NYT Midi Crossword Clue · Across · 12-A
"What's the deal with four-stringed guitars? Who said, 'Hey, cut out two of the strings ... and make it really low?'"
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Letters
8
Direction
Across
Clue #
12
Starts with
B
Ends with
F
Vowels
2
About this clue
The clue “"What's the deal with four-stringed guitars? Who said, 'Hey, cut out two of the strings ... and make it really low?'"” appeared in the New York Times Midi Crossword on Sunday, May 31, 2026, at position 12-A. The answer is a 8-letter word that starts with B and ends with F.
This puzzle was titled “Is This a Joke to You?” and constructed by Paolo Pasco, edited by Ian Livengood.
The Midi Crossword sits between the lightning-fast Mini and the full daily, so its cluing tends toward punny misdirection rather than obscure trivia. The vowel pattern is balanced, suggesting a common English word. Note that the answer contains a double letter.
How to solve this clue
If you're stuck on this Midi clue, here are angles that often help:
- Crosscheck with the perpendicular entries. Fill the Down entries that cross this one and the letters will usually reveal the answer.
- Watch for the puzzle title. Midi puzzles usually carry a small theme — long Across entries that share a wordplay link.
- Mind the part of speech. Singular clue takes a singular answer; past tense takes -ED or an irregular past form.
- Trust your first instinct. If a clue feels easy in the Midi, it usually is — the puzzle is designed to be solvable in three to five minutes.