NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for May 17, 2007
Thursday, May 17, 2007
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Thursday, May 17, 2007. 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
- 20
- 40
- 43
- 71
Down clues & answers
- 18
- 30
- 47
- 54
- 55
- 57
- 65
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Wednesday, May 16, 2007
across
- 1. Birthplace of Galileo: PISA
- 5. Up: ATBAT
- 10. Not much: ATAD
- 14. Bad time for Caesar: IDES
- 15. Word with press or Marine: CORPS
- 16. Broccoli ___ (leafy vegetable): RABE
- 17. Thrill: TICKLEPINK
- 19. Critical hosp. areas: ICUS
- 20. Close communication?: TETEATETE
- 21. Emmy winner for "Chicago Hope": LAHTI
- 22. Couple: DYAD
- 23. Part of a chemistry group: AMINO
- 25. Conservatory graduate: ARTIST
- 28. Heartless one?: TINMAN
- 31. Companion of 28-Across: LION
- 32. It merged with Mobil: EXXON
- 36. Plane prefix: AERO
- 37. Seaport of New Guinea: LAE
- 38. Part of a coach's chalk-talk diagram: OXX
- 39. Start of a countdown: TEN
- 40. Baseball's Ed and Mel: OTTS
- 42. "... like a ___ chocolates": BOXOF
- 44. Tennis great Lacoste: RENE
- 45. Bernstein's "Trouble in ___": TAHITI
- 47. Eye passionately: LEERAT
- 49. Jong who wrote "Fanny": ERICA
- 51. Boohoo: BAWL
- 52. Roman septet: HILLS
- 54. Flo Ziegfeld's specialty: STAGEACTS
- 59. Athens's setting: OHIO
- 60. "Piece of cake!" (and a hint to the starts of 17-Across and 11- and 27-Down): CHILDSPLAY
- 61. Musical Mitchell: JONI
- 62. One of Homer's in-laws: SELMA
- 63. Maglie and Mineo: SALS
- 64. Diner sign: OPEN
- 65. On pins and needles: ANTSY
- 66. Give out: EMIT
down
- 1. Willis's "Twelve Monkeys" co-star: PITT
- 2. Romeo's last words: IDIE
- 3. Group of prayers: SECT
- 4. Didn't leave waiting at the door: ASKEDIN
- 5. Film overlay: ACETATE
- 6. Imbibed: TOPED
- 7. One who watches the telly: BRIT
- 8. Breathing problem: APNEA
- 9. "Ba-a-a-ad!": TSK
- 10. Huffington who wrote "Fanatics & Fools": ARIANNA
- 11. Part of a dash: TACHOMETER
- 12. Go up against: ABUT
- 13. Half a classic sitcom couple: DESI
- 18. Places: LAYS
- 21. Year before Trajan was born: LII
- 24. Fuji, e.g.: Abbr.: MTN
- 25. Apportion: ALLOT
- 26. Rope with a slipknot: RIATA
- 27. Do what is expected: TOETHELINE
- 29. Sporting site: ARENA
- 30. Three trios: NONET
- 33. Kiss and hugs, in a love letter: XOO
- 34. Adults-only: XXX
- 35. Big name in kitchen gadgets: OXO
- 41. Certain cut: SIRLOIN
- 42. Certain razor: BIC
- 43. June 14: FLAGDAY
- 44. Medical setback: RELAPSE
- 46. "___ a pity": TIS
- 48. Mas with baas: EWES
- 50. Blanched: ASHEN
- 51. Soothers: BALMS
- 52. Breakfast spot, briefly: HOJO
- 53. Breakfast spot, briefly: IHOP
- 55. Feature of the earth: TILT
- 56. Quahog, e.g.: CLAM
- 57. Anklebones: TALI
- 58. Part of DOS: Abbr.: SYST
- 60. Gen. Lee's cause: CSA
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.