Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and Friday's grid brings a Kevin Smith movie deep cut and a clever silent-letter theme that rewards solvers who think phonetically. With a compact 9x9 layout and 30 clues, it's a solid warm-up before the weekend full-size puzzle.
How The Midi Works
The Midi is the middle ground between the Mini and the classic NYT Crossword, typically featuring an 8x10 or 9x11 grid with 15-20 Across and 15-20 Down clues. It takes about 5-15 minutes to solve, making it perfect for a coffee break or commute. 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: 30 (13 Across, 17 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 22-Across, "Jay's stoic partner in Kevin Smith movies ... or a collective feature of 1-, 12- and 14-Across?" requires both pop culture knowledge and spotting the silent-letter theme
Gimme Clue: 27-Across, "Author Tan"
Theme Spotted: "Seen But Not Heard"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1. Part of a doorframe
Hint: Four letters. A vertical post. Think door, not window.
5. John or Jane ___
Hint: Three letters. A generic name placeholder. Rhymes with "toe."
8. Synonym (and anagram) of VILE
Hint: Four letters. The opposite of good. Rearranging VILE gets you there.
9. Soccer infraction
Hint: Four letters. A whistle gets blown. Starts with F.
10. Male lover
Hint: Four letters. French for "handsome." Often paired with "beau."
11. What a ladybug landing on you brings
Hint: Four letters. Good fortune. Starts with L.
12. Thick grass off the fairway
Hint: Five letters. Golfers hate ending up here. Opposite of "smooth."
14. Easy to overlook, as a small detail
Hint: Six letters. Not obvious. Has a silent letter.
17. "Got ___ other ideas?"
Hint: Three letters. A question about alternatives. "Have you got ___?"
18. Wonderstruck
Hint: Five letters. Filled with amazement. Starts with "in."
22. Jay's stoic partner in Kevin Smith movies ... or a collective feature of 1-, 12- and 14-Across?
Hint: Eight letters, two words. A character who rarely speaks. The answer describes what the other three answers have in common.
24. Georgia, but not Guam
Hint: Five letters. A political division. Not a territory.
25. Undergarment that Sue Ellen Mischke wears as a top, in a classic "Seinfeld" episode
Hint: Three letters. The "bra-less wonder" episode. Starts with B.
26. Evergreen trees with poisonous seeds
Hint: Four letters. Often found in cemeteries. Starts with Y.
27. Author Tan
Hint: Three letters. "The Joy Luck Club" author. First name.
Down Hints
1. ___ Bush, onetime presidential candidate
Hint: Three letters. Jeb. First name, three letters.
2. Street crosser: Abbr.
Hint: Three letters. A road abbreviation. Like St. but different.
3. Soccer superstar Hamm
Hint: Three letters. A US women's soccer legend. First name.
4. Say abruptly, with "out"
Hint: Five letters. Blurt. To speak suddenly.
5. Former second gentleman Emhoff
Hint: Four letters. Kamala Harris's husband. First name.
6. "That's gonna sting!"
Hint: Four letters. An exclamation of pain. Starts with O.
7. Antlered animal in the Rockies
Hint: Three letters. A large deer. Starts with E.
9. Well-versed in a language
Hint: Six letters. Fluent. The opposite of "struggling."
13. QB protectors, in football-speak
Hint: Five letters. O-line. The big guys up front.
14. Like the response "No need to clean my room, I did it last year!"
Hint: Five letters. Sassy. A teenager's specialty.
15. Join
Hint: Five letters. Unite. To come together.
16. Corporate regulation
Hint: Five letters. Bylaw. Company rules.
19. "Mamma Mia" band
Hint: Four letters. ABBA. Swedish pop legends.
20. Treat for an early bird
Hint: Four letters. WORM. The early bird catches it.
21. Online bidding site
Hint: Four letters. EBAY. The auction giant.
23. Aliens, for short
Hint: Three letters. ETS. Extraterrestrials.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1. Part of a doorframe
Answer: JAMB
5. John or Jane ___
Answer: DOE
8. Synonym (and anagram) of VILE
Answer: EVIL
9. Soccer infraction
Answer: FOUL
10. Male lover
Answer: BEAU
11. What a ladybug landing on you brings
Answer: LUCK
12. Thick grass off the fairway
Answer: ROUGH
14. Easy to overlook, as a small detail
Answer: SUBTLE
17. "Got ___ other ideas?"
Answer: ANY
18. Wonderstruck
Answer: INAWE
22. Jay's stoic partner in Kevin Smith movies ... or a collective feature of 1-, 12- and 14-Across?
Answer: SILENTBOB
24. Georgia, but not Guam
Answer: STATE
25. Undergarment that Sue Ellen Mischke wears as a top, in a classic "Seinfeld" episode
Answer: BRA
26. Evergreen trees with poisonous seeds
Answer: YEWS
27. Author Tan
Answer: AMY
Down Answers
1. ___ Bush, onetime presidential candidate
Answer: JEB
2. Street crosser: Abbr.
Answer: AVE
3. Soccer superstar Hamm
Answer: MIA
4. Say abruptly, with "out"
Answer: BLURT
5. Former second gentleman Emhoff
Answer: DOUG
6. "That's gonna sting!"
Answer: OUCH
7. Antlered animal in the Rockies
Answer: ELK
9. Well-versed in a language
Answer: FLUENT
13. QB protectors, in football-speak
Answer: OLINE
14. Like the response "No need to clean my room, I did it last year!"
Answer: SASSY
15. Join
Answer: UNITE
16. Corporate regulation
Answer: BYLAW
19. "Mamma Mia" band
Answer: ABBA
20. Treat for an early bird
Answer: WORM
21. Online bidding site
Answer: EBAY
23. Aliens, for short
Answer: ETS
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 22-Across for SILENTBOB. The self-referential clue works on two levels: Kevin Smith fans recognize Jay's mute counterpart, and the second half of the clue tips solvers off that JAMB, ROUGH, and SUBTLE all contain silent letters. That's meta-puzzling done right.
Wordplay Winner: 8-Across. "Synonym (and anagram) of VILE" for EVIL. The clue gives away both the meaning and the letter rearrangement, making it a generous but satisfying solve.
Quick Fill: 27-Across. "Author Tan" for AMY is about as direct as crossword clues get. If you've read "The Joy Luck Club," this one takes zero time.
Speed Solver Tips
Watch for self-referential clues like 22-Across. When a clue mentions "a collective feature of" other numbered clues, the constructor is telling you there's a theme. Spotting the connection early can unlock multiple answers at once.
Anagram clues like 8-Across ("anagram of VILE") are freebies once you train yourself to see the parenthetical hint. If a clue says "anagram of," rearrange the letters before reaching for obscure vocabulary.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The next Midi drops tomorrow. How did today's grid treat you? The silent-letter theme in 22-Across was the highlight, but the mix of pop culture (Seinfeld, Kevin Smith, ABBA) and vocabulary (SUBTLE, BYLAW, YEWS) kept things balanced. Every puzzle sharpens your instincts for the next one.
See you at the next grid.
