NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for May 22, 2008
Thursday, May 22, 2008
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Thursday, May 22, 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
- 13
- 21
- 26
- 39
- 49
- 70
Down clues & answers
- 16
- 56
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Wednesday, May 21, 2008
across
- 1. Birdbrain: NITWIT
- 7. Of the flock: LAIC
- 11. Inferior, as excuses go: SAD
- 14. Add value to: ENRICH
- 15. Norse epic: EDDA
- 16. Step on it: HIE
- 17. Solitaire card game: ROUGEETNOIR
- 19. Sapphic work: ODE
- 20. Wee hour: ONE
- 21. Pre-K enrollee: TOT
- 22. Spoke hesitatingly: HAWED
- 24. Pugs in gyms, at times: SHADOWBOXERS
- 28. Forcefully, in music: FURIOSO
- 31. Busy cowpoke: ROPER
- 32. 1972 Bill Withers hit: USEME
- 33. Brooder: HEN
- 34. 4, on a phone: GHI
- 37. Good thing to build on: SOLIDFOUNDATION
- 42. Poli ___: SCI
- 43. Response to a backrub: AAH
- 44. Gentle opening?: SOFTG
- 45. Québec's southern neighbors: ETATS
- 48. 52-Down part: BRISTLE
- 50. Initially: ATFIRSTBLUSH
- 53. 1983 Keaton comedy: MRMOM
- 54. Bank worry: RUN
- 55. Blood-typing system: ABO
- 58. Word repeated in the "Whiffenpoof Song" refrain: BAA
- 59. Cunard fleet member: LUXURYLINER
- 64. Collagen target: LIP
- 65. Greasy spoon sign: EATS
- 66. Poster stock: OAKTAG
- 67. Saucer contents, in brief?: ETS
- 68. Kind of support: TECH
- 69. Big blasts, for short: NTESTS
down
- 1. "Quo Vadis" role: NERO
- 2. Knowing, as something private: INON
- 3. Set straight: TRUE
- 4. Go nuts, with "out": WIG
- 5. It's never in a neat order: ICE
- 6. Certain sorority members: THETAS
- 7. Slowly, on a score: LENTO
- 8. Stir: ADO
- 9. "Rise and Fall of ___ Amin" (1981 film): IDI
- 10. "American Graffiti" extra: CARHOP
- 11. Item from a registry, perhaps: SHOWERGIFT
- 12. Good Samaritan: AIDER
- 13. Knight's list: DEEDS
- 18. List-starting words: TODO
- 23. Send packing: AXE
- 24. ___ Valley, Calif.: SIMI
- 25. Worked a garden: HOED
- 26. House ___: WREN
- 27. Source of interest: BOND
- 28. Something to kick up: FUSS
- 29. Summer Games org.: USOC
- 30. They show altitude: RELIEFMAPS
- 33. "Come again?": HUH
- 35. Off-Broadway's "___ Baltimore": HOTL
- 36. "A Loss of Roses" playwright: INGE
- 38. Dietary needs: FATS
- 39. Drying kiln: OAST
- 40. Tag sale proviso: ASIS
- 41. Peter of reggae: TOSH
- 46. Padre's hermano: TIO
- 47. Decorative band: ARMLET
- 48. Astigmatic's view: BLUR
- 49. "Guys and Dolls" is based on his writing: RUNYON
- 50. Mosey along: AMBLE
- 51. Red hair or freckles: TRAIT
- 52. Toiletry kit item: BRUSH
- 55. Social workers?: ANTS
- 56. Ready for the sack: BEAT
- 57. A.A. and A.A.A., for two: ORGS
- 60. Mideast federation: Abbr.: UAE
- 61. Band with the 1987 single "Dear God": XTC
- 62. Part of a G.P.S. reading: Abbr.: LAT
- 63. Liked leader?: IKE
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.