NYT Strands hints and answers for Wednesday, October 28 (game #969)

(Image credit: New York Times) Looking for a different day?A new NYT Strands puzzle appears at midnight each day for your time zone – which means that some people are always playing 'today's game' while others are playing 'yesterday's'. If you're looking for Tuesday's puzzle instead then click here: NYT Strands hints and answers for Tuesday, October 27 (game #968).Strands is the NYT's latest word game after the likes of Wordle, Spelling Bee and Connections – and it's great fun. It can be difficult, though, so read on for my Strands hints.Want more word-based fun? Then check out my NYT Connections today and Quordle today pages for hints and answers for those games, and Marc's Wordle today page for the original viral word game.SPOILER WARNING: Information about NYT Strands today is below, so don't read on if you don't want to know the answers.NYT Strands today (game #969) - hint #1 - today's themeWhat is the theme of today's NYT Strands?• Today's NYT Strands theme is… Comedy clubNYT Strands today (game #969) - hint #2 - clue wordsPlay any of these words to unlock the in-game hints system.CHESSTEAKSKINSCRUBNECKPLATENYT Strands today (game #969) - hint #3 - spangram lettersHow many letters are in today's spangram?• Spangram has 13 lettersNYT Strands today (game #969) - hint #4 - spangram positionWhat are two sides of the board that today's spangram touches?• First side: bottom, 5th column• Last side: top, 2nd columnRight, the answers are below, so DO NOT SCROLL ANY FURTHER IF YOU DON'T WANT TO SEE THEM.NYT Strands today (game #969) - the answers (Image credit: New York Times)The answers to today's Strands, game #969, are…FARCESKETCHIMPROVSLAPSTICKBURLESQUESPANGRAM: FUNNYBUSINESSMy rating: EasyMy score: PerfectBeing a comedian is hard work and possibly the hardest part of the FUNNYBUSINESS is people expecting you to be “funny” 24 hours a day no matter what the situation.Sign up for breaking news, reviews, opinion, top tech deals, and more.For some comedians that’s easy, because their act is essentially an extension of their personality — but for many who craft and perfect their routines and persona it can all be something of a strain; that’s why you’ll often hear people complaining about comics being really grumpy or miserable in real life, when the only evidence they have to go on is when they stood next to them at an airport.Anyhow, I digress. After spotting FARCE pretty early on I knew we were looking for comedy genres, although despite this I still labored over SLAPSTICK (or stickslap as I initially attempted).Yesterday's NYT Strands answers (Tuesday, October 27, game #968)ANTSRATSMICECOCKROACHESTICKSTERMITESSPANGRAM: EXTERMINATORWhat is NYT Strands?Strands is the NYT's not-so-new-any-more word game, following Wordle and Connections. It's now a fully fledged member of the NYT's games stable that has been running for a year and which can be played on the NYT Games site on desktop or mobile.I've got a full guide to how to play NYT Strands, complete with tips for solving it, so check that out if you're struggling to beat it each day. Johnny is a freelance pop culture journalist who has been writing about the internet, music, football and famous people since the iPhone was just a twinkle in Steve Jobs' eye. Previously known by the pseudonym the Pop Detective, his journalistic career began making up stories about Madonna's addiction to sausage rolls (this is not true by the way). A man of few talents, his career is rich and various and includes the highs of interviewing Elton John and Blur; and the lows of interviewing Right Said Fred, appearing on a Channel 5 documentary about Peter Kay, and fact-checking the instruction manual for a German cooker. Somehow still affording to live in North London he is at his happiest riding his bicycle and shouting at pigeons.