You’re sitting there with a half-empty coffee, staring at a grid that’s mostly white space, and you hit that one frustrating phrase: "picked up the tab." It’s a common idiom. We use it all the time when someone is being generous at dinner. But in the world of crosswords, where brevity is king and puns are the law of the land, that simple phrase can morph into half a dozen different answers depending on the constructor's mood.
Most people think crosswords are about knowing obscure facts. They aren't. They’re actually about understanding the specific shorthand of English. When you see picked up the tab crossword clue, your brain immediately goes to "paid." That’s the most obvious answer, right? It fits a four-letter slot perfectly. But what if the grid needs six letters? Or what if it’s a Sunday New York Times puzzle where the clue is actually a clever misdirection about a filing cabinet or a guitar?
Crossword puzzles are essentially a battle of wits between you and the person who wrote the grid. Understanding how "picked up the tab" functions as a clue requires looking at the history of the phrase and the mechanical needs of a puzzle layout.
The Most Common Answers for Picked Up the Tab
If you’re stuck right now, let’s talk numbers. The most frequent answer is almost certainly PAID. It’s short. It’s functional. It uses common vowels and consonants that help constructors bridge difficult sections of the grid.
However, if PAID doesn't fit, you're likely looking at TREATED. This is a favorite for mid-week puzzles (think Wednesday or Thursday) because it’s a bit more descriptive. It implies a social situation. Then there is STOOD, as in "stood the round." This one feels a bit old-school, doesn't it? You don't hear many people under the age of 50 saying they "stood" someone a drink, but crossword constructors love it because the letter combination S-T-O-O-D is incredibly versatile for filling vertical columns.
Sometimes the answer is FOOTED. As in, "footed the bill."
It’s funny how language works. We "foot" a bill but we "hand" over cash. Why? Etymologists suggest it comes from the bottom (the foot) of a ledger where the total sum was written. If you "footed" it, you acknowledged the final number. It’s these little quirks of history that make crosswords so addictive for some and utterly infuriating for others.
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Why Context is Everything in a Grid
Crosswords are built on the concept of "tense matching." If the clue is "picked up the tab," the answer must be in the past tense. You’ll never see "pay" or "treat" as the answer for "picked." It has to be PAID or TREATED.
If the clue was "picks up the tab," you'd be looking at PAYS or TREATS. This seems like a basic rule, but when you’re staring at 42-Across and your eyes are blurring, it’s the first thing you forget.
Constructors like Will Shortz (NYT) or Patti Varol (LA Times) often use the "picked up the tab" clue as a "gimme." That’s a term for an easy answer that gives you the "crosses" (the letters for the words going the other direction) to solve the harder parts of the puzzle. But don't get cocky. Sometimes they use it as a "rebus" trigger or a pun.
The "Tab" Misdirection
Here is where it gets tricky. Is the "tab" a bill at a restaurant?
Maybe.
But in a cryptic crossword or a particularly nasty Saturday puzzle, "tab" might refer to:
- A soda can opener (the "pull tab").
- A computer keyboard key.
- A small flap on a folder.
- The bill for a garment.
If the answer to picked up the tab crossword clue turns out to be something like OPENED, you’ve been tricked. You weren't paying for dinner; you were literally picking up the metal tab on a can of Pepsi. Honestly, that’s the kind of move that makes people want to throw their pen across the room. But it's also why we keep coming back. The "aha!" moment when you realize you were looking at the wrong definition of "tab" is a genuine hit of dopamine.
Breaking Down the Lengths
Let's get practical. If you're staring at your phone or the newspaper, count the boxes. It’s the only way to narrow it down without losing your mind.
For a 4-letter answer, you are almost always looking at PAID.
For a 5-letter answer, STOOD or SPENT are your best bets.
For a 6-letter answer, FOOTED is the heavy hitter.
For a 7-letter answer, TREATED is the king.
There are rarer variations. SETTLED (7 letters) pops up occasionally, particularly in British crosswords (like The Guardian or The Times). It feels a bit more formal, doesn't it? "He settled the tab." It implies a certain level of finality, like a debt being cleared rather than just a casual dinner.
The Evolution of Crossword Language
Crosswords aren't static. They change with us.
Back in the 1940s and 50s, the clues were much more literal. "Picked up the tab" would almost always result in PAID. But as the decades passed, constructors started getting bored. They began to realize that the "meta" game—the game of outsmarting the solver—was more interesting.
The phrase itself is relatively modern American slang. It likely originated in the late 19th or early 20th century. "Tab" is just a shortened version of "tabulation." Before digital registers, a bartender or waiter would keep a running "tabulation" of what you owed on a scrap of paper or a chalkboard. To "pick it up" meant to take responsibility for that total.
Nowadays, we might say "venmoed" or "covered." You might even see COVERED as a 7-letter answer for picked up the tab crossword clue in a more modern, "indie" puzzle like the American Values Club Crossword (AVCX). They tend to use more contemporary language than the "Old Gray Lady" (the NYT).
Strategy for Solving Tough Clues
When you're stuck, the best thing you can do is leave the area. Go solve the bottom right corner. Seriously.
The human brain has this weird way of working on a problem in the background. You’ll be thinking about 12-Down, and suddenly the answer for "picked up the tab" will just pop into your head. It’s called "incubation."
Another tip: look for the "crosses." If you have the second letter and it’s an A, it’s probably PAID. If the second letter is an O, you’re likely looking at FOOTED.
Never commit too hard to an answer until you have at least two intersecting letters. There is nothing worse than filling in TREATED only to realize ten minutes later that the "T" at the end ruined a perfectly good 54-Down. Crosswords are a game of flexibility. You have to be willing to erase your favorite guess the moment it stops making sense.
Real Examples from Famous Puzzles
Let's look at some data. In the New York Times crossword database, "picked up the tab" has appeared dozens of times over the last twenty years.
In a 2018 puzzle, the answer was PAID. Simple.
In a 2012 puzzle, the answer was FOOTED.
In a 1997 puzzle, they used STOOD.
But here’s a curveball: sometimes the clue is "picked up the tab for." That "for" at the end changes the grammar of the answer. It might lead to TREATED, but it could also lead to something like STOODFOR (though that’s rare).
Always look at the punctuation. If there is a question mark at the end of the clue—"Picked up the tab?"—you are officially in Pun Territory. The question mark is the constructor's way of saying, "I'm lying to you." It might mean someone literally lifted a physical tab, or it might be a play on words involving a "tab" of acid or a "tab" in a browser window.
Semantic Relatives and Synonyms
If none of the usual suspects work, you might be dealing with a synonym that's slightly off-center.
Consider these:
- ACKED (Slang for "acknowledged," but very rare).
- COPPED (As in "copped the bill," though this is more regional).
- DEFRAYED (A very formal way to say paid).
- PONYUP (Usually "ponied up" if it's past tense).
"Ponied up" is a great phrase. It’s evocative. It feels like you’re reluctantly handing over money. If you see "picked up the tab" in a puzzle that feels a bit more "wild west" or uses colorful language, PONIED (6 letters) is a strong candidate.
The Cultural Weight of the "Tab"
Why do we care so much about this specific clue? Probably because it’s a universal experience. Everyone has had that awkward moment at the end of a meal where the check arrives. The "picked up the tab" moment is a gesture of power, kindness, or duty.
In movies, the person who picks up the tab is usually the one in control. In crosswords, the person who solves the clue is the one in control. It’s a small victory, but in a world that often feels chaotic, finishing a crossword provides a sense of order. You’ve taken a jumble of letters and organized them into a perfect, interlocking grid.
Actionable Steps for Your Next Puzzle
To stop getting stuck on the picked up the tab crossword clue, you need a mental checklist. Don't just guess. Analyze.
- Check the Tense: It’s "picked" (past tense), so your answer must end in -ED or be an irregular past tense like PAID or STOOD.
- Count the Boxes: 4 is PAID, 5 is STOOD, 6 is FOOTED, 7 is TREATED.
- Check for Misdirection: Is there a question mark? If so, think about computer tabs, soda tabs, or filing tabs.
- Look for "P" and "D": Many of the most common answers (PAID, FOOTED, TREATED, STOOD) involve these letters. They are high-frequency in crosswords for a reason.
- Use a Pencil: Honestly, just use a pencil. Or if you’re on an app, don’t be afraid to use the "check word" function if you’ve been staring at it for more than ten minutes. Life is too short to be miserable over a Thursday puzzle.
The next time you see this clue, you won't see it as a hurdle. You’ll see it as a familiar friend. You’ll know the usual suspects, you’ll be ready for the puns, and you’ll fill those boxes with the confidence of someone who knows exactly how the game is played. Happy solving.