NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for February 25, 2003
Tuesday, February 25, 2003
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Tuesday, February 25, 2003. 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
- 21
- 25
- 27
- 43
- 55
Down clues & answers
- 12
- 26
- 33
- 54
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Monday, February 24, 2003
across
- 1. Office station: DESK
- 5. Arthur ___ Stadium: ASHE
- 9. "Hurrah!," e.g.: SHOUT
- 14. School for princes William and Harry: ETON
- 15. Swing at a fly: SWAT
- 16. Fool (around): HORSE
- 17. Bounce back: ECHO
- 18. "Stop right there!": HALT
- 19. Ringmaster: EMCEE
- 20. Judge's query: HOWDOYOUPLEAD
- 23. Foal's father: SIRE
- 24. ___ League (56-Down's group): IVY
- 25. Krazy ___: KAT
- 28. Bureaucratic stuff: REDTAPE
- 31. "___, humbug!": BAH
- 34. Cake topper: ICING
- 36. Little devil: IMP
- 37. Voice below soprano: ALTO
- 38. Doctor's query: WHEREDOESITHURT
- 42. Sliver: IOTA
- 43. 18-wheeler: RIG
- 44. Desert spring: OASIS
- 45. ___ Canals (Great Lakes connectors): SOO
- 46. Light lager: PILSNER
- 49. Farm bale: HAY
- 50. Sidekick: PAL
- 51. See 40-Down: OLAY
- 53. Bartender's query: WHATLLYOUHAVE
- 59. See 8-Down: BRUTE
- 60. Beach composition: SAND
- 61. Shade of blue: NAVY
- 63. Raise the curtain: BEGIN
- 64. Wings: Lat.: ALAE
- 65. Deep ___ bend: KNEE
- 66. Nose, slangily: SNOOT
- 67. Baby-sit: TEND
- 68. E-mailed: SENT
down
- 1. Lousy grade: DEE
- 2. Carve in stone: ETCH
- 3. Old warehouse district in New York: SOHO
- 4. "Who ___ what evil ..." (intro to "The Shadow"): KNOWS
- 5. On dry land: ASHORE
- 6. Moved to the music: SWAYED
- 7. Crown of light: HALO
- 8. With 59-Across, words before "Then fall, Caesar!": ETTU
- 9. Make ready for use, as library books: SHELVE
- 10. Warm and comfortable: HOMEY
- 11. SeaWorld whale: ORCA
- 12. Not new: USED
- 13. Titleist supporter: TEE
- 21. Sad song: DIRGE
- 22. Longstocking lass: PIPPI
- 25. Fuzzy fruits: KIWIS
- 26. Sneeze sound: ACHOO
- 27. Link with: TIETO
- 29. Supermodel Cheryl: TIEGS
- 30. Morning hrs.: AMS
- 31. Turn red from embarrassment: BLUSH
- 32. Heart chambers: ATRIA
- 33. ___-totsy: HOTSY
- 35. Gun lobby, briefly: NRA
- 37. "Eureka!": AHA
- 39. Dentist's tool: DRILL
- 40. With "of" and 51-Across, a facial moisturizer: OIL
- 41. Religious scroll: TORAH
- 46. ___ leather: PATENT
- 47. Former White House speechwriter Peggy: NOONAN
- 48. Sidestepped: ELUDED
- 50. Outdoor party site: PATIO
- 52. Foes of Rebs: YANKS
- 53. Chirpy bird: WREN
- 54. Justice Black: HUGO
- 55. Future atty.'s exam: LSAT
- 56. New Haven institution: YALE
- 57. Barn topper: VANE
- 58. Neck and neck: EVEN
- 59. Air rifle ammo: BBS
- 62. However: YET
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.