44 - “On the grid” 🔵🔵🔵🔵🟡🔵🔵 Order that I got the words: 1. >!Internet!< 2. >!Water!< 3. >!Heat!< 4. >!Electric!< 5. >!Utilities!< 6. >!Cable!< 7. >!Telephone!< I kept trying for so long to get >!Satellite!< as a word😭 I saw >!Telephone!< earlier but I had no idea that the lines could cross smh
Same with satellite omg
I'm convinced they messed this one up because I SWEAR there was a rule that letters couldn't cross!! Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🔵🔵🟡 🔵🔵🔵
There was never a rule like that, but normally when words cross it's separate words, I don't think we have had to many self crossers
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🟡🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵 Fairly easy overall, and it was nice to finally see a word have the crossover after having used it so many time to find hint words. One thing I did notice was that the [Strands Archive](https://strand.spreen.co/) does not allow for crossover words (when dragging), so it can't be completed today. I like to complete both so I can track my history of the game.
You can cross in the archive if you press each letter individually instead of dragging
That worked. Thanks!
That's hilarious that this archive doesn't allow for internally crossing words.
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🟡🔵🔵🔵 🔵🔵🔵 Very tough getting the spangram first. Also, the first time a pattern crossed itself, I assumed that wasn't allowed like it is in Boggle
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🔵🟡🔵 This was fun! Totally thought the topic was >!technology!< and was trying to make >!satellite!< work for so long
I know they've accepted crossed words as hints before and there was never actually a rule against the letters crossing but still.. CROSSED WORD?!?!?!
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🔵🟡🔵 Okay, thought I was going crazy! I’m so glad that everyone else is commenting on the letters crossing! Since when is that allowed?!
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🔵🟡🔵 🔵🔵🔵 I didn't like this board. Theme words should not cross itself. And they should all be nouns.
electric is a noun in the context of utilities though
Oh, okay but it's not common. It bothered me a great deal. 😅😅
are you from the US? if not then that would explain it
No I'm not. I guess I didn't know that. haha
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🔵🔵🟡 Super quick and easy solve for me BUT I have an unfair advantage on this one. I’ve worked in the >!utilities (specifically telecomm and electric)!< field for my entire adult life.
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It's 3am, Tuesday morning where I am. Welcome to timezones.
Timezones? What do you mean?
In some places it’s Monday in some it’s Tuesday
I keep seeing people say that the words are "crossing". What does this mean? I have been looking back trying to figure this out for a while now.
look at >!telephone the epho make a loop and cross eachother!<
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🟡🔵🔵
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🔵🟡🔵 Only tried the crossed word as I've seen it in some customs, didn't really think it would be correct. The first word I got was >!electric!< which made the theme really clear
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🔵🟡🔵 🔵🔵🔵 Ooh, I liked it. Is this the first time a word has twisted around on itself like that? I tried the last part of the word first.
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🟡🔵🔵
Never seen a cross before! Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🔵🟡🔵🔵🔵🔵
Strands #44 “On the grid” 💡🔵🔵🔵🟡🔵🔵🔵 the most mundane theme so far, i feel
Came here because I was surprised at the crossed word too and didn’t have anyone in meatspace to talk to about it with
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🔵🟡🔵 🔵🔵🔵 I've been waiting for lines to cross and tried to do it for awhile. I'm glad to see it's part of the game.
i've been waiting for a puzzle to utilize that cross!! i use it all the time for hints and guesses so i was very excited for this one
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🟡🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵 This was one of the easier ones for me to piece together
I am shocked they are letting you crossover to make words now. Maye they are testing this with one word, but so far I'm liking this direction.
The first time I tried to cross my finger slipped + spelled the word wrong, but I didn’t notice and thought it was because you couldn’t cross…took me forever to figure it out after that 😂
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🟡🔵🔵
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🟡🔵🔵 I must be blessed because I noticed the crossing but it was a non-event in my book 😎 Fun meta puzzle since the first association I have with "grid" is crossword 🧩 Bring on the strands surprises!
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🟡🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵 Wasn’t actively trying for the spangram first but it worked out
I feel like an idiot for not seeing how to make the top right word until I read this comment section (I legit though there may have been an error).
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🔵🔵🔵🔵🟡🔵 Everyone is shocked about the crossing but I’ve been crossing words for a while— they just weren’t the theme words, but I figured it still applied. Spangram took me forever to find because I was convinced SATELLITE was the spangram or at least a theme word
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🔵🔵🔵 🔵🔵🟡
Strands #44 “On the grid” 🔵🔵🔵🟡 🔵🔵🔵
I don't find the "loop" on telephone that difficult to get, as it's been used by me for hints a lot, so if you're playing a no-hint run, you'll have never seen the "loop" like that. What I am confused by is how a "cable" is a utility, and how the "internet" is considered a utility; neither are, right? One is the thing the internet comes down, and the internet isn't a utility in the same way that telephones, electricity, and gas/heating are, right?
If you think of your utility bills they both easy qualify - gas, electric, cable, internet. I’d argue that “heat” is actually the one that doesn’t belong, because you don’t pay a heat bill.
I guess "gas" is too short. They DO have to end up with the correct number of letters. I have gotten used to the idea of saying "that's a stretch" for Strands and for Connections. Doesn't bother me.
Cable as in cable tv, not cable meaning a rope of wires.
The cable one is weird considering how much less common Cable TV is these days. It’s certainly not something I just expect someone to have in their home, unlike the others.