‘Fried appetizer that’s appropriate for the Olympics’ NYT Mini Crossword answers and hints

Today’s NYT Crossword puzzle is super complicated because two clues are actually one fused together. To solve the clue “see six-across,” you must solve the six-across clue, which reads: “With seven-across, fried appetizer that’s appropriate for the Olympics.” If you’re confused, then you’re not alone.

Although I like a good challenge, these clues for six-across and seven-across in July 24’s NYT mini crossword puzzle confused me to (almost) no end. If you’re feeling the same way, I’ve got you covered with both answers below.

‘Fried appetizer that’s appropriate for the Olympics’ July 24 NYT Mini Crossword hints and answer

• Hint 1: Six-across and seven-across are two words that go together.
• Hint 2: Six-across starts with an “O.”
• Hint 3: Seven-across begins with an “R.”
• Hint 4: The two words refer to a fried appetizer popular in Britain and America.

If you still need time to solve this combined clue, please wait before reading ahead, as I have included the answers to both six-across and seven-across below.  

The answer to six-across “With seven-across, fried appetizer that’s appropriate for the Olympics” is “ONION.” The answer to seven-across is “RINGS.” When combined, we have the appetizer suitable for the Olympics: ONION RINGS.

Now, once you see the answer it makes sense; onion rings are rings of onion dipped in batter or crumbs and fried until super crispy, and they are popular appetizers found in pubs, bars, and restaurants—perfect for sports.

With the clues “see six-across” and “fried appetizer that’s appropriate for the Olympics” solved, you can now finish the July 24 NYT mini crossword puzzle.

July 24 NYT Mini Crossword puzzle clues and answers

Across

• 1A Book character who wears a red-and-white-striped shirt — WALDO
• 6A With 7-across, fried appetizer that’s appropriate for the Olympics — ONION
• 7A See 6-across — RINGS
• 8A Academic acronym — STEM
• 9A “And there you have it!” — TADA

Down

• 1D Least favorable — WORST
• 2D She’s like an older sister to Maria in “West Side Story” — ANITA
• 3D Like index cards, typically — LINED
• 4D Belief that’s not to be questioned — DOGMA
• 5D Carry-___ (some luggage) — ONS

How challenging were 6-across and 7-across to solve?

As six-across and seven-across were tied together, and because seven-across depended on six-across being solved, these were challenging clues. So much so that I’d give it a solid five out of five in difficulty.

I had to solve many of the surrounding clues before I could piece together the answer. Even with it solved, this clue duo still had me questioning whether I was right because I thought the Olympic’s related word would be in six-across, not seven-across, so I was trying to solve it the wrong way around before it clicked in my head. (That was a goof on my part, of course.) Regardless, these combined clues were a tough cookie to crack.

Best alternatives to the NYT Mini Crossword puzzle

If you’re looking for another mini crossword similar to the NYT mini crossword puzzle, try the ones from the LA Times and the Washington Post. They’re released daily and are just as short and challenging.

But if you enjoy word searches or Scrabble, you may want to try Strands (a themed word search game) or Spelling Bee (a game in which you make words from a small group of random letters). These are also released daily.