I was checking out the New York Times Mini Crossword the other day, and I ran into this clue: “Rooms with toilets, in European shorthand.” It got me thinking, so I did a little digging. Turns out, it’s pretty simple.
It’s “WCS.” Yeah, that’s it. Short and sweet.
So, here’s how I figured it out:
- First, I saw the clue and thought, “What’s the European way of saying bathroom?”
- Then, I remembered that “water closet” is a term used in Europe.
- After that, I realized that “WCS” is just a quick way to write “water closets.”
Putting It All Together
I started by looking at the clue itself. It was clear they wanted an abbreviation. Then I searched online for how Europeans refer to bathrooms. Found out about “water closet.” Finally, I abbreviated it to “WCS,” and boom, there’s the answer. It’s funny how a simple crossword clue can lead you down a little research path. I even found out that different places call it different things—like “restroom” in the US, “loo” in the UK, and “washroom” in Canada. But for this crossword, “WCS” was the key.
Anyway, that’s how I got to the answer. Pretty straightforward, right? Just a bit of thinking and some quick searching. And there you have it. I solved the clue, and it was easier than I expected.
