NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for December 14, 2007
Friday, December 14, 2007
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Friday, December 14, 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
- 42
- 50
- 61
Down clues & answers
- 2
- 4
- 28
- 35
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Thursday, December 13, 2007
across
- 1. Solicits in bulk: SPAMS
- 6. Flings: JAGS
- 10. Commodious craft: ARKS
- 14. Detail in a Georgia O'Keeffe painting: PETAL
- 15. Plat book unit: ACRE
- 16. "Gotta run!": CIAO
- 17. "Lincoln Heights" actress Hubbard: ERICA
- 18. Set down: LAID
- 19. James who sang the ballad "At Last": ETTA
- 20. End of some addresses: CITYSTATEANDZIP
- 23. It may go in a lock: SHIP
- 24. Shade of blue: SKY
- 25. "Getting to ___" (best seller about negotiating): YES
- 26. Zogby poll partner: UPI
- 29. Gave another hand: REDEALT
- 32. One way to get a witness: SUBPOENA
- 35. Setting for the setting of el sol: OESTE
- 39. End of some addresses: EMAILDOMAINNAME
- 42. Rolled the dice: DARED
- 43. Renaissance Faire entertainer: MINSTREL
- 44. Some widows: SPIDERS
- 47. "___ Wednesday" (Jane Fonda film): ANY
- 48. ___ Journal (legal periodical): ABA
- 51. It's "just a number": AGE
- 52. Small hit: BUNT
- 55. End of some addresses: GODBLESSAMERICA
- 61. Device for rotating one's tires?: AXLE
- 62. Unbelievable: TALL
- 63. Adversary: RIVAL
- 64. Fire: ZEAL
- 65. Darling: IDOL
- 66. Auto in a Beach Boys song: TBIRD
- 67. Exchange words?: EDIT
- 68. Curling targets: TEES
- 69. "Gotta run!": SEEYA
down
- 1. ___ sheet: SPEC
- 2. Jacopo ___, composer of the earliest surviving opera: PERI
- 3. Squabbling: ATIT
- 4. "Miracle on 34th Street" name: MACYS
- 5. Engage in a bit of swordplay: SLASH
- 6. Chipotle, e.g.: JALAPENO
- 7. "___ in gloves catches no mice": ACAT
- 8. The Dolphins retired his #12: GRIESE
- 9. "Oh! Carol" singer, 1959: SEDAKA
- 10. Provided unbeatable service?: ACED
- 11. Swank: RITZY
- 12. Douglas or Smith of the W.N.B.A.: KATIE
- 13. Afternoon fare: SOAPS
- 21. Timeworn: TIRED
- 22. Hose: NYLONS
- 26. Not mint: USED
- 27. Powerful feline: PUMA
- 28. Construction beam: IBAR
- 30. "Timecop" star Van ___: DAMME
- 31. Item packed by a mountain climber: TENT
- 33. Baker's dozen, maybe: PIES
- 34. One singing "Those Were the Days"?: OLDPAL
- 36. "CSI" woman: SARA
- 37. Feds: TMEN
- 38. Slithery: EELY
- 40. Hoops bloopers: AIRBALLS
- 41. "To wrap up ...": INSUM
- 45. Exclamation at an epiphany: IGETIT
- 46. "Justine" novelist: DESADE
- 48. Riveted: AGAZE
- 49. Like a sidebar: BOXED
- 50. Runner-up to Ike: ADLAI
- 53. "Darn!": NERTS
- 54. Kith and kin: TRIBE
- 56. Prizefighting prize: BELT
- 57. Blackthorn fruit: SLOE
- 58. Jazz singer Anderson: IVIE
- 59. Grant for a filmmaker?: CARY
- 60. Plimpton portrayer in "Paper Lion": ALDA
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.