NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for May 31, 2008

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

Yes. Each date we have covered is in the crossword archive .

Saturday, May 31, 2008

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 3:27 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Saturday, May 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.

68 clues · jump to Across or Down. Tap a tile for one letter, or Answer for the whole word.

Across clues & answers

1
Porky
10
Socs.
15
"Whatever"
16
"The Wreck of the Mary ___" (1959 film)
17
Where habits are picked up?
18
Near the hip
19
Seat
20
"That's good enough"
21
Get down
24
"The Novel of the Future" author
25
First Earl of Chatham
29
Proceeding
32
Ready to get engaged?
34
Exchange for something very valuable
35
Vertical piece in a door frame
36
Grp. issuing IDs
37
Tennis star Petrova
38
Like some adult hippos
40
Product with a rotating ball
41
Curious to a fault
43
Text messaging command
44
Meatball
45
Lyric stand-in, perhaps
47
Clammy?
50
Flight passengers often work on them
55
Not independently
56
Not too much of a stretch
58
Jenny Craig testimonial starter
59
Read the riot act
60
Heavenly discovery of 1801
61
"Sure looks that way"

Down clues & answers

Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.

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Previous The Crossword answer

Friday, May 30, 2008

across

1. Elaborate procedure: RIGMAROLE
10. Creep: JERK
14. Soapmaking compound: OLEICACID
15. Playful trickster: PIXIE
16. Living end: BEESKNEES
17. In with: AMONG
18. Where to find lifesavers, for short: ERS
19. "The Wandering Heir" novelist, 1872: READE
20. Settles: SINKS
21. "The Big Lebowski" director: COEN
22. River in Hades: LETHE
24. Occupies: STAYSAT
27. Not view innocently: LEERAT
30. Something to take in court: STAND
31. Orsk is on it: URAL
33. Rabbit punch landing site: NAPE
34. Shape-shifting giant of myth: LOKI
35. "Just in Time" composer: STYNE
36. Call in the game Battleship: DTEN
37. "Without ___" (Grateful Dead album): ANET
38. Four-legged film star of the '30s: ASTA
39. Let out: FREED
40. The classical elements, e.g.: TETRAD
42. Luxor Temple sight: OBELISK
44. Bouncing off the walls: HYPER
46. Animal some believe to be the source of the unicorn myth: ORYX
47. Big bang creator: NTEST
49. Keys: ISLES
51. Org. that can't be lax about LAX?: FAA
54. "The Fog of War" director Morris: ERROL
55. Old comedian known for his unique piano-playing style: CHICOMARX
57. Squalid: SEAMY
58. "Oh well": CESTLAVIE
59. Disclosure on eHarmony: TYPE
60. "My parents are gonna kill me!": IAMSODEAD

down

1. Something to put on before trying?: ROBE
2. He played one of TV's Sopranos: ILER
3. Goes right: GEES
4. Fire starter?: MIS
5. Peter who wrote "The Last Testament of Oscar Wilde": ACKROYD
6. Eastern royals: RANEES
7. Sealab inhabitants: OCEANAUTS
8. Invented things: LIED
9. Old bomb: EDSEL
10. Follower of Sha Na Na at Woodstock: JIMIHENDRIX
11. Clears: EXONERATES
12. Flames shoot in it: RINK
13. They're tapped: KEGS
15. Belt: PASTE
21. Question while eying someone else's plate: CANITRYSOME
23. Publication with an annual "Green Issue": ELLE
24. Pit: STONE
25. Be a whipping boy: TAKETHERAP
26. "___ Forget" (Harbach/Kern tune): TRYTO
28. Sneak ___: APEEK
29. Lean: TEND
30. Plane wing part: SLAT
32. Process of molecular synthesis: ANABOLISM
35. She had a 1993 hit with "No Ordinary Love": SADE
39. Eschew aid: FLYSOLO
41. Well: APTLY
43. Assembles: ERECTS
45. Golden Globe-nominated actress for "The Opposite of Sex," 1998: RICCI
47. Leaves home?: NEST
48. One before four: TREY
50. Jets used to be seen there: SHEA
51. Top pick, slangily: FAVE
52. Scena segment: ARIA
53. Dumped: AXED
56. Unbalanced: MAD

Hints and full breakdown for May 30

More daily puzzle hints

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.