48 Across

NYT Daily • August 2, 2025

Common wedding day prep

Answer:

MANIPEDI

Hint:

["**Hint:** *A spa treatment often booked together for hands and feet before a big event.*\n\nThis hint guides the solver toward thinking about beauty preparations without directly mentioning \"manicure\" or \"pedicure,\" while still making the connection to the combined term."]

Explanation:

The clue **"Common wedding day prep"** leads to the answer **"MANIPEDI"** through the following breakdown: - **"Wedding day prep"** hints at beauty or grooming treatments commonly done before a wedding. - **"MANIPEDI"** is a portmanteau of **"manicure"** and **"pedicure,"** two standard beauty treatments for hands and feet that many people get before special occasions like weddings. - The wordplay lies in the abbreviation—combining the first parts of "manicure" and "pedicure" into a single, informal term. Thus, the answer cleverly encapsulates a common pre-wedding ritual in a concise, blended word.

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