NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for October 6, 2004

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

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

Wednesday, October 6, 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 Wednesday, October 6, 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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Previous The Crossword answer

Tuesday, October 5, 2004

across

1. Spills the beans: BLABS
6. Got along: FARED
11. Epitome of simplicity: ABC
14. Accountants may run one: AUDIT
15. Entanglement: IMBROGLIO
17. Said with a sneer: SNIDE
18. Garb for Tarzan: LOINCLOTH
19. Eskimo building material: ICE
20. Bill of Rights defender, in brief: ACLU
22. ___ voce (quietly): SOTTO
23. "Maybellene" singer: CHUCKBERRY
27. Cries like a wolf: BAYS
28. ___ Constitution: USS
29. Three-legged piece: EASEL
31. Stir up: ROIL
34. Certain seat request: AISLE
36. Suffix with fictional: IZE
39. Grimm brothers fairy tale: RUMPELSTILTSKIN
43. Popular fuel additive: STP
44. Reveal: LETON
45. Openly mourned: WEPT
46. Send (to): REFER
48. Menu phrase: ALA
50. Lots and lots: ATON
52. Indirect: ROUNDABOUT
58. Inamoratas: LOVES
60. Horn sound: TOOT
61. Bearded animal: GNU
62. The starts of 18-, 23-, 39- and 52-Across: PRIMECUTS
65. Spiral: HELIX
67. Crystal-clear: EASYTOSEE
68. Rugged ridge: ARETE
69. Every other hurricane: SHE
70. Like music: HEARD
71. Stallions' interests: MARES

down

1. Underlying: BASIC
2. Something for friends to "do": LUNCH
3. A fond farewell: ADIEU
4. Wish: BID
5. Butchers' offerings: STEAKS
6. Girl: Fr.: FILLE
7. ___ propre: AMOUR
8. Baseball stat.: RBI
9. Sea eagle: ERN
10. Diagnosers: DOCS
11. Similar: ALOTALIKE
12. Itty-___: BITTY
13. Some salmon: COHOS
16. Boston newspaper: GLOBE
21. "CSI" network: CBS
24. Cosby's "I Spy" co-star: CULP
25. Amber or copal: RESIN
26. Everyone, in the South: YALL
30. Toy train purchase: SET
31. Trains: Abbr.: RRS
32. Passé: OUT
33. Not follow the book: IMPROVISE
34. Houston pro: ASTRO
35. "What was ___ think?": ITO
37. Rush (along): ZIP
38. Tolkien creature: ENT
40. Jolly old ___ (Santa): ELF
41. Lothario's look: LEER
42. Gun barrel cleaner: SWAB
47. Other side: ENEMY
48. Big fuss: ADO
49. Philadelphia landmark hotel: LATHAM
50. French peaks: ALPES
51. Religious parchment: TORAH
53. Unadulterated: UTTER
54. Pried (into): NOSED
55. Eyeballer: OGLER
56. Conglomerate: UNITE
57. Frequent Astaire wear: TUXES
59. Genesis brother: SETH
63. Sebastian who once ran the world's fastest mile: COE
64. Dos Passos work: USA
66. Century 21 competitor: ERA

Hints and full breakdown for Oct 5

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.