NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for February 3, 1997

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Yes. Each date we have covered is in the crossword archive .

Monday, February 3, 1997

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 4:39 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Monday, February 3, 1997. The daily crossword is the classic: a 15×15 grid on weekdays and a larger Sunday puzzle, with difficulty rising from a gentle Monday to a fiendish Saturday. Hints come first and the solution stays hidden until you ask for it.

74 clues · jump to Across or Down. Tap a tile for one letter, or Answer for the whole word.

Across clues & answers

1
Ravioli base
6
Numbered hwys.
10
Nicholas was one
14
Sour
15
The Emerald Isle
16
"What's ___ you?"
17
18-wheelers
18
Communication means for computer-phobes
20
Grotesque imitation
22
Eat like a rabbit
23
Trees with cones
24
Tries again
25
Cornell's home
27
Passover event
28
Spanish gold
29
Moral principle
31
Convened again
35
Eggheady sort
37
"Cheers!" in Cherbourg
39
Dumb ___ (scatterbrain)
40
Length of yarn
42
Spud
44
Q-U link
45
Agrees (with)
47
Bang and buzz, e.g.
49
Graphed
52
"Lorna ___" (1869 romance)
53
Reddish brown
54
Comes to light
57
Communication means at the office
59
Eat away
60
Once, once
61
Blue-pencil
62
"The Thinker" creator
63
Henna and others
64
Old newspaper section
65
Sugary

Down clues & answers

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Sunday, February 2, 1997

across

1. Spanish poet Federico Garcia ___: LORCA
6. Jacuzzi user: BATHER
12. Look everywhere in: SCOUR
17. Indisposed: AVERSE
19. Make it big: ARRIVE
20. Popular porters: SHERPAS
22. Welty's "One Writer's Beginnings," e.g.: MEMOIR
23. Stretched one's neck: CRANED
24. Mexican state or a product that originated there: TABASCO
25. Whole-grain food: BROWNRICE
27. Specialist in a duck blind: DRAKEHUNTER
29. "___ Where My Money Goes" (early 1900's song): DATS
30. Chuck alternative: CHAS
32. The thing is?: ITS
33. G.P. grp.: AMA
34. Highest honor: ACE
35. Colorful clumps of grass: AUBURNTUFTS
40. Trimming tool: EDGER
42. Platitudes: TRUISMS
44. Army leader?: ARNIE
45. Province in Italy's Northern League: VARESE
46. Blue Eagle initials: NRA
47. Adult: GROWN
48. Locate: SITE
49. Conviction: BELIEF
52. Kingdom of Minos: CRETE
53. Lies limply: SPRAWLS
56. Drink for Drac: BLOOD
57. Nurse: FEED
58. Street of mystery: DELLA
60. Go cold turkey: QUIT
62. Columbia athlete: LION
63. Fill the hold: LADE
64. Flying jib, e.g.: SAIL
65. Pull strings?: UNDO
66. Get fresh with: SASS
67. More than miffed: IRATE
69. Toiling: ATIT
70. Christmas ___: SEALS
71. Advanced course: SEMINAR
73. Whiz: MAVEN
75. "___ a Moon Out Tonight" (1961 hit): THERES
76. "___ Three Lives": ILED
77. Missouri, e.g.: RIVER
78. East end: ERN
79. Jelly ingredient: PECTIN
82. Secretary, at times: FILER
83. Crime statistics: ARRESTS
87. Western airline name: ALOHA
88. Emma Lazarus: LIBERTYBARD
90. Muscle-building unit: REP
92. Put up: CAN
93. To be, to Benita: SER
94. Word in a promise: SOON
95. Hot issue?: LAVA
96. Area near the crown: KINGSTEMPLE
102. One who teases a nobleman: DUKERIDER
105. Squeaking: UNOILED
106. "Stalag 17" star: HOLDEN
108. Inherent character: NATURE
109. They're dispensed in litres: PETROLS
110. Ancient: AGEOLD
111. School of painting: ASHCAN
112. Marsh plant: SEDGE
113. Break: RECESS
114. Cobbler's stock: HEELS

down

1. Kind of particle: LAMBDA
2. "Saw the air too much with your hand," in Shakespeare's words: OVERACT
3. Like Uranus vis-a-vis Jupiter: REMOTER
4. A cock does it: CROWS
5. Speller's phrase: ASIN
6. God of wine: BACCHUS
7. Unpaid debt: ARREAR
8. Sing-a-long syllable: TRA
9. Posterior: HIND
10. In any way: EVER
11. The scarlet letter: REDA
12. Bygone kings: SHAHS
13. Philippine island: CEBU
14. City WNW of Mascara: ORAN
15. Overshadow: UPSTAGE
16. Flower clusters: RACEMES
18. Not be perfect: ERR
20. Changes back: STETS
21. Guy Lombardo hit of 1937 or Jimmy Dorsey hit of 1957: SORARE
26. Silo occupant: ICBM
28. Franklin's flier: KITE
31. Grabbed: SNARED
35. Hung out to dry: AIRED
36. Bomber initials: USAF
37. Bring (out): TROT
38. Single: UNWED
39. Cod piece?: FIN
40. "___ Peach" (Allman Brothers album): EATA
41. Got lucky at poker: DREWQUEENS
43. General Grant's horseshoer: UNIONSMITH
45. Like the flu: VIRAL
47. Hail: GREET
48. Alley challenge: SPLIT
49. Beer holders: Abbr.: BBLS
50. Walt Disney's middle name: ELIAS
51. Unbound: LOOSE
52. Chest material: CEDAR
53. Done in: SLAIN
54. Like some excursions: LUNAR
55. Go furtively: SIDLE
57. Unit of capacitance: FARAD
59. Distillation product: ESTER
61. Chuck: TOSS
63. Closet contents: LINEN
68. "South Pacific" hero: EMILE
69. Fends off: AVERTS
70. Make confetti: SHRED
72. Trojan princess of a Mozart opera: ILIA
74. Maintain: AVER
75. Alas., once: TERR
77. Costa, anatomically: RIB
79. Get ready to leave: PACKUP
80. Renowned Manhattan eatery: ELAINES
81. Suggest: CONNOTE
82. Concern: FIRM
83. Overflows: ABOUNDS
84. Captain, e.g.: RANK
85. Slander: TRADUCE
86. A fistful: SEVERAL
88. Home of England's Opera North: LEEDS
89. Off-peak calls?: YODELS
91. ( ), informally: PARENS
93. Marker: STELE
95. Loose-limbed: LITHE
97. Prepare for action: GIRD
98. Toil wearily: SLOG
99. "___ Lap" (1983 film): PHAR
100. Balcony section: LOGE
101. Engr.'s specialty: ELEC
103. Bambi's aunt: ENA
104. Devil-may-care: RASH
107. Bambi's aunt: DOE

Hints and full breakdown for Feb 2

More daily puzzle hints

How the week is built

Monday and Tuesday: straightforward definitions and familiar answers. These are the best days to learn.
Wednesday: a step up, often with a playful theme.
Thursday: the trick day, with rebus squares (several letters in one square) and answers that turn corners or skip squares.
Friday and Saturday: themeless and tough, with sly clues and long open sections.
Sunday: a bigger 21×21 grid with a theme, about as hard as a Wednesday or Thursday.

Crossword-solving habits worth building

Learn the common fill. Short vowel-heavy words such as ERA, OREO, ALOE and ETNA appear constantly because they help constructors connect sections.
Read clue signals. "?" means wordplay, "Abbr." means an abbreviation, "e.g." means an example of a category, and a foreign word in the clue hints at a foreign answer.
Find the theme. The longest answers usually share a gimmick; the title (on Sundays) or a "revealer" clue explains it.
Erase without fear. When crossings don't work, the wrong letter is usually in the answer you were most confident about.
Use targeted help. Reveal one letter here, or try our crossword solver with a pattern like ?R?S?.

The Crossword FAQ

When is the next crossword released?

Weekday puzzles go live at 10 p.m. Eastern Time the night before; weekend puzzles are released earlier in the evening.

What is a rebus square?

A square that holds more than one letter. Sometimes it holds a whole word or a symbol. They are most common on Thursdays.

Which day is the hardest?

Saturday is generally the hardest, followed by Friday. Sunday is larger but closer to midweek difficulty.

Can I see past crossword answers?

Yes. Each date we have covered is in the crossword archive.