Today’s NYT Mini Crossword Answers for Jan. 8

Looking for the most recent Mini Crossword answer? Click here for today’s Mini Crossword hints, as well as our daily answers and hints for The New York Times Wordle, Strands and Connections puzzles.

I’m a pop-culture junkie, and co-wrote two books about the lost toys, tastes and trends of the 1970s, 1980s and 1990s. So 1 Across and 5 Across, pop-culture clues smack out of those times, were easy for me. I admit though, I struggled with 7 Across. The puzzle writers threw in a red herring there, making us think the clue referred to college degrees, not the 50, nifty United States. That’s a hint, of course. 

Need some more help with today’s Mini Crossword? Read on. And if you could use some hints and guidance for daily solving, check out our Mini Crossword tips.

The Mini Crossword is just one of many games in the Times’ games collection. If you’re looking for today’s Wordle, Connections, Connections: Sports Edition and Strands answers, you can visit CNET’s NYT puzzle hints page.

Read more: Tips and Tricks for Solving The New York Times Mini Crossword

Let’s get at those Mini Crossword clues and answers.

Mini across clues and answers

1A clue: Word on the front door of the Midvale School for the Gifted, in a famous “Far Side” cartoon
Answer: PULL

5A clue: Classic TV squad featuring B.A., Faceman, Hannibal and Murdock
Answer: ATEAM

7A clue: MA or MS, but not BA or BS
Answer: STATE

8A clue: Like the letter J, alphabetically
Answer: TENTH

9A clue: Butt, to Brits
Answer: ARSE

Mini down clues and answers

1D clue: Food you might cook al dente
Answer: PASTA

2D clue: Downright
Answer: UTTER

3D clue: What the Tower of Pisa does
Answer: LEANS

4D clue: Milky coffee order
Answer: LATTE

6D clue: “I’ve seen better”
Answer: MEH

How to play more Mini Crosswords

The New York Times Games section offers a large number of online games, but only some of them are free for all to play. You can play the current day’s Mini Crossword for free, but you’ll need a subscription to the Times Games section to play older puzzles from the archives.