NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for June 17, 2009
Wednesday, June 17, 2009
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, June 17, 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
- 33
Down clues & answers
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Tuesday, June 16, 2009
across
- 1. Leave in a hurry: RUNOFF
- 7. Toothed tools: SAWS
- 11. Where a truck driver sits: CAB
- 14. Swingline item: STAPLE
- 15. Field yield: CROP
- 16. Corrida cheer: OLE
- 17. *Impervious to picking, as a lock: TAMPERPROOF
- 19. Telecom giant acquired by Verizon: MCI
- 20. Legal ending: ESE
- 21. Leisure: EASE
- 22. Air apparent?: SMOG
- 23. "Liquid diet" devotee: SOT
- 25. *Engraver's surface: COPPERPLATE
- 28. Piled carelessly: INAHEAP
- 30. Superlative suffix: IEST
- 31. Seized vehicle: REPO
- 32. High-rise apartment garden site: TERRACE
- 36. *Motto of the U.S. Coast Guard: SEMPERPARATUS
- 40. Playful kissing: BUSSING
- 41. Middle-earth creatures: ENTS
- 43. Catherine, the last wife of Henry VIII: PARR
- 45. Nestles: CUDDLES
- 47. *Routine-bound bureaucrat: PAPERPUSHER
- 51. Online communications, for short: IMS
- 52. Notable times: ERAS
- 53. Start the kitty: ANTE
- 54. Tibetan beast: YAK
- 56. Rocker Ocasek: RIC
- 57. *Countries with big militaries: SUPERPOWERS
- 61. Part of a tuba's sound: PAH
- 62. Vietnam's continent: ASIA
- 63. Naturally illuminated: SUNLIT
- 64. Petal plucker's pronoun: SHE
- 65. Remain undecided: PEND
- 66. Compliment heard in the dress department: ITSYOU
down
- 1. Q-U connection: RST
- 2. Hagen of Broadway: UTA
- 3. Camp clothing identifier: NAMETAPE
- 4. Antonyms: Abbr.: OPPS
- 5. Lamb's coat: FLEECE
- 6. Not agin: FER
- 7. Bit of fabric: SCRAP
- 8. Got out of bed: AROSE
- 9. Affection seeker: WOOER
- 10. Tanning lotion letters: SPF
- 11. ,,,,,: COMMAS
- 12. "Little Women" author: ALCOTT
- 13. It's darker than cream: BEIGE
- 18. Jalapeños and chilies: PEPPERS
- 22. Rained pellets: SLEETED
- 23. Knight's title: SIR
- 24. Bills in tills: ONES
- 26. Hall's singing partner: OATES
- 27. Type size: PICA
- 29. Men of La Mancha: HOMBRES
- 33. Sch. in Troy, N.Y.: RPI
- 34. Owner of a brand?: RANCHER
- 35. Debate the pros and cons: ARGUE
- 37. Sign of a contented cat: PURR
- 38. Improbable: UNLIKELY
- 39. Flower holder: STEM
- 42. Deflation sound: SSS
- 43. Persona non grata: PARIAH
- 44. Geronimo's tribe: APACHE
- 46. Recover from a soaking: DRYOUT
- 47. Those "walking" through the answers to the starred clues: PERPS
- 48. YouTube button: PAUSE
- 49. Remove, as a corsage: UNPIN
- 50. Lieu: STEAD
- 55. Barley beards: AWNS
- 57. Knucklehead: SAP
- 58. Letter before omega: PSI
- 59. ___ Grande: RIO
- 60. "The ___ Erwin Show" of 1950s TV: STU
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.