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The NYT Strands puzzle titled “Not Your Average Joe” is listed for Thursday, January 1, 2026—not February 7. Its spangram is COFFEE, and its seven theme words are NUTTY, SMOOTH, VELVETY, AROMATIC, BOLD, BITTER and STRONG. The date discrepancy matters: the February 7, 2026 archive entry is a different puzzle.
Which date is correct for “Not Your Average Joe”?
Forbes and TechRadar identify “Not Your Average Joe” as the Thursday, January 1, 2026 Strands puzzle; TechRadar calls it game #669. A date-indexed archive also places that theme on January 1. The same archive lists a different theme, “Boo-o-o-o-ring,” for February 7, 2026. The year intended by the supplied February 7 date is not established, so these answers should not be labeled as February 7 answers.
Sources: Forbes; date-indexed archive; TechRadar.
Hints for the puzzle
The theme hint is “Not your average joe.” The theme words are coffee descriptors. If you want to solve it before seeing the full answer list, use the theme as a clue to the category, then look for words describing flavor, texture, aroma and strength.
What is the spangram?
COFFEE is the six-letter spangram, according to TechRadar and the answer coverage.
What are the “Not Your Average Joe” answers?
- NUTTY
- SMOOTH
- VELVETY
- AROMATIC
- BOLD
- BITTER
- STRONG
The words describe qualities associated with coffee; they are the theme answers for the January 1 puzzle, not the February 7 archive entry.
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