18 Across
NYT Daily • August 29, 2025
Language whose name consists of four consecutive U.S. state postal abbreviations
Answer:
MANDARIN
Hint:
Not available
Explanation:
The answer "MANDARIN" comes from breaking down the name into four U.S. state postal codes in a row: MA (Massachusetts), ND (North Dakota), AR (Arkansas), and IN (Indiana). The clue plays on the fact that these abbreviations appear consecutively in "MANDARIN," spelling out the name of the language. It’s a clever way to hide a word inside well-known postal codes.