Yours, in Tours - NYT Crossword Clue

Introduction

Today's clue, "Yours, in Tours," is a classic example of a crossword puzzle staple: the foreign language clue. These clues test a solver's knowledge of basic vocabulary from other languages, often signaled by a geographical location. Let's break down how to approach this common and very solvable clue type.

Clue Analysis

The structure of this clue is the most important part to recognize. We have:

• "Yours,": This is the English word or phrase that needs to be translated.
• "in Tours": This is the indicator for the target language.

Tours is a well-known city in the Loire Valley of France. Therefore, the clue is asking for the French translation of "yours."

This "[English word], in [Foreign Place]" format is a convention every crossword solver should learn to spot immediately. Seeing a comma followed by "in" and a place name should trigger you to think about translation.

Thinking Approaches

1. Pattern Recognition: The first step is to see the "in Tours" part and immediately think, "Okay, I need a French word." This saves you from trying to find a convoluted English-language pun or connection.

2. Direct Translation: The next step is to translate "yours." What is "yours" in French? If you've taken some French, you might think of possessive pronouns like le tien or le votre. However, crosswords often favor short, common phrases.

3. Idiomatic Usage: A common French construction for possession is using the preposition a (meaning "to") followed by a pronoun. For example, "C'est a moi" means "It's mine" (literally, "It is to me"). Following this pattern, "yours" (in the informal sense) would be a toi.

4. Crossword-ese: Experienced solvers will recognize that short foreign phrases like this are very common puzzle fill, sometimes referred to as "crossword-ese." The answer is often a compact, letter-friendly term that constructors can easily fit into a grid.

5. Using Crossings: If you're unsure, getting a few crossing letters can be a huge help. If you have A_O_, the answer becomes much clearer.

Background Context

The phrase a toi is the informal, singular way of saying "yours" in French. It literally translates to "to you." The formal or plural version would be a vous. This distinction between informal (tu/toi) and formal (vous) is a key feature of French and many other Romance languages. The clue doesn't specify formal or informal, but the shorter, more common form is a safe bet for a crossword puzzle.

Conclusion

"Yours, in Tours" is a perfect example of a clue that is much easier than it might first appear, once you understand the conventions of crossword construction. By recognizing the geographical hint, you can quickly pivot from searching for an obscure English meaning to performing a simple translation, leading you directly to the answer.

Hints

1. Hint 1: The clue is asking for a word in a language other than English.
2. Hint 2: The city mentioned in the clue, Tours, points to the specific language required.
3. Hint 3: You need to translate the English word "yours" into that language.
4. Hint 4: The answer is a two-word phrase, often written as one in crosswords, meaning "(to) you" or "yours" in an informal context.