NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for May 11, 2008
Sunday, May 11, 2008
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Sunday, May 11, 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
- 21
- 28
- 95
- 108
- 112
- 118
- 126
- 128
- 130
Down clues & answers
- 5
- 9
- 13
- 14
- 15
- 40
- 46
- 56
- 66
- 74
- 80
- 107
- 111
- 116
- 124
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Saturday, May 10, 2008
across
- 1. Ledger no.: ACCT
- 5. Painter Fouquet: JEAN
- 9. Dance of African origin: SAMBA
- 14. Suspensions: MORATORIA
- 16. Aquafina alternative: EVIAN
- 17. Antarctic environmental concern: OZONEHOLE
- 18. It might be jewel-encrusted: TIARA
- 19. Family in 1980s news: REAGANS
- 20. Falafel seasoners: SESAMES
- 22. It's hit with a pinky: ENTERKEY
- 24. Be a part of, as a film: ACTIN
- 25. Nixon adviser Nofziger: LYN
- 26. Blessing: APPROVAL
- 29. Like some vino: SECO
- 32. Nixon creation of 1970: Abbr.: OSHA
- 34. "The Cosby Show" actress Alexander: ERIKA
- 35. Rudy's coach in the 1993 football film "Rudy": ARA
- 36. Preferred seating, for many: EXITROW
- 38. Top suit?: CEO
- 39. Decongestant brand: SINEX
- 41. Mogul: CZAR
- 42. Oenological category: REDS
- 43. Source of some big waves: SEAQUAKE
- 45. John ___: DOE
- 47. Stop up, in a way: CAULK
- 48. Gulf states: EMIRATES
- 53. Kept charging shots, say: RANATAB
- 55. Back together, for now: ONAGAIN
- 56. "The Red Tent" author Diamant: ANITA
- 57. Indie rock band whose name is Spanish for "I have it": YOLATENGO
- 59. Finger: RATON
- 60. Bump in the road?: REARENDER
- 61. Not nodding: ALERT
- 62. Lake craft: DORY
- 63. Spare in a boot: TYRE
down
- 1. Venetian balladeer's topic: AMORE
- 2. Gull: COZEN
- 3. Dalmatian, e.g.: CROAT
- 4. Citrus tree: TANGELO
- 5. 16th-century founder of Scottish Presbyterianism: JOHNKNOX
- 6. Jagged-edged: EROSE
- 7. Bother: AIL
- 8. Caledonian contradictions: NAES
- 9. Bit of securing hardware: SETSCREW
- 10. One whose idea may be taking off: AVIATOR
- 11. 1980s TV show or 2006 film: MIAMIVICE
- 12. In the raw: BARENAKED
- 13. Santa ___ (meteorological phenomena): ANAS
- 15. Pathetic: TEARY
- 21. "Israfel" writer's monogram: EAP
- 23. Classic game with 13 categories: YAHTZEE
- 27. Professional helper, for short: PARA
- 28. Part of French Indochina until 1949: LAOS
- 29. Freshness: SASS
- 30. Work on it began in Rome in 1817: ERIECANAL
- 31. Hebrew or Phoenician: CANAANITE
- 33. Really warped: SICK
- 36. More than happy: EXULTANT
- 37. Stock: ORDINARY
- 40. It's just north of Nauru: EQUATOR
- 42. Assaying aid: REAGENT
- 44. Booking letters: AKA
- 46. Make an impressive delivery: ORATE
- 49. Meat grinder: MOLAR
- 50. Commodore competitor: TANDY
- 51. Peak southeast of Bern: EIGER
- 52. Boredom indicator: SNORE
- 53. Hard to find in Latin?: RARA
- 54. Longtime West Virginia senator: BYRD
- 58. War on Poverty agcy.: OEO
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.