NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for October 19, 2011

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

Yes. Each date we have covered is in the crossword archive .

Wednesday, October 19, 2011

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 3:06 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, October 19, 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.

76 clues · jump to Across or Down. Tap a tile for one letter, or Answer for the whole word.

Across clues & answers

Down clues & answers

Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.

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Tuesday, October 18, 2011

across

1. ___ the Hutt ("Return of the Jedi" villain): JABBA
6. Stuff to wear: GARB
10. Not of the clergy: LAIC
14. Take a weapon from: UNARM
15. Flu symptom: AGUE
16. "The King and I" governess: ANNA
17. Starch: a cross between ___?: STARSKYANDHUTCH
20. "___ the season ...": TIS
21. Oscar winner for "Moonstruck": CHER
22. Swinger who loves Jane: TARZAN
23. Underwire garment: BRA
24. Pre-euro Italian currency: LIRE
25. Pimple: a cross between ___?: PUREANDSIMPLE
31. Sad poem: ELEGY
32. Pinnacle: ACME
33. Call at first base, maybe: SAFE
36. Messenger ___: RNA
37. What Visine is dispensed in: DROPS
38. Sunbeam: RAY
39. Apple Store offerings: MACS
41. Concerning: INRE
42. "Love Lockdown" singer West: KANYE
44. Hisses: a cross between ___?: HUGSANDKISSES
47. Word before "Boy," "Love" and "Come Back" in titles to #1 songs: BABY
48. Construction project in Genesis: ARK
49. Classic Chevy model: IMPALA
52. Leatherworking tools: AWLS
54. No. on a college transcript: GPA
57. Beetles: a cross between ___?: BEERANDSKITTLES
60. Isaac's eldest: ESAU
61. Rural road sign: DEER
62. Like helium: INERT
63. Deck hands: TARS
64. Cashless transaction: SWAP
65. Seen-it-all feeling: ENNUI

down

1. Merely: JUST
2. Not a fan of: ANTI
3. Sounds in "Old MacDonald Had a Farm": BAAS
4. Reaction to a cold snap: BRR
5. "Take a hike!": AMSCRAY
6. "Let's Get It On" singer: GAYE
7. Petri dish gel: AGAR
8. Choose flight instead of fight: RUN
9. Parents set them for kids: BEDTIMES
10. Prizes in early Olympics: LAURELS
11. 1998 animated film loosely based on "Brave New World": ANTZ
12. Machu Picchu resident: INCA
13. "Come Fly With Me" lyricist Sammy: CAHN
18. Title that's a homophone of 13-Down: KHAN
19. Instrument on Ireland's coat of arms: HARP
23. Panhandle: BEG
24. Walked with one foot asleep, say: LIMPED
25. Salon treatment: PERM
26. Forearm bone: ULNA
27. Get through to: REACH
28. Charles ___, hero of "A Tale of Two Cities": DARNAY
29. Contempt: SCORN
30. Makes at work: EARNS
34. Dunaway of "Chinatown": FAYE
35. They may be lazy or wandering: EYES
37. Breaks up: DISBANDS
40. Outbacks and Foresters: SUBARUS
42. Alley seen on TV: KIRSTIE
43. Pump: ASK
45. Festive occasion: GALA
46. Malevolent Hindu goddess: KALI
49. "That doesn't surprise me!": IBET
50. Mountain with a flat top: MESA
51. Distinctively shaped fruit: PEAR
52. On the ocean: ASEA
53. Les Nessman's station in a 1978-82 sitcom: WKRP
54. Isolated valley: GLEN
55. Home of former U.N. Secretary General Javier Pérez de Cuéllar: PERU
56. Italian wine region: ASTI
58. Mountain ___: DEW
59. Spike TV, once: TNN

Hints and full breakdown for Oct 18

More daily puzzle hints

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.