"Is this seat taken ...?"

MAYI

This polite two-word question often starts with a month and might be heard when someone hesitates before sitting next to you.

The clue mimics a polite question someone might ask before sitting down, hinting at the answer sounding like the start of that phrase. "Is this seat taken...?" is often followed by "May I?"—which, when spoken quickly, sounds like "MAYI." The answer plays on the casual pronunciation of that common question, turning it into a concise crossword-style abbreviation.