Okay, so I stumbled upon this crossword clue the other day: “beverage at une brasserie.” My first thought? Total blank. I mean, I like crosswords, but French stuff isn’t exactly my strong suit.
Here’s what I did:
- First, I said it out loud a few times. “Beverage at une brasserie… beverage at une brasserie…” Trying to get a feel for the rhythm, see if anything popped into my head. Nope. Nada. Zilch.
Then I tried breaking it down. “Une brasserie” – that’s gotta be some kind of bar or restaurant, right? My brain started picturing those sidewalk cafes in Paris, you know, the ones in movies.
Next step: Brainstorming!
- I started listing every drink I could think of that people might order at a bar. Beer? Wine? Coffee? Soda? All possibilities, but none of them felt quite right for a crossword clue. They were too generic, maybe?
Getting Specific
I figured I needed to think more “French.” What’s a typical French drink? Pastis? That anise-flavored stuff? Maybe, but the word didn’t seem to fit the number of letters I had in the crossword.
Then it hit me: Café au lait!
- Coffee with milk. It’s French. It’s a beverage. And it sounds like something you’d totally order at a brasserie. I counted the letters. Perfect!
I plugged it into the crossword puzzle, and BAM! It fit. And it unlocked a few other words around it. Talk about a good feeling!
So, the answer to “beverage at une brasserie” was “CAFEAULAIT.”
It wasn’t exactly rocket science, but it felt good to crack the code. Crosswords are all about persistence and a little bit of luck, I guess. And maybe a slight knowledge of French beverages!
