You're staring at the grid. It's Wednesday or maybe a tricky Thursday. The clue says "I feel the absolute same," and you’ve got four, five, or maybe even seven letters mocking you from the newsprint or your phone screen. We've all been there. Crossword puzzles aren't just about trivia; they’re about the weird, elastic way we use the English language to agree with each other.
Honestly, the i feel the absolute same crossword clue is a classic "green paint" or "conversational filler" problem. In the world of Will Shortz or the newer, vibe-heavy grids from the New Yorker, these clues rely on how we actually talk at a coffee shop, not how we write in a textbook. If you're stuck, it’s usually because your brain is looking for a formal synonym when it should be looking for a shrug and a nod.
The Usual Suspects: Common Answers for I Feel the Absolute Same
The most frequent answer to this specific clue? DITTO. It's five letters. It’s punchy. It’s been a crossword staple since the days when people actually used carbon copy paper. But let's be real—sometimes "Ditto" feels a bit too 1990s. If you have four letters, you’re likely looking at SAME. If it’s three? TOO.
But wait. If the grid is looking for something more emphatic—something that captures that "absolute" energy—you might be looking for ME TOO or even AMEN. People forget that "Amen" isn't just for church; in a crossword context, it’s a very common way to signal "I strongly agree."
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Then there’s the multi-word beast. SO DO I. Or the slightly more casual AS AM I. These are the ones that break people's brains because the "I" at the end feels like it should be part of a different word. If you're seeing a clue like "I feel the absolute same" in a Monday New York Times puzzle, keep it simple. If it's a Saturday? Prepare for something idiomatic like YOU SAID IT.
Why We Get Stuck on Agreement Clues
Crossword construction is a game of "receptacles." A constructor needs a word to fit a specific vowel-heavy gap, and "Ditto" is a godsend for them. However, for the solver, these clues are "vague-on-purpose."
Think about it. The phrase "I feel the absolute same" can be substituted by dozens of English idioms. The difficulty isn't that you don't know the answer; it's that you know too many answers. This is what pros call "crosswordese" friction. You have to wait for the "crosses"—the vertical words—to tell you if you're dealing with a "Same" or a "Ditto."
Breaking Down the "Absolute" Part of the Clue
The word "absolute" in a clue is a giant neon sign. It usually means the answer isn't just a mild agreement. It’s a total one.
If the answer is SECONDED, you’re in a more formal, perhaps parliamentary-style grid. If the answer is ME TOO, you’re dealing with modern vernacular. Sometimes, the constructor is being cheeky and the answer is IKR (Internet slang for "I know, right?"). While rare in older publications, the Universal Crossword and USA Today have been leaning hard into Gen Z slang lately.
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I remember hitting a wall on a Sunday puzzle where the clue was "I feel the absolute same" and the answer was SO SAY WE ALL. That’s a deep cut for Battlestar Galactica fans, but it shows how the "category" of the puzzle matters. You have to read the room. Is this a puzzle for your grandma or a puzzle for a software engineer in Brooklyn?
The Mechanics of the "Same" Answer
- DITTO (5 letters): The gold standard.
- ME TOO (5 letters): More common in modern, conversational grids.
- SO DO I (5 letters): Often used to bridge difficult consonant clusters.
- AMEN (4 letters): The "absolute" version of agreement.
- SAME (4 letters): Simple, but often too short for "absolute" clues.
- YOU SAID IT (9 letters): For those long, horizontal slots.
Don't ignore the "as well" variations. SO AM I is a frequent flier. The trick is to look at the tense. If the clue is "I felt the absolute same," the answer has to be SO DID I. Tense matching is the one rule constructors almost never break. If you see a past-tense clue and you’re trying to shove "Ditto" in there, stop. You're fighting a losing battle.
Expert Strategies for Conversational Clues
When you encounter the i feel the absolute same crossword clue, don't fill it in immediately. This is a "wait and see" entry.
Fill in the definite nouns first. Names of obscure rivers in France? Fill 'em in. That 1950s actress nobody remembers? Get her in there. The "agreement" clues are your anchors, but they are also traps. If you ink in "Ditto" and the answer was actually "Me too," you've just ruined your entire Northwest corner.
I’ve seen seasoned solvers lose their minds over this. They get a "D" from a cross and assume it’s "Ditto," only to find out the answer was DEFINITELY. It’s about the letter count and the "vibe" of the constructor.
Real Examples from Recent Grids
Let's look at a few real-world applications. In a recent LA Times puzzle, this specific sentiment was clued as AND HOW. That’s an old-school way of saying "I agree completely." If you're under 40, you might never say "And how!" in real life, but in the crossword world, it’s alive and well.
In a Thomas Joseph puzzle—which tends to be shorter and more direct—the answer is almost always DITTO.
But if you’re playing the New York Times on a Friday, it could be something much more lateral, like MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY. That’s a lot of squares. That’s a grid-spanner. When you see a long clue for a simple concept, start thinking about full sentences, not just words.
The Evolution of Agreement in Puzzles
Crosswords are living documents. Back in the 1940s, you’d never see IKR or SAME. You’d see LITTO (rare) or formal Latinate terms. Today, puzzles reflect how we text.
The "absolute" part of the clue is often a hint that there's a "total" or "complete" aspect to the word. Words like TOTALLY or UNQUESTIONABLY (if the length allows) are fair game.
However, "I feel the absolute same" is a first-person statement. This means the answer must also be in the first person or a direct replacement for a first-person statement. You wouldn't answer with "Agreement." You’d answer with "I do too."
Handling the Mental Block
If you’re staring at the white squares and nothing is coming, take a breath. It’s usually a vowel-heavy word. If you have an "O" at the end, it’s probably ME TOO or DITTO. If you have an "N," it’s likely AMEN.
Crosswords are about patterns. The phrase "I feel the absolute same" is a pattern for "Identity of opinion."
Once you realize that the constructor is just trying to fill a gap with a common phrase, the pressure vanishes. It’s not a test of your intelligence; it’s a test of your familiarity with their vocabulary.
Actionable Tips for Your Next Puzzle
Stop guessing. Start cross-referencing.
- Check the Tense: If the clue is "I feel," the answer can't be "Agreed." It has to be "I agree" or a synonym.
- Count the Letters Twice: It sounds basic, but "Ditto" and "Me Too" are both five letters. Look for the third letter. If it’s a "T," you’re golden for "Ditto."
- Look for "Absolute" Synonyms: If the answer is long, think of words that mean "Totally."
- Mind the Slang: If it’s a modern puzzle (like USA Today), don’t be afraid to try SAME or IKR.
- Use the Crosses: Conversational clues are the last things you should fill in. Let the nouns (the "static" facts) build the framework for the "fluid" phrases.
Next time you see this clue, don't let it stall your momentum. Mentally cycle through "Ditto," "Me Too," and "Amen." One of them will almost certainly fit the skeleton of your grid. Crosswords are a conversation between you and the person who built the puzzle—sometimes you just have to say "Same" and move on to the next one.
The real trick is knowing when the puzzle is being literal and when it's being "cute." "I feel the absolute same" is almost always a "cute" clue. It’s an invitation to think about how we talk, not just how we spell. Keep your pencil sharp and your mind flexible. You’ve got this. If you hit a wall, walk away for ten minutes. The human brain has a weird way of solving these "agreement" clues while you’re doing something else, like washing dishes or staring into the fridge. Suddenly, "Ditto" will just pop into your head. That's the magic of the grid.
To improve your speed, start keeping a mental list of these "filler" phrases. They appear in roughly one out of every five puzzles. Once you memorize the common 4, 5, and 6-letter versions of agreement, you'll shave minutes off your solving time. Focus on the most frequent flyers like SO DO I, AMEN, and DITTO. Once those become second nature, you'll be able to tackle even the most stubborn Wednesday grids with ease.