NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for July 12, 2009
Sunday, July 12, 2009
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Sunday, July 12, 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
- 59
- 75
- 82
- 87
- 97
- 108
- 113
- 115
- 124
- 126
- 127
- 128
Down clues & answers
- 11
- 15
- 74
- 101
- 110
- 111
- 116
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Saturday, July 11, 2009
across
- 1. Like a hunk: BUFF
- 5. Perch for a bighorn: CRAG
- 9. Puppets: PAWNS
- 14. Trade name of daminozide: ALAR
- 15. Saab model: AERO
- 16. Nirvana attainer: ARHAT
- 17. Big name in bags: KATESPADE
- 19. Internet forum menace: TROLL
- 20. Shakes: UNSETTLES
- 21. Major Côte d'Ivoire export: CACAO
- 22. Where to get rubbed the right way?: SPA
- 23. Second-largest city in New Hampshire: NASHUA
- 25. They're often garnished with orchids: MAITAIS
- 29. Act like a bull?: BUY
- 30. Edge: NIP
- 33. They may call the shots: ANNOUNCERS
- 35. Early Saint-Laurent employer: DIOR
- 36. Winner of four consecutive Emmys for his sitcom role as a prosecutor: JOHNLARROQUETTE
- 38. "Zip" follower: ADEE
- 39. Snorkeling spot near Honolulu: HANAUMABAY
- 40. Weekly msg.: SER
- 41. Break: GAP
- 42. Get down: DEPRESS
- 43. Refresher between courses: SORBET
- 46. Matching pair marking: HIS
- 47. Race beginning?: ETHNO
- 49. Not too tight?: SEPARABLE
- 54. Zulu relative: XHOSA
- 55. Like some questions: OPENENDED
- 56. Get smart: PREEN
- 57. Pteridologist's specimen: FERN
- 58. Waiting aid: TRAY
- 59. Cashiers: OUSTS
- 60. Org. created by Carter in 1979: FEMA
- 61. Gear to help you hear: AMPS
down
- 1. Transcaucasian capital: BAKU
- 2. Half an Asian capital?: ULAN
- 3. Some nutrients: FATS
- 4. Peach variety: FREESTONE
- 5. To whom Stubb and Flask answered, in literature: CAPTAINAHAB
- 6. Unlike fairies: REAL
- 7. Shakespeare's mother's maiden name: ARDEN
- 8. Takes a continental tour, e.g.: GOESABROAD
- 9. Inconsistent: PATCHY
- 10. He recorded all 32 Beethoven piano sonatas in the 1960s: ARRAU
- 11. Response to a ding-dong?: WHOCANITBE
- 12. Simba's mate: NALA
- 13. The Vire River flows through it: STLO
- 18. Minnesota twin?: STPAUL
- 24. Three Mile Island is in it: SUSQUEHANNA
- 25. Goya subjects: MAJAS
- 26. Cell part: ANODE
- 27. Jennifer Weiner best seller made into a 2005 film: INHERSHOES
- 28. Removes, as paint: SCRAPESOFF
- 31. Crumbs: IOTAS
- 32. Is rapacious: PREYS
- 34. Rapacious flier: ERN
- 35. Words followed by a wish list: DEARSANTA
- 37. Home ruler?: UMPIRE
- 41. Sounds like an old floorboard: GROANS
- 44. Nascence: ONSET
- 45. Fox home: TEPEE
- 47. Fair: EXPO
- 48. Street sign word: THRU
- 50. It can make waves: PERM
- 51. Apt. part: BDRM
- 52. Act precipitately: LEAP
- 53. One of its flavors is Dulce de Leche: EDYS
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.