Alright, let me tell you about working through this crossword clue today. Settled in with my usual cup of coffee, ready to tackle the puzzle.
Got to one clue that read: seafood appetizer often seasoned with old bay. Okay, stopped me for a second there. Had to break it down in my head.
Thinking it Through
First part: “seafood appetizer”. That’s pretty wide open, right? Could be lots of things. Oysters, clams, calamari, fish dip, who knows.
Second part: “often seasoned with old bay”. Now that’s the real hook. Old Bay seasoning, you know the stuff in the yellow and blue can? Super specific flavor. Makes me think of Maryland, crabs, summer cookouts.
So, what seafood appetizer gets hit with Old Bay a lot?
- Crabs came to mind first. Steamed crabs are covered in it. But usually that’s a whole meal, not really just an appetizer, unless maybe crab legs? Seemed a bit complex for a typical crossword answer.
- Crab dip? Yeah, people definitely put Old Bay in crab dip. That’s a solid appetizer. Kept that one in the back of my mind.
- What else? Calamari? Sometimes, but not always. Oysters Rockefeller? Nope, different flavor profile.
- Then I thought simpler. What’s super common, definitely an appetizer, and frequently gets a good dusting of Old Bay?
Getting Closer
Steamed shrimp. That felt right. You know, peel-and-eat style. Often served chilled or warm as a starter. And yeah, people absolutely dump Old Bay all over steamed shrimp. It’s almost expected in some places.
Looked at the spaces in the crossword grid. Needed a six-letter word. “Crab dip” didn’t fit. “Steamed shrimp” was way too long. “Crabs” was too short and maybe not specific enough to the appetizer idea.
What about just… SHRIMP? Six letters. S-H-R-I-M-P. It’s seafood. It’s very commonly served as an appetizer. And it’s very, very often seasoned with Old Bay, especially when steamed or boiled.
Felt like the most straightforward, common answer that fit all parts of the clue, especially the Old Bay part. Seemed like the kind of answer crossword constructors like.
Penciled in S-H-R-I-M-P. Checked it against the crossing words I already had… and yeah, it fit perfectly. Felt good to figure that one out. That “Old Bay” part was the key that unlocked it for me.
