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Author who purportedly drew inspiration from a filing cabinet labeled “O-Z” NYT Crossword Clue

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Frequently Asked Questions About This Clue

The most common and recent 4-letter answer for "Author who purportedly drew inspiration from a filing cabinet labeled "O-Z"" is BAUM.
The clue refers to L. Frank Baum, the author of 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.' It is a play on words suggesting that the name 'Oz' came from a filing cabinet labeled 'O-Z,' which Baum humorously claimed as the inspiration for the name of the fictional land.
This clue was last seen in the NYT Crossword on September 20, 2026.
Baum is a surname, most famously associated with L. Frank Baum, the author of 'The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.'
Original “Royal Historian of Oz”, Author who coined the word "munchkin", Writer honored by Oz Park in Chicago

4-letter answer to Author who purportedly drew inspiration from a filing cabinet labeled “O-Z” in NYT Crossword September 20 2026 is BAUM

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The day of the week is a difficulty setting

Monday is nearly literal. Puns arrive Wednesday. Thursday is the trick day, where rebus squares hold several letters in one box. Friday and Saturday are almost always themeless and wide open, with Saturday the hardest of the week.

Sunday confuses people. At 21×21 it’s nearly twice the area of a weekday grid, but it’s edited to roughly Wednesday or Thursday difficulty. Long isn’t the same as hard.