In case you missed Thursday’s NYT Mini, you can find the answers here:
I’ll be honest, the NYT puzzle team keeps outdoing themselves with clever Minis, and this is one that features a complete lack of a word in a way that actually makes a ton of sense and is very clever. I love what they did here. But first…
The NYT Mini is a quick and dirty version of the newspaper’s larger and long-rumgys, there are between three and five clues in each direction on a five by five grid, but the puzzles are sometimes larger, especially on Saturdays.
Unlike its larger sibling, the NYT Mini crossword is free to play on the New York Times website or NYT Games app. However, you’ll need an NYT Games subscription to access previous puzzles in the archives. The NYT Mini is a fun daily distraction that usually takes no time at all. I try to beat the standard weekday grid in less than a minute. But sometimes I can’t quite figure out one or two clues and need to reveal the answer.
Spoilers ahead, obviously. Skip ahead for the image of today’s solved puzzle.
ACROSS
1) Blurb on a Bumble profile – BIO
4) Pattern that helps you blend in, informally – CAMO
5) Japanese electronics brand – CASIO
6) ___ acid (protein builder) – AMINO
7) Cry when you see 3-Down on your card – OOOOO
DOWN
1) Sink fixture – BASIN
2) Messaging, AOL-style – IMING
3) Row of five that prompts you to shout “7-Across!” – BINGO
4) Sleeveless top for layering – CAMI
5) Taxi – CAB
What did I tell you, it’s a weird one, right? Obviously OOOOO is not a word unless you are a spooky ghost that has lost its B, but in this case it serves as a visual bingo board blank column, and it also means every across word has to end in O today to make that happen. once you’ve done the first four of those, then you get to Bingo and well, it’s Bingo, you’ve won. Very, very clever NYT.
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