NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for March 18, 2002
Monday, March 18, 2002
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Monday, March 18, 2002. 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
- 16
- 17
- 34
- 55
Down clues & answers
- 28
- 40
- 45
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Sunday, March 17, 2002
across
- 1. Head of the produce section?: CABBAGE
- 8. Eunuch's charge: HAREM
- 13. End of ___: ANERA
- 18. Bakery treats: ECLAIRS
- 19. "Even Homer nods" writer: HORACE
- 20. Key person in England: GAOLER
- 21. Result of an Oscar nominee's disappearance at an awards ceremony? [releases of 1968, 1982 and 1982]: STARMISSINGTHEVERDICT
- 24. Sampling: TEST
- 25. Scads: TONS
- 26. Hot: EROTIC
- 27. "Soapdish" actress: SHUE
- 28. Carpenter ___: ANT
- 30. 1986 rock autobiography: ITINA
- 32. Manage: EKEOUT
- 34. Advice to a budding alarmist? [1988, 1999, 1994]: BIGBOYSDONTCRYWOLF
- 40. ___ case: WORST
- 41. Fresh: PERT
- 42. Extra-wide shoe spec.: EEE
- 43. Ere: AFORE
- 47. Bibliophilic suffix: ANA
- 48. Stopping point: Abbr.: STA
- 50. Something that's worked up: IRE
- 52. C, F and G: CLEFS
- 55. Campaigner: POL
- 56. Charles Van Doren vis-à-vis the game show "Twenty-One"? [1976, 1989, 1985]: NETWORKSCANDALWITNESS
- 61. Not docked: ASEA
- 62. Glass ___: EEL
- 63. Like a bunch: DIG
- 64. Heir, at law: ALIENEE
- 65. With 51-Down, old movie finale: THE
- 67. Anyhow: YET
- 70. Zing: PEP
- 72. Diamonds: ICE
- 73. Warp-knit fabrics: TRICOTS
- 77. Cole Porter's "___ in Love": IAM
- 79. Uncommon sense: ESP
- 81. Circle meas.: DIAM
- 85. Producer of a big accident? [1998, 2000, 1960]: RUSHHOURTRAFFICPSYCHO
- 90. Tucked away: ATE
- 91. Big name in book clubs: OPRAH
- 92. "The Whiffenpoof Song" singer: ELI
- 93. Row producer: HOE
- 94. Richard ___: III
- 95. Sass: CHEEK
- 97. Gooey stuff: GEL
- 99. Old Irish alphabet: Var.: OGAM
- 101. Tastes: TANGS
- 103. Why the paparazzi couldn't photograph actress Roberts? [1977, 1985, 1998]: JULIARANOUTOFSIGHT
- 108. Lack stability: SEESAW
- 110. Yankees manager Joe: TORRE
- 111. Attention: EAR
- 112. Math course, informally: CALC
- 113. Walked in the rain, say: GOTWET
- 116. Bring in: EARN
- 118. Mop: SWAB
- 122. Heartwarming scene in a war movie? [1986, 1992, 1978]: PLATOONHEROCOMINGHOME
- 126. Shifts: ALTERS
- 127. Noted support group: ALANON
- 128. Recover from: GETOVER
- 129. Poorly kept: SEEDY
- 130. Hung around: IDLED
- 131. Least sharp: SLOWEST
down
- 1. "___ Vous" (1927 song hit): CEST
- 2. Molière play part: ACTE
- 3. "Gil ___": BLAS
- 4. Grasshoppers can help make them: BARTABS
- 5. Fire preceder?: AIM
- 6. Tough and courageous: GRITTY
- 7. "Happy Motoring" sloganeer: ESSO
- 8. Dear: HON
- 9. Silver: ARGENT
- 10. Grind: RATRACE
- 11. Parrot: ECHO
- 12. Come up to: MEET
- 13. Swiss river: AAR
- 14. Dozes: NODSOFF
- 15. Diplomat Root: ELIHU
- 16. Like some movies for TV: RECUT
- 17. What Michelangelo produced: ARTE
- 19. Not just noteworthy: HISTORIC
- 20. Creature with padded toes: GECKO
- 22. Like some remarks: SNIDE
- 23. Desirable hotel room feature: VIEW
- 29. Untrue: NOTSO
- 31. Prefix with species: INTRA
- 33. Flexible: ELASTIC
- 34. Master, in Swahili: BWANA
- 35. Actress Skye and others: IONES
- 36. Annoy, in a way: GRATE
- 37. Uttered, old-style: SPAKE
- 38. Confine again: RECAGE
- 39. Cheerleader's practice: YELL
- 44. Big tournament: OPEN
- 45. Mounted: ROSE
- 46. Different: ELSE
- 49. Perch, perhaps: TREETOP
- 51. See 65-Across: END
- 53. ___ Beach, Hawaii: EWA
- 54. Fra ___ Lippi: FILIPPO
- 57. Band instrument?: WATCH
- 58. Insidious: SLY
- 59. Dance flourish: DIP
- 60. Like some scholarship winners: NEEDY
- 66. New Jersey town with a hyphenated name: HOHOKUS
- 68. Flexible person's choice: EITHER
- 69. Really beat: TAR
- 71. Four Seasons Hotel architect: PEI
- 73. ___ II razor: TRAC
- 74. Ancestress of King David: RUTH
- 75. "Got it": ISEE
- 76. Opposite of norte: SUR
- 78. Ginnie ___: MAE
- 80. Pinhead: SCHMO
- 82. Sugar coat?: ICING
- 83. On ___ (exulting): AHIGH
- 84. Teary: MOIST
- 86. Eastern music style: RAGA
- 87. Astound: FLOOR
- 88. Plan for: FIGUREON
- 89. ___ good example (is a role model): SETSA
- 96. Booted: EJECTED
- 98. Quarterback's option: LATERAL
- 100. First-stringers: ATEAM
- 102. It has many loops: AIRSHOW
- 104. African capital until 1991: LAGOS
- 105. Cry of glee: IWON
- 106. All's opposite: NOTONE
- 107. Herb used in casseroles: FENNEL
- 108. Explorer Sieur de La ___: SALLE
- 109. Send, in a way: ELATE
- 112. Sched. C preparers: CPAS
- 114. Spicy cuisine: THAI
- 115. Unite: WELD
- 117. Fixes: RIGS
- 119. Crisscrossed: WOVE
- 120. Iowa State site: AMES
- 121. A Muppet: BERT
- 123. Suffix with access: ORY
- 124. Trawler's catch: COD
- 125. Car in a 1964 hit song: GTO
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.