NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for December 8, 2007
Saturday, December 8, 2007
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Saturday, December 8, 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
Down clues & answers
- 35
- 42
- 52
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Friday, December 7, 2007
across
- 1. Confectioner's offering: SAMPLER
- 8. Affecting the heart: CARDIAC
- 15. Item in a 1-Across: PRALINE
- 16. Two-character Mamet play: OLEANNA
- 17. Cause of overreactions?: ALLERGY
- 18. Matching accessory for a slicker: RAINHAT
- 19. Traditional Monday meal in Creole cuisine: REDBEANSANDRICE
- 21. "Oh! Susanna" closer: KNEE
- 22. World Cup highlight: GOAL
- 23. Podiatric problem, for some: ODOR
- 24. Urges: YENS
- 25. Grand Lodge Convention attendees: ELKS
- 26. Big tier?: TWINE
- 27. Fair diversion: RIDE
- 28. Time off: RANDR
- 29. First major-league team to sign Satchel Paige: INDIANS
- 33. 1992 New Hampshire primary winner: TSONGAS
- 35. Intimidate: DAUNT
- 36. Frequent Styne collaborator: CAHN
- 37. Speaks with a pleasing rhythm: LILTS
- 38. Bundle up: BALE
- 39. Jimi Hendrix's style: AFRO
- 43. Reese's "Legally Blonde" role: ELLE
- 44. Synagogue cabinets: ARKS
- 45. Timer sound: BEEP
- 46. He said "How can anyone govern a nation that has 246 kinds of cheese?": CHARLESDEGAULLE
- 50. Underground nesters: HORNETS
- 51. Required reading for 007: DOSSIER
- 52. Offering just the right amount of resistance: ALDENTE
- 53. Wire, at times: ANTENNA
- 54. Give a whirl: TESTOUT
- 55. They hold at least two cups each: TEASETS
down
- 1. Radar's radio contact on "M*A*S*H": SPARKY
- 2. Longtime "What's My Line?" name: ARLENE
- 3. Brando's "On the Waterfront" co-star: MALDEN
- 4. First-year men: PLEBES
- 5. Money replaced by euros: LIRE
- 6. Practice: ENGAGEIN
- 7. Noted English portraitist: REYNOLDS
- 8. Beach shop souvenirs: CORALS
- 9. Playwright Ayckbourn: ALAN
- 10. Frist's successor as majority leader: REID
- 11. TV host who told viewers "Look that up in your Funk & Wagnalls!": DANROWAN
- 12. Lying low: INHIDING
- 13. Montana county seat named for a nonnative creature: ANACONDA
- 14. Hosts' hirees: CATERERS
- 20. Purpose: SAKE
- 26. 1982 film and arcade game: TRON
- 27. "I hate it when that happens!": RATS
- 29. Cocktail party exchanges: IDLECHAT
- 30. Board opening?: NAILHOLE
- 31. Intellectuals' opposites: DULLARDS
- 32. Site site: INTERNET
- 33. Had a one-sided conversation with: TALKEDAT
- 34. 1976 Hall & Oates hit: SHESGONE
- 36. Funny fellow: CARD
- 38. Dog breed whose name literally means "rather low": BASSET
- 39. Wrongs: ABUSES
- 40. Ocelot, for one: FELINE
- 41. Come around: RELENT
- 42. Palais Garnier offerings: OPERAS
- 47. Celebrity who testified at the 2005 Michael Jackson trial: LENO
- 48. Some famous last words: ETTU
- 49. Four-legged Hammett character: ASTA
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.