‘CD’ NYT Mini Crossword puzzle clue answer and hints

Being from the era when CDs were prominent, I thought I’d have the answer to today’s NYT crossword clue in the bag. Boy, was I wrong.

“CD” is one of the clues from the Sept. 27 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle, and it’s just as confusing as it looks because the answer, which you’ll find below, is unexpected.

‘CD’ NYT Mini Crossword clue Sept. 27 hints and answer

• Hint 1: It starts with an “S.”
• Hint 2: It ends with a “Y.”
• Hint 3: The answer refers to something looking dirty or in bad condition.
• Hint 4: It sounds like “CD” when you say it aloud.

The answer to the “CD” clue from the Sept. 27 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle is “SEEDY.” When you say the clue out loud, it sounds like the word seedy. And this gives you a good idea of how to solve six across.

NYT Mini Crossword puzzle: All Sept. 27 clues and answers

Across

• 1A Aptly named brand of road and mountain bikes — TREK
• 5A “CD” — SEEDY
• 6A “XL” — EXCEL
• 7A Make amends — ATONE
• 8A Alternative to Yahoo! or AOL — MSN

Down

• 1D Much political campaign outreach these days — TEXTS
• 2D Mission for a scout, for short — RECON
• 3D Garden with forbidden fruit — EDEN
• 4D Friend of Kenny, Stan, and Cartman on “South Park” — KYLE
• 5D Feature that some undergarments claim not to have (but it’s often just less noticeable) — SEAM

‘CD’ clue difficulty

When I read this clue, I was at a loss. I didn’t know if it asked for a type of CD, what it’s made of, or anything else CD-related. However, it was only when I solved the other clue, “XL,” that I realized the answer. It’s so silly and feels impossible, so I’m rating it five out of five.

4 mini-games to try today

If you’d like to try more mini-games, the LA Times and the Washington Post also offer daily mini-crosswords, and the NYT has word games like Strands and Spelling Bee if you’re after games that resemble word searches or Scrabble-like spelling challenges.