Mouth, barrel or sense (5)

Latest answer — August 18, 2026

9 Across

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Clue decoded

ORGAN fits all three examples: an organ can be in the mouth, a barrel organ is an instrument, and an organ is a bodily or organisational component with a particular function.

Clue type:
Example
Examples of an organ including a mouth organ, barrel organ and body organ

Guardian Quick Crossword

This clue's Tuesday, August 18, 2026 appearance

Tap a square to reveal a letter.

Or reveal one clue at a time with the Hint and Answer buttons below.

Across

  1. 1State of total confusion - slobs name him (anag) (12)
  2. 9Mouth, barrel or sense (5)
  3. 10___ Wizard (The Who) - 'tilt' pastime (7)
  4. 11Drink quickly - head support (4)
  5. 12Ruling by tyrannical behaviour (8)
  6. 14Stockings (6)
  7. 15Out-of-date and tired - a bonnet, perhaps? (3,3)
  8. 18Mesmerising (8)
  9. 20Disparaging remark (4)
  10. 22Earwax - un creme (anag) (7)
  11. 23Artificial silk fabric (5)
  12. 24Gathering of directors - sounds tedious? (5,7)

Down

  1. 2Enchanting (7)
  2. 3Pubs and small hotels (4)
  3. 4Short dash (6)
  4. 5Board game - sole power (8)
  5. 6Smallest amount (5)
  6. 7Cooking for oneself (on holiday) (4-8)
  7. 8Yellow vegetable, ear of maize (4,2,3,3)
  8. 13Passed on knowledge to (8)
  9. 16___ days - kingfisher - holy can (anag) (7)
  10. 17Man engaged to be married (6)
  11. 19Ham or violet (5)
  12. 21Ridge on guitar neck - worry (4)

Crossword clues, hints, and answers

Across

  1. 1. State of total confusion - slobs name him (anag) (12) — Answer: OMNISHAMBLES. Hint: Picture a state where everything has gone spectacularly haywire 🤯
  2. 9. Mouth, barrel or sense (5) — Answer: ORGAN. Hint: Think of one word for a bodily opening, a gun tube, or a faculty of the body 👄
  3. 10. ___ Wizard (The Who) - 'tilt' pastime (7) — Answer: PINBALL. Hint: The Who sang about this arcade game, where a silver ball bounces among lights and bumpers 🎮
  4. 11. Drink quickly - head support (4) — Answer: NECK. Hint: This body part supports your head and appears in an expression about gulping a drink 🥤
  5. 12. Ruling by tyrannical behaviour (8) — Answer: DESPOTIC. Hint: Think of an adjective describing harsh, absolute rule by a dictator 👑
  6. 14. Stockings (6) — Answer: NYLONS. Hint: These sheer leg coverings are named after a famous synthetic material 🧦
  7. 15. Out-of-date and tired - a bonnet, perhaps? (3,3) — Answer: OLDHAT. Hint: A stale fashion or unoriginal idea fits this description 🎩
  8. 18. Mesmerising (8) — Answer: HYPNOTIC. Hint: Something irresistibly fascinating may seem to put you into a trance 🌀
  9. 20. Disparaging remark (4) — Answer: SLUR. Hint: A brief insult or degrading comment earns this label 😏
  10. 22. Earwax - un creme (anag) (7) — Answer: CERUMEN. Hint: This is the substance that can build up inside the ear 👂
  11. 23. Artificial silk fabric (5) — Answer: RAYON. Hint: Look for a smooth man-made textile often used as a silk substitute 🧵
  12. 24. Gathering of directors - sounds tedious? (5,7) — Answer: BOARDMEETING. Hint: Imagine executives assembled around a table for a formal business discussion 📋

Down

  1. 2. Enchanting (7) — Answer: MAGICAL. Hint: Something wonderfully charming or spellbinding could be described this way ✨
  2. 3. Pubs and small hotels (4) — Answer: INNS. Hint: These welcoming establishments may offer both drinks and overnight rooms 🍻
  3. 4. Short dash (6) — Answer: HYPHEN. Hint: This punctuation mark joins parts of compound words or breaks words across lines ➖
  4. 5. Board game - sole power (8) — Answer: MONOPOLY. Hint: Think of the property-trading game whose title also means exclusive control 🎲
  5. 6. Smallest amount (5) — Answer: LEAST. Hint: Choose the word meaning the lowest quantity or degree 📉
  6. 7. Cooking for oneself (on holiday) (4-8) — Answer: SELFCATERING. Hint: On a trip, this means preparing your own meals instead of using included dining 🍳
  7. 8. Yellow vegetable, ear of maize (4,2,3,3) — Answer: CORNONTHECOB. Hint: Picture a summer vegetable with its kernels still attached to the central stalk 🌽
  8. 13. Passed on knowledge to (8) — Answer: INFORMED. Hint: If you gave someone the facts, you did this for them 💡
  9. 16. ___ days - kingfisher - holy can (anag) (7) — Answer: HALCYON. Hint: These days are famously peaceful and idyllic, and the same word names a brightly colored bird. 🐦
  10. 17. Man engaged to be married (6) — Answer: FIANCE. Hint: This is the man promised to marry someone. 💍
  11. 19. Ham or violet (5) — Answer: PARMA. Hint: An Italian city lends its name to both a cured ham and a purple shade. 🥩
  12. 21. Ridge on guitar neck - worry (4) — Answer: FRET. Hint: It can be a raised guitar feature or a verb meaning to worry. 🎸

Recent Guardian Quick Answers

The last 7 days of solutions

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The answer to “Mouth, barrel or sense (5)” in the The Guardian Quick crossword is ORGAN — a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Guardian Quick crossword on August 18, 2026, a Tuesday puzzle, at 9-Across. Below you'll find why that fill fits, every other answer we've recorded for this clue, and links into the puzzle it came from.

“Mouth, barrel or sense (5)” answer

ORGAN (5 letters)

Reveal the solution one letter at a time with the tiles above if you'd rather nudge yourself toward it than see the whole word at once. Just want it outright? The answer is ORGAN.

When else has “Mouth, barrel or sense (5)” appeared?

The Guardian Quick reuses clues across dates, sometimes with a different answer depending on the grid. Here's where this exact clue has shown up, and what the answer was each time — handy when you're checking whether today's fill is the only one.

August 18, 2026 (most recent) → ORGAN. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

More clues from the Guardian Quick Crossword on August 18, 2026

Stuck elsewhere in the grid? Here are some of the crossing and nearby clues from the same puzzle — tap any for its answer and explanation.

Want every clue in one place? The full The Guardian Quick answer list for August 18, 2026 is on that day's grid page, and today's live Guardian Quick answers are always one tap from the today page.

About the Guardian Quick Crossword

The Guardian Quick Crossword is a British straight-definition daily (typically around 13×13) — no cryptic wordplay, just clean definitions and abbreviations. This page covers a Tuesday puzzle. Because answers favour common UK vocabulary and short fill, seeing a confirmation once makes the next appearance easy to spot.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Mouth, barrel or sense (5)”?

The answer is ORGAN, a 5-letter word. It most recently appeared in the The Guardian Quick crossword on August 18, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Mouth, barrel or sense (5)”?

5 letters: ORGAN.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the The Guardian Quick crossword on August 18, 2026 (a Tuesday puzzle), at 9-Across.

Can “Mouth, barrel or sense (5)” have a different answer?

Yes — The Guardian Quick sometimes reuses a clue with a different solution to fit the grid. The answers we've recorded for each date it appeared are listed above when available.

Where can I find the rest of this day's Guardian Quick answers?

The full grid for August 18, 2026 is on the Guardian Quick answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

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