NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for October 2, 2001

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

Tuesday, October 2, 2001

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 4:10 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Tuesday, October 2, 2001. 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.

78 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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Previous The Crossword answer

Monday, October 1, 2001

across

1. "Hold it right there!": WHOA
5. Saintly glow: HALO
9. Scout's mission: RECON
14. Metrical foot: IAMB
15. Pitcher: EWER
16. Prefix with centric: ETHNO
17. Mmes., in Madrid: SRAS
18. Letterman of late-night: DAVE
19. Anthracite and bituminous: COALS
20. See 40-Across: PINOTGRIGIO
23. Bread for a ham sandwich: RYE
24. Saxophone and oboe: REEDS
25. Elmer who hunts wabbits: FUDD
27. Truth stretcher: FIBBER
30. Indian child: PAPOOSE
33. Suffix with serpent: INE
34. Philanthropist: DONOR
37. General Foods coffee: SANKA
38. Party with leis: LUAU
40. Subject of this puzzle: WINES
42. Hitch: SNAG
43. Burst: ERUPT
45. Excite: KEYUP
47. Had lunch: ATE
48. Celebrate: REJOICE
50. Showing more age, maybe: GRAYER
52. Aware of: ONTO
53. "... to fetch ___ of water": APAIL
55. Sal of song, e.g.: GAL
57. See 40-Across: REDBURGUNDY
62. Lasso: RIATA
64. Wyatt of the West: EARP
65. Farm sounds: MOOS
66. Bonehead: IDIOT
67. Predecessor of Exxon: ESSO
68. Painting not for the demure: NUDE
69. Phony gems: PASTE
70. Like one side of a pool: DEEP
71. "___ out?" (pet's choice): INOR

down

1. Bit of smoke: WISP
2. Spy Mata ___: HARI
3. Arabian Peninsula land: OMAN
4. Soak up: ABSORB
5. Many an estate border: HEDGEROW
6. Oscar or Tony: AWARD
7. 501's: LEVIS
8. Calif. neighbor: OREG
9. Gets back: RECOUPS
10. D.D.E.'s W.W. II command: ETO
11. See 40-Across: CHARDONNAY
12. Left Turn ___ (street sign): ONLY
13. The scenter of things?: NOSE
21. Ticked (off): TEED
22. "___ Man Answers" (1962 flick): IFA
26. "___ I say, not ...": DOAS
27. Secretary, at times: FILER
28. Get used (to): INURE
29. See 40-Across: BEAUJOLAIS
30. Mice, to cats: PREY
31. In-line item: SKATE
32. Itching to go: EAGER
35. "Just do it" sloganeer: NIKE
36. Start of a long distance call: ONE
39. Atop: UPON
41. Sweet drink: SUGARPOP
44. Test the strength of, chemically: TITRATE
46. Fussy sort: PRIG
49. Miler Sebastian: COE
51. Graduates: ALUMNI
53. Humiliate: ABASE
54. Derby prize: PURSE
55. Handshake: GRIP
56. Broadway hit co-written by Elton John: AIDA
58. Owner's certificate: DEED
59. It could be proper: NOUN
60. Extinct bird: DODO
61. River of Belgium: YSER
63. Preschooler: TOT

Hints and full breakdown for Oct 1

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.