NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for August 3, 2009
Monday, August 3, 2009
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Monday, August 3, 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
- 20
- 36
- 53
- 57
- 60
Down clues & answers
- 21
- 33
- 40
- 51
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Sunday, August 2, 2009
across
- 1. It's open for dinner: MOUTH
- 6. High ball, in pool: STRIPE
- 12. Pond organism: ALGA
- 16. Sedaris of "Strangers With Candy": AMY
- 19. Dish that may be served on a boat: SUSHI
- 20. Three-line poems: HAIKUS
- 21. Put into piles: SORT
- 22. Traversing: VIA
- 23. Contents of four answers found in this puzzle: GREEKLETTERS
- 25. It covers a lot of leg: KNEESOCK
- 27. Good for nothing?: Var.: FREEBEE
- 28. Alexander the Great conquered it: PERSIA
- 30. Rarely counterfeited bills: ONES
- 31. Fictional Plaza Hotel resident: ELOISE
- 33. Alexander the Great conquered it: IONIA
- 34. Group formed at C.C.N.Y. in 1910: TAUDELTAPHI
- 36. Weapon with many warheads: MIRV
- 37. Roof of the World natives: TIBETANS
- 40. Monaco is one: PRINCEDOM
- 45. Given an eyeful, you might say: MACED
- 47. Accepting bribes: ONTHETAKE
- 48. Brazil's ___ Alegre: PORTO
- 49. "And all too soon, I fear, the king shall ___": "Richard II": RUE
- 50. 1971 album dedicated to Buddy Holly: AMERICANPIE
- 52. Picasso's ___ Period, 1901-04: BLUE
- 53. Surname of two British P.M.'s: PITT
- 54. Waterford purchase: VASE
- 55. Empties: DRAINS
- 57. Labor leader Chávez: CESAR
- 58. Bridal wish list: REGISTRY
- 62. Like some twisted ankles: ICED
- 63. Sam's Club rival: COSTCO
- 64. 1992 Damon Wayans comedy: MOMONEY
- 65. "Old MacDonald Had a Farm" sounds: OINKS
- 67. Womanizers, slangily: TOMCATS
- 68. Nitrogen compounds: AMINES
- 69. Weenie roast needs: BUNS
- 70. Cars that go toward other cars: TRADEINS
- 72. Subjects of pneumography: LUNGS
- 73. Fended (off): WARDED
- 75. Something that's been clarified: OLEO
- 76. Tavern orders: ALES
- 77. Old cracker brand: HIHO
- 78. Co-organizer of the Montgomery bus boycott, 1955: RALPHABERNATHY
- 84. Ill-looking: WAN
- 85. Renaissance painter Uccello: PAOLO
- 87. Bavaria and others, once: DUCHIES
- 88. Bout of revelry: SPREE
- 89. By and large: INTHEMAIN
- 91. Engine attachment: AIRHOSE
- 92. Claw alternative: PEEN
- 93. Group formed at Howard University in 1911: OMEGAPSIPHI
- 94. Sci-fi author's creation: WORLD
- 96. Kentucky Derby drinks: JULEPS
- 98. Fire extinguisher's output: FOAM
- 101. Mideast hub: BEIRUT
- 103. Fill a box, say: EMPANEL
- 106. Jason Bourne, in the Bourne series: AMNESIAC
- 108. Four groups found in this puzzle: FRATERNITIES
- 112. Bounder: CAD
- 113. Umpire's wear: MASK
- 114. Retro headgear: FEDORA
- 115. Jay Silverheels role: TONTO
- 116. Have a bite of: TRY
- 117. Quelques-___ (some: Fr.): UNES
- 118. 2000 Olympics locale: SYDNEY
- 119. Golfer who said "Never concede a putt": SNEAD
down
- 1. "No ___": MSG
- 2. First word in many church names: OUR
- 3. Pursue violent options: USEFORCE
- 4. 1980 double album by Springsteen: THERIVER
- 5. Raises: HIKES
- 6. C&W singer Wooley: SHEB
- 7. British art museum: TATE
- 8. Book of Hours entry: RITE
- 9. ___ & Tina Turner Revue: IKE
- 10. Determination: PURPOSE
- 11. Ruhr industrial city: ESSEN
- 12. Gets several views: ASKSAROUND
- 13. Actress Anderson: LONI
- 14. Social reformer Margaret Fuller, to Buckminster Fuller: GREATAUNT
- 15. "I already ___": ATE
- 16. Skin So Soft seller: AVON
- 17. Lab test subjects: MICE
- 18. Asian bovines: YAKS
- 24. Sheltered side: LEE
- 26. Meryl Streep title role: SOPHIE
- 29. Most corrugated: RIPPLIEST
- 31. Novel on which "Clueless" is based: EMMA
- 32. Writer O'Flaherty: LIAM
- 33. Like final contracts: INKED
- 35. Mexican-style fast-food chain: DELTACO
- 37. Comfortably warm: TOASTY
- 38. Personal, as thoughts: INNER
- 39. Group formed at Miami University in 1839: BETATHETAPI
- 41. Furies: IRES
- 42. Antihistamine brand: DRISTAN
- 43. Steals the show from, say: OUTACTS
- 44. Urban railways: METROS
- 46. Figures out intuitively: DIVINES
- 51. Legal precedents: CASES
- 52. No longer on vacation: BACK
- 53. Oscar winner for "GoodFellas": PESCI
- 56. Remove the suds: RINSE
- 57. Inducements: COMEONS
- 58. Pointy-eared "Star Trek" character: ROMULAN
- 59. Highly respected: EMINENT
- 60. Round percussion instruments: GONGS
- 61. Term for a judge: YOURHONOR
- 63. Enigma machine, e.g.: CODER
- 64. Nyasaland, nowadays: MALAWI
- 66. ___-European: INDO
- 67. New Journalism pioneer Gay: TALESE
- 69. Areas of expertise: BAILIWICKS
- 71. Choir attire: ROBES
- 73. Liveryman's command: WHOA
- 74. Celtic priest of old: DRUID
- 79. Group formed at Trinity College in 1895: ALPHACHIRHO
- 80. Wisconsin home of Lawrence University: APPLETON
- 81. Timberland limit: TREELINE
- 82. Villainous Uriah: HEEP
- 83. Desires: YENS
- 85. Product with a circular red, white and blue logo: PEPSI
- 86. Semiterrestrial organism: AMPHIBIAN
- 87. The Who's lead singer: DALTREY
- 90. Match played at the local arena: HOMEGAME
- 95. Elizabethan collars: RUFFS
- 96. Dean's 1960s singing partner: JAN
- 97. Apartments, e.g.: UNITS
- 98. Undisputed point: FACT
- 99. W.W. II general Bradley: OMAR
- 100. Red's pal in "The Shawshank Redemption": ANDY
- 102. Slip (into): EASE
- 103. English collar: ETON
- 104. French family member: MERE
- 105. Speak up?: PRAY
- 107. The Mustangs of the N.C.A.A.: SMU
- 109. Get a total: ADD
- 110. J.F.K. board info: ETA
- 111. Ground cover: SOD
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.