NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for September 24, 2011
Saturday, September 24, 2011
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Saturday, September 24, 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
- 17
- 40
- 60
Down clues & answers
- 12
- 24
- 28
- 52
- 54
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Friday, September 23, 2011
across
- 1. It has rock bands: AGATE
- 6. Pooh-pooh: SNEEZEAT
- 14. ___-toothed: SABER
- 15. Informal show of approval?: STANDINGO
- 16. Stroll: AMBLE
- 17. Factor affecting Google search results: WORDORDER
- 18. Juicer detritus: PEELS
- 19. Modern proofs-of-purchase, for short: UPCS
- 20. Takes for a ride: CONS
- 21. Many gamblers have them: SYSTEMS
- 23. Self-help book: HOWTO
- 24. Gaston who wrote "The Phantom of the Opera": LEROUX
- 25. Include as an extra: TAGON
- 28. ___ Lady (decades-old commercial creation): AVON
- 29. Movie credits, usually: CRAWLS
- 31. Collision sound: BAM
- 34. "Dominus illuminatio ___" (Oxford University's motto): MEA
- 35. Validate: BEAROUT
- 36. "___ Como Va" (1971 hit): OYE
- 37. It makes a lot of connections: AND
- 38. Give a slant to: UPTILT
- 39. Follower's response: ISEE
- 40. In many cases: OFTEN
- 41. Worries: EATSAT
- 43. Last report on the evening news, typically: FLUFF
- 46. Deny: GAINSAY
- 48. Give a good rubdown: ROLF
- 49. Blue shade: TEAL
- 51. Providers of directions: VANES
- 53. Admitted: OWNEDUPTO
- 55. The Temptations' "Since ___ My Baby": ILOST
- 56. Leisure: SPARETIME
- 57. Spitting mad: LIVID
- 58. Something a drunkard is liable to hit: THESAUCE
- 59. Turns brown quickly: SEARS
down
- 1. Before all else: ASAP
- 2. Series ender, sometimes: GAMESEVEN
- 3. 1969 #1 album for 11 weeks: ABBEYROAD
- 4. Betrays, in a way: TELLSON
- 5. 1974 lyric repeated after "Como una promesa": ERESTU
- 6. Plea from the self-conscious: STOPSTARINGATME
- 7. One looking for a deal?: NARC
- 8. Some blockers: ENDS
- 9. Old Tokyo: EDO
- 10. Diamond substitute: ZIRCON
- 11. Grant: ENDOW
- 12. 7-Down, for one: AGENT
- 13. Many a sculpture: TORSO
- 15. Like some Olympic races: SWUM
- 22. Not counting: EXCEPT
- 23. Multitude: HOST
- 24. Asian spiritual guide: LAMA
- 26. One who's gone but not forgotten: AWOL
- 27. Muscles strengthened by squats: GLUTEI
- 30. Put on a scale: RATE
- 31. Music style derived from samba and jazz: BOSSANOVA
- 32. Agreement from one's mate?: AYEAYESIR
- 33. Big competition: MEET
- 35. Aficionado: BUFF
- 39. Phrase used to 46-Across: ITSALIE
- 40. Proposals: OFFERS
- 42. Forgers' tools: ANVILS
- 43. He famously asked "Why didn't you burn the tapes?": FROST
- 44. Vinegar quality: LOWPH
- 45. Attachments to pronator quadratus muscles: ULNAE
- 47. Botanical balm: ALOE
- 49. Object frequently painted by Degas: TUTU
- 50. Grand: EPIC
- 52. Some govt. issuances: Abbr.: STDS
- 54. Employer of many a 7-Down: DEA
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.