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NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for June 21, 2003

Saturday, June 21, 2003

By Last updated How we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Saturday, June 21, 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.

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

Across clues & answers

  1. 14
  2. 25
  3. 34
  4. 39
  5. 48
  6. 51

    Leave

  7. 54

    Hawk

  8. 62

    Begin

Down clues & answers

  1. 3

    Excessive

  2. 7

    Brainiac

  3. 13

    Pet

  4. 30

    Nipper

  5. 37
  6. 38
  7. 43

    Pitches

  8. 45
  9. 51

    Old boy

  10. 52

    Crackers

  11. 54

    Pull-on

  12. 57

    Huddled

Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.

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Previous The Crossword answer

Friday, June 20, 2003

across

  • 1. Pennsylvania Dutch treat: SHOOFLYPIE
  • 11. Angry response: SLAM
  • 15. Bridge material?: FALSETEETH
  • 16. Mineral that glistens: MICA
  • 17. Work necessities, for some: GREENCARDS
  • 18. Like some debaters: ANTI
  • 19. Answer to "Who wants ...?": IDO
  • 20. Singer Grant with the 1956 #1 hit "The Wayward Wind": GOGI
  • 21. About 1% of the atmosphere: ARGON
  • 22. Sharp punches: AWLS
  • 24. Calves may wear them: LEGWARMERS
  • 27. Mont Blanc feature?: NASAL
  • 29. Some winds: REEDS
  • 30. Alphabet trio: RST
  • 31. "Key Largo" Oscar winner: TREVOR
  • 33. Broadway aunt: ELLER
  • 35. Allegany Reservation residents: SENECAS
  • 37. Extraction: LINEAGE
  • 41. Plug: DAMUP
  • 43. Imp, say: BADBOY
  • 44. Jerk: ASS
  • 47. Oscar-winning actress Kedrova and others: LILAS
  • 49. Fine glove material: LISLE
  • 50. Be effective: GETRESULTS
  • 53. O.E.D. stuff: DEFS
  • 54. Torpedoes: HEROS
  • 55. Kind of call: MAIL
  • 57. Two- or three-striper, briefly: NCO
  • 58. Not docked: ASEA
  • 59. Sci-fi command site: BATTLESTAR
  • 62. Writer Berenstain famous for the Berenstain Bears: STAN
  • 63. "Bye!": IMOUTAHERE
  • 64. Gobblers: TOMS
  • 65. Handicapping aids: DOPESHEETS

down

  • 1. N.L. West team: SFGIANTS
  • 2. Nuts and bolts: HARDWARE
  • 3. Half an old vaudeville duo: OLEOLSEN
  • 4. Suffix with tuber: OSE
  • 5. ___ shui (Chinese practice): FENG
  • 6. Mil. rank: LTCOL
  • 7. "The Right Stuff" role: YEAGER
  • 8. Nearest approach: PERIGEE
  • 9. "___ be my pleasure!": ITD
  • 10. Sounds of surprise: EHS
  • 11. Gushing flattery: SMARM
  • 12. Persist: LINGER
  • 13. Pitt and Penn: ACTORS
  • 14. Common town sign: MAINST
  • 21. Certain depot: ARSENAL
  • 23. Put away: SAVED
  • 25. "Um ...": WELL
  • 26. Offhand: ADLIB
  • 28. Places: LOCALES
  • 32. "Caddyshack" director: RAMIS
  • 34. Updated, perhaps: REDID
  • 36. ___ Sea, next to the Philippines: SULU
  • 38. Like some voters: ABSENTEE
  • 39. Battery-powered vehicle: GOLFCART
  • 40. Blots: EYESORES
  • 42. Handheld device: PALMTOP
  • 44. Shocked: AGHAST
  • 45. Looks after: SEESTO
  • 46. Channel: STREAM
  • 48. Work of Pygmalion: STATUE
  • 51. Sheepskin leathers: ROANS
  • 52. Gets choked (up): SILTS
  • 56. Mrs. Rabin: LEAH
  • 59. Two hearts, say: BID
  • 60. "O Deus, Ego ___ Te" (Latin hymn): AMO
  • 61. 1965 Ursula Andress film: SHE
Hints and full breakdown for Jun 20

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.