The questions from today’s “October 19, 2025” on NYT Mini Crossword are a little bit brain teaser. Many people are looking for an answer to it. Here we are sharing answers for clues.
Clue: Dish : dirt :: ___ : tea
Answer: SPILL
Explanation of clue:
The clue “Dish : dirt :: ___ : tea” is a classic example of an analogy puzzle often found in crosswords, where you need to find a word that has a similar relationship to the second pair of words as the first pair does. In this instance, “Dish” is related to “dirt” because “to dish” is slang for “to gossip” or “to reveal information” about someone, often in a negative or scandalous way. Similarly, “Spill” is related to “tea” because “spill the tea” is a modern colloquialism that means to reveal gossip or share juicy information.
The phrase “spill the tea” has become popular in recent years, especially in online and social media contexts, where “tea” is used as a metaphor for gossip or insider information. The origin of using “tea” in this manner can be traced back to African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and drag culture, where it was popularized by the LGBTQ+ community.
Therefore, “SPILL” completes the analogy because it parallels the action of revealing or sharing information, just as “dish” does with “dirt.” It’s a clever way to play with contemporary slang and demonstrate an understanding of cultural language trends in the crossword world.
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