George ___, pen name of the Victorian writer Mary Ann Evans - NYT The Mini Clue

George ___, pen name of the Victorian writer Mary Ann Evans Answer Explained

The answer is ELIOT.

Here, you really benefit from either literary knowledge or crossword experience. The clue sets it up clearly: “George blank,” and tells us it’s a pen name. That signals we’re looking for a fake male name used by a woman writer—a common Victorian strategy. Mary Ann Evans is well-known under the pen name George Eliot. If you didn’t know that, the clue is tricky, but with “George ___,” you might guess other surnames—George Bush? George Lucas?—but those are real people, not pen names. Once you recall George Eliot wrote Middlemarch and other classics, it locks in. Another good name to remember.

Now that you've cracked the 8A George ___, pen name of the Victorian writer Mary Ann Evans clue, you're one step closer to completing today’s Mini Puzzle! If you're still stuck on other clues, don't worry—we've got you covered. Explore more NYT Mini crossword answers right here, or check out our tools for solving the NYT Crossword, Connections, or Strands.

Today’s NYT Mini Highlights

This Monday puzzle by Christina Iverson is a smooth and fun start to the week. It mixes topics like coins (“Thinnest U.S. coins”), Victorian literature (“George ___”), and superheroes (“Silent but deadly sort”) with playful clues like “Wine pairing?” for a nice bit of wordplay. Easy but not boring!

Here’s what caught our attention today:

• Thinnest U.S. coins, at around 1/20th of an inch
• Silent but deadly sort
• Wine pairing?
• In a chilly manner

About NYT The Mini

NYT The Mini Crossword is a compact version of the New York Times Crossword puzzle. Usually 5 x 5, with larger grids on Saturdays, it offers mid-week equivalent difficulty clues with no progression over the week. It is accessible to anyone with or without a New York Times account. You can play it on nytimes.com/crosswords, The New York Times Games app (iOS and Android), and the Play tab of the New York Times News app. Games and All Access Subscribers can solve past Mini Crossword puzzles in the archive.

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Fill white squares with letters to form intersecting words or phrases by solving clues in Across and Down columns. Read our guide to NYT Mini Mastery to learn how to read the different types of clues.  Successfully completed puzzle triggers music and a congratulatory message.

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