Today’s NYT Connections puzzle has a true red herring — or maybe a white herring. You’ll see a lot of pale or light-colored things, but they don’t end up in the same category. Read on for hints and today’s Connections answers.

Hints for today’s Connections groups

Here are four hints for the groupings in today’s Connections puzzle, ranked from the easiest yellow group to the tough (and sometimes bizarre) purple group.

Yellow group hint: Hold together.

Green group hint: You might pass them by.

Blue group hint: Smart advice.

Purple group hint: School days.

Answers for today’s Connections groups

Yellow group: Fasteners.

Green group: Nondescript.

Blue group: Units of wisdom.

Purple group: ____boards in a classroom.

What are today’s Connections answers?

The yellow words in today’s Connections

The theme is fasteners.

The four answers are nail, rivet, screw and staple.

The green words in today’s Connections

The theme is nondescript.

The four answers are basic, mid, plain and vanilla.

The blue words in today’s Connections

The theme is units of wisdom.

The four answers are gem, nugget, pearl and word.

The purple words in today’s Connections

The theme is ____boards in a classroom.

The four answers are black, chalk, cork and white.

Toughest Connections puzzles

We’ve made a note of some of the toughest Connections puzzles​ so far. Maybe they’ll help you see patterns in future puzzles.

#5: Included “things you can set,” such as mood, record, table and volleyball.

#4: Included “one in a dozen,” such as egg, juror, month and rose.

#3: Included “streets on screen,” such as Elm, Fear, Jump and Sesame.

#2: Included “power ___” such as nap, plant, Ranger and trip.

#1: Included “things that can run,” such as candidate, faucet, mascara and nose.

CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of "Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the '70s and '80s," as well as "The Totally Sweet '90s." She's been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She's Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she'll be first in line. See full bio