NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for December 31, 1997

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

Wednesday, December 31, 1997

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 4:34 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, December 31, 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.

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

Across clues & answers

Down clues & answers

1
Way out
2
English cattle breed
3
Escaped con's memoir?
4
City liberated by Joan of Arc
5
Unlikely nickname in the N.B.A.
6
Three-reeler, e.g.
7
Mideast's Gulf of ___
8
Classical start
9
Military movements
10
Chatter
11
First name in country music
12
"___ out?"
13
Crewmen
19
Dell dweller
24
Yankee junkball pitcher
25
Crunchy salad toppers
27
Watches
28
Clinton chef's memoir?
29
Passion personified
30
Unit of force
31
With 16-Across, where the Pistons used to play
32
Skunk's defense
33
Not o'er
34
Inscribed pillar
36
Somewhat
39
What some folks can't tolerate
40
1984 Super Bowl champs
43
Did comparison shopping
44
Skillful
45
Pickle juice
46
Longtime SAC chief
47
"The Winding Stair" poet
48
Exuberance
49
Actor Neeson
50
70's do
51
Church part
54
Woeful

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Tuesday, December 30, 1997

across

1. Teeny amounts: DABS
5. ___ nova: BOSSA
10. Japanese middle managers?: OBIS
14. Metallurgists' studies: ORES
15. Perfume: ATTAR
16. Zippo: NADA
17. Meanie: OGRE
18. Old TV comic: JOEYBISHOP
20. Blonde's secret, maybe: DYE
21. Ladies' man: CASANOVA
22. Memorable name: ALAMO
24. Holier-than-thou type: MORALIST
28. Set boundaries: DELIMIT
31. Some soda pops: NEHIS
32. Compunction: REMORSE
36. Lyric poem: ODE
37. "The Dunciad" writer: ALEXANDERPOPE
41. Latin lady: Abbr.: SRA
42. Keeps from escaping: SEALSIN
43. Zhou ___: ENLAI
46. They show the way: ATLASES
50. Hip characters: COOLCATS
54. "___ nous...": ENTRE
55. Got off track: DERAILED
58. "There you are!": AHA
59. 1967 Pulitzer poet: ANNESEXTON
62. Sign of healing: SCAB
63. Kind of jet: LEAR
64. "___ say more?": NEEDI
65. In this place: HERE
66. Test venues: LABS
67. Supplemented: ADDED
68. Jekyll's counterpart: HYDE

down

1. Dingus: DOODAD
2. Sock pattern: ARGYLE
3. "Get with it!": BEREAL
4. Atlanta-to-Tampa dir.: SSE
5. California peninsula: BAJA
6. Western Indians: OTOS
7. Energy for Fulton: STEAM
8. Decline: SAYNO
9. Leafy shelter: ARBOR
10. Discounted: ONSALE
11. Scrooge's cry: BAH
12. Yes, at the altar: IDO
13. Dupe: SAP
19. "Terrible" czar: IVAN
21. One of the financial markets, for short: COMEX
23. Bog: MIRE
25. Hwy. eatery: IHOP
26. A or B, on a cassette: SIDE
27. Literary monogram: TSE
29. "___ helpless as a kitten up a tree...": IMAS
30. Dial sound: TONE
33. Vitamin bottle abbr.: RDA
34. Actress Ward: SELA
35. Once, once: ERST
37. Florentine river: ARNO
38. "Le Roi d'Ys" composer: LALO
39. Stacked: PILED
40. ___ even keel: ONAN
41. Brief time: SEC
44. Trees with catkins: ALDERS
45. Italian refreshments: ICES
47. English travel writer Thomas: STACEY
48. Founder of est: ERHARD
49. U.S. Navy builder: SEABEE
51. Stadium: ARENA
52. Levied: TAXED
53. Located: SITED
56. Locale of riches: LODE
57. Oklahoma city: ENID
59. Whole shebang: ALL
60. Teachers' org.: NEA
61. Collar: NAB
62. "No whispering!": SHH

Hints and full breakdown for Dec 30

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.