Country known for shortening everyday words ... as hinted at in 12- and 16-Across?

Editorially verified for the Aug 14, 2026

21 Across

Scroll down for rest of crossword answers

Australia represented alongside an outdoor barbecue and a university campus.

Clue explained

Australia is the country associated here with informal shortenings such as “barbie” for barbecue and “uni” for university. Those two examples appear in the wordplay of 12- and 16-Across.

Clue type:
Definition

NYT Midi Crossword

This clue's Friday, August 14, 2026 appearance

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

Across

  1. 1"Naughty, naughty"
  2. 4Actress Milano of "Who's the Boss?"
  3. 10Game with Wild Draw Four cards
  4. 11Deadly
  5. 12Cutie pie who grills sausages and steaks in 21-Across?
  6. 14Off over yonder
  7. 15A.C.C. school in Charlottesville
  8. 16Washing machine setting at a college in 21-Across?
  9. 20Knight's horse
  10. 21Country known for shortening everyday words ... as hinted at in 12- and 16-Across?
  11. 25"You know the ___!"
  12. 26Protein-rich ramen topper
  13. 27Building add-on
  14. 28Ghost sound

Down

  1. 1Low-pitched brass instrument
  2. 2Big mix-up
  3. 3Muslim's holy book, in one spelling
  4. 4Actress Wong
  5. 5Olympic gymnastics gold medalist Sunisa ___
  6. 6Since Jan. 1, on pay stubs
  7. 7"Want me to leave?"
  8. 8Rash soother
  9. 9Penne ___ vodka
  10. 13Prickly part of a brush
  11. 17PC command for "cut"
  12. 18Vote in favor
  13. 19One photographed on the red carpet, informally
  14. 21Best-selling children's book "___ Twist, Scientist"
  15. 22Still-life vessel
  16. 23Pride, greed or envy
  17. 24Prior to now

The answer to “Country known for shortening everyday words ... as hinted at in 12- and 16-Across?” in the New York Times Midi crossword is AUSTRALIA — a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 14, 2026, a Friday puzzle, at 21-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.

“Country known for shortening everyday words ... as hinted at in 12- and 16-Across?” answer

AUSTRALIA (9 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 AUSTRALIA.

When else has “Country known for shortening everyday words ... as hinted at in 12- and 16-Across?” appeared?

New York Times Midi 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 14, 2026 (most recent) → AUSTRALIA. We haven't indexed another appearance of this exact clue yet.

Frequently asked questions

What is the answer to “Country known for shortening everyday words ... as hinted at in 12- and 16-Across?”?

The answer is AUSTRALIA, a 9-letter word. It most recently appeared in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 14, 2026.

How many letters is the answer to “Country known for shortening everyday words ... as hinted at in 12- and 16-Across?”?

9 letters: AUSTRALIA.

When did this clue appear?

Most recently in the New York Times Midi crossword on August 14, 2026 (a Friday puzzle), at 21-Across.

Can “Country known for shortening everyday words ... as hinted at in 12- and 16-Across?” have a different answer?

Yes — New York Times Midi 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 NYT Midi answers?

The full grid for August 14, 2026 is on the NYT Midi answers page, with every clue and answer from that puzzle.

New York Times Midi Crossword is published by The New York Times; WordHint is an independent site and is not affiliated with or endorsed by the publisher.

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