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NYT Daily • August 3, 2025

Backwoods bumpkin

Answer:

HICK

Hint:

["Here’s a helpful hint for the clue **\"Backwoods bumpkin\"** with the answer **\"HICK\"**:\n\n*\"Rural resident, in slang.\"*\n\nThis hint:\n- Keeps it simple and direct.\n- Uses \"rural\" to echo \"backwoods\" and \"resident\" to hint at a person.\n- The phrase \"in slang\" nudges the solver toward a colloquial or informal term.\n- Avoids repeating the original clue or giving away the answer outright."]

Explanation:

The clue **"Backwoods bumpkin"** leads to the answer **"HICK"** through a straightforward definition. Here’s the breakdown: - **"Backwoods"** refers to rural or remote areas, often associated with rustic or unsophisticated people. - **"Bumpkin"** is a term for a clumsy, unsophisticated person from the countryside. - Together, the clue describes a stereotypical rural person, which is precisely what **"HICK"** means—a colloquial term for an unrefined country dweller. There is no wordplay or pun here; the clue is a direct synonym-based definition. The answer fits because "hick" is a well-known slang term for someone fitting the description of a "backwoods bumpkin."