Unscramble ETLSIGUINTCOTC: Letters, Definition, and Answer

ETLSIGUINTCOTC unscrambles to CUTTING IT CLOSE, the 14-letter cartoon caption answer from Jumble Answers Today: November 13, 2026. Repeated letters: T (×3), I (×2), C (×2).

How to crack ETLSIGUINTCOTC

Fourteen circled letters stay noisy until you read the cartoon. A barber finishing the last customer just before closing already points at a tight finish, and clippers already point at cutting. Pull CUTTING from the C, U, T, T, I, N and G the four words feed, then park IT CLOSE on the leftover I, T, C, L, O, S and E. ETLSIGUINTCOTC rearranges into the three-word timing idiom once you stop hunting a single fourteen-letter salon noun.

Where the letters of ETLSIGUINTCOTC come from

What does CUTTING IT CLOSE mean?

CUTTING IT CLOSE (idiom): finishing with almost no time left, and also a barber cutting hair right at closing. Example: “When the barber finished his last customer just before closing, he was CUTTING IT CLOSE.”

Similar: barely in time, just making it, at the last minute. Opposite: with time to spare.

Did you know? Cut it close and cutting it close both mean leaving almost no margin. Sports and travel use the phrase for a tight finish. Jumble also leans on a barber's cut and a shop that is about to close.

The everyday phrase behind CUTTING IT CLOSE

Away from the cartoon, cutting it close marks a tight margin: cutting it close for the flight, cutting it close on the deadline. Barely in time and at the last minute cover similar ground; with time to spare pushes the other way. People use it when a clock, a train or a shop door is about to shut. Today's caption only leans on both so a haircut can share a joke with a deadline, written as CUTTING IT CLOSE instead of a bare almost missed it. Cut it fine is the British pairing without the barbershop sense.

How CUTTING IT CLOSE fits the puzzle

The punchline works twice. Cutting it close is the everyday line for barely making a deadline, and a barber is literally cutting, right as the shop closes. The caption tells you to expect both senses well before every circled letter is parked.

The circled letters were pulled from METAL, SINGE, QUAINT and SCOTCH.

Other words in ETLSIGUINTCOTC

980 shorter dictionary words can be made from a subset of these tiles:

STILETTOINGCONSTITUTEEULOGISTICGLUTTONIESLICENTIOUSNICCOLITESOUTSITTINGCLINGIESTCLOSETINGCOLICINESCUITTLINGCULICINESCULTIGENSEGOTISTICENCLITICSGUILTIESTINSTITUTEINTITULESNICCOLITEOCCULTINGOCCULTISTSCUTTLINGSTUCCOINGTECTONICSTINGLIESTTOILETINGCEILINGSCLOTTINGCLOUTINGCOLICINECOLICINSCOLISTINCONCEITSCOUNCILSCOUNTIESCUITTLESCULICINECULOTTESCULTIGENCUTICLESCUTINISECUTLINESCUTTINGSCUTTLINGEGOISTICELUTIONSENCLITICESCOTINGEULOGISTGLUCINICGLUCOSICGLUTTONSGOUTIESTGUTTIESTINTITLESINTITULEISOCLINEISOGENICLECTIONSLEUCITICLIGNEOUSLIGNITESLINECUTSLINGIESTLINGUISTLINOCUTSLINTIESTLOGICISELOGISTICLUTENISTNITTIESTNOCTULESNUTTIESTOSTEITICOUTLINESSCILICETSCOUTINGSETTLINGSILICONESLITTINGSLOTTINGSLUICINGSTENOTICSTETTINGSTICTIONSTILETTOSTILTINGTECTONICTELSONICTONETICSTOUSLINGTUITIONSTUNGSTICTUNICLESCEILINGCILICESCINEOLSCITOLESCLIENTSCLINICSCLITICSCLOSINGCLUEINGCOGNISECOIGNESCOILINGCOLICINCOLITICCOLITISCONCEITCONCISECONGESTCONGIUSCONSULTCONTESTCONTUSECOSTINGCOUNCILCOUNSELCUISINECUITTLECULICESCULOTTECULTISTCUTICLECUTLETSCUTLINECUTTIESCUTTINGCUTTLESEGOTISTELICITSELISIONELITISTELOIGNSELUSIONELUTINGELUTIONENGLUTSENTOILSEOSINICGLISTENGLOTTICGLOTTISGLUCOSEGLUIESTGLUTENSGLUTTONGNOSTICGUNITESGUTTLESICICLESIGNEOUSIGNITESINCITESINCLOSEINOSITEINTITLEINTUITSINUTILEIOLITESISOLINELECTINSLECTIONLEGIONSLENTIGOLETTINGLEUCINSLIGNITELINECUTLINGOESLINIESTLINOCUTLIONISELISTINGLITOTESLITOTICLOGIESTLONGESTLONGIESLOTTINGLOUNGESLOUSINGLOUTINGLUETICSLUNIESTLUSTINGLUTEINSLUTINGSNOCTULENOTICESNUTLETSOCCULTSOCULISTOILIESTOUSTINGOUTINGSOUTLETSOUTLIESOUTLINEOUTSINGSCOTTIESCUTTLESECTIONSETTINGSICCINGSILICONSILOINGSILTINGSINGLETSITTINGSLICINGSOILINGSOLICITSTENCILSTOUTENSUCTIONSUITINGTENUTOSTESTINGTICTOCSTIGLONSTILINGSTILTINGTINGLESTINIESTTITLINGTITLISTTITTIESTITTLESTOILETSTOILINGTOITINGTONETICTONGUESTONIESTTONLETSTOTTINGTOUSINGTOUTINGTUITIONTUNICLETUTTIESTUTTINGUGLIESTUNCLOGSUNCLOSEUNCOILSUNITIESUTENSILUTILISECENTOSCESTOICILICECINEOLCITIESCITINGCITOLECLIENTCLINESCLINGSCLINICCLITICCLONESCLONICCLONUSCLOSETCLOUTSCLUINGCOGENTCOIGNECOIGNSCOITUSCOLEUSCOLICSCOLIESCOLINSCONGESCONGIICONICSCONIESCONSULCONTESCOSIGNCOSINECOTINGCOULISCOUNTSCOUSINCUEINGCULETSCULTICCUTESTCUTIESCUTINSCUTLETCUTTLEEGOISTELICITELINTSELOIGNELOINSENGLUTENLISTENOLICENSOULENTOILGENIUSGENTILGESTICGITTINGLINTSGLOUTSGLUONSGLUTEIGLUTENGOTTENGUILESGUILTSGUNITEGUNSELGUTTLEICICLEICIESTICINGSICONESICONICIGNITEINCESTINCISEINCITEINCOGSINCULTINCUSEINGESTINGLESINGOTSINLETSINSECTINSOLEINSOULINSTILINSULTINTUITIOLITEIONICSIONISEISLINGLECTINLEGIONLEGISTLEGITSLENTICLENTOSLESIONLEUCINLISTENLITTENLOCUSTLOGICSLONGESLOSINGLOTTESLOUIESLOUNGELUCENTLUETICLUNETSLUNGESLUNGISLUNIESLUTEINLUTINGLUTISTNICESTNICOLSNOETICNOTICENUCLEINUTLETOCCULTOCTETSOILINGOLEINSOSCINEOSCULEOTITICOTITISOUNCESOUTINGOUTLETOUTLIEOUTSETOUTSINOUTSITSCENICSCONCESENITISETOUTSIGLOISIGNETSILENISILENTSINGLESITINGSITTENSLUICESLUINGSOIGNESOLINGSOLUTESTELICSTINGOSTOGIESTOLENSTUCCOSUNLITTELSONTENUISTENUTITENUTOTESTONTICTOCTIEINGTIGLONTIGONSTILINGTINCTSTINGESTINGLETINSELTITLESTITTIETITTLETOCSINTOEINGTOGUESTOILESTOILETTOLINGTOLUICTONGUETONICSTONLETTONSILTOTINGTOUSLETUNICSTUTTISUGLIESUNCLESUNCLOGUNCOILUNITESUNTIESCEILSCELTSCENTOCENTSCESTICINESCIONSCISCOCITESCLINECLINGCLOGSCLONECLONSCLOSECLOTSCLOUTCLUESCLUNGCOIGNCOILSCOINSCOLESCOLICCOLINCOLTSCONESCONGECONICCONTECONUSCOSECCOSETCOSIECOTESCOUNTCUINGCULETCULTICULTSCUNTSCUSECCUTESCUTIECUTINCUTISELINTELOINENOLSEOSINESCOTETUISGELTSGENICGENIIGENTSGENUSGILTSGLENSGLINTGLOSTGLOUTGLUESGLUONGLUTSGOUTSGUESTGUILEGUILTGUISEGULESGUSTOICINGICONSICTICICTUSIGLUSILEUSINCOGINCUSINGLEINGOTINLETINSETINTISIONICISLETISTLELEGITLENISLENOSLENTOLICITLIENSLIEUSLINESLINGOLINGSLINOSLINTSLIONSLOCUSLOGESLOGICLOINSLONGELONGSLOTICLOTTELOTUSLOUIELOUISLOUSELOUTSLUCESLUGESLUNESLUNETLUNGELUNGILUNGSLUNTSLUTESNEGUSNEISTNETTSNICOLNISEINITESNOELSNOILSNOISENOTESOCTETOCULIOGLESOLEICOLEINONSETONTICOUNCEOUSELSCENTSCIONSCONESCOUTSCUTESECCOSEGNISEGNOSENGISENTISETONSIGILSINCESINGESLICESLINGSLUNGSNOUTSOCLESOLEISONICSTEINSTENOSTILESTILTSTINGSTINTSTOICSTOLESTONESTOUTSTUNGSTUNTSUINGSUINTSUITESULCITELICTELOITELOSTENTSTIGONTILESTILTSTINCTTINESTINGETINGSTINTSTITISTITLETOGUETOILETOILSTOITSTOLESTOLUSTONESTONGSTONICTONUSTOTESTOUSETOUTSTULESTUNESTUNGSTUNICTUTTIUNCLEUNCOSUNGOTUNITEUNITSUNLETUNLITUNSETUNTIEUNTILUSINGUTILECEILCELSCELTCENTCINECIONCISTCITECLOGCLONCLOTCLUECOGSCOILCOINCOLECOLSCOLTCONECONICONSCOSTCOTECOTSCUESCULTCUNTCUTECUTSECUSEGISEGOSENGSENOLEONSETICETUIGELSGELTGENSGENTGENUGESTGETSGIENGIESGILTGINSGISTGITSGLENGLUEGLUTGNUSGOESGONEGOUTGULSGUNSGUSTGUTSICESICONIGLUINTIINTOIONSISLELEGSLEISLENOLENSLENTLESTLETSLICELIENLIESLIEULINELINGLINOLINSLINTLIONLISTLITELITSLITULOCILOGELOGSLOINLONELONGLOSELOSTLOTILOTSLOUTLUCELUESLUGELUGSLUNELUNGLUNTLUSTLUTENESTNETSNETTNICENILSNISINITENITSNOELNOESNOGSNOILNOSENOTENOUSNUTSOGLEOILSOLESONCEONESONUSOTICOUSTOUTSSCOTSCUTSECTSEGOSENTSETTSICESIGNSILOSILTSINESINGSITESLITSLOESLOGSLOTSLUESLUGSLUTSNITSNOGSNOTSNUGSOILSOLESOLISONESONGSOULSTETSTUNSUETSUITSUNGTEGSTELSTENSTENTTESTTETSTICSTIESTILETILSTILTTINETINGTINSTINTTITITITSTOESTOGSTOILTOITTOLETOLUTONETONG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The rest of this puzzle

• ELTMA → METAL (a typically hard, shiny, heat-conducting material such as iron, copper or gold)
• IGNSE → SINGE (to burn the surface of something slightly, without setting it fully alight)
• ANQTUI → QUAINT (attractively old-fashioned, unusual in a charming way)
• CCTOSH → SCOTCH (to put an end to a rumor or plan)

Got different letters? Try the jumble solver for single words or the multi-word jumble solver for phrases.