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Need help with the NYT Mini for Saturday, September 21, 2024? Use the staged hints below before opening the complete Across and Down answer key. The year is important: September 21, 2026 was a Monday, not the Saturday puzzle covered here.
Hints for the September 21, 2024 Mini
Try these nudges before looking at the full clue list. Each one points toward an answer without giving it away outright.
- A birthday present can be covered with a four-letter verb.
- Laid-back is a five-letter description.
- The clue about state names ending in doubled letters asks for a six-letter category of fact.
- To quit a job is a six-letter action.
- The novelist who wrote Oliver Twist has a seven-letter surname.
- The Golden Rule phrase begins “Do unto ___.”
- The casual farewell has two words.
Across clues and answers
The dated Forbes guide lists these Across entries for Saturday, September 21, 2024.
| No. | Clue | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cover, as a birthday present | WRAP |
| 5 | Laid-back | CHILL |
| 6 | “Hawaii and Tennessee are the only two U.S. states whose names end in doubled letters,” e.g. | TRIVIA |
| 7 | Quit one’s job | RESIGN |
| 8 | “Oliver Twist” novelist | DICKENS |
| 9 | “Do unto ___ …” (start of the Golden Rule) | OTHERS |
| 10 | “Bye-bye!” | SEE YA |
Down clues and answers
The full Down key is below.
| No. | Clue | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | What Maker’s Mark made its mark in | WHISKEY |
| 2 | Coastal region of southeast France and northwest Italy | RIVIERA |
| 3 | Puts in a row | ALIGNS |
| 4 | Social engagements | PLANS |
| 5 | Nativity scene | CRECHE |
| 6 | Lacking originality | TRITE |
| 8 | Two, in Tijuana | DOS |
Playing or revisiting the Mini
The NYT Help page says the Mini is available on the NYT Games website, in the NYT Games app, and in the Play tab of the NYT News app. It says Games and All Access subscribers can solve past Minis in the archive. The page lists weekday and Saturday puzzles as available at 10 p.m. EST the previous day; Sunday Minis become available at 6 p.m. EST on Saturday.
#1 Best Overall
The dated guide describes a typical Mini as having three to five clues in each direction on a 5-by-5 grid, with Saturday puzzles sometimes larger. Its accessible text does not establish the exact dimensions of this particular grid.
Quick Recap
Best Value
Rank #3
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