The age of noir

[Strands, The New York Times , October 24, 2025.]

No spoiler: it’s yesterday’s puzzle. I saw FORMATION and thought I was doing a puzzle about human development. But no. I had to begin with what the Times calls a hint (it’s an answer, not a hint). And when this answer was revealed, I thought NOIR? That was Elaine’s first thought too when she did the puzzle and started with the same hint. We live in the age of noir.

[I opened Strands in another browser to go back and get this hint. I wasn’t savvy enough to get a screenshot before spelling IRON. I wouldn’t last long in film noir.]