NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for December 28, 2005

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

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

Wednesday, December 28, 2005

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 3:42 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, December 28, 2005. 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.

74 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, December 27, 2005

across

1. Biblical gift-givers: MAGI
5. Tattle (on): TELL
9. Knight's "suit": ARMOR
14. "Ain't that the truth!": AMEN
15. Where to get off: EXIT
16. Lorna of literature: DOONE
17. Flier of coffee for long distances?: JOEJETTER
19. "___ luck!": LOTSA
20. Big 60's dos: AFROS
21. Flustered state: DITHER
22. Fleet leader: ADMIRAL
25. 1981 Julie Andrews movie: SOB
26. Martians, e.g., in brief: ETS
27. Author A. Conan ___: DOYLE
28. Bleep out: CENSOR
30. Surgery ctrs.: ORS
31. Steps out of France: MINUET
34. Not completely closed: AJAR
37. Loco: BATS
39. Sound heard in 17- and 58-Across and 11- and 24-Down: SOFTG
40. Grenade part: FUSE
41. Kind of engr.: ELEC
42. Hoofing it: ONFOOT
44. "This ___ test": ISA
45. Long arms?: RIFLES
47. Went like a shooting star: ARCED
49. Ottoman governor: BEY
51. TV spots: ADS
52. Fearful feeling: ANXIETY
54. Private gag: INJOKE
56. Corners: TREES
57. Alla ___ (music notation): BREVE
58. High school grads?: JUNESQUAD
62. The one with 0 in 7-0: LOSER
63. Not much: ATAD
64. Craving: URGE
65. Bookkeeping task: ENTRY
66. 1936 Jean Harlow title role: SUZY
67. Pizazz: ELAN

down

1. Capt.'s superior: MAJ
2. Te ___ cigars: AMO
3. "How about that?!": GEE
4. Behind bars: INJAIL
5. Cousin of quadri-: TETRA
6. Praise to the rafters: EXTOL
7. Empty promises: LIES
8. Word unit: Abbr.: LTR
9. Wings it: ADLIBS
10. Tooth part: ROOT
11. Milk?: MOTHERJUICE
12. Early stages: ONSET
13. Brings up: REARS
18. Violinist Zimbalist: EFREM
21. "Stick around!": DONTGO
22. Clay for bricks: ADOBE
23. Miami stop on the P.G.A. Tour: DORAL
24. Witticism from Sherlock Holmes?: MYSTERYJEST
25. Take care of: SEETO
28. Sleeve ends: CUFFS
29. Clumsy sort: OAF
32. Tristan's love: ISOLDE
33. Canonical hour: NONES
35. Intelligence or good looks, e.g.: ASSET
36. "Set?": READY
38. Chem. or bio.: SCI
43. They may be graduated: TAXES
46. Smoke and mirrors: FAKERY
48. Off-color: RISQUE
49. Perennial best seller, with "the": BIBLE
50. Noted bankruptcy of 2001: ENRON
52. Ball's partner: ARNAZ
53. Lacking lucre: NEEDY
55. "Back to you": OVER
56. Dancer's dress: TUTU
58. Essen assents: JAS
59. Electronic address: URL
60. Turkish title: AGA
61. Cub Scout group: DEN

Hints and full breakdown for Dec 27

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.