Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Wednesday, Oct. 21

Need some help with today’s Mini Crossword? It’s usually not terribly tough, but today’s was kind of tricky. I’ve played the game Telephone, but I didn’t clue in to the exact wording the editors wanted for the first two answers.

The Mini Crossword is a nice break from the tougher puzzles, and it takes only a fraction of the time of the vaunted, regular New York Times Crossword puzzle.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: With 5-Across, words whispered in a game of telephone
Answer: PASS

 5A clue: See 1-Across
Answer: ITON

6A clue: Modern way of creating images and text, for short
Answer: GENAI

8A clue: Some fuzzy brown boots
Answer: UGGS

9A clue: Whisper appropriately spelled (in order!) by the circled letters of 1-/5-Across
Answer: PSST

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Wilbur in “Charlotte’s Web,” e.g.
Answer: PIG

2D clue: Devoured completely
Answer: ATEUP

3D clue: Spotify playlist makeup
Answer: SONGS

4D clue: Unexpected problems
Answer: SNAGS

7D clue: Suffix with “novel” or “capital”
Answer: IST

Gael Cooper

CNET editor Gael Fashingbauer Cooper, a journalist and pop-culture junkie, is co-author of “Whatever Happened to Pudding Pops? The Lost Toys, Tastes and Trends of the ’70s and ’80s,” as well as “The Totally Sweet ’90s.” She’s been a journalist since 1989, working at Mpls.St.Paul Magazine, Twin Cities Sidewalk, the Minneapolis Star Tribune, and NBC News Digital. She’s Gen X in birthdate, word and deed. If Marathon candy bars ever come back, she’ll be first in line. See full bio

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