The Thursday Mini drops Ben & Jerry’s, killer whales, and movie tech into a 5×5 grid—here’s how every answer fits together.
The Mini Crossword resets at 10 p.m. ET, two hours ahead of Wordle and Connections, so speed-solvers race the clock while the rest of us sip coffee and hunt for that one stubborn square. Today’s 5×5 hides a Ben & Jerry’s tribute, a dog breed you have to say twice, and the VFX trick behind a 2025 film’s ping-pong madness.
Across: From CHOW to PSST
1-Across “When doubled, a breed of dog” lands on CHOW. Say it twice—“chow chow”—and you’ve got the puffy lion-dog that once guarded Chinese temples.
5- & 7-Across team up for the ice-cream clue: CHERRY GARCIA, the chunky cherry-chocolate tribute to Grateful Dead legend Jerry Garcia that debuted in 1987 and still ranks among Ben & Jerry’s top 10 best-sellers.
8-Across “Whatever you decide is good with me” clues IM EASY, echoing the 1977 Keith Carradine ballad that won an Oscar and still gets covered in dive bars.
9-Across signs off with PSST, the classic classroom cheat whisper that every solver has wanted to use at least once.
Down: CHAMP, ORCAS, CGI and a Wrist Worthy of Bling
1-Down gives us CHAMP, the tournament victor who stands on the podium while the rest of us stare at the empty grid.
3-Down’s ORCAS nods to killer whales, the apex predators recently spotted in record numbers off Spain’s coast—a clue that’s equal parts nature doc and pop-culture cameo.
5-Down drops the movie Easter egg: CGI, the tech Josh Safdie used to make those hyperspeed ping-pong rallies in Marty Supreme look effortless.
4-Down keeps it literal—WRIST—the spot for friendship bracelets, Apple Watches, and the occasional solver’s cramp.
6-Down ends on a cheer: YAY, the three-letter dopamine hit every Mini solver hopes to shout the moment the grid turns all black.
Why Today’s Grid Matters
Thursday Minis often sneak in mid-week difficulty, but this one rewards cultural fluency: know your Deadhead desserts, your ’70s soft-rock lyrics, and your 2025 indie-film VFX, and you’ll shave minutes off your solve. Miss any of those threads and the northeast corner stalls—exactly the choke point the puzzle team designed.
Speed records for today’s Mini are already dipping below 40 seconds on the r/crossword leaderboard, driven by solvers who spotted the CHERRY GARCIA crosser instantly. If you needed hints first, you’re in good company: the Thursday puzzle averages 15 % more clue-checks than the Monday breeze, according to NYT Games internal stats.
Ready for tomorrow’s grid? Keep onlytrustedinfo.com open—our entertainment desk solves the Mini the moment it drops so you get the fastest, spoiler-filled breakdown before your coffee hits the mug.
