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Chicago trains - NYT The Mini Clue
Across
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The clue "Get a load of ___!" is a common informal phrase, usually prompting someone to look at or pay attention to something surprising or noteworthy. "THIS" fits perfectly as the missing word, completing the phrase: "Get a load of THIS!"—a natural expression of excitement or emphasis.
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The term "SEALEGS" refers to the ability to maintain balance and adapt to the motion of a ship, especially in rough seas. It metaphorically describes the stabilization skills one develops after spending time on a vessel, directly linking to the clue about balance on a ship.
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The clue "Army shirt?" includes a pun. "Tank" refers to a military vehicle in the Army, and "top" is a type of shirt. Together, "TANKTOP" cleverly combines the military reference (tank) with the garment (top), fitting the wordplay indicated by the question mark.
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The answer "ELS" refers to the elevated trains, commonly called "L" or "els," that operate in Chicago's transit system. These trains run on elevated tracks throughout the city, making "Chicago trains" a direct clue to this nickname for the transit system.
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The answer "TSA" fits "Wand-waving org." because TSA, the Transportation Security Administration, is known for using handheld security wands to screen passengers at airports.
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The answer is PEONIES because they are highly significant in Chinese culture and often depicted in classical Chinese art. Known as the "king of flowers," peonies symbolize wealth, honor, and beauty, making them a common subject in traditional Chinese paintings and artistic expressions.
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The clue "By oneself" directly means being without others or solitary. The word ALONE perfectly matches this definition, as it describes someone who is by themselves or unaccompanied. It's a straightforward match between the clue's meaning and the answer.
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Phileas Fogg is the main character in Jules Verne's novel Around the World in Eighty Days. The clue references this adventurous protagonist, known for his wager to circumnavigate the globe in 80 days. Therefore, "Fogg" is the correct answer completing "Phileas ___."
Down
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The answer is TEALEAF because tasseography is the practice of interpreting patterns formed by tea leaves in a cup for divination or fortune-telling. The word "read" in the clue refers to interpreting these tea leaf patterns. This directly connects the act of divination to tea leaves.
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The answer is HANSOLO, a prominent character from Star Wars. He famously utters the line "Never tell me the odds" in The Empire Strikes Back during a dangerous asteroid field escape, embodying his confident, risk-taking personality. This makes him the fitting "sci-fi hero" in the clue.
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The clue "Kind" refers to a type, class, or sort of something. ILK is a synonym for "kind" when used in this context, meaning a group or category of similar things or people.
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The answer "SETTING" fits the clue "Where a story takes place" because in literature, the setting refers to the time, place, and environment in which the events of a story unfold. It is the backdrop that establishes the context for the narrative.
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The clue "Lather, rinse or repeat" refers to the instructions often found on shampoo bottles. Each of these actions (lather, rinse, repeat) is a distinct part of the process, essentially representing a STEP in a sequence. Thus, "STEP" aptly describes these individual actions.
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The clue "Take a look for yourself!" implies action and is conversational, matching the phrase "GO SEE." It suggests encouraging someone to personally verify or check something out, aligning perfectly with the everyday spoken command or suggestion to "go see."
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The clue "Places to get pampered" refers to locations where self-care and relaxation activities occur, frequently involving massages, facials, or other treatments. SPAS perfectly fits as these are well-known establishments designed specifically for pampering and indulgence, aligning with the clue.
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The clue "Eggy holiday drink" refers to a festive beverage commonly associated with holidays, particularly Christmas. "Eggy" points to egg as a key ingredient, and "holiday drink" hints at eggnog, a traditional creamy drink made with eggs. "Nog" is a shortened form of "eggnog," making it the perfect answer!
Today’s Game Difficulty
Hard
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Solving today’s NYT Mini Puzzle and stuck on the 3-letter answer to the Chicago trains clue? Don’t worry—Lady Puzzle Pro has you covered! Whether you want the answer right away, revealed letter by letter, or this wordplay seems too puzzling, keep reading for the explanation.
Chicago trains Answer Explained
The answer is ELS.
This is a classic crossword entry. The “L” or “el” refers to the elevated train system in Chicago. The plural “trains” tells me I need a plural answer, so ELS. It’s short for “elevated,” and it’s specific to Chicago even though other cities have elevated rail. If you know a bit of public transit trivia, this one’s a gimme. Otherwise, you might be stumped by how short it is. A good reminder that crossword clues often rely on local or niche knowledge, and three-letter answers are often abbreviations or shorthand like this.
Now that you've cracked the 9A Chicago trains 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 Saturday’s 7×7 Mini by Wyna Liu brings a clever challenge, true to Wyna’s signature style as the creative force behind Connections. It’s one of the tougher Minis in recent memory, packed with layered clues that make you pause, rethink, and grin when it clicks. We get a mix of travel, fashion, and literary references, all with that playful misdirection Wyna fans have come to expect. A satisfying brain-teaser for your weekend warmup.
Here’s what caught our attention today:
- "Get a load of ___!"
- Ability to keep one's balance on a ship
- Army shirt?
- Wand-waving org.
- Flowers depicted in classical Chinese art
- Phileas ___, "Around the World in Eighty Days" protagonist
- Something "read" in the divination method of tasseography
- Sci-fi hero with the line "Never tell me the odds"
- Kind
- Lather, rinse or repeat
- "Take a look for yourself!"
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.
Daily Availability
Puzzles are accessible the evening before the publish date. Weekday and Saturday puzzles: 10 p.m. EST the previous day. Sunday puzzles: 6 p.m. EST on Saturday.
How to Play - Features and Tips
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.
Keyboard Shortcuts
- Arrow keys: Change direction within the same square, move in the direction of the arrow, jump back to the first blank in the word, or jump to the next clue.
- Spacebar: Clear the current square, advance, or toggle between Across and Down.
- Backspace (Delete on Macs): Remove words or a letter from a word.
- Tab key: Jump to the next clue.
- Shift + Tab keys: Jump to the previous clue.
- Escape: Enter Rebus mode.
- Pen and Pencil Modes. Switch between pen and pencil modes by selecting the respective icon. Letters in pen mode are black; in pencil mode, gray.
Letter Colors
Black: Default pen mode entries.
Gray: Pencil mode entries.
Blue: Confirmed letters with Check.
Mini Timer
Time your solving with the timer displayed above the puzzle. Pause/resume using the respective buttons. The timer restarts if the entire puzzle is cleared. Option to hide the timer in Puzzle settings.
In-game Help
- Reveal: Unveil correct letters for a square, answer, or the entire puzzle.
- Check: Verify correctness.
The answers you get using help are marked with a red triangle in the upper right-hand corner of the box while those confirmed with check become blue.
Leaderboards
It’s an additional social resource provided by NYT. You can add friends (up to 100 invitees) to track daily completion and compete.