The phrase “small yellow bowties, say” is a New York Times Mini crossword clue, and the published answer is PASTA.

What “small yellow bowties, say” means

  • The clue refers to farfalle , a pasta shape that looks like little bow ties.
  • Many brands sell small, yellowish farfalle made from durum wheat, so they literally look like small yellow bowties on your plate.
  • Because it says “say” , the clue is using bowties as an example of a particular type of pasta rather than only the fashion accessory.

Quick crossword context

  • This clue appeared in the NYT Mini Crossword for December 18, 2025, where the official 5-letter solution listed by crossword-answer sites is PASTA.
  • Helper sites that track recent NYT Mini clues all give PASTA as the up‑to‑date answer for “Small yellow bowties, say.”

Extra fun angle: yellow bow ties in fashion

  • In fashion, a yellow bow tie is often linked with an optimistic, cheerful, and open personality , and is seen as playful and attention‑grabbing.
  • Style blogs describe yellow bow‑tie wearers as sociable, creative, and warm, using the bright color to project friendliness and positivity.

Mini sections for your post

Quick Scoop

  • Core meaning in this context: “small yellow bowties, say” = PASTA (specifically bow‑tie‑shaped farfalle).
  • It’s a visual wordplay clue: think of a plate of tiny yellow bow‑tie pasta pieces.

Trending / forum angle

If you’re writing up a forum-style “Quick Scoop” post:

  • Mention that crossword fans recently saw this clue in the NYT Mini , causing some debate until solvers linked it to farfalle pasta.
  • You can contrast it with the fashion meaning of yellow bow ties (cheerful, optimistic, attention‑seeking) to give a fun double‑meaning section.

TL;DR: In crossword and puzzle discussions, “small yellow bowties, say” is a playful clue for PASTA, specifically bow‑tie (farfalle) pasta.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.