39 Down

NYT Daily • September 9, 2025

F on a biology quiz?

Answer:

FEMALE

Hint:

["Think of the symbol often used to represent this gender in scientific diagrams, like those showing inheritance patterns. It starts with the same letter as the answer."]

Explanation:

This clue plays on the letter "F" standing in for the word "female" in a biology context. On a quiz, "F" might be shorthand for the female sex, just like "M" is for male. The wordplay is simple—it treats the letter as an abbreviation while keeping the answer straightforward. Think of it like a grade ("F") that also happens to match a common biology term.

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