Quick Answer
The New York Times Mini crossword clue “‘Piece of cake’ or ‘spill the beans’” has the answer “IDIOM”, which is a 5-letter Across entry.
Clue: “‘Piece of cake’ or ‘spill the beans’”
Answer: IDIOM
Length: 5 letters
Clue number and direction: 6-Across
In the grid, you enter it as IDIOM.
Why IDIOM Is the Right NYT Answer
- Both “piece of cake” (meaning “very easy”) and “spill the beans” (meaning “reveal a secret”) are classic English idioms expressions whose figurative meanings differ from their literal words.
- NYT Mini answer pages and solver sites confirm IDIOM as the 5-letter solution for this clue on February 3, 2026.
- The clue lists two example phrases and asks, in effect, “What kind of expressions are these?” the category word is IDIOM, which fits the length and the linguistic idea perfectly.
What IDIOM Means in Plain English
- An idiom is a fixed expression whose meaning you cannot reliably guess just by looking at the literal meanings of the individual words.
- For instance, “piece of cake” has nothing to do with dessert and everything to do with something being easy, and “spill the beans” is about revealing information, not wasting food.
- Idioms are a type of fixed phrase: the wording and order usually can’t be changed without sounding wrong to native speakers.
Crossword-Specific Help: Pattern, Crossings, and Recurrence
- IDIOM is a popular crossword entry whenever clues mention “figure of speech,” “expression like ‘kick the bucket’,” or multiple quoted phrases grouped together.
- In the February 3, 2026 Mini, crossings from Downs such as WOW and ERRS quickly confirm the I–D–I–O–M pattern.
- Similar clues you might see for IDIOM include “Figure of speech,” “Expression like ‘raining cats and dogs’,” or “‘Break the ice,’ for one.”
Solving Tips for Similar NYT Clues
- When a clue gives two or more quoted phrases and asks for what they have in common, think of category words like IDIOM, PHRASE, or SAYING, then match the letter count.
- Look for figurative language hints—mentions of “figure of speech,” “nonliteral expression,” or examples like “kick the bucket” almost always point to IDIOM.
For a 5-letter slot about language or expressions, IDIOM is a high-probability candidate; let crosses confirm the middle I–O.
More NYT Mini Crossword Answers for February 03, 2026
| Clue | Answer | |
| 1A | ‘That’s incredible!’ | View |
| 4A | Makes a mistake | View |
| 6A | “Piece of cake” or “spill the beans” | View |
| 8A | Cool in a throwback kind of way | View |
| 9A | See 1-Down | View |
| 1D | With 9-Across, something you might wake up from and go “Huh?!” | View |
| 2D | What’s spoken into a fast-food intercom | View |
| 3D | Pen | View |
| 5D | OpenAI product that creates video clips based on prompts | View |
| 7D | 1-Across, flipped upside down | View |
