You’re staring at a Tuesday puzzle. Three blank squares. The clue is just "Etc., etc." and your brain immediately shorts out. Is it AND? Is it ORS? Wait, no, it's usually ANDSOFORTH, but that doesn't fit. You realize the constructor is playing a specific kind of word game that the New York Times crossword has basically perfected over the last eighty years.
Etc etc NYT crossword queries spike every single time Will Shortz—or now Joel Fagliano—decides to lean into the shorthand of Latin abbreviations. It’s a meta-joke. The clue is telling you that the answer is a synonym for a phrase that means "more of the same," but the way those three little letters are phrased dictates everything. If the clue is "Etc.," the answer is often SOON. If it’s "Etc. etc.," you’re likely looking for ANDSOON or ANDOTHERS.
It’s about rhythm.
Most people think the crossword is a test of general knowledge. It isn’t. Not really. It’s a test of how well you understand the specific dialect of "Crosswordese," a language where an "Oboe" is the only instrument that exists and every "Eel" is apparently "Slippery." When you see "Etc etc," you aren't just looking for a definition. You're looking for a filler phrase that occupies the specific linguistic space of a transition.
The Latin Trap: Why ETAL and ETC Rule the Grid
If you've played for more than a week, you know ETAL. It’s the bread and butter of the Saturday stumper. But the "etc etc" variation is different because it usually implies a sequence.
Latin is the foundation here. Et cetera literally translates to "and the rest." In the context of a New York Times grid, "Etc." usually points to ANDSOON. However, if the clue is pluralized or doubled—"Etc., etc."—it often signals that the answer itself is a phrase.
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Think about the way we speak. We don't say "et cetera et cetera" in casual conversation unless we're being dismissive or trying to speed through a boring list. The puzzle reflects this. If the clue feels dismissive, the answer might be YADAYADA. That’s the brilliance of the modern NYT style; it blends the formal Latin roots with the "Seinfeld" era of slang.
I remember a puzzle from a few years back where the clue was simply "Etc." and the answer was ALIA. Short for inter alia. It felt like a gut punch because most solvers were looking for something starting with "And." That’s the nuance. You have to know if the editor is looking for the English equivalent or the Latin root.
Decoding the Length: A Quick Reference for the Stymied Solver
Let’s get practical. You’re stuck. The clock is ticking. You want that gold star on the app.
If it’s three letters, it’s almost always AND. Boring, right? But it works as a connector for a list. If it’s four letters, you’re looking at ALIA or ETAL.
When we get into the five-letter range, things get spicy. ANDSO is a common fill, though it’s a bit "green paint" (crossword slang for a phrase that exists but isn't a solid standalone concept). Six letters? ANDSON. Seven? ANDSOON.
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The real nightmare is when it’s part of a theme. Sometimes "Etc etc" isn't a clue for a synonym; it’s a hint that the theme entries are missing their endings. In a 2022 puzzle, "Etc." acted as a "revealer," indicating that several other answers had been truncated. This is why you can't just trust a dictionary. You have to trust the vibe of the grid.
The Evolution of the "More of the Same" Clue
The NYT crossword hasn't always been this cheeky. Back in the Margaret Farrar era, clues were strictly definitional. "Et cetera" would lead to "And so forth." Period. No jokes. No puns.
Then came the 90s. The "Shortz Era" brought in a more conversational tone. Suddenly, "Etc etc" could be ANDTHELIKE. It opened up the vocabulary to include how people actually talk at a dinner table. Honestly, it made the game harder but way more rewarding.
You’ve probably noticed that the difficulty ramps up throughout the week. A Monday "Etc etc" is going to be ANDSOFORTH. A Friday "Etc etc" might be a cryptic hint for NONSPECIFIC. It’s the same clue, but the intent shifts from "give me a synonym" to "guess what I’m thinking."
Why Your First Guess is Usually Wrong
Most solvers see "Etc" and immediately type in ETAL. Stop doing that.
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ETAL (et alii) refers to people. ETC (et cetera) refers to things. The NYT is very strict about this distinction. If the clue mentions a list of authors or names followed by "etc," then yes, go with the Latin "people" version. But if it’s a list of groceries or abstract concepts, ETAL is a trap.
Check your crossings. If you have an 'A' as the second letter, you're probably looking at YADA. If you have an 'N' as the second letter, it's the beginning of an AND phrase.
There’s also the "S" factor. Sometimes the answer is OTHERS. It’s a clean, simple word that fits many grids, but because it doesn't feel like a direct translation of "Etc," people overlook it. They want something more complex. Sometimes the simplest answer is the one hiding in plain sight.
Actionable Tips for Nailing the Next "Etc" Clue
Don't let these three-letter abbreviations ruin your streak. Use these specific strategies next time you see "etc etc" in the clue list.
- Count the vowels. If the answer is heavy on vowels (like ALIA or ANDSOON), it’s likely being used as "glue" to hold together a difficult section of the map.
- Look for the "others." If the clue is "And others," the answer is almost certainly ETAL. If the clue is "Etc," the answer is likely ANDOTHERS. It’s a reciprocal relationship.
- Check for italics. If the clue Etc. is in italics, it’s a massive hint that the answer is also in another language, usually Latin or French (ETALIA or AIE).
- Don't forget the slang. In modern puzzles, "Etc etc" can be BLAHBLAH. It’s rare, but it appears in Sunday puzzles to fill those long, annoying vertical spans.
- Analyze the punctuation. A period after "Etc." usually means the answer is an abbreviation. If there is no period, look for a full-length word.
The next time you open the app and see that repetitive little phrase, don't roll your eyes. See it as a pivot point. It's the puzzle's way of giving you a breather with common letters like A, N, and D, which are the keys to unlocking the much harder proper nouns sitting right next to them.