Today’s Strands is a funny reference to yesterday’s theme, though they have absolutely nothing in common. “Can you digit?” has nothing to do with heavy metals like yesterday’s puzzle, and I actually found today’s puzzle to be even more complicated because I couldn’t find the Spangram.
Tips to play today’s NYT Strands
The May 8 Strands puzzle features lots of really common words, so you probably won’t take long to find one or two of them. The only issue you’ll run into is if you can’t manage to find the Spangram, it will appear as though the solution words aren’t related in any way, which will make everything more complicated. Since I was having some trouble, I instead just guessed random words until I got enough hints to find the Spangram and connect the words I had found on the board. I recommend you do the same.
NYT Strands Can you digit hints (May 8)
When I saw the word “digit,” I thought it had something to do with numbers or math. I started looking for numbers spelled out like “eight” or “four,” though I couldn’t find them, and they weren’t part of the solution.
Obviously, this wasn’t enough, but I was on the right track. All you have to do is think about what is made up of digits to find the Spangram, then interpret this keyword in many different ways to find the solution to today’s Strands.
NYT Strands Can you digit Spangram and solutions (May 8)
Today’s NYT Strands Spangram is NUMBERS, starting from the “N” in the last column and going left to the “S” in the first column, which means it’s written backward. Early in my attempts, I guessed “number,” and if I had remembered about the plural, the puzzle would have been slightly easier.
The main issue is that the solution words aren’t the actual numbers but types and categories of numbers in a broader, cultural way. I recommend you think about two-word nouns or expressions that contain “number.”
If you still can’t find them, here’s the full list of the NYT Strands solution words for May 8, titled “Can you digit”:
- NUMBERS (Spangram)
- BACON
- WHOLE
- LUCKY
- BINARY
- DANCE
- SERIAL
- TELEPHONE
See how these words make little sense before you find the Spangram? “Bacon” in particular intrigued me, and I discovered that the “Bacon number” is the number of degrees of separation an actor has from Kevin Bacon. This concept is somewhat of a joke started by fans after a 1994 interview he gave in which he said he had worked with everyone in Hollywood or with someone who had worked with them.
You can play a new Strands at midnight your time.
If you’re a fan of word games, you can also read some of our other articles on Wordle suggestions and tips.
