NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for April 23, 2003
Wednesday, April 23, 2003
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, April 23, 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
Down clues & answers
- 1
- 3
- 11
- 30
- 36
- 44
- 54
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Tuesday, April 22, 2003
across
- 1. Very dry, as wine: BRUT
- 5. Future blooms: BUDS
- 9. Witch trials site: SALEM
- 14. Minstrel's instrument: LUTE
- 15. Put ___ writing: ITIN
- 16. Wear away: ERODE
- 17. Went ___ smoke: UPIN
- 18. Foolishly enthusiastic: GAGA
- 19. Spooky: EERIE
- 20. Hundreds in New York, perhaps: RECORDHIGHS
- 23. Kitchen pest: ANT
- 24. ___ Baby: BEANIE
- 25. Russian empresses: TSARINAS
- 27. Pesky e-mails: SPAM
- 29. School of Buddhism: ZEN
- 30. Workout site: GYM
- 33. Back problem: SLIPPEDDISK
- 39. Ark builder: NOAH
- 41. Floral necklace: LEI
- 42. Time past: YORE
- 43. Polynesian restaurant offering: PUPUPLATTER
- 48. Holiday drink: NOG
- 49. 1989 General Motors debut: GEO
- 50. First of all: ADAM
- 52. Inspects again: RECHECKS
- 57. Lack of vigor: ANEMIA
- 61. J.F.K. posting: ETA
- 62. House exterior choice: VINYLSIDING
- 64. Prefix with millionaire: MULTI
- 66. Algerian seaport: ORAN
- 67. Forearm bone: ULNA
- 68. Runs with minimal power: IDLES
- 69. Whistler's whistle: TUNE
- 70. Barely read: SKIM
- 71. Impart knowledge: TEACH
- 72. Sailboat feature: SPAR
- 73. Headed for foreign ports: ASEA
down
- 1. Brief ad: BLURB
- 2. Indian coin: RUPEE
- 3. Ancient city NW of Carthage: UTICA
- 4. Mortise insertions: TENONS
- 5. "So what?!": BIGDEAL
- 6. Where the first transcontinental railroad was completed: UTAH
- 7. Finger, say: DIGIT
- 8. Hitches: SNAGS
- 9. Is plenty angry: SEESRED
- 10. See 31-Down: ARE
- 11. System for pilots: LORAN
- 12. City near Minneapolis: EDINA
- 13. Runs into: MEETS
- 21. Places for patches: RIPS
- 22. Part of many a summer forecast: HAZE
- 26. ___ 500: INDY
- 28. "___ 18" (Uris novel): MILA
- 30. Econ. measure: GNP
- 31. With 10-Down, 1983 Lionel Richie hit: YOU
- 32. Traveler's guide: MAP
- 34. Most preferred: PET
- 35. Kind of sandwich: PITA
- 36. Saturn model: ION
- 37. Sellout indicator: SRO
- 38. Center of a blowout, maybe: KEG
- 40. Actor Grant: HUGH
- 44. Easily irritated: PEEVISH
- 45. Places: LOCI
- 46. Lou Grant portrayer: EDASNER
- 47. Hindu princess: RANI
- 51. Snaky-locked woman of myth: MEDUSA
- 52. "Please ___" (invoice stamp): REMIT
- 53. Practice piece: ETUDE
- 54. Arum lily: CALLA
- 55. Stomachs may be in them: KNOTS
- 56. Pancake topper: SYRUP
- 58. Exploits: MILKS
- 59. Bellybutton type: INNIE
- 60. Brightly-colored lizard: AGAMA
- 63. Actress Wood of "Peyton Place": LANA
- 65. Investigator, slangily: TEC
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.