NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for May 1, 2009
Friday, May 1, 2009
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Friday, May 1, 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.
Across clues & answers
- 18
- 19
- 27
- 34
- 37
- 42
- 54
- 55
- 62
- 67
Down clues & answers
- 38
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Thursday, April 30, 2009
across
- 1. Discombobulate: ADDLE
- 6. Reasons some games run long: Abbr.: OTS
- 9. You can get one on the house: Abbr.: MTGE
- 13. Lines: QUEUES
- 15. *Final resting place for old autos?: KHARTOUM
- 17. Congo tributary: UBANGI
- 18. Cow or goat: RUMINANT
- 19. Preceder of bravo in a radio alphabet: ALFA
- 20. Showed joy, in a way: BEAMED
- 22. Canine command: SIT
- 23. Person on the left?: Abbr.: DEM
- 24. *Father of the Ziploc?: BAGHDAD
- 29. Extreme Atkins diet credo: NOCARBS
- 32. "Ta-ta!": SEEYOU
- 33. Author Fallaci: ORIANA
- 35. Repel, with "off": FEND
- 36. Pun-crimes committed by the answers to the six starred clues?: CAPITALOFFENSES
- 41. Like some primaries: OPEN
- 42. Team esteem: MORALE
- 43. Island attire: SARONG
- 46. Like Gamal Abdel Nasser's movement: PANARAB
- 49. *Wide shoe specification?: TRIPOLI
- 51. Work, as a battle station: MAN
- 52. Wm. H. Taft was the only U.S. president born in this month: SEP
- 54. Show unease, maybe: FIDGET
- 56. ___-Pacific: ASIA
- 57. Long key: SPACEBAR
- 61. Natural: INBORN
- 63. *Recently opened sandwich shop?: NEWDELHI
- 64. It's white and fleecy: CIRRUS
- 65. Parts of codes: LAWS
- 66. Thataway: YON
- 67. Crackers: BATTY
down
- 1. Pool shades: AQUAS
- 2. *Multiplyin' by 2?: DUBLIN
- 3. Not heeding: DEAFTO
- 4. ___ moth: LUNA
- 5. REM researcher's tool: EEG
- 6. Food whose name comes from a language of West Africa: OKRA
- 7. Big print maker: THUMB
- 8. Interchangeable with, with "the": SAMEAS
- 9. Atlas abbr.: MTN
- 10. ___ degree: TOA
- 11. Rev: GUN
- 12. R.N.'s colleague: EMT
- 14. Home of the 2,700-mile-long Lena River: SIBERIA
- 16. First secretary of homeland security: RIDGE
- 21. Mummify: EMBALM
- 23. It has feathers and flies: DART
- 25. Original "Playboy": HEFNER
- 26. Reddens, maybe: DYES
- 27. Tiptop: AONE
- 28. Bombs: DUDS
- 30. Pinball machine, e.g.: COINOP
- 31. Listen in (on): SNOOP
- 34. Simple building: AFRAME
- 36. Outlay: COST
- 37. On ___ with: APAR
- 38. Actress Gilpin of "Frasier": PERI
- 39. Extremist: FANATIC
- 40. Personal flair: ELAN
- 44. Like many checking accounts: NOFEE
- 45. With a silver tongue: GLIBLY
- 47. Categorize: ASSORT
- 48. *Base of a fragrant tree?: BEIRUT
- 50. Home of the Sawtooth Range: IDAHO
- 53. Violet variety: PANSY
- 55. Sign of sheepishness: GRIN
- 56. Start of a magic incantation: ABRA
- 57. ___ Digital Short: SNL
- 58. Bit of a stew: PEA
- 59. "How cute!": AWW
- 60. Bank offerings, in brief: CDS
- 62. Penpoint: NIB
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.