NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for August 24, 2008
Sunday, August 24, 2008
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Sunday, August 24, 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
- 20
- 21
- 72
- 74
- 115
- 133
- 146
Down clues & answers
- 1
- 29
- 48
- 51
- 53
- 54
- 70
- 71
- 100
- 101
- 111
- 119
- 120
- 121
- 122
- 130
- 132
- 139
- 144
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Saturday, August 23, 2008
across
- 1. Oil-based paste mentioned in the lyrics to "Lucy in the Sky With Diamonds": PLASTICINE
- 11. Script meaning "God is great" appears on its flag: IRAQ
- 15. Get inspired: HAVEANIDEA
- 16. Do or die: VERB
- 17. Late news?: OBITUARIES
- 18. Thanksgiving dishes: YAMS
- 19. Thanksgiving dishes: BOATS
- 20. Buildings often have them: CODES
- 22. Delivery possibility: SON
- 23. "___ say, Rise up and walk?": Luke 5:23: ORTO
- 24. Headmaster of literature: DUMBLEDORE
- 26. G.P.S. abbr.: SSE
- 27. "Tais-___!" (French "Shut up!"): TOI
- 28. Hiiumaa Island belongs to it: ESTONIA
- 29. What a priest may prepare for: RITE
- 31. Minor modification: TWEAK
- 32. "Dick Tracy" character Catchem: SAM
- 35. Lead-in to "I really should get going": ITSLATE
- 38. Inits. associated with Hyde: RLS
- 39. Turkey tender?: LIRAS
- 41. Always effective: SURE
- 42. Small, narrow bays: ARMLETS
- 45. 1999 best-selling memoir: TIS
- 46. Fix: JAM
- 49. Underhanded change, slangily: SWITCHEROO
- 51. Bats: LOCO
- 52. Este día: HOY
- 53. Soldier's 1000: TENAM
- 54. Bars without other people?: SOLOS
- 55. It's read virtually, briefly: EMAG
- 57. Existential musing: WHYAMIHERE
- 59. Burning state: RAGE
- 60. Folkies' do: HOOTENANNY
- 61. Pique: SNIT
- 62. Opposite of simplicity: ORNATENESS
down
- 1. Moon of Mars: PHOBOS
- 2. Breaks one's back: LABORS
- 3. Play an ace?: AVIATE
- 4. Begin: SETTO
- 5. Unstable leptons: TAUS
- 6. Preceder of 46-, 59- or 61-Across: INA
- 7. Motherboard array: CIRCUITS
- 8. Translator's challenge: IDIOM
- 9. Required: NEEDBE
- 10. Conference room props: EASELS
- 11. What often grows attached?: IVY
- 12. Human as opposed to an animal, notably: REASONER
- 13. Of heraldry: ARMORIAL
- 14. Plays after some snaps, in brief: QBSNEAKS
- 21. Parlor pieces: SETTEES
- 24. Prodder's cry: DOIT
- 25. Average guy?: DOW
- 27. Divide, in a way: TRISECT
- 30. Raised lines: ELS
- 32. Cutting-edge cinema?: SLASHERS
- 33. Her idea may be taking off: AIRWOMAN
- 34. Film character who says "I promise teach karate. That my part. You promise learn": MRMIYAGI
- 36. They work by themselves: AUTOMATA
- 37. The Ghostbusters, e.g.: TRIO
- 40. Space neighbor?: ALT
- 43. Preceder of Jefferson Airplane at Woodstock: THEWHO
- 44. Man of Rio: SENHOR
- 46. #1 country hit for Dolly Parton: JOLENE
- 47. Food for jays: ACORNS
- 48. Moves with no urgency: MOSEYS
- 50. Silk alternative: RAYON
- 51. Star of "Herbie: Fully Loaded," 2005: LOHAN
- 54. 0, for 180 degrees: SINE
- 56. Come by: GET
- 58. Sat: MET
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.