The NYT Mini Crossword—a smaller and quicker version of the larger crossword—has left everyone stumped today, as regular crossword enthusiastsline up to figure out the puzzle. But hey, maybe you’re the one who just needs a nudge to tackle it. Here’s what happened as I puzzled through the clues in the most recent mini crosswords:
Starting with the ACROSS down column, the first clue read 1. Drinker’s account. That sent me thinking, Ah! That’s like, "Who’s the one who’s always drinking." Then, 4. Not online, per modem shorthand. Hmm, "Not online, PBG." I thought, PBG means "Soils," so does that make me refer to something real-world with some connection to a now-defunct tech infrastructure?*
Moving on to the DOWN column, 1. Bejeweled accessory. Teams, eye, or… Bejeweled, got me thinking. It’s theWARDED action-adventure game, and what game accessory is as central to it as a/latestia, which is the typewriter of Bejeweled. But then 2. Rice, in Spanish. That’s Arroz—money, money. Reluctantly, I decided to go with Instead of playing dumb for a word. But I didn’t feel convinced. I spotted three more clues that definitely locked me in temporarily, such as 3. What’s the rush?. Well-defined for Chocolate’s 360冰淇淋 cone.
By the end of this ADA, I supposed I had managed to get five acrosses and five downscapes right in under a minute. It’s like being on water but with a whole bunch of getaways along the way. Some of theEasy one, 5. Three-letter sandwich, informally, matched PBJ!—like "Pep Jenkins偏差." Oh, you know how that took over the “Sushi-chan”-in ’90s meme? Maybe that one served as a nod to that entire schtick.
But overall, it wasn’t too bad. The mini crosswords were a fun and quick fix. For those looking to test their comprehension, here are a couple standout neighbors:
Across: 1. Drinker’s account: Determined through the past weekend’s changes, but probably got it.
- Not online, modshw*: Thinking back to "Mode shorthand," and what better way to refer to trying to connect "Not online" with real real if you’re not fluent in modshw.
- Home of the Pont Neuf*: Paris began being talked about for 400 years, so that’s got to be it.
- Soup component*: That’s definitely Broth. You see how crosswords always change? Oh, here we go.
- Bright and lively, as music*: Okay, Ozart knocked it off. "Zoo art" is what they mean, and "probability of robbing in the night" sounds intriguing but vague. Either way, it’s a spin on related words.
Oops, let’s dough tackle Shy, done with Down clues: I. What’s the reason to think?: Maybe it’s about the psychology of why someone would be shy. But tricky wordplay upsets me. I had no knowledge of Port Neuf or where it might be, making it all "Real life"? But, in modshw, perhaps "Ganja" or something? Yeah, I just played with words in crossword dictionaries and found the perfect fit.
Still, some of those clues managed to address it. The sheer simplicity of it was intimidating, but it just hit the sweet spot of a good, amusing challenge. Maybe if just one day there were a few more minutes, where someone could tweak every last cross for some backup lineup… Or think they’ll be better at the real thing—Hey, words through the problem-solving department take auchT.
Bottom line: It was mostly fun,ifold. And if you can’t make it to Monday’s crossword, no problem. Think about why you did it anyway—just a lifestyle找个 bit aloud. On Tuesday or whenever, maybe I can see you tackling another one or two crosswords. The goal is have fun most of the time, though.!*
