‘Beefcakes’ NYT Mini Crossword puzzle clue answer and hints

If there’s one clue from today’s NYT crossword puzzle that made me laugh, it’s this one: It’s such an old-fashioned word not many people use today (and one I don’t plan on adding to my vernacular). If you’re looking for the answer to the “beefcakes” clue from NYT’s Sept. 12 Mini Crossword puzzle, I’ve got you covered.

‘Beefcakes:’ Sept. 12 NYT Mini Crossword clue hints and answer

• Hint 1: It starts with a “H.”
• Hint 2: It ends with an “S.”
• Hint 3: It contains one vowel.
• Hint 4: This is an old-fashioned clue that refers to someone with big muscles.

The answer to the “Beefcakes” clue from the Sept. 12 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle is “HUNKS.” Beefcakes is an old-fashioned word used to describe a good-looking man with big muscles or someone with a particular body type who you’d see in movies or television. And hunk has a similar meaning in that it refers to a large, strong, attractive man.

All clues and answers from the Sept. 12 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle

Across

• 1A Hair with mascara on it — LASH
• 5A Emotion in “Inside Out 2” who opens up a “sar-chasm” in Riley’s mind — ENNUI
• 7A One finding work for an actor or author — AGENT
• 8A Looks behind couches and curtains, say — SEEKS
• 9A Makes a mistake — ERRS

Down

• 1D Renter’s agreement — LEASE
• 2D Emotion in “Inside out” who blows flames out of his head — ANGER
• 3D Mocking smile — SNEER
• 4D Beefcakes — HUNKS
• 6D “___all I ask…” — ITS

‘Beefcakes’ clue difficulty

My first thought was, “Excuse me? Who’s using the word ‘beefcakes’ these days?” But after a bit of chuckling, I had to think about what this word actually meant, and all I could think about was muscular men like athletes and gymgoers. It wasn’t until I had a few of the other clues solved today that I figured this out and got the answer because, again, I personally wouldn’t use that word to describe a group of muscular men. Because of how old-fashioned this particular clue and its answer ending up being, I’d give it a solid four out of five in difficulty.

Mini word games and crossword puzzles to try

If you’re looking for more mini crossword puzzles and word games, I recommend trying these: LA Times crossword puzzle, Washington Post crossword puzzle, Strands, or Spelling Bee.