NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for March 31, 2008
Monday, March 31, 2008
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Monday, March 31, 2008. 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
- 22
- 34
- 45
- 47
- 62
Down clues & answers
- 6
- 10
- 12
- 39
- 44
- 49
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Sunday, March 30, 2008
across
- 1. Lively, in mus.: ANIM
- 5. 101, in a course name: BASIC
- 10. "Little ___ in Slumberland" (pioneering comic strip): NEMO
- 14. One on two feet: BIPED
- 19. Literature Nobelist Morrison: TONI
- 20. Word on a wanted poster: ALIAS
- 21. He's seen on the ceiling of the Sistine Chapel: ADAM
- 22. Serengeti grazer: ELAND
- 23. Pedicurist's need: TOENAILCLIPPERS
- 26. Antics: DIDOS
- 27. Zingers: INSULTS
- 28. Toot one's horn: HONK
- 29. Scrooge's nephew in "A Christmas Carol": FRED
- 30. Wearer of uniform #37, retired by both the Yankees and the Mets: CASEYSTENGEL
- 34. Entered pompously: STRODEIN
- 38. Clears: NETS
- 39. Relating to flight technology: AVIONIC
- 41. Carnival site: RIO
- 42. "Inka Dinka ___": DOO
- 43. Close overlapping of fugue voices: STRETTO
- 45. Prince ___, Eddie Murphy film role: AKEEM
- 47. Caboose, e.g.: END
- 48. Frolicking: ATPLAY
- 52. Whispering party game: TELEPHONE
- 54. Vardalos of the screen: NIA
- 55. Diva's delivery: ARIA
- 56. Holiday celebrating deliverance from Haman: PURIM
- 59. Narrow inlet: RIA
- 60. Textile factory fixture: DYEVAT
- 62. ___ fide: BONA
- 63. Lingo suffix: ESE
- 64. Unfortunate development: PITY
- 65. Bone-dry: SERE
- 66. Divider of wedding guests: AISLE
- 68. Champion figure skater Irina: SLUTSKAYA
- 72. Leaves for lunch?: SALAD
- 75. Author Janowitz: TAMA
- 77. Professor 'iggins: ENRY
- 78. Picassos and Pissarros: ART
- 80. 55-Across, e.g.: SOLO
- 81. Bewitched: ENRAPT
- 83. Penlight battery size: AAA
- 84. ___ radiation: GAMMA
- 86. DeMille output: EPIC
- 87. Early millennium year: MII
- 88. Manual transmission position: THIRDGEAR
- 91. French dome toppers: BERETS
- 93. Big shot after making a big shot, maybe: Abbr.: MVP
- 94. Kind of question: YESNO
- 95. Peter Shaffer play based on the lives of Mozart and Salieri: AMADEUS
- 98. "___-haw!": YEE
- 99. Make haste: HIE
- 100. Like sugar vis-à-vis Equal: NATURAL
- 102. H.S. subject: HIST
- 106. Heartbreaking situations: SADCASES
- 109. Kitchen implement used with a little muscle: POTATOMASHER
- 112. In the mail: SENT
- 113. K.G.B. predecessor: OGPU
- 115. Popular Toyota: COROLLA
- 116. Users of 118-Across: SQUAD
- 118. Bats, balls, gloves, etc.: SPORTSEQUIPMENT
- 122. False appearance: GUISE
- 123. Capital of Italy: EURO
- 124. Annie of "Ghostbusters": POTTS
- 125. Blade of Grasse: EPEE
- 126. Lugged: TOTED
- 127. Zenith: APEX
- 128. Company-owned building, e.g.: ASSET
- 129. Sch. research papers: RPTS
down
- 1. Place for a fan: ATTIC
- 2. Writer Peggy known for the phrase "a kinder, gentler nation": NOONAN
- 3. Actually existing: INESSE
- 4. Stately dance with short steps: MINUET
- 5. Tempts: BAITS
- 6. Elite athlete: ALLSTAR
- 7. Error indicator: SIC
- 8. Suffix with adverb: IAL
- 9. Hit TV show with the theme song "Who Are You": CSI
- 10. Port west of Monte Vesuvio: NAPOLI
- 11. Fall setting: EDEN
- 12. A, B and C: MARKS
- 13. Mantra syllables: OMS
- 14. Come-hither look: BEDROOMEYES
- 15. Coming-clean words: ILIED
- 16. Protective mailer: PADDEDENVELOPE
- 17. Music producer Brian: ENO
- 18. License to drill?: Abbr.: DDS
- 24. Milano of "Who's the Boss?": ALYSSA
- 25. Carbolic acid: PHENOL
- 29. Top-rated TV series of 2001-02: FRIENDS
- 31. Consort of 21-Across: EVE
- 32. Capone henchman: NITTI
- 33. "They're in my hot little hands!": GOTEM
- 35. BlackBerry rival: TREO
- 36. Land of Ephesus: IONIA
- 37. Acknowledge tacitly: NODAT
- 40. Heads in the Pantheon?: CAPITA
- 44. Variety: TYPE
- 46. Poet Omar ___: KHAYYAM
- 48. Rhyme scheme of "Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening": AABA
- 49. "Star Trek: T.N.G." counselor Deanna: TROI
- 50. Some business attire: PINSTRIPEDSUIT
- 51. Yellow Teletubby: LAALAA
- 53. Composer Satie: ERIK
- 57. Letters before many a state's name: USS
- 58. Brush up on: RELEARN
- 61. Whiteboard cleaner: ERASER
- 64. Subj. that deals with mixed feelings: PSY
- 67. Bearing nothing: EMPTYHANDED
- 69. Japanese eel and rice dish: UNADON
- 70. "King Lear" or "Hamlet": Abbr.: TRAG
- 71. Boxer's measurement: ARM
- 73. Touched down: ALIT
- 74. Medics: DOCS
- 76. Nonbeliever: ATHEIST
- 79. Classic Dana fragrance for women: TABU
- 81. Representations of a winged woman holding an atom: EMMYS
- 82. Big name in skin care products: NIVEA
- 84. Entire range: GAMUT
- 85. Amazon parrot: ARARA
- 89. Opener for a crystal ball gazer: ISEE
- 90. Dine at a diner: EATOUT
- 92. F equivalent: ESHARP
- 96. Not dis: DAT
- 97. Declaim: ELOCUTE
- 101. Estimated: Abbr.: APPROX
- 103. Chemical cousin: ISOMER
- 104. Lug: Var.: SHLEPP
- 105. Online protocol for remote log-in: TELNET
- 107. Discontinue: CEASE
- 108. Absorb: SOPUP
- 110. Like lip-glossed lips: MOIST
- 111. Deserves: RATES
- 114. Cause for an R, perhaps: GORE
- 116. Badge holder: Abbr.: SGT
- 117. Status ___: QUO
- 118. Main: SEA
- 119. Day ___: SPA
- 120. Dawn goddess: EOS
- 121. Divisions of gals.: QTS
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.