NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for September 15, 2003

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

Monday, September 15, 2003

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 3:58 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Monday, September 15, 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.

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

Across clues & answers

1
"So what ___ is new?"
5
Place for drawers
9
Fronts of ships
14
Ponce de ___
15
Oscar winner Kazan
16
Send, as payment
17
Atlantic Coast states, with "the"
18
Coin grade higher than fine
19
African antelope
20
Hot movie of 1981?
23
Kitty starter
24
Minister: Abbr.
25
Get satisfaction for, as a wrong
28
Siren luring sailors to shipwreck
32
Mythical enchantress
33
Program
35
Bruin legend Bobby
36
Hot movie of 1974, with "The"?
40
__ Lilly & Co.
41
Cashews and such
42
___ a million
43
Twisting, perhaps
46
2000 Olympics city
47
Suffix with meth-
48
Draftable
49
Hot movie of 1966?
56
Permit
57
Artless one
58
Secluded valley
59
William and Harry's mother
60
Sign at the front of some bars
61
Biblical twin
62
"___ Defeats Truman" (infamous 1948 headline)
63
Dame Myra
64
"Phooey!"

Down clues & answers

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

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Sunday, September 14, 2003

across

1. "Earth in the Balance" author: ALGORE
7. Nike alternative: ADIDAS
13. Like some felonies: CLASSA
19. Jigsaw puzzles are in them: PIECES
20. Turndown: DENIAL
21. Leaps lynxlike: POUNCES
22. McDaniel of "Gone With the Wind": HATTIE
23. ... to the river: WATCHYOURMOUTH
25. Peruvian ancient: INCAN
26. Shortstop Jeter and others: DEREKS
27. Sow chow: SLOP
28. Lord's Prayer pronoun: THY
29. "Shucks!": DARN
30. Suitable: SEEMLY
31. Finishes off: KILLS
32. In jeopardy: ATSTAKE
34. Seed cover: ARIL
35. Renoir, the film director: JEAN
39. Bub: MAC
41. Wine: Prefix: OEN
42. ... to the tide: COMEINATONCE
46. Show concern for, as someone who's absent: ASKAFTER
49. Lauds: HAILS
50. Taxpayer's headache: AUDIT
51. City on the Mohawk: UTICA
52. "When ___ You" (Irving Berlin song): ILOST
54. Cicadas have them: CYCLES
56. ... to the sun: DONTSTAYOUTTOOLATE
61. Work measurement unit: ERG
62. Webzine: EMAG
63. Dr. on TV: PHIL
64. Haus-hold article: EIN
67. ... to the mountains: JUSTLOOKATYOURFACE
74. Refines: SMELTS
76. Dental hygienist's request: RINSE
77. Shaw of swing: ARTIE
78. Percentage: SHARE
79. PC shortcut: MACRO
81. Glutted: SATIATED
84. ... to the air: YOURETOOTHIN
87. Auntie, to dad: SIS
88. Store posting: Abbr.: HRS
89. Bank: RELY
90. It follows a premise: ERGO
91. Exhaust: DEPLETE
94. Rock garden herb: SEDUM
95. Toledo's river: MAUMEE
97. Newspaperman Adolph: OCHS
100. Euripides play: ION
103. Abbr. in a library catalog: ETAL
104. Fail at dieting: REGAIN
105. "Orphée" painter: COROT
106. ... to the wind: STOPWHISPERING
109. Turn red, perhaps: MATURE
110. Middle school entrant, e.g.: PRETEEN
111. Guy: FELLER
112. ___ Ile, Mich.: GROSSE
113. Menu section: SALADS
114. John of "Fawlty Towers": CLEESE
115. Not adrift: ROOTED

down

1. Creature that reproduces by parthenogenesis: APHID
2. Tropical vine: LIANA
3. ... to the thunder: GETCRACKING
4. Navigational instrument: OCTANT
5. One that's a bit controlling?: REIN
6. Medical suffix: ESE
7. Madison Avenue reading: ADWEEK
8. "Goodness!": DEARME
9. Santa Clara-based Fortune 500 company: INTEL
10. Faux shirt: DICKY
11. Expressions of relief: AAHS
12. Guileful: SLY
13. Relative of a Camry: COROLLA
14. Figurative comeuppance: LUMPS
15. "Wheel of Fortune" request: ANO
16. ___ work (drudgery): SCUT
17. Green of "Austin Powers" films: SETH
18. Gray, in a way: ASHY
21. Arrive: PULLIN
24. One who was called Lord of the West: OSIRIS
26. Silas of the Continental Congress: DEANE
30. Put back: STET
31. Film critic Pauline: KAEL
33. Chesterfields, e.g.: SOFAS
35. Unit of energy: JOULE
36. "Momo" author Michael: ENDE
37. Galatea's love: ACIS
38. Angler's entangler: NET
39. 1970's sitcom hit: MAUDE
40. Famed furrier: ASTOR
42. Chinese dynasty: CHOU
43. Hops kiln: OAST
44. Fly catcher: MITT
45. Social skill: TACT
47. Cleanup target?: ACT
48. Saudi Arabian coin: RIYAL
53. Merrill Lynch bull, for one: LOGO
54. Madison Avenue award: CLIO
55. Korea Bay feeder: YALU
57. Try: TEST
58. Recipe info: Abbr.: AMTS
59. Goes (for): OPTS
60. "Most definitely!": OHYES
64. ... to the earthworms: EATTHECRUST
65. More standoffish: ICIER
66. Must-haves: NEEDS
67. Hanna-Barbera mouse: JERRY
68. 1997 Peter Fonda title role: ULEE
69. Seating sect.: ORCH
70. Soprano ___ Te Kanawa: KIRI
71. Like most graffiti: Abbr.: ANON
72. Buoy: RAISE
73. Monk's title: FRA
74. It's about a foot: SHOE
75. Deal with brutally: MAUL
78. Neighbor of Turk.: SYR
79. Downhill challenges: MOGULS
80. Minute bit: ATOM
82. Skiing site: ASPEN
83. Tessellation unit: TILE
85. Cuts uppers, e.g.: TEETHES
86. Consecrate to office: ORDAIN
91. Musical Eddy and Allman: DUANES
92. Political asylum seeker: EMIGRE
93. Overly: TOOTOO
94. Made a facing, e.g.: SEWED
95. First name in cosmetics: MERLE
96. Like the Wallendas: AGILE
98. Mount: HORSE
99. Mount: STEED
100. AOL and such: ISPS
101. Another, for Andalusians: OTRA
102. Season to be jolly: NOEL
104. Dance that's done to "Drowsy Maggie": REEL
105. Beloved, in "Rigoletto": CARO
107. Sch. calendar abbr.: PTA
108. U.S.M.C. rank: PFC
109. Biz boss: Abbr.: MGR

Hints and full breakdown for Sep 14

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.