Dish : dirt :: ___ : tea — NYT Mini Crossword Clue (October 19, 2025)
The Mini turns slang into a logic puzzle here. Word Tips spells out the analogy: to dish is to gossip, so with tea you SPILL. Apostrophes show as ' and quotation marks as " to keep the gossip tidy.
8 Across
Dish : dirt :: ___ : tea
The clue is a classic A:B::C:D setup. If dish means gossip about dirt, the modern tea equivalent is to spill it. Word Tips even hands you the anagram PILLS to show the letter set. Once you clock the joke, the answer pours out effortlessly.
Cross Check Gossip Line
- 7-Across TANGO keeps SPILL confirmed letter by letter, so you never second guess the double L.
- 3-Down GENIE keeps SPILL confirmed letter by letter, so you never second guess the double L.
- 2-Down ASAP keeps SPILL confirmed letter by letter, so you never second guess the double L.
- 6-Down POLE keeps SPILL confirmed letter by letter, so you never second guess the double L.
Tea Time Tips
Meaning Cue
Word Tips defines spill as letting liquid overflow. Apply the slang meaning and it matches the clue's gossip energy perfectly.
Synonym Swap
The entry also aligns with knock over or tip over, but those do not hit the internet slang vibe. SPILL is the only one that keeps the tea piping hot.
Alternate Clue
Expect to see variations like "___ the tea!" or "Share the gossip." Once you memorize the phrase, you will blaze through future Minis.
Solve Smart
Write SPILL once the S from ASAP hits the cross. The remaining letters flow in alphabetical order, which makes the double L easy to confirm.