Mini Crossword puzzles tend to feel like quick warm-ups—until a clue tempts you with the wrong interpretation. Today’s grid plays it pretty fair, with a handful of straightforward wordplay and a couple of “sounds obvious once you see it” entries. Here are hints first (with minimal spoilers), then the full set of answers.
Hints
Across starts with a very direct synonym: a culinary institute instructor is exactly what you’d expect in a kitchen-themed clue.
Another Across clue talks like a text prompt—think about what you might say when calling out to someone who isn’t responding.
A teleprompter cue shouldn’t be read “quietly” or “secretly.” The answer is the adverb that means “aloud,” matching how spoken delivery works onstage.
For the antacid brand, the key is the “___-Bismol” pattern. The missing syllable is the common prefix used in that medicine name.
The final Across entry describes someone making an unwelcoming facial expression—more than a glare, less than a smile.
Down includes a word for “dries out” that also fits lips losing moisture. Another clue points to the famous figure of Troy, and it’s a one-word answer.
For the “I dos” clue, the trick is to phrase the vow action without the extra legal wording (“ado”)—what you do to get married.
The instrument held horizontally while playing it is a classic: think of how it looks when a musician carries it across their body.
Last, a dumpster’s smell is the blunt noun you’d expect for a strong unpleasant odor.
Want the daily puzzle scoop alongside everything else? Tracking Connections and other NYT games can make spotting pattern-words a lot easier across the week.
Answers
Mini Across
1A: CHEF
5A: HELLO
7A: ALOUD
8A: PEPTO
9A: SNEER
Mini Down
1D: CHAPS
2D: HELEN
3D: ELOPE
4D: FLUTE
6D: ODOR
If you’re solving quickly, a good mini-strategy is to treat the clue’s grammar as a map. Today’s set leans heavily on direct definitions (“held horizontally while playing it” → FLUTE) and on surface phrasing that points to a single common word (“Earth to… You there?!” → HELLO). When a clue feels conversational, don’t overthink it—just listen for the everyday phrasing it’s imitating.
