NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for September 23, 2003
Tuesday, September 23, 2003
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Tuesday, September 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
- 23
- 54
- 60
- 68
Down clues & answers
- 23
- 25
- 47
- 49
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Monday, September 22, 2003
across
- 1. Atlas contents: MAPS
- 5. Sonny's partner, once: CHER
- 9. Jazz style: BEBOP
- 14. Spanish water: AGUA
- 15. Composer Schifrin: LALO
- 16. French romance: AMOUR
- 17. Snuggles in: GETSCOMFY
- 19. Jay Silverheels role: TONTO
- 20. Some potatoes: IDAHOS
- 21. Shirt part: ARM
- 23. Sticky stuff: GOO
- 24. Flops down: TAKESALOADOFF
- 28. Have a look: SEE
- 30. And others: Abbr.: ETAL
- 31. Start of long-distance dialing: ONE
- 32. Piles: HEAPS
- 34. What Santa's making (and checking twice): LIST
- 36. Ho-hum: BLAH
- 40. "If all ___ fails ...": ELSE
- 41. Picture puzzle: REBUS
- 42. 5K, e.g.: RACE
- 43. Way off shore: ASEA
- 44. Muslim holy man: IMAM
- 45. Deluxe sheet fabric: SATIN
- 46. Hit, as the knuckles: RAP
- 48. Shower alternative: BATH
- 50. Mag. staffers: EDS
- 51. Gets ready to sit: PULLSUPACHAIR
- 56. Prefix with metric: ISO
- 57. Health resort: SPA
- 58. Pacific weather phenomenon: ELNINO
- 61. Surgeon's assistant: NURSE
- 63. Stays awhile: SETTLESIN
- 66. Fortuneteller's aid: TAROT
- 67. Duet plus one: TRIO
- 68. Count (on): RELY
- 69. Snow sliders: SLEDS
- 70. Catch sight of: ESPY
- 71. "Jurassic Park" menace, briefly: TREX
down
- 1. O. Henry's "The Gift of the ___": MAGI
- 2. Got gray: AGED
- 3. Helped to relax: PUTATEASE
- 4. "Peter and the Wolf" bird: SASHA
- 5. Skeleton's place?: CLOSET
- 6. Western omelet ingredient: HAM
- 7. North Pole toy maker: ELF
- 8. Palace dweller: ROYAL
- 9. Michael Keaton title role, 1989: BATMAN
- 10. Comic Philips: EMO
- 11. Drum played with the hands: BONGO
- 12. Words before sight and mind: OUTOF
- 13. Conclusive evidence: PROOF
- 18. Fountain orders: COKES
- 22. Genealogy: ROOTS
- 25. Oregon's capital: SALEM
- 26. Poor woodcutter of folklore: ALIBABA
- 27. Actress Winger: DEBRA
- 28. Ballpark near Ashe Stadium: SHEA
- 29. Snakelike fish: EELS
- 33. Oyster's prize: PEARL
- 35. Shrub with red fruit: SUMAC
- 37. Early bird's opposite: LATERISER
- 38. ___ reflux: ACID
- 39. Egg layers: HENS
- 41. Shred: RIPUP
- 45. "___ we dance?": SHALL
- 47. Desirable qualities: ASSETS
- 49. Comic 1982 Richard Pryor film: THETOY
- 51. Pub orders: PINTS
- 52. Typical: USUAL
- 53. "Casablanca" actor Peter: LORRE
- 54. Sticky stuff: PASTE
- 55. Not moving: INERT
- 59. World's longest river: NILE
- 60. Cameo stone: ONYX
- 62. Outfield surface: SOD
- 64. Hosp. areas: ERS
- 65. Start to fall: TIP
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.