The statement "Nibble : food :: ___ : drink" uses an analogy to compare the relationship between the first pair of words to the relationship within the second pair. A "nibble" refers to a small bite or portion of food. To complete the analogy, we need a term that describes a small amount or sip of drink.
The word that fits here is "sip." So, the completed analogy is "Nibble : food :: sip : drink," indicating that just as a nibble is a small portion of food, a sip is a small portion of drink.
To solve the analogy clue "Nibble : food :: ___ : drink," we need to identify a term that corresponds to "drink" in the same way "nibble" corresponds to "food."
1. **Analyzing the First Pair**:
- The word "nibble" refers to a small bite or a small amount of food typically eaten casually or as a snack.
- Therefore, "food" is the category or the type of thing that a "nibble" refers to.
2. **Finding the Equivalent for "Drink"**:
- We are looking for a term that describes a small amount of drink, similar to how "nibble" relates to food.
- Common terms that denote a small amount of drink include "sip," "swig," or "gulp."
Among these options, "sip" is the most fitting answer as it commonly refers to taking a small amount of a beverage.
Therefore, the answer to the analogy is **"sip."**
### Tips for Solving Analogies in Crossword Puzzles:
- **Identify relationships**: Analyze the relationship in the first part of the analogy and look for a function (e.g., an action related to a noun).
- **Think of small quantities**: For food and drink, think about verbs or nouns that describe consuming small amounts since that is often a key to finding the correct term.
- **Consider similar categories**: Look for words that belong to the same semantic field relative to each category (e.g., eating and drinking).
- **Use known letter patterns**: If you have some letters from intersecting answers, use them to narrow down possibilities for your chosen word.