NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for February 9, 2011
Wednesday, February 9, 2011
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, February 9, 2011. 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
- 21
- 56
- 63
- 64
Down clues & answers
- 31
- 32
- 34
- 48
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Tuesday, February 8, 2011
across
- 1. ___ Sea (shrinking body of water): ARAL
- 5. Argentine strongman Perón: JUAN
- 9. Kern and Hammerstein's "Can't Help Lovin' ___ Man": DAT
- 12. Like no-hitters: RARE
- 13. The Boilermakers of the N.C.A.A.: PURDUE
- 15. Slugger's stat: RBI
- 16. Proper way to behave in Biloxi?: MISSMANNERS
- 18. "My lips ___ sealed": ARE
- 19. Part of F.D.R.: DELANO
- 20. Put on, as plays: STAGED
- 22. Said no to: DENIED
- 23. Evaluation in Eugene?: OREASSAY
- 25. Lake named for an Indian tribe: ERIE
- 26. Fiends: OGRES
- 28. Where runs may be made: HOSE
- 29. "Get out" key: Abbr.: ESC
- 30. Austria's ___ Family Singers: TRAPP
- 31. Lorillard company smokes: KENTS
- 32. Syncopated piano piece for Seattle residents?: WASHRAG
- 34. Political convention locale: ARENA
- 38. Menial sorts: PEONS
- 39. What the best hand may get you: POT
- 42. Member of the familia: NENE
- 43. Dr. of children's books: SEUSS
- 44. "Take a number" place: DELI
- 45. Chicago balloonists' needs?: ILLWINDS
- 47. Freak: WEIRDO
- 49. ___ d': MAITRE
- 50. Get started: SETOUT
- 51. Six-pack set: ABS
- 52. Commuter trains in Boston?: MASSTRANSIT
- 56. Vietnamese New Year: TET
- 57. Japanese dogs: AKITAS
- 58. Identify: NAME
- 59. Ernie of the P.G.A.: ELS
- 60. Northern French river: YSER
- 61. Kind of sch.: ELEM
down
- 1. Something a push-up exercises: ARM
- 2. Paul Revere's bandmates in 1960s-'70s music: RAIDERS
- 3. Once-common pesticide component: ARSENIC
- 4. Howard of "Gone With the Wind": LESLIE
- 5. 2007 Ellen Page title role: JUNO
- 6. Gravesite sight: URN
- 7. Commercial suffix with Power: ADE
- 8. Clinic staff: NURSES
- 9. Never seems to end: DRAGSON
- 10. Side by side: ABREAST
- 11. Adds color to, in a way: TIEDYES
- 13. First woman, in Greek myth: PANDORA
- 14. This: Sp.: ESTA
- 17. West with the autobiography "Goodness Had Nothing to Do With It": MAE
- 21. Arthur in the International Tennis Hall of Fame: ASHE
- 22. Poor mark: DEE
- 23. The father of songs, according to Pindar: ORPHEUS
- 24. Not originals: REPROS
- 27. Said in horror, say: GASPED
- 30. "You're going to like us. ___" (1980s slogan): TWA
- 31. Metric weights: Abbr.: KGS
- 33. Key's contents: ANSWERS
- 34. Put into cartoon form: ANIMATE
- 35. Put a new tag on: RELABEL
- 36. Joins up: ENLISTS
- 37. Eye of ___ (witch's item): NEWT
- 39. Careful reading: PERUSAL
- 40. Kind of religion, in song: OLDTIME
- 41. Member of the familia: TIO
- 43. Underhanded: SNEAKY
- 44. Singer Warwick: DIONNE
- 46. "___ la Douce": IRMA
- 48. Pilot's datum: Abbr.: ETA
- 50. Sirius, e.g.: STAR
- 53. Member of the family, for short: SIS
- 54. ___-Julie, Que.: STE
- 55. Pro ___: TEM
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.