NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for July 27, 2011
Wednesday, July 27, 2011
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, July 27, 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
- 16
- 17
Down clues & answers
- 12
- 34
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
across
- 1. Doorframe part: JAMB
- 5. ___ Vecchio (Florence landmark): PONTE
- 10. Can't-miss event: MUST
- 14. Bridge maven Sharif: OMAR
- 15. What some sprays eliminate: ODORS
- 16. Bouillabaisse, e.g.: STEW
- 17. [White]: SPEEDLIMIT
- 19. PBS science series: NOVA
- 20. Put down some chips: MAKEABET
- 22. Tool for a confident solver: PEN
- 23. Sound engineer's control: FADER
- 26. [Yellow]: DEERXING
- 28. Without a time limit, as a contract: OPENEND
- 31. Bring together: AMASS
- 32. DVR button: REC
- 33. No-calorie drink: DIETSODA
- 37. [Green]: EXIT
- 39. Richards of the Stones: KEITH
- 40. [Red]: STOP
- 44. Jan Brady player on "The Brady Bunch": EVEPLUMB
- 47. Emissions watchdog, for short: EPA
- 48. Long look: STARE
- 51. Just barely: BYAHAIR
- 53. [Blue]: HOSPITAL
- 57. Professional with an apron: BAKER
- 58. Table scrap: ORT
- 59. Texas flag feature: LONESTAR
- 62. Water: AQUA
- 64. [Orange]: MENWORKING
- 68. Troubadour's instrument: LUTE
- 69. Patronize, as a restaurant: EATAT
- 70. Rock's Better Than ___: EZRA
- 71. Professor Marvel in "The Wizard of Oz," e.g.: SEER
- 72. Dungeon hardware: IRONS
- 73. In need of recharging: DEAD
down
- 1. "___ Boys" (Louisa May Alcott book): JOS
- 2. Hearing aid?: AMP
- 3. West of Hollywood: MAE
- 4. German port on the Weser: BREMEN
- 5. President after Tyler: POLK
- 6. Jim Davis cartoon dog: ODIE
- 7. One without a permanent address: NOMAD
- 8. Cleveland Indians nickname, with "the": TRIBE
- 9. Cosmetician Lauder: ESTEE
- 10. Yahoo! competitor: MSN
- 11. Perfect place: UTOPIA
- 12. Most common dice rolls: SEVENS
- 13. Jew's-harp sounds: TWANGS
- 18. Had the guts: DARED
- 21. Like much folk music: Abbr.: TRAD
- 23. Links alert: FORE
- 24. Very top: APEX
- 25. Tenth: Prefix: DECI
- 27. Present time, briefly: XMAS
- 29. "Swoosh" company: NIKE
- 30. How a quarterback may throw a ball: DEEP
- 34. Up to, in ads: TIL
- 35. Ballgame souvenir: STUB
- 36. "Good golly!": OHMY
- 38. U. of Maryland player: TERP
- 41. Furniture hardwood: TEAK
- 42. Early Ron Howard role: OPIE
- 43. Henry VIII's sixth, Catherine ___: PARR
- 45. Bit of bridal attire: VEIL
- 46. Kid-lit elephant: BABAR
- 48. Lighthouse locales: SHOALS
- 49. Rotational force: TORQUE
- 50. Sharp as a tack: ASTUTE
- 52. Listened, old-style: HARKED
- 54. Marisa of "My Cousin Vinny": TOMEI
- 55. Close to, in poetry: ANEAR
- 56. Slowly, on a score: LENTO
- 60. Bird in a bevy: SWAN
- 61. Preschoolers: TOTS
- 63. ___ Lingus: AER
- 65. Suffix with moral or popular: IZE
- 66. Gun lobby org.: NRA
- 67. Roam (about): GAD
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.