# Somebody please explain a NY Times mini puzzle crossword answer that I don't understand

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-please-explain-a-ny-times-mini-puzzle-crossword-answer-that-i-dont-understand/960500>\
**Category:** The Game Room\
**Tags:** board-card-word-game\
**Created:** [March 5, 2022, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-please-explain-a-ny-times-mini-puzzle-crossword-answer-that-i-dont-understand/960500 "2022-03-05T04:56:44Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 5\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2022, 4:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-please-explain-a-ny-times-mini-puzzle-crossword-answer-that-i-dont-understand/960500/1 "2022-03-05T04:56:45Z")

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Spoilering the answer in case anyone wants to do the puzzle themselves:

> **[Play The Mini Crossword](https://www.nytimes.com/crosswords/game/mini)**
>
> All the fun of the larger New York Times Crossword, but you can solve it in seconds.

The clue is 12 down, 3 letters, _Half of the word_ _"non_- _union"_ and the answer is ENS

I solved the puzzle with the clues across, which is just as well, since I have no idea at all as to how _Half of the word_ _"non_- _union"_ could be ENS. Can anyone explain?

Don’t read the reply by @Manduck below if you don’t want to know the answer BTW

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**Author:** ![Manduck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/manduck/32/256_2.png) [@Manduck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Manduck)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2022, 5:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-please-explain-a-ny-times-mini-puzzle-crossword-answer-that-i-dont-understand/960500/2 "2022-03-05T05:01:20Z")

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Half of the letters in “non-union” are n’s, or ens.

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**Author:** ![gkster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gkster/32/14107_2.png) [@gkster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gkster)\
**Post date:** [March 5, 2022, 5:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-please-explain-a-ny-times-mini-puzzle-crossword-answer-that-i-dont-understand/960500/3 "2022-03-05T05:05:11Z")

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Ah, OK, that makes sense, thanks  
Here I was thinking about scabs, union-busting, and all kinds of non-union words.

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**Author:** ![Apodder](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/apodder/32/17727_2.png) [@Apodder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apodder)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2022, 12:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-please-explain-a-ny-times-mini-puzzle-crossword-answer-that-i-dont-understand/960500/4 "2022-03-06T12:46:50Z")

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Took me a minute to figure that one out, too.

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**Author:** ![Thudlow\_Boink](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/thudlow_boink/32/320_2.png) [@Thudlow\_Boink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Thudlow_Boink)\
**Post date:** [March 6, 2022, 2:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/somebody-please-explain-a-ny-times-mini-puzzle-crossword-answer-that-i-dont-understand/960500/5 "2022-03-06T14:53:56Z")

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I don’t blame you for being puzzled. I think the only place I ever see letters of the alphabet spelled out is in crossword puzzles.