NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for August 20, 2006
Sunday, August 20, 2006
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Sunday, August 20, 2006. 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.
Across clues & answers
- 15
- 20
- 33
- 55
- 66
- 68
- 83
- 86
- 98
- 99
- 108
- 111
- 112
- 113
Down clues & answers
- 26
- 41
- 48
- 51
- 62
- 64
- 69
- 72
- 87
- 94
- 98
- 100
- 106
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Saturday, August 19, 2006
across
- 1. Big belt: KOPUNCH
- 8. Some ladies' men: GIGOLOS
- 15. Minnesota resource: IRONORE
- 16. Patent: EVIDENT
- 17. Team members near the infield: PITCREW
- 18. Looks after: TENDSTO
- 19. Longtime NBC inits.: SNL
- 20. Rave V.I.P.: DEEJAY
- 22. Comedian who appeared on the cover of Time, 8/15/1960: SAHL
- 23. Match: BOUT
- 25. It may pick you up: DRUG
- 26. ___ esprit: BEL
- 27. Capital on the Gulf of Guinea: ACCRA
- 29. Former grp. of 15: SSRS
- 31. Adjure: URGE
- 32. Yahoos: YOKELS
- 34. Get blitzed: TIEONEON
- 36. Electrical converter: POWERPACK
- 38. Expression of bewilderment: GOFIGURE
- 41. Backup singers in a 1960's R & B group: THEMGS
- 45. Keen: AVID
- 46. Minderbinder of "Catch-22": MILO
- 48. Reserve: SPARE
- 49. Nickname of B-western actor Robert Allen: TEX
- 50. Boots: CANS
- 52. Attraction at Chicago's Field Museum: TREX
- 53. Name for an Irish lass: ERIN
- 55. One of five popes: SIXTUS
- 57. Select: TAP
- 58. Made out: MANAGED
- 60. Court order: ALLRISE
- 62. Annual White House event: EGGROLL
- 63. Comparatively uncomplicated: PLAINER
- 64. Old "Your cup of inspiration" sloganeer: NESCAFE
- 65. Grovel: EATDIRT
down
- 1. Site of a 1776 battle that gave New York City to the British: KIPSBAY
- 2. Major Atlantic Ocean feeder: ORINOCO
- 3. Company picnic, maybe: POTLUCK
- 4. Pop's kin: UNC
- 5. L'étoile du ___, Minnesota's motto: NORD
- 6. Religious denomination: CREED
- 7. Lumberjacks: HEWERS
- 8. "Keep your cool": GETAGRIP
- 9. Judith ___, Tony winner for "Steaming": IVEY
- 10. 42-Down ingredient: GIN
- 11. "The Wizard of ___" (short-lived Alex Trebek game show): ODDS
- 12. Old Buick: LESABRE
- 13. Busy, busy, busy: ONTHEGO
- 14. Bread with nuts and raisins: STOLLEN
- 21. "Chill!": JUSTRELAX
- 24. Chicken-hearted: TREPID
- 28. Sleep like ___: ALOG
- 30. Center of power: SEAT
- 31. Discarded: UNKEPT
- 33. Like the Florida Straits, rarely: SWUM
- 35. Self-proclaimed "singing journalist": OCHS
- 37. "Always Look on the Bright Side of Life" songwriter: ERICIDLE
- 38. Sentries: GATEMEN
- 39. Extra: OVERAGE
- 40. Necessary ingredients: FIXINGS
- 42. Bar order: MARTINI
- 43. Punk, once: GREASER
- 44. Authority on birds and bees?: SEXPERT
- 47. How some books are sold: ONTAPE
- 51. Roman general and dictator: SULLA
- 54. Fuzz buster?: NARC
- 55. Popular magazine: SELF
- 56. Plane wing part: SLAT
- 59. Indian state: GOA
- 61. Unburden: RID
More daily puzzle hints
- WordleGuess the five-letter word in six triesGuide & tips
- ConnectionsSort 16 words into four hidden groupsGuide & tips
- StrandsFind the themed words hidden in a letter gridGuide & tips
- Spelling BeeMake words from seven letters around a center letterGuide & tips
- Mini CrosswordA bite-size crossword you can finish over coffeeGuide & tips
- Connections: Sports EditionConnections with a sports-only word poolGuide & tips
- Letter BoxedChain words around a square using all 12 lettersGuide & tips
- Midi CrosswordThe mid-size crossword between the Mini and the dailyGuide & tips
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.