NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for October 23, 2008
Thursday, October 23, 2008
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Thursday, October 23, 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
- 16
- 24
- 28
- 33
Down clues & answers
- 29
- 37
- 46
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
across
- 1. Test version: BETA
- 5. Genesis terminus: ARARAT
- 11. Keypad location: ATM
- 14. Button below TUV: OPER
- 15. Poe maiden: LENORE
- 16. To boot: TOO
- 17. Eng, for one: SIAMESETWIN
- 19. Alien's subj.: ESL
- 20. Staff symbol: CCLEF
- 21. Meadow denizens: FIELDMICE
- 23. Eminem collaborator, informally: DRE
- 25. Mex. misses: SRTAS
- 26. Grp. opposed to the Vietnam War: SDS
- 29. Modern music genre: EMO
- 31. M.L.B. team with a "W" insignia: NATS
- 33. Bar request: MAKEMINEADOUBLE
- 39. Like many products on eBay: USED
- 40. Irk: GETTO
- 41. Bébé's intake: LAIT
- 42. 1951 film named for a boat: THEAFRICANQUEEN
- 45. Springfield tavern: MOES
- 46. Lucy of "Kill Bill": LIU
- 47. Messenger ___: RNA
- 48. Provider of some fall color: ASTER
- 51. R.S.V.P. part: SIL
- 53. Museum visit, maybe: CLASSTRIP
- 58. Nile Valley region: NUBIA
- 62. Plug place: EAR
- 63. "Circle of Life" musical: THELIONKING
- 65. U.S. hwy., e.g.: RTE
- 66. Less tough: EASIER
- 67. "Sting like ___": ABEE
- 68. With 70-Across, what the end of 17-, 33-, 42- or 63-Across describes: BED
- 69. At the peak of maturity: RIPEST
- 70. See 68-Across: SIZE
down
- 1. Winter pear: BOSC
- 2. Grand: EPIC
- 3. Florida Marlins color: TEAL
- 4. Dangerous partner?: ARMED
- 5. Capp and Capone: ALS
- 6. Site of many a shipwreck: REEF
- 7. Prefix with matter: ANTI
- 8. T. ___ Price (investment firm): ROWE
- 9. Seed covering: ARIL
- 10. Looks after: TENDSTO
- 11. Took the loss: ATEIT
- 12. "Vissi d'arte" opera: TOSCA
- 13. Some spies: MOLES
- 18. Violinist Zimbalist: EFREM
- 22. Crewmate of Capt. Kirk: MRSULU
- 24. Asylum seeker, perhaps: EMIGRE
- 26. Blue prints?: SMUT
- 27. Salt amount: DASH
- 28. ___-Ball (arcade game): SKEE
- 30. "___ the loneliest number": ONEIS
- 31. Brazilian seaport: NATAL
- 32. Dreamboat: ADONIS
- 34. Mingo player on "Daniel Boone": EDAMES
- 35. Yadda yadda yadda: ETC
- 36. Max of the ring: BAER
- 37. Claim against property: LIEN
- 38. Italy's Mt. ___: ETNA
- 43. "Howards End" novelist: FORSTER
- 44. Zorba player: QUINN
- 48. Sharp-tasting: ACERB
- 49. Online current affairs magazine: SLATE
- 50. Deducted from the gross weight: TARED
- 52. "Witness" actor Haas: LUKAS
- 54. Asian cuisine: THAI
- 55. Legal defendant: Abbr.: RESP
- 56. 1976 loser to Bjorn at Wimbledon: ILIE
- 57. Pizzas: PIES
- 59. Israel's Netanyahu, familiarly: BIBI
- 60. Don Juan's mother: INEZ
- 61. Winner of a posthumous Pulitzer: AGEE
- 64. Scrap for Rover: ORT
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.