NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for September 14, 2004

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

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

Tuesday, September 14, 2004

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 3:51 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Tuesday, September 14, 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.

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

Across clues & answers

Down clues & answers

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

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Monday, September 13, 2004

across

1. Raindrop sound: PLOP
5. Sgt., e.g.: NCO
8. Present for a teacher: APPLE
13. Kelly of morning TV: RIPA
14. Marlboro alternative: KOOL
15. Shine: GLEAM
16. Son of Isaac: ESAU
17. Metal that Superman can't see through: LEAD
18. On again, as a candle: RELIT
19. Fashionable London locale: PALLMALL
21. Ardor: ZEAL
22. Big containers: VATS
23. Filmmaker Spike: LEE
24. GM sports car: GTO
27. Whitewater part of a stream: RAPIDS
30. Fireplace accessory: ANDIRON
32. UK record label: EMI
33. Cast member: ACTOR
36. Hits head-on: RAMS
37. Get help of a sort on "Who Wants to Be a Millionaire": POLLTHEAUDIENCE
41. Wriggling fishes: EELS
42. Place: STEAD
43. Tit for ___: TAT
44. Teems: ABOUNDS
47. Zoo denizens: BEASTS
49. Something "on the books": LAW
50. Motorists' grp.: AAA
51. Skier's transport: TBAR
52. Quick job for a barber: TRIM
54. Sweater: PULLOVER
58. To no ___ (purposelessly): AVAIL
60. Classic artist's subject: NUDE
61. Sandwich spread, for short: MAYO
62. Oscar who wrote "The Picture of Dorian Gray": WILDE
63. Popular shirt label: IZOD
64. Certain stock index: AMEX
65. Los Angeles cager: LAKER
66. Craggy hill: TOR
67. Agile: SPRY

down

1. Make ready, for short: PREP
2. Elvis's daughter ___ Marie: LISA
3. Milky gem: OPAL
4. 1960's-70's pontiff: PAULVI
5. December songs: NOELS
6. Fuel from a mine: COAL
7. Bygone: OLD
8. Consented: AGREED
9. Bit of begging: PLEA
10. Educational assistance since 1972: PELLGRANTS
11. China's Chou En-___: LAI
12. Expert in resuscitation, in brief: EMT
14. Coffee gathering: KLATSCH
20. Angry with: MADAT
21. ___ state (blissful self-awareness): ZEN
23. Lash of old westerns: LARUE
25. Frisky feline: TOMCAT
26. Beginnings: ONSETS
27. Statute removal: REPEAL
28. Itsy-bitsy creature: AMOEBA
29. Bedtime gab: PILLOWTALK
31. Anger: IRE
34. Actress Allen of "Enough": TESSA
35. Cheerios grain: OAT
38. Baton Rouge sch.: LSU
39. Tried a little of this, a little of that: DABBLED
40. Rarely-met goal: IDEAL
45. Hammer user: NAILER
46. Hoover ___: DAM
48. Scents: AROMAS
51. Henry VIII's family name: TUDOR
53. Travel on horseback: RIDE
54. Mario who wrote "The Godfather": PUZO
55. Seductress: VAMP
56. Witness: EYER
57. Classic theater name: ROXY
58. Leatherworker's tool: AWL
59. By way of: VIA
60. Annual hoops contest, for short: NIT

Hints and full breakdown for Sep 13

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.