NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for December 7, 1997
Sunday, December 7, 1997
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Sunday, December 7, 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.
Across clues & answers
- 22
- 26
- 30
- 36
- 44
- 50
- 51
- 65
- 73
- 103
- 107
- 113
- 114
- 116
- 117
Down clues & answers
- 14
- 16
- 20
- 58
- 66
- 71
- 95
- 101
- 102
- 106
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Saturday, December 6, 1997
across
- 1. Kind of sch.: ELEM
- 5. Word with card or flood: FLASH
- 10. Presidential nickname: ABE
- 13. Wheel hub: NAVE
- 14. Told: SAIDTO
- 15. Something to chew: CUD
- 16. DAILY NEWSPAPER FEATURES: CROSPUZZLES
- 18. Dernier ___: CRI
- 19. Lubrication spot: OILHOLE
- 20. Planning time: EVE
- 21. Some bracelets: IDS
- 22. FRONTIERSMAN WHO DIED AT THE ALAMO: DAVYCT
- 23. Like the 1880's, e.g.: PRERADIO
- 25. Season of l'année: ETE
- 26. Place for a lecture: HALL
- 28. It might be a reflection on you: SHEEN
- 29. Parodied: SENTUP
- 31. Pulls: INS
- 32. Today's theme, which will help answer the six capitalized clues: DISARMAMENT
- 35. Directional suffix: ERN
- 36. Sage: SAVANT
- 37. Tobacco pipe: BRIAR
- 39. Neuter: GELD
- 40. Suffix in political studies: ISM
- 43. Atmosphere: AMBIENCE
- 46. CONSPICUOUSNESS: PRONCE
- 48. Retriever, for short: LAB
- 49. Soft sound: COO
- 50. Some U.F.O.'s: SAUCERS
- 51. ___ el Amarna, Egypt: TEL
- 52. POLICE MESSAGE: ALLPOINTSIN
- 54. Clinch: ICE
- 55. Seats without backs: STOOLS
- 56. Salinger dedicatee: ESME
- 57. Bank statement listings: Abbr.: CKS
- 58. Approaching the hour: TENTO
- 59. 1994 Shirley MacLaine title role: TESS
down
- 1. Make secret: ENCODE
- 2. It goes around around a roundup: LARIAT
- 3. Develop: EVOLVE
- 4. Netted: MESHY
- 5. Disorient: FAZE
- 6. First name in fashion: LIZ
- 7. Freud contemporary: ADLER
- 8. Daryl's "Roxanne" co-star: STEVE
- 9. Firefighters, at times: HOSERS
- 10. Fluke: ACCIDENT
- 11. FRENCH WINES: BURDIES
- 12. Eponymic New Jersey city: EDISON
- 14. Small raisin: SULTANA
- 17. French pockets: POCHES
- 23. Peacock's pride: PLUMAGE
- 24. "I can take ___!": AHINT
- 27. P.O. items: LTRS
- 29. 1956 invasion site: SINAI
- 30. Surface: PAVE
- 32. Bounces: DRIBBLES
- 33. Area of barren lava flows, in the Southwest: MALPAIS
- 34. Football play: ENDRUN
- 35. LATE AUTHOR-HUMORIST: ERMAECK
- 37. Easy Monopoly purchase: BALTIC
- 38. Modify: RECAST
- 40. Actually existing: INESSE
- 41. Upholstery fabrics: SCRIMS
- 42. Feudal lords: MESNES
- 44. "Cape Fear" actor: NOLTE
- 45. List preceder: COLON
- 47. Serenaders, possibly: OCTET
- 50. Single-handed: SOLO
- 53. Kitty: POT
More daily puzzle hints
- WordleGuess the five-letter word in six triesGuide & tips
- ConnectionsSort 16 words into four hidden groupsGuide & tips
- StrandsFind the themed words hidden in a letter gridGuide & tips
- Spelling BeeMake words from seven letters around a center letterGuide & tips
- Mini CrosswordA bite-size crossword you can finish over coffeeGuide & tips
- Connections: Sports EditionConnections with a sports-only word poolGuide & tips
- Letter BoxedChain words around a square using all 12 lettersGuide & tips
- Midi CrosswordThe mid-size crossword between the Mini and the dailyGuide & tips
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.