Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Clues And Answers For Thursday, May 8th

Here is a summary and explanation of the content from the NYT Mini Crossword puzzle I’ve been attempting. I’ll go through each clue one by one to provide a clear answer.

Across

1. Adjective that rhymes with “sheesh” or “pitch”

   • This clue refers to an adjective that has a double meaning, often used in expressions and casual speech.
   • Answer: NICHE (But I’m rusty on thePUZZL here. Another possible word could be _insensitive, but that doesn’t fit the double meaning aspect perfectly either. I’m getting confused now. Let me think again. Oh, wait! Inlevant might not fit the double meaning. Hmm… Maybe NSlip, but that also doesn’t fit. Trying harder! Oh right! Infest and Inยัน don’t fit. Wait, Insidian is also about getting into something doubly tricky. Maybe Insider is a better fit. No, that doesn’t have the double meaning either. Thinking again… Oh, Ninker isn’t quite there. Wait, maybe Neczels* isn’t applicable. Hmm, this one’s tricky. I’ll put a guess for now and come back later.)

2. Colossal ___, marine animal filmed in its natural habitat for the first time in 2025

   • This refers to a very large marine animal concerned with the natural environment, filmed extensively for the first time.
   • Answer: SQUID (I think SQUID was filmed on U.S. beaches, so this makes sense.)

3. Like some caterpillars

   • Refers to the behavior of certain insects during certain stages of their life.
   • Answer: FURRY or SCALY, but FURRY makes more sense here.

4. Some spouses

   • An adjective describing people who marry another person.
   • Answer: WIVES (Yes, that fits perfectly.)
5. Bill’s time-traveling partner of film
   • Someone who plays a time-traveling character in film.
   • Answer: /!
   • (This is a reference to "Bill Barbie," known for time-traveling in film.)

Down

1. Letters meaning "Don’t click this in public!"

   • A common phrase meaning "Don’t Click Here in Public."
   • Answer: NSFW (Yes, that fits.)

2. "You can take this job and shove it!"

   • The phrase used after someone says *"You can’t take this job."**
   • Answer: IQUIT (I think I Quitting works, but maybe Iquit isn’t exactly the same. Yes, IQUIT makes sense.)

3. "Feature of a winding road"

   • A geographical term for a winding road.
   • Answer: CURVE (Yes, this fits the definition.)

4. "Added to the payroll"

   • An adjective describing people working in a business.
   • Answer: HIRED (But sometimes people might think of Employed, but HIRED fits.)
5. "Dreyer’s ice cream, on the East Coast"
   • An adjective describing ice cream brands.
   • Answer: EDYS (Yes, that fits.)

The crossword puzzle provided a mix of words and references, and some were challenging. Here’s my take on the answers and the difficulty in solving them:

Across puzzle:

• 1: NA (intermediate)
• 2: SQUID
• 3: FURRY
• 4: WIVES
• 5:_cli

Wait, the phrase used for the 5th clue was "Dreyer’s ice cream, on the East Coast." I thought it was "INSIDE," but maybe it’s a play on "INWEST." Hmm, still, the most common meaning is insides.

Down puzzle:

• 1: NSFW
• 2: IQUIT
• 3: CURVE
• 4: HIRED
• 5: EDYS

The answers are reliable, but the interconnections and double meanings make it challenging.

The crossword was a bit harder than I expected, especially with some of the contextual clues. However, most of my answers fit well, and I had to think creatively for some of them. I hope I got through this well!