NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for August 27, 2009
Thursday, August 27, 2009
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Thursday, August 27, 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
- 19
- 27
- 32
- 37
- 50
Down clues & answers
- 10
- 26
- 31
- 37
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
across
- 1. Hurts: SMARTS
- 7. 3, 4 or 5, typically, in golf: PAR
- 10. Best-selling computer game from the early 2000s, with "The": SIMS
- 14. When Hamlet says "To be or not to be": ACTIII
- 15. Payment promise: IOU
- 16. "I'm ___!" ("Will do!"): ONIT
- 17. "___, please" (diner's request): CHOPSTICKS
- 19. Endangered state bird: NENE
- 20. PC capacity, for short: RAM
- 21. "Full" sign: SRO
- 22. Shot using one's noggin: HEADER
- 24. Beethoven dedicatee: ELISE
- 27. "___, please" (announcer's request): ATTENTION
- 29. What to do at a crossroads: DECIDE
- 31. Postpone yet again: RETABLE
- 32. Vehement speech: TIRADE
- 35. Roman household god: LAR
- 36. "___, please" (awards show presenter's request): THEENVELOPE
- 40. G.I.'s mail drop: APO
- 42. "Twelfth Night" duke: ORSINO
- 43. Malodorous critter: POLECAT
- 47. Mexican revolutionary played by Brando: ZAPATA
- 51. "___, please" (operator's request): ONEMOMENT
- 54. 18 oz., maybe, on a cereal box: NETWT
- 55. Hardware store boxful: SCREWS
- 56. Springsteen's birthplace of song: USA
- 58. Gerber eater: TOT
- 59. Old salt's direction: THAR
- 60. "___, please!" (Henny Youngman's request): TAKEMYWIFE
- 64. Past the golf pin, say: LONG
- 65. Direction from L.A. to K.C.: ENE
- 66. Band with the 1975 #1 hit "One of These Nights": EAGLES
- 67. Ferrara family name: ESTE
- 68. Blazed a trail: LED
- 69. Dada, to many: NONART
down
- 1. With 45-Down, something not to criticize: SACRED
- 2. Ernest Borgnine title role: MCHALE
- 3. ___ FireBall (hot candy): ATOMIC
- 4. Job for a tailor: RIP
- 5. Rejoinder to "'tain't!": TIS
- 6. Collects splinters, so to speak: SITS
- 7. Embroidery loop: PICOT
- 8. Just fine: AOK
- 9. Fraternity hopeful: RUSHEE
- 10. Beethoven keyboard work: SONATA
- 11. Like poisonous mushrooms: INEDIBLE
- 12. Seat of Nassau County, N.Y.: MINEOLA
- 13. Less lenient: STERNER
- 18. 401(k) alternative: IRA
- 23. Fangorn in "The Lord of the Rings," e.g.: ENT
- 25. Jedi enemy: SITH
- 26. Falco who played Carmela on "The Sopranos": EDIE
- 28. Familial diagrams: TREES
- 30. Bard's before: ERE
- 33. "I can't sing ___": ANOTE
- 34. TiVo, for one: DVR
- 36. Broad-minded: TOLERANT
- 37. Taylor who said "I do" eight times: LIZ
- 38. ___ equal footing: ONAN
- 39. Wearer of a triple tiara: POPE
- 40. Last Supper guest: APOSTLE
- 41. Some rainwear: PONCHOS
- 44. Come into prominence: EMERGE
- 45. See 1-Down: COW
- 46. Dutch brew: AMSTEL
- 48. The Scourge of God: ATTILA
- 49. Get-one-free deal: TWOFER
- 50. Swear (to): ATTEST
- 52. Microwaved, slangily: NUKED
- 53. "The Waste Land" monogram: TSE
- 57. Grace ender: AMEN
- 61. "I'd like to buy ___, Pat": ANE
- 62. Hoopster ___ Ming: YAO
- 63. Chicago Cubs' station: WGN
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.