‘Nail polish brand that sounds like two letters of the alphabet’ NYT Crossword clue hints and answers

“Nail polish brand that sounds like two letters of the alphabet” is one of those clues: If you know nail polish, you’re in luck. If you don’t know nail polish brands, you’re on this NYT Mini Crossword guide for a reason.

Crossword puzzle clues typically fall into two categories: Being a synonym for something else or being a bit more direct with the clue—and our nail polish brand clue is more direct. Knowledge of the brand is critical, and if it’s causing you grief in the July 11 NYT Mini Crossword, I’m here to help.

Nail polish brand that sounds like two letters of the alphabet NYT Crossword solution

• Hint 1: It’s not quite “easy.”
• Hint 2: A legendary Scottish sea monster is looking on curiously.
• Hint 3: One letter repeats.
• Hint 4: It begins with an “E.”

I’ve given you all the clues I can there, and if you’ve still not got it, here’s the answer

The answer to eight across in the July 11 NYT Mini Crossword is “ESSIE.” A nail polish brand courtesy of the Essie Cosmetics line of beauty products—founded by Essie Weingarten. After digging, I found that Essie is a pretty worldwide product and isn’t exclusive to America or other areas.

All answers for the July 11 NYT Mini Crossword

Across

• 1A Part of a cherry you shouldn’t eat — CHERRY
• 5A “Detour” sign feature — ARROW
• 7A Depart — LEAVE
• 8A Nail polish brand that sounds like two letters of the alphabet — ESSIE
• 9A Part of a pomegranate you should eat — SEED

Down

• 1D Shopper’s excuse to “save money” — SALE
• 2D Head lock? — TRESS
• 3D Wipe, as memory card — ERASE
• 4D Common date night activity — MOVIE
• 6D Fast-growing plant — WEED

Nail polish brand that sounds like two letters of the alphabet clue difficulty rating

In 31 years of being on this planet, I have never applied nail polish or voluntarily gone to a nail polish section in any shop. Long story short, this was a tough clue I would never have gotten without the help of solving surrounding clues first. Based on this logic, I will go for a solid four out of five for difficult—not five because I feel many others know it.

How to play more Crosswords like the NYT Mini Crossword puzzle

The daily NYT Mini Crossword shouldn’t be your only word game, and I would suggest the LA Times and Washington Post for additional crossword experiences. On the other hand, Strands offers a Crossword/Wordsearch hybrid for extra fun, and Spelling Bee tests your vocabulary.