The discovery trail
Explore unfamiliar things that surfaced through puzzles, games, search trends and other verified discovery sources.
NYT Mini
KHAKI rhymes with TACKY in one accepted U.S. pronunciation—but another correct pronunciation explains why the clue sounds wrong to some readers.
A September 23, 2026 puzzle raised this question.
“Overly cutesy” points to TWEE because the word carries a sense of cuteness that feels exaggerated or affected.
“Overly cutesy” has the four-letter answer TWEE in the September 19, 2026 NYT Mini.
“Wittle, e.g.” is asking for a type of speech, not another spelling of WHITTLE. The answer is BABY TALK.
“Wittle, e.g.” asks for the type of speech: BABY TALK.
OSTRICHE looks like the English bird name, but an Italian menu sends you somewhere else. Decode the word, its plural and the NYT Mini clue in one short explanation.
The September 12 Mini asks what an Italian order of “ostriche” actually brings.