Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and leans on crisp definitions, fixed expressions, and a dash of food and music trivia. Settle in for a lively grid with a satisfying streak of misdirection.
How The Midi Works
The Midi is the middle ground between the Mini and the classic NYT Crossword, offering a mid-size grid that takes a few satisfying minutes to clear. Solve the intersecting words, and when the grid is complete, you'll hear a satisfying chime.
New puzzles drop daily. The Midi offers more complexity than the Mini while remaining accessible for solvers who want a quick but substantial challenge.
Quick Scan
In a rush? Here's the at-a-glance breakdown for today's puzzle:
Grid Size: 9x9
Total Clues: 28 (12 Across, 16 Down)
Trickiest Clue: The trickiest clue is 9A, since the Thai noodle dish can be harder to retrieve than the surrounding everyday vocabulary.
Gimme Clue: The gimme is 1A, because the blank completes an everyday fixed expression immediately.
Theme Spotted: "Housing Bubbles"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1A. ___ and error
Hint: Complete the familiar expression about learning through attempts and mistakes. Five letters, starts with T.
6A. Big blowout parties
Hint: Think of a lively plural noun for extravagant parties. Eight letters, starts with S.
9A. Thai entree with wide rice noodles
Hint: Seek the Thai stir-fried dish whose broad rice noodles are commonly paired with basil and a savory sauce. Nine letters, starts with P.
11A. Completely wows
Hint: Use a present-tense verb meaning leaves someone deeply impressed. Four letters, starts with A.
12A. Relative of a moose
Hint: Think of the large antlered deer related to a moose. Three letters, starts with E.
13A. Steakhouse choices named for a letter
Hint: Picture the letter-shaped steaks that include meat from both sides of the bone. Six letters, starts with T.
16A. Foreign helper around the house
Hint: The clue seeks the term for a young person from abroad who lives with a family and helps with children or housework. Six letters, starts with A.
19A. Jot (down)
Hint: Use the verb for writing or drawing hurriedly, and treat the parenthetical as completing a phrasal verb rather than indicating direction. Eight letters, starts with S.
22A. Country music legend Jackson
Hint: The clue points to the country singer behind “Chattahoochee” and “Remember When.” Four letters, starts with A.
23A. "... or so ___ told"
Hint: Complete the stock expression meaning that this is what someone reported to the speaker. Three letters, starts with I.
24A. Picks up the bill
Hint: Use the present-tense verb for covering a bill. Four letters, starts with P.
25A. Approximate percentage of the global population with red hair
Hint: Think of the small whole-number estimate commonly given for the global share of natural redheads. Three letters, starts with T.
Down Hints
1D. Defrost
Hint: Picture what frozen ground does when temperatures rise. Four letters, starts with T.
2D. Amusement park attraction
Hint: Picture an amusement attraction such as a roller coaster or carousel. Four letters, starts with R.
3D. Smudges from a leaky pen
Hint: Think of the dark smudges a faulty pen leaves on paper. Nine letters, starts with I.
4D. Commercial suffix with Power
Hint: Recall the beverage-brand ending attached to “Power.” Three letters, starts with A.
5D. "This clue does not contain the letters E, L or I," e.g.
Hint: The quoted statement contradicts the letters visible in its own sentence. Classify it by its truthfulness. Three letters, starts with L.
6D. Spot for a massage
Hint: Think of the wellness venue where massage and other restorative treatments are offered. Three letters, starts with S.
7D. Nickname for a New York football team
Hint: Think of the Giants nickname that pairs the team's initial with a term for adult males. Four letters, starts with G.
8D. Black Friday enticement
Hint: Picture the price-cut event a retailer advertises for Black Friday. Four letters, starts with S.
10D. Approves
Hint: Use a present-tense verb meaning grants approval. Three letters, starts with O.
14D. Protective wear for a baby or a lobster eater
Hint: Think of the garment protecting the front while a baby eats or a diner tackles lobster. Three letters, starts with B.
15D. Path around the sun, say
Hint: The clue seeks the curved route a planet follows around its star. Five letters, starts with O.
16D. "I need this now!"
Hint: Use the standard workplace abbreviation signaling immediate urgency. Four letters, starts with A.
17D. State sch. south of Bel Air
Hint: Identify the public university campus in Westwood, just south of Bel Air. Four letters, starts with U.
18D. Folded hands emoji
Hint: The folded-hands symbol points to an act of worship or earnest supplication. Four letters, starts with P.
20D. What a future attorney studies
Hint: The future attorney's core subject covers statutes, cases, and legal reasoning. Three letters, starts with L.
21D. Genre for Taking Back Sunday
Hint: Name the confessional rock subgenre associated with Taking Back Sunday. Three letters, starts with E.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1A. ___ and error
Answer: TRIAL
6A. Big blowout parties
Answer: SHINDIGS
9A. Thai entree with wide rice noodles
Answer: PADKEEMAO
11A. Completely wows
Answer: AWES
12A. Relative of a moose
Answer: ELK
13A. Steakhouse choices named for a letter
Answer: TBONES
16A. Foreign helper around the house
Answer: AUPAIR
19A. Jot (down)
Answer: SCRIBBLE
22A. Country music legend Jackson
Answer: ALAN
23A. "... or so ___ told"
Answer: IAM
24A. Picks up the bill
Answer: PAYS
25A. Approximate percentage of the global population with red hair
Answer: TWO
Down Answers
1D. Defrost
Answer: THAW
2D. Amusement park attraction
Answer: RIDE
3D. Smudges from a leaky pen
Answer: INKSTAINS
4D. Commercial suffix with Power
Answer: ADE
5D. "This clue does not contain the letters E, L or I," e.g.
Answer: LIE
6D. Spot for a massage
Answer: SPA
7D. Nickname for a New York football team
Answer: GMEN
8D. Black Friday enticement
Answer: SALE
10D. Approves
Answer: OKS
14D. Protective wear for a baby or a lobster eater
Answer: BIB
15D. Path around the sun, say
Answer: ORBIT
16D. "I need this now!"
Answer: ASAP
17D. State sch. south of Bel Air
Answer: UCLA
18D. Folded hands emoji
Answer: PRAY
20D. What a future attorney studies
Answer: LAW
21D. Genre for Taking Back Sunday
Answer: EMO
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 5D, “This clue does not contain the letters E, L or I,” with LIE, defines the grid's playful side. The claim disproves itself because those letters are plainly present in the quoted sentence.
Wordplay Winner: The wordplay winner is 19A, SCRIBBLE, for “Jot (down).” The parenthetical completes the sense of the clue while teasing a direction that the entry itself does not follow.
Quick Fill: TRIAL is the fastest confident fill because “___ and error” is fixed, and its crossings immediately seed THAW, RIDE, INKSTAINS, ADE, and LIE.
Speed Solver Tips
Looking to shave seconds off your time? Here's what today's puzzle teaches:
When a long food entry such as PADKEEMAO resists immediate recall, work its short Down crossings first. SPA, THAW, RIDE, ADE, LIE, GMEN, SALE, and OKS turn an uncertain transliteration into a controlled fill.
Enter fixed expressions before chasing trivia. TRIAL at 1A and IAM at 23A provide reliable crossing letters for nearby entries.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The grid treated solvers fairly, surrounding PADKEEMAO with accessible crossings and rewarding close reading with LIE and SCRIBBLE. Its best moments came from ordinary language used with precision.
See you at the next grid.
