NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for June 20, 2009
Saturday, June 20, 2009
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Saturday, June 20, 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
- 10
- 50
- 52
- 55
- 63
- 65
Down clues & answers
- 32
- 40
- 48
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Friday, June 19, 2009
across
- 1. South-of-the-border sign-off: HASTAMANANA
- 12. Consumption meas.: MPG
- 15. "Babette's Feast" author, 1950: ISAKDINESEN
- 16. Cause an interception, e.g.: ERR
- 17. Carry on: RANTANDRAVE
- 18. Where the wild things are?: ZOO
- 19. Round number, maybe: Abbr.: EST
- 20. Piddling: MERE
- 21. Market surpluses: GLUTS
- 23. Cassette components: REELS
- 25. Speaks about gravely?: EULOGIZES
- 28. "Miss Pym Disposes" mystery novelist: TEY
- 29. Husband of a sorceress, in myth: JASON
- 30. Calendar unit: PAGE
- 31. Big name in radio: IMUS
- 33. They may go forward or backward: SLASHES
- 35. Present day demand?: OPENIT
- 38. Origin: OUTSET
- 39. Reached the age of: LIVEDTO
- 41. See 56-Across: TAXI
- 42. Horse-pulled vehicle: DRAY
- 43. First name of two first ladies: ELLEN
- 45. Mil. authority: CMD
- 48. Actor who said "Only the gentle are ever really strong": JAMESDEAN
- 50. Get around: SKIRT
- 52. Direct deposits, e.g.: ECASH
- 53. Earthy deposit: MARL
- 55. Fed. agency with an annual almanac: NIH
- 56. With 41-Across, it makes short hops: AIR
- 57. 1950 movie on which the musical "Applause" is based: ALLABOUTEVE
- 61. Verdi's "___ giardin del bello": NEI
- 62. Setting of many New Yorker cartoons: PEARLYGATES
- 63. Jacksonville-to-Daytona Beach dir.: SSE
- 64. Something to pass in: EXPRESSLANE
down
- 1. Engaging sort: HIRER
- 2. How dishes are often sold: ASASET
- 3. South Carolina river to the Atlantic: SANTEE
- 4. Conductor's request: Abbr.: TKT
- 5. ___ apple: ADAMS
- 6. Elevator locale: MINE
- 7. Two-time Greek P.M. Papandreou: ANDREAS
- 8. Mythical Aegean Sea dweller: NEREUS
- 9. Civil-rights leader ___ Philip Randolph: ASA
- 10. Home of the Black Rock Desert: Abbr.: NEV
- 11. Lay ___: ANEGG
- 12. Jewish parchment scrolls put on doorposts: MEZUZAHS
- 13. She has a personal trainer: PROTEGEE
- 14. Least refined: GROSSEST
- 22. Contents of a cylindrical case: LIPSTICK
- 24. What "you can't hide" per a 1975 Eagles hit: LYINEYES
- 26. L.A.P.D. division?: LOS
- 27. Out, in a way: ONLOAN
- 29. Stuck (out): JUTTED
- 32. Morning or night lead-in: MID
- 34. Dumas's "La Dame ___ Camélias": AUX
- 35. They may be patched: OLDJEANS
- 36. Crimes on the high seas: PIRACIES
- 37. Saint of acting: EVAMARIE
- 40. Shout to someone in danger of getting stuck: OLE
- 41. Sound: TENABLE
- 44. Strange woman player in "The Strange Woman," 1946: LAMARR
- 46. 2001-06 secretary of transportation: MINETA
- 47. Motivated: DRIVEN
- 49. Straighten (up): SHAPE
- 50. Not-always-taken tokens: SLUGS
- 51. 1995 Bon Jovi album "___ Days": THESE
- 54. Artist Lichtenstein and others: ROYS
- 58. Big Apple ave.: LEX
- 59. Provider of PC support: LAP
- 60. "Qué ___?" (José's "How's it going?"): TAL
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.