NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for December 11, 2002
Wednesday, December 11, 2002
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, December 11, 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
- 10
- 22
- 45
- 48
- 62
- 63
- 64
Down clues & answers
- 22
- 25
- 42
- 47
- 51
- 60
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Tuesday, December 10, 2002
across
- 1. Shaving products: FOAMS
- 6. Wrangler's buddy: PARD
- 10. Deck quartet: ACES
- 14. Buzzards Bay, for one: INLET
- 15. To ___ (exactly): ATEE
- 16. Classic Walt Kelly strip: POGO
- 17. Washington flip side: STATE
- 18. Monticello flip side: JEFFERSON
- 20. Shout of adoration: HOSANNA
- 22. Monkeys, apes and such: SIMIANS
- 23. Is imminent: LOOMS
- 25. Zero: NIL
- 26. Bad to the bone: EVIL
- 29. Bonnet securer: HATPIN
- 31. In vitro items: OVA
- 34. Dunce cap-shaped: CONIC
- 36. Fill to the gills: SATE
- 37. San Francisco's ___ Hill: NOB
- 38. Memorial flip side: LINCOLN
- 41. Presidential seal flip side: KENNEDY
- 43. Pub order: ALE
- 44. Turndowns: NOES
- 46. Shipbuilders' woods: TEAKS
- 47. Driveway surface: TAR
- 48. Shows contempt: SNEERS
- 51. 12/25: XMAS
- 52. It's found in a pound: DOG
- 53. Bee product?: QUILT
- 55. A Little Rascal: ALFALFA
- 59. One of the Fondas: BRIDGET
- 63. Sacagawea flip side: BALDEAGLE
- 65. Roosevelt flip side: TORCH
- 66. Thin nail: BRAD
- 67. It's flipped in this puzzle: COIN
- 68. Fuss: HOOHA
- 69. Nervous: EDGY
- 70. Extremities: ENDS
- 71. Grain disease: ERGOT
down
- 1. Dangle poles over a pier, say: FISH
- 2. Not deceived by: ONTO
- 3. Word for Yorick: ALAS
- 4. Tinny-sounding: METALLIC
- 5. Shorthand taker, for short: STENO
- 6. Kind of top or party: PAJAMA
- 7. Polished off: ATE
- 8. Makes calls on the court: REFS
- 9. Clear-cut: DEFINITE
- 10. Fool's month: APRIL
- 11. ___ Nostra: COSA
- 12. Designer von Furstenberg: EGON
- 13. Princes, e.g.: SONS
- 19. ___ domain: EMINENT
- 21. Drama with masks: NOH
- 24. They go around the block: Abbr.: STS
- 26. Great applause: ECLAT
- 27. "There!": VOILA
- 28. Centerward: INNER
- 30. Karachi's land: Abbr.: PAK
- 31. A wee hr.: ONEAM
- 32. Bullshot ingredient: VODKA
- 33. Deep pit: ABYSS
- 35. Television cabinet: CONSOLE
- 39. Sullen expression: LONGFACE
- 40. Bridal bio word: NEE
- 42. Like a close neighbor: NEXTDOOR
- 45. Et ___ (and the following): Abbr.: SEQ
- 49. "Venus and Adonis" painter: RUBENS
- 50. What to call a knight: SIR
- 52. Papa: DADDY
- 54. Flexible, as a body: LITHE
- 55. Singer Lane: ABBE
- 56. Fat in a can: LARD
- 57. Stars and Stripes, e.g.: FLAG
- 58. 1957 Stravinsky ballet: AGON
- 60. Old-time sailor's drink: GROG
- 61. Bounceback: ECHO
- 62. "___ does it!": THAT
- 64. Topper: LID
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.