Today’s Mini Crossword: The May 21 Edition

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The daily grind continues. If you are stuck on The New York Times’ bite-sized puzzle, you aren’t alone. I got snagged on 7-Across. It shouldn’t have been hard, yet there I was. Staring at the screen. Eventually the logic clicked, but it wasn’t graceful.

Below is the full grid. For those hunting for answers to Wordle, Connections (or the sports edition), or Strands, the CNET puzzle hints page remains your best friend. We keep those linked for daily solvers who want a leg up without the guesswork.

The Across Clues

These usually fly by, unless one specific clue decides to test your patience.

1A. Not such a wild place to see the beast
Answer: ZOO

4A. The author of the “God was tired” quote on man’s creation
Answer: TWAIN
Mark himself. He wrote that line.

6A. Bird featured on the quarter
Answer: EAGLE
The bald kind, mostly.

7A. Dental exam components
Answer: XRAYS
The tricky one. Or just the obvious one disguised as trivia.

8A. Wile E. Coyote’s favorite explosive mishap
Answer: TNT

The Down Clues

Where the real work happens.

1D. The restaurant rating big name (mostly historical now, but still in the dictionary)
Answer: ZAGAT

2D. How hands get after potato chips
Answer: OILY
Tactile. Messy. True.

3D. The lowest Sudoku numbers
Answer: ONES

4D. To reach out with fingers
Answer: TEXT
Simple action. Complex life consequence, perhaps, but the clue asks for the act.

The Mini Crossword isn’t about brilliance. It is about recognition. Sometimes that recognition arrives late.

Did you get them right? Probably. Or you are here for the spoilers. Either way, the clock resets for tomorrow.