Reading technique · Beginner
Distinctness Harvest
Noticing that almost any clue naming two different items, in different categories, also tells you those two items belong to different subjects.
Why it works
If a clue is worth writing at all, it's usually because the two things it names aren't already known to be the same. That extra distinctness is free information most solvers walk past.
Trigger
Any clue that names two items from different categories, other than a plain 'A is B' statement.
Common mistake
Taking the clue's stated fact and closing the book on it, without asking what else the sentence quietly rules out.
Example
'Kendra's tattoo cost more than the blue one' rules out one price directly, but it also tells you Kendra doesn't have the blue tattoo. Most solvers only take the first half.
On Bambleweeny's board
Several of the solver's clue handlers apply this automatically inside their own logic. As a reader, it is worth doing consciously on every clue, not just the ones you know are comparatives.