NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for December 22, 2004

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

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

Wednesday, December 22, 2004

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 3:49 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, December 22, 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.

76 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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Tuesday, December 21, 2004

across

1. Headquartered: BASED
6. "Zounds!": EGAD
10. Links numbers: PARS
14. "Goodnight" girl of song: IRENE
15. Six Flags attraction: RIDE
16. Pull a sulky, perhaps: TROT
17. She appeared in "Thelma & Louise" with 24-Across: GEENADAVIS
19. Top of the heap: ACME
20. Say "cheese," say: SMILE
21. Cut and paste: EDIT
23. Bard's "always": EER
24. She appeared in "The Witches of Eastwick" with 53-Across: SUSANSARANDON
27. Wide of the plate: OUTSIDE
29. Hospital fluids: SERA
30. G.I.'s mail drop: APO
31. Opposite of sud: NORD
33. Aggressive, personalitywise: TYPEA
37. Sticks up: ROBS
39. An absence of musical skill: NOEAR
42. Layered do: SHAG
43. Quarterback's ploy: SNEAK
45. Writer Harte: BRET
47. Iron or gold source: ORE
48. Bonny one: LASS
51. Unrestricted, as mutual funds: OPENEND
53. He appeared in "A Few Good Men" with 63-Across: JACKNICHOLSON
57. Big bird: EMU
58. Bounce back: ECHO
59. Storage spot: ATTIC
61. Ankara native: TURK
63. Actor famously connected to many other actors: KEVINBACON
66. Canadian gas brand: ESSO
67. Sign from above: OMEN
68. Not straight: ATILT
69. Marsh plant: REED
70. Woods plant: FERN
71. Not o'er: NEATH

down

1. Megaproportioned: BIG
2. Mars, to the Greeks: ARES
3. Appears: SEEMSTOBE
4. "Annales" poet Quintus ___: ENNIUS
5. Buys and sells: DEALSIN
6. Mound stat: ERA
7. "What ___?!": GIVES
8. Nike rival: ADIDAS
9. Hanker for: DESIRE
10. School org.: PTA
11. Rainbow-shaped: ARCED
12. Star-crossed lover of fiction: ROMEO
13. Violinist Isaac: STERN
18. Exactly right: DEADON
22. Lip-puckering: TART
25. "Quo Vadis?" emperor: NERO
26. Second half of a vote: NAYS
27. Propels a shell: OARS
28. Well-versed in: UPON
32. Society girl: DEB
34. Tyre's ancient land: PHOENICIA
35. Be worthy of: EARN
36. Got mellower: AGED
38. Polio vaccine developer: SALK
40. Suffix with buck: AROO
41. Map out again: REPLAN
44. Classic Welles role: KANE
46. Antinuclear treaty: TESTBAN
49. Fed up with: SICKOF
50. Hatch a plot: SCHEME
52. Represent with symbols: NOTATE
53. Shortstop Derek: JETER
54. Elicit a chuckle from: AMUSE
55. Say "@#$%!": CURSE
56. Hang like a hummingbird: HOVER
60. Stallion-to-be: COLT
62. Down for the count: KOD
64. Overnight spot: INN
65. Ultimate degree: NTH

Hints and full breakdown for Dec 21

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.