Crossword puzzles often love to reference famous places in clever ways. If you encounter the clue “Famous Yosemite landmark, familiarly,” you might picture Yosemite’s iconic rock formations like Half Dome or El Capitan. But notice that key word “familiarly.” It’s a hint that the puzzle is asking for a nickname or informal name. In major crosswords like the New York Times Crossword, LA Times Crossword, or USA Today Crossword, such phrasing indicates the answer won’t be the full formal name. Indeed, in this case, the answer is the casual nickname for El Capitan: ELCAP. Let’s break down why that is and how we know it fits.
Possible answer:
Clue and Answer Breakdown
For the clue “Famous Yosemite landmark, familiarly,” let’s examine each part. The clue is pointing to a famous Yosemite landmark something well known in Yosemite National Park. Yosemite is renowned for a few towering natural features, primarily El Capitan and Half Dome. Now, “familiarly” at the end of the clue tells us the answer will be an informal or colloquial name rather than the official name. This little keyword is a classic crossword constructor’s trick: it signals you to think of how someone familiar with the landmark might refer to it in casual conversation.
Considering Yosemite’s landmarks, Half Dome doesn’t really have a shorter familiar name, so our attention turns to El Capitan. Climbers and park enthusiasts often call El Capitan simply “El Cap.” In crosswords, spaces are typically omitted, so ELCAP becomes the entry in the grid. It’s a five-letter answer, which matches the clue’s requirement (the New York Times Mini crossword, for instance, often expects five-letter answers for its longer downs). Everything lines up: El Capitan is a famous Yosemite cliff, and “El Cap” is what it’s called familiarly. So, the clue is effectively asking for “El Cap” in crossword form and ELCAP is the perfect fit.
Why ELCAP Is the Right Fit
ELCAP fits the clue on multiple levels. Firstly, it directly answers the question of a famous Yosemite landmark’s nickname El Capitan is the landmark, and “El Cap” is the nickname. The inclusion of “familiarly” in the clue all but spells out that a nickname is needed, and ELCAP delivers just that. Secondly, the answer length and letter pattern match typical crossword expectations. “El Capitan” is too long to fit in a small grid, but ELCAP nicely slots into a five-letter space, which is often what a mini crossword or a themed puzzle might allow. Crossword constructors love to use widely recognized nicknames like this because they add flavor to the puzzle while still being gettable for solvers who know a bit of trivia.
From a solving perspective, the clue’s wording guides you away from writing the full EL CAPITAN and towards the shorter ELCAP. This answer is commonly seen in crossword puzzles when Yosemite or climbing references come up. In fact, crossword clues and answers often rely on such abbreviations or familiar terms to keep things interesting. You’ll often see major newspaper puzzles use similar tricks: whether you’re solving a New York Times or LA Times crossword puzzle, an indicator like “familiarly” (or “informally”) is a clear sign that the answer will be a casual shorthand. Here, ELCAP checks all the boxes, making it undeniably the right answer to the clue.
Did You Know?
This colossal rock face is a mecca for rock climbers. In June 2017, climber Alex Honnold famously scaled El Capitan’s nearly 3,000-foot wall without any ropes or safety gear an achievement featured in the Oscar winning documentary Free Solo. That gives you an idea of how legendary El Capitan is in the outdoor world.
In crossword culture, did you know that the wording of a clue can be a big hint in itself? A term like “familiarly” (as used in this Yosemite clue) signals that you should think of a nickname or informal term. Crossword constructors often include clues with tags like “informally,” “in slang,” or “for short,” which tip you off that the answer might be an abbreviation or a casual name. ELCAP is a great example instead of the formal El Capitan, the puzzle wanted the friendly nickname. This little nuance is part of what makes crosswords so fun: they test not just your vocabulary, but also your knowledge of how things are referenced in everyday lingo.
Quick Tip for Crossword Solvers
When solving crossword puzzles, always pay attention to clue keywords that hint at the form of the answer. If a clue uses a phrase like “familiarly,” “colloquially,” or “for short,” it’s guiding you toward an informal or abbreviated answer (just as “familiarly” led us to ELCAP instead of the full name). Likewise, clues phrased in certain ways often have consistent types of answers. For example, “Opposed to” as a crossword clue usually indicates a word meaning “against” think ANTI or VERSUS. On the flip side, a clue like “Agree to” might hint at ASSENT or ACCEDE. Recognizing these patterns can greatly speed up your solving. Over time, you’ll start to see the same clue tropes in the NYT Mini Crossword, the big daily puzzles, or even the easy going USA Today puzzles. And if you’re ever completely stumped, using a crossword solver tool or site to check a particularly tough answer is always an option just try to use it as a learning aid rather than a first resort. The more you practice, the better you’ll get at decoding clues and filling in answers with confidence!
Disclaimer
We are not affiliated with The New York Times, the LA Times, USA Today, or any other official crossword publisher. This content is provided to help fans of crossword puzzles find answers and enjoy the solving process. All references and information are for educational and entertainment purposes only.