Today’s NYT Connections puzzle includes some very complex topics. I was entertained by the blue group, and frustrated (as per usual) by the purple one. Read on for hints and today’s Connections answers.

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Go right ahead.

Green group hint: Tech-related places.

Blue group hint: You don’t need that word.

Purple group hint: Hidden words in phrases.

Read more: We Need to Talk About Wednesday’s Doggone Connections Puzzle

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Unrestricted permission.

Green group: Places to insert something into on a computer.

Blue group: Abbreviations followed by redundant word.

Purple group: Ending with ways to carve a surface.

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is unrestricted permission.

The four answers are blank check, carte blanche, free reign and full authority.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is places to insert something into on a computer.

The four answers are card slot, headphone jack, optical drive and USB port.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is abbreviations followed by redundant word.

The four answers are ATM machine, LCD display, PIN number and UPC code.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ending with ways to carve a surface.

The four answers are court scribe, director’s cut, pizza slice and SAT score.

Quick tips for Connections

#1: Say the clue words out loud, pausing before and after each. That helps you hear the words in the context of a phrase. The Connections editors love to group words together that are used in similar phrasing, like ____ Up.

#2: Don’t go for the obvious grouping. These editors are smart. Once, they offered SPONGE, BOB, SQUARE and PANTS in the same puzzle. None of those words were in the same category. If you like, hit the “shuffle” button to give yourself a different perspective on the words.

#3: Break down any compound words and look for similarities. “Rushmore” was once in a puzzle where the connection was that each word started with the name of a rock band.

CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of “Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the ’70s and ’80s,” as well as “The Totally Sweet ’90s.” She’s been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She’s Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she’ll be first in line.

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