NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for May 22, 2003

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

Thursday, May 22, 2003

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 4:00 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Thursday, May 22, 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.

78 clues · jump to Across or Down. Tap a tile for one letter, or Answer for the whole word.

Across clues & answers

1
Leading lady
5
It's said when taking off
9
Take off
14
Kaffiyeh sporter
15
Score after deuce
16
People concerned with feet
17
President Taft's alma mater
18
It may be driven during a storm
19
Namely
20
Like a line
23
Coll. hoops competition
24
Beam
25
Place for a shore dinner, maybe
29
Height enhancer
31
"Listen, ___ ..."
34
"The Brady Bunch" housekeeper
35
Self-starter?
36
Ear piece
37
They're packed during the holidays
40
Suffix for high-tech gadgets
41
Groundless
42
Take forcefully
43
Teutonic name part
44
Don't take off
45
Sky pilots, so to speak
46
Animal with a mane
47
Hegelian article
48
Hit Broadway play of 1945, with "The"
55
Walk together
57
___ end
58
Major gold-mining area, with "the"
59
Certain backwater
60
Member of an instrument family
61
Fizzy wine, familiarly
62
59-Across relative
63
Wax makers
64
One that gets tongue-tied?

Down clues & answers

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Wednesday, May 21, 2003

across

1. RCA product: VCR
4. Rock singer/poet Smith: PATTI
9. Drink from fermented milk: KEFIR
14. Pension supplement, for short: IRA
15. Fake fat brand: OLEAN
16. Rust, e.g.: OXIDE
17. Tribe related to the Fox: SAC
18. Civil War side: NORTH
19. Gentleman's gentleman: VALET
20. Start of a definition of television, by 9-Down: AMEDIUMSOCALLED
23. Spendthrift's outing: SPREE
24. Diplomat's asset: TACT
25. Some coll. exams: LSATS
29. Feared flier: TSETSE
33. Definition, part 2: BECAUSEIT
37. One with a list?: DEAN
38. NATO member: USA
39. Public image: PERSONA
42. Chi. setting: CST
43. Buster?: NARC
45. Definition, part 3: ISNEITHER
47. Stopper, informally: KIBOSH
50. "___ the Top": YOURE
51. Sit on it: RUMP
53. Sit on it: PERCH
57. End of the definition: RARENORWELLDONE
63. Like ___ from the blue: ABOLT
64. Beatles phenomenon, e.g.: MANIA
65. Tend the turf: MOW
66. He once worked for Edison: TESLA
67. Follow, as a tip: ACTON
68. Downed a sub?: ATE
69. Wood finish: STAIN
70. Nary a soul: NOONE
71. Aussie outlaw Kelly: NED

down

1. Travelers' papers: VISAS
2. Writer's woe: CRAMP
3. Soap Box Derby entrant: RACER
4. Pays what is due: PONIESUP
5. Baseball family name: ALOU
6. Five to ten, e.g.: TERM
7. Makes lace: TATS
8. ___ water: INHOT
9. Big name in early TV: KOVACS
10. Grandly praised: EXALTED
11. Plug: FILL
12. ___ fixe: IDEE
13. No longer in the service: Abbr.: RETD
21. Crème ___ crème: DELA
22. Subject of a B. Kliban drawing: CAT
26. Enzyme suffix: ASE
27. Garr of "Young Frankenstein": TERI
28. Hardly macho: SISSY
30. Word with high- or low-: TECH
31. MS. enclosure: SASE
32. ___'acte: ENTR
33. "Nonsense!": BUNK
34. Actor Morales: ESAI
35. Engine part, for short: CARB
36. ___ avail: TONO
40. Opposite of alt, in German: NEU
41. 727, e.g.: AIRPLANE
44. Violinist/composer Arcangelo ___: CORELLI
46. Prepared to drive, with "up": TEED
48. Summer shade: SUNTAN
49. Wellness grp.: HMO
52. Spin doctor: PRMAN
54. Eternal City dweller: ROMAN
55. Large bill: CNOTE
56. Cut down: HEWED
57. "Phooey!": RATS
58. Be a lookout for, say: ABET
59. Montgomery's Parks: ROSA
60. City named for an Indian tribe: WACO
61. Within: Prefix: ENTO
62. Big 22-Down: LION

Hints and full breakdown for May 21

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.