Today’s Connections puzzle is a fun one. I laughed at the purple category, especially when I saw a certain character listed there. 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: Enjoy the show!

Green group hint: The baby from Family Circus.

Blue group hint: Pumpkins, tangerines.

Purple group hint: Feels rough.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Seen at a movie premiere.

Green group: PJs.

Blue group: Things that are orange.

Purple group: Things that are gritty.

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is seen at a movie premiere.

The four answers are limousine, paparazzi, red carpet and velvet rope.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is PJs.

The four answers are petroleum jelly, poetic justice, practical joke and private jet.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is things that are orange.

The four answers are basketball, orangutan, sweet potato and traffic cone.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is things that are gritty.

The four answers are cowboy coffee, film noir, Flyers mascot and sandpaper.

Toughest Connections puzzles

We’ve made a note of some of the toughest Connections puzzles​ so far. Maybe they’ll help you see patterns in future puzzles.

#5: Included “things you can set,” such as mood, record, table and volleyball.

#4: Included “one in a dozen,” such as egg, juror, month and rose.

#3: Included “streets on screen,” such as Elm, Fear, Jump and Sesame.

#2: Included “power ___” such as nap, plant, Ranger and trip.

#1: Included “things that can run,” such as candidate, faucet, mascara and nose.

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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