For Sept. 24, NYT Connections grouped CAPE, FACE PAINT, FAKE BLOOD and FANGS as vampire-costume parts. The other themes were things with springs, items featuring pointing, and anagrams.
The remaining groups were BOBBLEHEAD, POGO STICK, SNAKES IN A CAN and TRAMPOLINE (things with spring/s); CREATION OF ADAM, FOAM FINGER, I'M WITH STUPID SHIRT and UNCLE SAM (featuring pointing); and BEER HAT, BREATHE, HERB TEA and THE BEAR (anagrams).
The writer noted possible overlaps: FAKE BLOOD, SNAKES IN A CAN and I'M WITH STUPID SHIRT could suggest pranks, while BEER HAT, FOAM FINGER, BOBBLEHEAD and FACE PAINT could suggest sports events. The pointing clues included the touching fingers in Michelangelo's Creation of Adam and Uncle Sam's recruitment image pointing at viewers.
