Spoilers ahead: here are the answers for the New York Times Mini Crossword dated Friday, May 2, 2025. The answer guides consulted list five Across clues and five Down clues; their answer sets agree.
Across answers
| Clue | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1A, “Do some legwork?” | SQUAT |
| 6A, “Deep, narrow valley” | GULCH |
| 7A, “Worn and shabby” | TATTY |
| 8A, “Word below ‘To’ on a gift card” | FROM |
| 9A, “$2.90, for a N.Y.C. subway ride” | FARE |
“Do some legwork?” is a pun: instead of research, read “legwork” literally as exercise. A squat works the legs.
Down answers
| Clue | Answer |
|---|---|
| 1D, “‘___ Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band’” | SGT |
| 2D, “Fancy word for ‘beverage’” | QUAFF |
| 3D, “Prefix with marathon for a race over 26.2 miles” | ULTRA |
| 4D, “Line memorizer” | ACTOR |
| 5D, “Herb often paired with rosemary” | THYME |
QUAFF is a less common word associated with drinking heartily. SGT completes the Beatles album title, Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band; H2S Media identifies the album as a 1967 release.
About the subway-fare clue
The $2.90 figure is part of the puzzle’s 2025 clue wording, not a statement of the current New York City subway fare. The consulted answer guides provide the answer key; an official NYT archive page or direct puzzle grid was not retrieved for independent confirmation.
