It is Monday and for a crossword lover, it is a fun day! I say fun because Monday’s NYT Crossword is the easiest puzzle of the week and can be solved in a couple of minutes. However, there are still some tricky clues which challenge the players.
For me, today’s crossword tricky clues are the “Rhyming Advice” ones. They are idiomatic expressions which we use in our every conversation; however, when we see them in a puzzle, they suddenly become a pain in the neck.
On the other hand, these idioms have rhyme and to some extent, resemble poetry. Without any further ado, let’s get to the NYT Crossword of Jan 12, a grid full of rhyme, advice and idioms.
Section 18-Across presents the first question with rhyme: Rhyming advice to a spitting talker. How can we politely tell someone not to spit on me while talking? Maybe it is impossible but the idiom SAYITDONTSPRAYIT cleverly transfers your message. Oh, I almost forgot. Pay attention to the rhythmic flow of the idiom: SAY / SPRAY for instance.
31-Across shows another version of Rhyming Advice, but with a motivational message: Rhyming advice to a gym rat. Imagine you are in the gym and doing some hard exercises. In one crucial moment, your body reaches failure, but your mind says do not stop, you can do it. You feel pain in your muscles; however, you know that there is no gain without hard work.
In my last sentence (read it as a motivational text please), I put the answer for the 31-Across riddle: NOPAINNOGAIN. Again, we have rhyme, again, we have idiom.
Do you remember VHS tapes? In 2026, with so many streaming platforms, VHS is like an ancient relic which kids and teens would look at as a sign of wonder. If you use the VHS tapes, you can remember that what rental video stores say to a renter of VHS. Section 47-Across subtly reminds us of the message on these videotapes: Rhyming advice to a renter of VHS tapes.
I assume that you are young and do not know anything about VHS, so let me explain: When you finished watching a movie, the tape remains at the end; therefore, the next customer would have to rewind it back to the start. In this regard, rental stores put a sticker on videotapes with this message: BEKINDREWIND. By doing this act of courtesy, the next customer would not have to do the frustrating task of rewinding it. It is okay, I know I gave you the answer.
I think section 64-Across is designed to remind me how procrastination is a harmful habit. The question is: Rhyming advice to a procrastinator (of course not me). Let me say the answer first in order to put it in my mind as a daily reminder: YOUSNOOZEYOULOSE. I have great sympathy with those who suffer from procrastination problems, but we should face the truth: We Snooze, We Lose.
What do you think of today’s puzzle mechanics? Do you find the trick behind the clues amusing, or was it a bit too grueling? Let me know your thoughts and your solve time in the comments!
If you need the answers for daily crossword puzzles like the NYT Crossword or the NYT Mini, make sure to check Daze Puzzle every day to find the solutions you need in record time.
