You know that feeling when you're staring at a Sunday NYT grid, the coffee is getting cold, and you’re one word away from finishing the northwest corner? It’s a four-letter word. The clue is "like a perennial." Your brain immediately jumps to flowers. You think ever, or maybe hardy. But then you realize the "y" from a vertical clue doesn't fit. You’re stuck. It happens to the best of us because crossword puzzles aren't just about vocabulary; they are about the specific, often annoying "crosswordese" that defines the hobby.
Essentially, the clue "like a perennial" is a classic bit of wordplay that relies on a very specific definition of the word. Most of the time, the answer is LASTING or ANNUAL—wait, no, that’s the opposite. Usually, constructors are looking for ETERNAL or, more commonly in short-form grids, OLDY. But the most frequent answer? It’s YEARLY. Or HARDY.
The trick is that "perennial" has two lives. In the gardening world, it’s a plant that lives for more than two years. In the general dictionary world, it just means something that lasts for an indefinitely long time or recurs repeatedly. If you’re a regular solver of the New York Times, Wall Street Journal, or The LA Times crosswords, you’ve likely seen this clue a dozen times. Yet, it still feels like a trap every single time it appears.
The Linguistic Trap of the Perennial Clue
Crossword constructors like Will Shortz or Stanley Newman love words that function as both adjectives and nouns. "Perennial" is the perfect candidate. Most people see the word and think of peonies or hostas. They think of biology. But a constructor might be thinking about a "perennial" problem or a "perennial" favorite movie.
When a clue says "Like a perennial," the word "like" is doing a lot of heavy lifting. It’s a signal. It usually means the answer is an adjective describing the nature of a perennial. If the answer is HARDY, the constructor is focusing on the plant’s ability to survive the winter. If the answer is EVER, they are leaning into the "everlasting" aspect. Honestly, it’s a bit of a coin flip until you get those intersecting letters—the "crosses"—to confirm which direction they’re heading.
Why Some Clues Never Die
We call this "crosswordese." It’s a language that only exists within the 15x15 or 21x21 confines of a paper grid. Think of words like ETUI, ALEE, or OREO. These aren't words we use in casual conversation while grabbing a taco, but in the crossword world, they are foundational. "Like a perennial" falls into this category of "perennial" clues (see what I did there?). It’s efficient. It uses a small amount of space to demand a specific type of lateral thinking.
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Constructors are limited by the grid. If they have a section with too many vowels, they need a word like OPIE or ELIE. If they need to fill a four-letter gap ending in "O," they might look for something related to perennials if the theme allows it. It’s basically a giant jigsaw puzzle where the pieces are shaped by the English language's most flexible definitions.
The Biology vs. The Metaphor
Let's look at the actual data of how this word appears in major publications.
In the New York Times crossword database (shoutout to XWord Info for the historical tracking), "perennial" has been used as a clue hundreds of times. But the answers vary wildly based on the era. In the 1990s, you might see more literal interpretations. Today, constructors are more likely to use it as a pun.
If the clue is "Like a perennial garden," the answer might be WEEDY. That’s the kind of "gotcha" moment that makes solvers want to throw their pen across the room. It’s technically correct—perennial gardens often have weeds—but it subverts your expectation of a botanical term.
Common Answers for "Like a Perennial"
If you're stuck right now, try one of these.
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HARDY is the gold standard. It refers to the plant's USDA zone rating. If a plant can't handle the frost, it’s not a perennial in that climate. Solvers often forget the literal grit these plants have.
LONG or LASTING. These are more boring, but they fit the "long-lived" definition. You'll see these in Monday or Tuesday puzzles where the difficulty is lower and the clues are more straightforward.
OLDY (sometimes spelled OLDIE). This is a bit of a stretch, but in a "perennial favorite" sense, it works. Crosswords love these informal spellings.
YEARLY. This one is tricky. Some people argue that "perennial" shouldn't mean yearly because that’s what an "annual" is. But in terms of something that returns every year, the logic holds up in constructor-speak.
How to Beat the Constructor at Their Own Game
To get better at spotting these, you have to stop thinking like a botanist and start thinking like a person who is trying to fill a box. When you see "Like a perennial," don't just think "flower."
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- Check the suffix. If the clue is "Like some perennials," the answer is probably a plural ending in "S."
- Look for the "ish" factor. Is the answer an adjective or a noun? "Like a..." usually signals an adjective.
- Consider the theme. If the puzzle's theme is "Gardening Tools," the answer is more likely to be botanical. If the theme is "Timeless Classics," it’s going to be metaphorical.
The reality is that English is a messy, beautiful disaster of a language. We have words that mean their own opposites (contronyms), and words that have six different meanings depending on whether you're talking about a garden or a political cycle. Crosswords celebrate that messiness.
The Evolution of the Clue
Back in the day, clues were very "A = B." If the clue was "Large bird," the answer was "EMU." Period. Nowadays, specifically with the rise of "indie" constructors like those at The Inkubator or American Values Club Crossword, the clues are much more conversational and cultural.
A modern clue for "perennial" might be "Like that one 'Friends' rerun you've seen thirty times." The answer? ETERNAL. It’s more relatable. It’s more human. It moves away from the dusty dictionary feel of mid-century puzzles and into something that reflects how we actually talk.
The "Aha!" Moment
The reason we keep doing crosswords despite the frustration of clues like "like a perennial" is the dopamine hit. That "Aha!" moment when the letters click into place is addictive. You realize that you weren't "wrong," you were just looking at the word from the wrong angle.
It’s a mental reset. For a few minutes, the only thing that matters is the intersection of "perennial" and whatever the 14-across clue is (probably something like "Standard Oil co-founder" — FLAGLER, for those keeping score).
Actionable Steps for Your Next Puzzle
Stop overthinking the literal definition. When you hit a wall with "like a perennial," run through this mental checklist:
- Count the boxes immediately. 4 boxes? Try HARDY. 6 boxes? Try ANNUAL (even if it feels wrong, check the crosses). 7 boxes? Try LASTING.
- Look at the crosses first. Never try to solve a "vague" clue in a vacuum. If you have the second letter and it’s an "A," you’re likely looking at HARDY.
- Say the word out loud. Sometimes hearing "perennial" helps you associate it with "perennial favorites" or "perennial winners" (like the 1990s Braves, if you're a sports fan).
- Use a pencil. This sounds obvious, but the psychological freedom of knowing you can erase EVER and replace it with YEAR is huge. It keeps your brain from locking onto the wrong answer.
- Study the constructor. Every creator has a "vibe." If it's a Brendan Emmett Quigley puzzle, expect something a bit edgier or more modern. If it’s a classic Universal crossword, think simpler.
The "like a perennial" clue isn't there to defeat you. It’s there to make you dance. It’s a small, linguistic hurdle that reminds us that words are not static things; they are tools that we shape to fit whatever container we're building. Next time you see it, smile. You know the game now. You know it’s not just about the flowers. It’s about the endurance of the word itself.