NYT Crossword · The New York Times

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

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

Saturday, May 3, 1997

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 4:38 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Saturday, May 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.

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

Across clues & answers

Down clues & answers

Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.

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Friday, May 2, 1997

across

1. Letterman's last guest on NBC: TOMHANKS
9. Associates: PEERS
14. Burn treatment: ALOEVERA
15. Springy?: VERNAL
16. "Little buddy" of 60's TV: GILLIGAN
17. Captivate: ENGAGE
18. End of the year, e.g.: EVE
19. "Roll ___ bones!": DEM
20. Base: IGNOBLE
21. Make out: NECK
23. Vice follower: VERSA
25. Grandchild's seat: LAP
26. Catholic Bible version: DOUAY
28. First Nobelist in Physics: ROENTGEN
31. Woody: SYLVAN
33. Woody pipe: BRIAR
34. Pop vocalist Annie: LENNOX
36. Magic act: ESCAPE
39. "The door's open!": ENTER
41. Olympic statistic: MEDALS
43. Pacific island chain: MARIANAS
46. Antisesquipedalian: TERSE
47. 1944 Bill of Rights subjects: GIS
48. Make confetti of: RIPUP
50. Friend en francais: AMIE
51. Country with a blue, black and white flag: ESTONIA
54. Def, to a slangster: RAD
56. Tilde carriers: ENS
57. Labor leader of note: CHAVEZ
58. Stimulus that causes strain: STRESSOR
60. Literally, empty hand: KARATE
61. Parting phrase: TAKECARE
62. European cars: OPELS
63. Probed: EXAMINED

down

1. Miscellanea: TAGENDS
2. 1980 Shelley Duvall role: OLIVEOYL
3. Chemistry class model: MOLECULE
4. Norse underworld queen: HEL
5. Passionate: AVID
6. Over half of Israel: NEGEV
7. "Seinfeld" character: KRAMER
8. ___ Ysidro, Calif.: SAN
9. Feller with Teller: PENN
10. Inferential word: ERGO
11. Qualify: ENABLE
12. Eponymous Lord: RAGLAN
13. It was azure-lidded, to Keats: SLEEP
15. Omission of all animal products from the diet: VEGANISM
20. Rhone tributary: ISERE
22. Julie ___, voice of Marge Simpson: KAVNER
24. Hold up: ROB
27. Single-named New Age musician: YANNI
29. Be quiet, to a musician: TACET
30. Good egg's rank?: GRADEA
32. Certify, in a way: NOTARIZE
35. City near Dayton: XENIA
37. Tortellini topping: PARMESAN
38. Shakespearean locale: ELSINORE
40. Bad-mouth: RAP
42. Fumes: SEESRED
43. Bit of bad luck: MISHAP
44. Gazing: ASTARE
45. Additional charge: SURTAX
47. Lizard with clingy toe pads: GECKO
49. Arctic fur: PARKA
52. Site for a race: OVAL
53. Snags: NETS
55. Make judgments: DEEM
58. Marie, e.g.: Abbr.: STE
59. Phys., but not phys. ed.: SCI

Hints and full breakdown for May 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.