NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for April 12, 2000
Wednesday, April 12, 2000
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, April 12, 2000. 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
- 13
- 25
- 49
Down clues & answers
- 3
- 11
- 23
- 28
- 30
- 31
- 46
- 50
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Tuesday, April 11, 2000
across
- 1. Big mess: SNAFU
- 6. Kind of awareness: SELF
- 10. Stick of gum, informally: CHEW
- 14. Kissinger's boss, once: NIXON
- 15. Composer Stravinsky: IGOR
- 16. Sport with mallets: POLO
- 17. Dead to the world: INERT
- 18. "Peter Pan" pooch: NANA
- 19. Folk singer Guthrie: ARLO
- 20. Fortuneteller's art: PALMREADING
- 23. In a funk: SAD
- 24. German car: AUDI
- 25. Big beer buy: CASE
- 27. City southeast of Rome: NAPLES
- 30. International trade spot: OPENPORT
- 34. Goofs: ERRS
- 35. Author Ferber: EDNA
- 37. Rubbernecker: GAPER
- 38. "Wheel of Fortune" buy: ANI
- 39. Theme of this puzzle: GLASSES
- 41. Bard's "before": ERE
- 42. Its mouth is nowhere near its head: RIVER
- 44. Feline line: MEOW
- 45. High-fiber food: BRAN
- 46. Shoreline: SEACOAST
- 48. Martha's Vineyard, e.g.: ISLAND
- 50. Roger Rabbit, for one: TOON
- 51. ___ B'rith: BNAI
- 52. "Norma ___" (Field film): RAE
- 54. Summer arctic phenomenon: MIDNIGHTSUN
- 60. Actor Guinness: ALEC
- 62. Vegetarian's no-no: MEAT
- 63. Sky-blue: AZURE
- 64. It comes easily to hand: YOYO
- 65. Dismounted: ALIT
- 66. Hang loose: RELAX
- 67. Rung: STEP
- 68. Easter flower: LILY
- 69. Not for minors: ADULT
down
- 1. Barber's motion: SNIP
- 2. La ___ (weather worry): NINA
- 3. Figure skater's jump: AXEL
- 4. Black-tie affairs: FORMALS
- 5. "That's a lie!": UNTRUE
- 6. Red Sea peninsula: SINAI
- 7. "Holy cow!": EGAD
- 8. Burt's ex: LONI
- 9. Médoc wine source: FRANCE
- 10. Tax expert, for short: CPA
- 11. Oater: HORSEOPERA
- 12. First name in jazz: ELLA
- 13. Golf club: WOOD
- 21. Ford folly: EDSEL
- 22. The Jets and the Sharks: GANGS
- 26. Bathroom installation: SPA
- 27. Draws nigh: NEARS
- 28. Palmer with an "army": ARNIE
- 29. Sam Spade, e.g.: PRIVATEEYE
- 30. Beginning: ONSET
- 31. El ___, Tex.: PASO
- 32. Showed again: RERAN
- 33. Poll revelation: TREND
- 36. Stops up: DAMS
- 39. Best man's best friend, often: GROOM
- 40. "Dallas" family name: EWING
- 43. Prefix with friendly: ECO
- 45. Charged the quarterback: BLITZED
- 47. Like some instincts: ANIMAL
- 49. Much of Niger: SAHARA
- 51. Teensy-weensy: BITTY
- 52. Tanners catch them: RAYS
- 53. Gobs: ALOT
- 55. Where to find a hero: DELI
- 56. It's at your fingertip: NAIL
- 57. "Star Trek" helmsman: SULU
- 58. Russian river: URAL
- 59. Doctor's office call: NEXT
- 61. Speeder stopper: COP
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.