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NYT Daily • August 4, 2025
Merry
Answer:
GAY
Hint:
["Think of a festive song with the line \"Don we now our ____ apparel.\""]
Explanation:
The clue "Merry" leads to the answer "GAY" through a simple wordplay involving synonyms. In older English, "gay" was often used to mean "merry" or "happy." This usage is famously seen in the classic Christmas carol "Deck the Halls," which includes the line "Don we now our gay apparel." Therefore, the clue "Merry" directly corresponds to the answer "GAY" based on this archaic meaning of the word.