NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for January 22, 2009

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

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

Thursday, January 22, 2009

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 3:23 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Thursday, January 22, 2009. 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.

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

Across clues & answers

1
Schmo
5
Trash cans and such
10
Walking encyclopedia
14
"How did ___ this happen?"
15
Opposite of someways
16
Alto lead-in?
17
Paris's ___ de Lyon
18
Benjamin
19
Wood alternative
20
Split
23
Refrain from singing in kindergarten?
24
Picketer's sign
28
Zing
29
Chinese dollar
33
All over
34
1990s war site
36
___ feuilletée (puff pastry)
37
Primitive trophies ... or a hint to this puzzle's theme
41
Karmann ___ (old Volkswagen)
42
Genuine
43
Alternative rock band with four platinum albums
46
Repair shop figs.
47
Cry out loud
50
Conformation defect in a horse
52
Words on a Wonderland cake
54
Traffic sign that indicates a possible temporary road closure
58
Deal preceder
61
Cause for pulling over
62
Where Samson defeated the Philistines
63
Lawless role
64
Managing, with "out"
65
Zest
66
Front
67
Go from one number to another
68
100 18-Acrosses

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

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

across

1. Electrical bridges: ARCS
5. Disney output, once: CELS
9. Winter warmer: SCARF
14. Polo on TV: TERI
15. Place to pay a toll, perhaps: EXIT
16. Jude Law title role: ALFIE
17. "___ unrelated note ...": ONAN
18. Buggy place?: DUNE
19. 4 x 100 meters need: BATON
20. Genghis Khan's non-pedigree domain?: MONGRELEMPIRE
23. George ___, longest-reigning English king: III
24. Round fig.: EST
25. Narrowest winning margin in baseball: ONERUN
28. Rush hour pace: CRAWL
30. Word after pen or gal: PAL
32. Newcastle's river: TYNE
33. Be indisposed: AIL
35. In the thick of: AMID
37. So last year: OUT
38. Non-pedigree essential courses?: CURCURRICULUM
42. Monopolist's portion: ALL
43. Margin marking: STET
44. Author of "The Island of the Day Before": ECO
45. "___ Houston" of 1980s TV: MATT
47. Far from welcoming: ICY
48. You can open with them: KNOBS
52. Repugnant: ODIOUS
54. Letters on tires: PSI
56. Talladega unit: LAP
57. Casey's non-pedigree team?: MUTTVILLENINE
61. Put on the books: ENACT
63. Trial balloon, e.g.: IDEA
64. Dr. Pavlov: IVAN
65. Bat maker's tool: LATHE
66. Pundit Colmes: ALAN
67. Be disposed (to): TEND
68. Burgers on the hoof: STEER
69. For fear that: LEST
70. Bullpen stats: ERAS

down

1. Like superprecise clocks: ATOMIC
2. "The Bathers" painter: RENOIR
3. Head cases?: CRANIA
4. Be a fink: SING
5. Hands over: CEDES
6. Jump for joy: EXULT
7. Singles bar delivery: LINE
8. Pipe part: STEM
9. Salk contemporary: SABIN
10. Bordeaux wine: CLARET
11. Words from Alphonse or Gaston: AFTERYOU
12. Ipanema locale: RIO
13. Place for reeds: FEN
21. Items in some illicit trade: RELICS
22. Miranda rights readers: POLICE
26. "One" on a coin: UNUM
27. Court divider: NET
29. Cabinet department until 1947: WAR
30. Kegger, e.g.: PARTY
31. "___ losing it?": AMI
34. Elizabethan ballad player, maybe: LUTIST
36. Ernie the Muppet's rubber toy: DUCKIE
38. Decked out: CLAD
39. Frisbee game involving body contact: ULTIMATE
40. Nonacademic school activities, informally: REC
41. Chaney of "The Wolf Man": LON
42. Latin 101 word: AMO
46. "You got me!": TOUCHE
49. Twist of fiction: OLIVER
50. Potassium source: BANANA
51. Goes on a spree: SPENDS
53. Out-and-out: UTTER
54. Results of some bargains: PLEAS
55. Apply spin to: SLANT
58. Baby bottle?: VIAL
59. On one's duff: IDLE
60. Time on a marquee: NITE
61. Ways around Chi-town: ELS
62. N.L.'er since 2005: NAT

Hints and full breakdown for Jan 21

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.