NYT Connections · September 16, 2026
Why Don’t PENNYWISE, WADSWORTH, FRANK-N-FURTER and LONG JOHN SILVER Form a Connections Group?
Your Tim Curry connection is real. Tim Curry played Pennywise in It, Wadsworth in Clue, Dr. Frank-N-Furter in The Rocky Horror Picture Show and Long John Silver in Muppet Treasure Island. But the September 16, 2026 Connections puzzle does not use that actor-role relationship as an official category. Each name is pulled into a different group by another meaning or word pattern.
Why now
Four real Tim Curry roles form a convincing red herring but split into four official groups.
More context
Context
Where the four names actually go
PENNYWISE — STARTING WITH U.S. COINS — begins with PENNY
WADSWORTH — POETS’ MIDDLE NAMES — Henry Wadsworth Longfellow
FRANK-N-FURTER — SAUSAGES PLUS A LETTER — remove the extra N to get FRANKFURTER
LONG JOHN SILVER — ENDING IN METAL ELEMENTS — ends with SILVER
Why the Tim Curry group looks completely valid
This is not a random association.
All four names genuinely point to roles played by Tim Curry. That is why the false group feels stronger than a typical loose red herring.
The puzzle simply gives every one of those names another relationship that participates in a complete official four-word group.
Why PENNYWISE gets pulled away
PENNYWISE begins with PENNY. That makes it fit the group built from words that start with U.S. coin names.
Its identity as a horror character is real, but it is not the feature used by the official solution.
Why WADSWORTH gets pulled away
WADSWORTH is the middle name of poet Henry Wadsworth Longfellow. That allows WADSWORTH to join the group of poets’ middle names.
This is one of the least obvious splits because the Clue character is such a memorable Tim Curry role.
Why FRANK-N-FURTER gets pulled away
FRANK-N-FURTER belongs to the “SAUSAGES PLUS A LETTER” group. Remove the extra N and the word becomes FRANKFURTER.
For the full transformation of BORAT, CLINK, WIDENER and FRANK-N-FURTER, see the sausage-wordplay explainer.
Why LONG JOHN SILVER gets pulled away
LONG JOHN SILVER ends with SILVER. That puts it in the group built from endings that are metal elements.
Does Connections forbid actor-role groups?
No. Actor-role relationships can be valid puzzle categories.
The point here is narrower: in this specific puzzle, the official solution uses four other complete patterns instead.
So if you saw the Tim Curry set immediately, you did not imagine the connection. You found a real alternate relationship that the puzzle was designed to tempt you into submitting.
Keep exploring
Related
Evidence
Sources
- Connections September 16, 2026 — The New York Times
Official puzzle groups and the four entries that create the Tim Curry red herring.
- Connections September 16, 2026 explanation — Forbes
Documents the Tim Curry alternate relationship and official group mapping.