Today's NYT Midi Crossword is live, and Monday's grid brings a music-themed wordplay workout with answers like SPACEJAM, DISJOINT, and COLDCUT that turn song titles into something else entirely. Whether you're looking for a mid-length challenge or warming up for the full-size puzzle, we've got hints and answers to keep you moving.
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: 9x11
Total Clues: 28 (14 Across, 14 Down)
Trickiest Clue: 7A "David Bowie's 'Life on Mars?' or Elton John's 'Rocket Man'?", a compound word that mashes up a celestial term with a music genre
Gimme Clue: 1A "Egg-cooking vessel"
Theme Spotted: "Record Label"
Clue Decoder (Hints Only)
Need a nudge without the full answer? Here's a hint for each clue.
Across Hints
1. Egg-cooking vessel
Hint: Three letters. What you'd fry an egg in. Starts with P.
4. Catchy song, in slang
Hint: Three letters. What you'd call an earworm you can't stop humming.
7. David Bowie's "Life on Mars?" or Elton John's "Rocket Man"?
Hint: Seven letters. Think "outer" + "music session." A compound word combining a celestial location with a musical term.
10. Infield position played by Derek Jeter
Hint: Nine letters. Between second and third base. The Captain's spot for two decades.
12. Magazine with a "Person of the Year"
Hint: Four letters. Its red border is iconic. Starts with T.
13. "Little piggy"
Hint: Three letters. The one that went to market.
14. Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" or Tupac's "Hit 'Em Up"?
Hint: Eight letters. A compound word meaning "to separate" or "a diss track." Starts with DIS.
17. Light brown
Hint: Three letters. The color of sand or a summer tan.
18. Environmentally friendly prefix
Hint: Three letters. Goes before "friendly" or "system." Starts with E.
21. Celebrate exuberantly
Hint: Five letters. To party with gusto. Starts with R, ends with L.
25. "Your mileage may ___"
Hint: Four letters. A disclaimer about fuel economy. Rhymes with "scary."
27. 18-wheeler
Hint: Four letters. A big rig on the highway. Starts with S.
28. Let a big decision simmer overnight
Hint: Nine letters. A phrase meaning to postpone a choice until morning. Think "rest on it."
30. Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" or Kelis's "Milkshake"?
Hint: Seven letters. A compound word combining a temperature with a meat cut. Think "chilled" + "slice."
31. Quench
Hint: Five letters. To satisfy thirst. Starts with S, ends with E.
Down Hints
1. "Hey! Over here!"
Hint: Four letters. A whispered attention-getter. Starts with P.
2. Prey for a ladybug
Hint: Five letters. A tiny garden pest that loves rose bushes. Starts with A.
3. Supermodel Campbell
Hint: Five letters. One of the original supermodels from the 90s. First name, starts with N.
4. "Oh yeah, wanna ___?"
Hint: Three letters. A dare or a wager. Starts with B.
5. Beverages with or without pulp, informally
Hint: Three letters. Breakfast juice, abbreviated.
6. Singer LaBelle
Hint: Five letters. The "Lady Marmalade" singer. First name, starts with P.
8. Reach the top of a roller coaster, say
Hint: Five letters. The peak before the big drop. Starts with C.
9. Focus of the Artemis II mission
Hint: Four letters. Earth's natural satellite. NASA's target.
11. Furry family member
Hint: Three letters. A cat or a dog, in casual terms.
15. Jelly container
Hint: Three letters. What you twist open to spread jam. Starts with J.
16. Item missing after a load of laundry, perhaps
Hint: Seven letters. A single piece of footwear that vanished in the dryer.
18. Cars with batteries that can weigh over 1,000 pounds, for short
Hint: Three letters. Electric vehicles, abbreviated.
19. Class after trig
Hint: Four letters. High school math with derivatives and integrals.
20. Creme-filled cookies
Hint: Five letters. The ones you twist apart and lick the filling. Starts with O.
22. Booking for a wedding
Hint: Five letters. Where the ceremony happens. Starts with V.
23. Give off
Hint: Four letters. To release or radiate. Starts with E.
24. Great, as a party
Hint: Three letters. Slang for awesome. Starts with L.
26. Holler
Hint: Four letters. To shout loudly. Starts with Y.
29. Subway smooching, e.g., in brief
Hint: Three letters. Public displays of affection, abbreviated.
Full Answers
Spoilers below. Scroll only when you're ready for the solutions.
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Across Answers
1. Egg-cooking vessel
Answer: PAN
4. Catchy song, in slang
Answer: BOP
7. David Bowie's "Life on Mars?" or Elton John's "Rocket Man"?
Answer: SPACEJAM
10. Infield position played by Derek Jeter
Answer: SHORTSTOP
12. Magazine with a "Person of the Year"
Answer: TIME
13. "Little piggy"
Answer: TOE
14. Kendrick Lamar's "Not Like Us" or Tupac's "Hit 'Em Up"?
Answer: DISJOINT
17. Light brown
Answer: TAN
18. Environmentally friendly prefix
Answer: ECO
21. Celebrate exuberantly
Answer: REVEL
25. "Your mileage may ___"
Answer: VARY
27. 18-wheeler
Answer: SEMI
28. Let a big decision simmer overnight
Answer: SLEEPONIT
30. Vanilla Ice's "Ice Ice Baby" or Kelis's "Milkshake"?
Answer: COLDCUT
31. Quench
Answer: SLAKE
Down Answers
1. "Hey! Over here!"
Answer: PSST
2. Prey for a ladybug
Answer: APHID
3. Supermodel Campbell
Answer: NAOMI
4. "Oh yeah, wanna ___?"
Answer: BET
5. Beverages with or without pulp, informally
Answer: OJS
6. Singer LaBelle
Answer: PATTI
8. Reach the top of a roller coaster, say
Answer: CREST
9. Focus of the Artemis II mission
Answer: MOON
11. Furry family member
Answer: PET
15. Jelly container
Answer: JAR
16. Item missing after a load of laundry, perhaps
Answer: ONESOCK
18. Cars with batteries that can weigh over 1,000 pounds, for short
Answer: EVS
19. Class after trig
Answer: CALC
20. Creme-filled cookies
Answer: OREOS
22. Booking for a wedding
Answer: VENUE
23. Give off
Answer: EMIT
24. Great, as a party
Answer: LIT
26. Holler
Answer: YELL
29. Subway smooching, e.g., in brief
Answer: PDA
Grid Breakdown
Here's what made today's puzzle tick:
Standout Clue: 7A "David Bowie's 'Life on Mars?' or Elton John's 'Rocket Man'?" for SPACEJAM. The clue runs a fake-out, it lists space-themed songs but the answer isn't a song title. It's a compound word (SPACE + JAM) that forces you to think about the words describing the songs, not the songs themselves. Clever misdirection for a Monday.
Wordplay Winner: 30A "Vanilla Ice's 'Ice Ice Baby' or Kelis's 'Milkshake'?" for COLDCUT. Same trick as 7A, but colder. The clue names songs about cold things and drinks, and the answer mashes "cold" with "cut", a double entendre that works as both a diss track reference and a deli meat term.
Quick Fill: 1A "Egg-cooking vessel" for PAN. Three letters, no ambiguity, and it anchors the entire northwest corner. The kind of gimme that gets solvers into a rhythm.
Speed Solver Tips
Today's puzzle teaches a valuable lesson: when a clue lists two songs or works of art, don't look for the title, look for what the titles have in common. SPACEJAM, DISJOINT, and COLDCUT all follow this pattern, and spotting it early unlocks three long answers at once.
The intersection-heavy 9x11 grid rewards filling in short gimmes first. PAN, TOE, TAN, and BOP are all three-letter answers that provide solid letter anchors for the longer theme entries. Lock those in early and the compound-word answers practically fill themselves.
Tomorrow's Puzzle
The next Midi drops tomorrow. How did today's grid treat you? Between the music-themed compound words and the Derek Jeter baseball reference, this Monday puzzle rewarded solvers who think about categories rather than individual answers. Every puzzle sharpens your instincts for the next one.
See you at the next grid.
