Beginning of a joke – NYT Mini Crossword clue answer (April 15)

You probably know what the end of a joke is called, but what about the beginning? Well, we have some hints for the April 15 New York Times Mini Crossword.

Beginning of a joke – NYT Mini Crossword hints

• Hint 1: It starts with the letter “S.”
• Hint 2: Two words.
• Hint 3: One word when used as a noun, two words as a verb.
• Hint 4: __UP.

Beginning of a joke – NYT Mini Crossword answer

Still need a hand? The answer to seven across in the April 15 NYT Mini Crossword is “SETUP.”

That’s right, the start of a joke is called a setup. The setup introduces the joke and the premise, while the punchline finishes it. Jokes come in all different shapes and sizes, but virtually all of them have a setup and a punchline.

Setup or set-up has many meanings. A setup could be an organization or arrangement, a set of equipment, a scheme or trick, or a contest with a prearranged outcome. It can even be used to describe a pass or play in a ball game.

All April 11 NYT Mini Crossword clues and answers

Need help with the other April 15 NYT Mini Crossword clues? We have all the answers.

Across

• 1A Say whether you’ll go — RSVP
• 5A Fitting game for Chip, Jack and Betty to play? — POKER
• 6A _ acid — AMINO
• 7A Beginning of a joke — SETUP
• 8A Mix, as a salad — TOSS

Down

• 1D Doomed Shakespearean lover — ROMEO
• 2D Short comedic performances — SKITS
• 3D Planet shrouded in toxic clouds that smell like rotten eggs — VENUS
• 4D Support, with “up” — PROP
• 5D “I’m never going back, the _ is in the _” (lyric from “Let It Go”) — PAST