‘Nail polish layers’ NYT Mini Crossword puzzle clue answer and hints

Do you have a penchant for nail art? Then today’s NYT Mini Crossword clue, “Nail polish layers,” should be very easy for you to decipher. 

If you’re having trouble with the clue, here are today’s hints and answers for the NYT Mini Crossword on Sept. 7 to find the answer and complete your grid. 

‘Nail polish layers’ NYT Sept. 7 Mini Crossword hints and answer

• Hint 1: The answer also means “winter wear used to protect yourself from cold.”
• Hint 2: The five-letter solution is also very prevalently used in paintings.
• Hint 3: It starts with the letter “C.”
• Hint 4: The anagram for the solution is “COAST.”

Let’s stop making your nails pretty for a second and reveal the answer. 

Did you see it coming? The answer to 11-across in the Sept. 7 New York Times Mini Crossword is “COATS.” The clue denotes multiple nail polish layers, and each of which is called a “coat.” As the clue is plural, so the answer is also plural. People often love to use different layers of colors to make their nails pretty and make the color resistant to regular use in water, which eventually wears down the quality of paint. 

‘Nail polish layers’ NYT Mini Crossword difficulty rating

Usually, Saturday’s NYT Mini Crossword clues are very hard to tackle, but a rocket scientist wouldn’t need to decipher the fact that nail polish layers require several coats of paint to make the colors pop and stay intact against degradation. So this clue was definitely one of the easiest ones of the batch, and I’d give it a two out of five for difficulty.

NYT Mini Crossword (Sept. 7) answers

Across

• 1A Gross thing to find stuck under a desk— GUM
• 4A New ___ (browser button)— TAB
• 7A Common lunch hour— ONE
• 8A Ex-QB Manning— ELI
• 9A The dad in the “That’s my dad!” moment from the 2024 Democratic National Convention— TIM WALZ
• 11A Nail polish layers — COATS
• 12A Many top 10 Billboard songs— POP HITS
• 14A 401(k) alternative, in brief— IRA
• 15A One may read “You Are Here”— MAP
• 16A Conclude— END
• 17A What each of Taylor Swift’s albums represents, to Swifties— ERA

Down

• 1D Acquired— GOT
• 2D Mythical creature that’s a national symbol of Scotland— UNICORN
• 3D Accessory for notes and doodles— MEMO PAD
• 4D Afternoon break for a cuppa— TEA TIME
• 5D Top-flight athlete— ALL STAR
• 6D Slang for the entertainment industry, with “the” — BIZ
• 10D Baby’s cry — WAH
• 12D Circular kind of chart — PIE
• 13D “Me day” destination — SPA

How to play other word games like the NYT Mini Crossword

Do solving word games like the NYT Mini Crossword get your brain juices flowing? Then you should also try solving the LA Times and the Washington Post. If you are done with crosswords, then Strands and Spelling Bee are also good options.