18 Down

NYT Daily ? September 21, 2025

Regular at a park with half-pipes, informally

Answer:

SKATERAT

Hint:

Think of someone who might wear knee pads and a helmet while practicing ollies and grinds at a concrete playground.

Explanation:

This clue plays on two meanings of "regular." First, it hints at someone who frequents a park—specifically a skatepark, where you’d find half-pipes. The "informally" tip suggests slang, leading to "skater," and "rat" is a casual term for a regular or fixture in a place (like a "mall rat"). Combine them, and you get "SKATERAT," a slangy way to describe someone who’s always at the skatepark.

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General solving tip

When a clue says 'informally,' 'slangily,' or 'casually,' think slang, clipped forms, or texting abbreviations. Try the short casual word you'd use in speech or a message.

More tips → General Hints