NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for July 24, 2004

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

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

Saturday, July 24, 2004

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 3:52 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Saturday, July 24, 2004. 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
Polo alternative
5
Food item whose name means "slice"
9
The "C" of C. S. Lewis
14
Composition of some ladders
15
Gray ode subject
16
Soda pop purchase
17
Abbr. that may precede a colon
18
Fast talker
20
Like some architectural designs
22
Checks
23
Leading the queue
24
Honolulu's ___ Tower
26
Pulls the plug on
28
Liberal
32
Executive attachment
33
Quaint taletellers
34
___ mater
35
Divvy up
37
Old faces in workplaces, perhaps
39
Where to go in Gloucester
40
Schubert's "___ sentimentale"
42
In a safe place
43
Lamp locale
45
Pick-me-up
46
Time's partner
47
End of Missouri's motto
48
"The View" co-host
50
Lonely
54
Mom or dad
56
___ jure (legal phrase)
57
Sipowicz player on "N.Y.P.D. Blue"
58
"What ___?"
59
Commend, as for outstanding service
60
Rosalind's cousin in "As You Like It"
61
Terrarium youngsters
62
Are, in Arles

Down clues & answers

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Friday, July 23, 2004

across

1. Home of America's first automatic traffic light, ca. 1920: DETROITMICHIGAN
16. Declaration of independence: ITSAFREECOUNTRY
17. Store something away, in a way: MAKEAMENTALNOTE
18. Raised rumblers: ELS
19. "One Mic" rapper: NAS
20. Western N.C.A.A. powerhouse: USC
21. Workout unit: SET
22. Southpaw Shawn: ESTES
24. N.S. clock setting: AST
27. ___ Drake, longtime illustrator of "Blondie": STAN
30. Actor Corey ___: HAIM
34. Mrs. Reed's creator: CHARLOTTEBRONTE
39. "That's my final offer": TAKEITORLEAVEIT
40. It's surprising when played: ACEUPONESSLEEVE
41. Record problem: SKIP
42. Shift very carefully: EASE
43. Fronted: LED
44. Personal assts. keep track of them: SKEDS
48. A question of self-examination: AMI
51. Follower of Christ?: INE
52. Cartoon hit: BAM
55. Sun Devils' sch.: ASU
58. Superpowers often have them: SATELLITESTATES
62. 1959 pop hit that asked "Why?": ATEENAGERINLOVE
63. Infatuation situation: STARSINONESEYES

down

1. Element of change: DIME
2. Series follower: Abbr.: ETAL
3. "Bad!" sounds: TSKS
4. Explorer of the Canadian Arctic: RAE
5. P. D. James's "Death ___ Expert Witness": OFAN
6. "Garfield" waitress: IRMA
7. Tight ends?: TEES
8. What androphobes fear: MEN
9. Metrical stress: ICTUS
10. Vacation locale, with "the": COAST
11. Mozart's portrayer in "Amadeus": HULCE
12. Vacation spot: INN
13. Classic cars that were the first to have Ram Air engines: GTOS
14. Giotto's work: ARTE
15. Reply put in by Putin?: NYET
22. Some like them hot: ENTREES
23. Be rude in line: SHOVE
24. Be temporarily: ACTAS
25. Radio ___: SHACK
26. Original "Star Trek" actor: TAKEI
27. Bad thing to have showing: SLIP
28. Threatener of Miss Gulch: TOTO
29. Buckets: ATON
31. Slippery as ___: ANEEL
32. Stick-to-___: ITIVE
33. Dealt: METED
35. Commits to another hitch: REUPS
36. The lady in "The Lady From Shanghai": ELSA
37. Former first lady's first name: BESS
38. Breathing abnormality: RALE
45. Firing places: KILNS
46. Zhou ___: ENLAI
47. Think fit: DEIGN
48. Politico Hutchinson and others: ASAS
49. Slugger Williams: MATT
50. Virginia willow: ITEA
52. Universal Postal Union headquarters: BERN
53. Japon's place: ASIE
54. Range: Abbr.: MTNS
55. "That's not ___!" (parent's admonishment): ATOY
56. Golf's Ballesteros: SEVE
57. Handles: USES
59. Suffix with cannon: EER
60. ___ Fabi of auto racing: TEO
61. It contains about 6% alcohol by volume: ALE

Hints and full breakdown for Jul 23

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.