D.C. summer hrs.

EDT

["Here’s a helpful hint for the clue **\"D.C. summer hrs.\"**:\n\n*\"Time zone abbreviation when clocks spring forward in the capital.\"*\n\nThis hint:\n- References the seasonal change (\"spring forward\") to suggest daylight saving time.\n- Narrows it to the capital’s time zone without explicitly naming it.\n- Avoids repeating the original clue while guiding the solver toward the concept of time zones and abbreviations."]

The clue **"D.C. summer hrs."** leads to the answer **"EDT"** through the following breakdown: 1. **"D.C."** refers to **Washington, D.C.**, the capital of the United States, which observes **Eastern Time**. 2. **"Summer hrs."** indicates the time observed during the summer months, which is **Daylight Time** (as opposed to Standard Time in winter). 3. Combining these, **Eastern Daylight Time** is abbreviated as **"EDT"**. Thus, the answer is a straightforward abbreviation for the time zone observed in D.C. during summer. No complex wordplay is involved—just a direct reference to time zones.