NY Times Crossword
September 2, 2004
David J. Kahn

In each of the two phrases below, four specific letters can be highlighted to suggest a unique feature of U.S. geography. What are the letters, and what do they represent?

BEAUTY CONTEST
AMAZIN METS

HINT:
The G, missing from AMAZIN, is not a typo.

Answer:

beaUTy COntest
amAZiN Mets

The highlighted letters are the postal abbreviations of the four US states that meet in a single place - known as FOUR CORNERS - Utah, Colorado, Arizona, and New Mexico.