NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for December 19, 1998

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

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

Saturday, December 19, 1998

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 4:28 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Saturday, December 19, 1998. 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.

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

Across clues & answers

1
"Home, ___!"
6
Finish for Jacob or Joseph
9
Meat avoider
14
St. Teresa's birthplace
15
Kill
16
Phantasm, e.g.
17
Sole food?
20
Dir. the Ebro flows
21
"Orlando Furioso" poet
22
The junk of junk mail
23
Constitution writer
24
Hind's partner
28
French caricaturist Comte de ___
29
Faithful dog, affectionately
33
Whence the song "Mack the Knife," with "The"
38
Dog used as a wartime dispatch bearer
39
What some paths offer
40
Crescent
41
Mom-and-pop org.?
42
Guillotined part
43
Witnesses
47
Bit of pollution
50
Like some Kurds
51
Hollywood employee: Abbr.
54
Small toy, at times
57
Souchong alternative
58
Sound of reproach
59
Strength
60
Issues (forth)
61
"Le coeur a ___ raisons..."
62
Stood still

Down clues & answers

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

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Friday, December 18, 1998

across

1. What to do: TASK
5. Singer Joplin: JANIS
10. Plant for burlap: HEMP
14. One of the Ringling brothers: OTTO
15. Lose ground: ERODE
16. Something to think about: IDEA
17. "Oliver Twist" character: THEARTFULDODGER
20. Test site for an aquanaut: SEALAB
21. Detected: SEEN
22. Command for D.D.E.: ETO
23. Like a wuss: UNMANLY
25. Was terrified by: DREADED
27. Is worthwhile: PAYS
28. Broadcast inits.: APB
30. Mouth-watering: SAVORY
31. Prison guard, in slang: SCREW
33. Saturn or Mars: DEUS
34. Feature of 17- and 54-Across, literally: BROKENHEART
37. Hunk: SLAB
38. Mattress maker: SEALY
39. Train to box?: LIONEL
41. Criterion: Abbr.: STD
42. New York Shakespeare Festival founder: PAPP
46. Journey of self-propulsion?: EGOTRIP
48. U.N. intervention site: SOMALIA
50. What's more: AND
51. "A Girl Like I" author: LOOS
53. Where you pay to play: RESORT
54. Phrase of sympathy: SORRYTOHEARTHAT
57. "...___ saw Elba": EREI
58. Made level: TRUED
59. Size up: RATE
60. Carpenter's groove: DADO
61. Texas leaguer?: ASTRO
62. River to the North Sea: YSER

down

1. Determines the sum: TOTSUP
2. Guardian for Odysseus: ATHENA
3. Torrid: STEAMY
4. Eucalyptus leaf eaters: KOALAS
5. Ebony: JETBLACK
6. Declaration of puppy love?: ARF
7. Entre ___: NOUS
8. Didn't stay active: IDLED
9. Passover celebrations: SEDERS
10. Screened: HID
11. Barely beat: EDGEDOUT
12. Airport figures with names on signs: MEETERS
13. Takeoff: PARODY
18. Ruled: RAN
19. Vitamin specification: ONEADAY
24. Costly W.W. I battleground: YPRES
26. Allege: AVER
29. Elaine ___ ("Seinfeld" role): BENES
31. In the manner of a judge: SOBERLY
32. "___ new?": WHATS
34. Cherry-colored: BLOODRED
35. Deliver a tirade: RANT
36. Get-rich-quick place: ELDORADO
37. Madame in Roma: SIGNORA
39. Took for the summer, maybe: LEASED
40. He played Sinatra in "The Rat Pack": LIOTTA
42. Cream puff, maybe: PASTRY
43. Warm welcomes: ALOHAS
44. Gilbert and Sullivan extra: PIRATE
45. Spiel: PATTER
47. Standard's partner: POORS
49. Place for an ile: MER
52. Barred: SHUT
55. Orinoco, e.g.: RIO
56. Alway: EER

Hints and full breakdown for Dec 18

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.