NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for January 29, 2012
Sunday, January 29, 2012
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Sunday, January 29, 2012. 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
- 28
- 47
- 52
- 53
- 64
- 92
- 97
Down clues & answers
- 35
- 39
- 45
- 52
- 56
- 92
- 93
- 99
- 105
- 107
- 108
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Saturday, January 28, 2012
across
- 1. Concern for a dermatologist: LUMP
- 5. They often come with eggs: HASHBROWNS
- 15. Catalan article: UNES
- 16. What cuts power in half?: SQUAREROOT
- 17. Sheila's welcome: GDAY
- 18. Opposite of "dissuaded from": TALKEDINTO
- 19. Coulee: GULCH
- 21. Messed up: BLEW
- 22. Roster curtailer: Abbr.: ETAL
- 23. Product of some decay: ALPHARAY
- 25. Non-Hollywood, say: INDIE
- 26. Bit of wet-weather wear: GALOSH
- 27. Packed things: PISTOLS
- 29. Touchdown letters: ETA
- 30. Something stuck in a freezer?: POPSICLE
- 33. Five in the ninth inning?: ENS
- 35. Step: NOTCH
- 36. Prefix with 11-Down: DIS
- 39. Signs near a teller's window, maybe: ENDORSES
- 42. Some proctors, briefly: TAS
- 44. Of the essence: CRUCIAL
- 47. Silverwing flier: CESSNA
- 49. Prepare to send some mail: LOGON
- 50. Route through a park, maybe: BIKEPATH
- 52. The toe of a boot?: OMAN
- 53. Schnapps choice: PEAR
- 55. Declamation stations: PODIA
- 56. Many a crash cushion at a construction zone: SANDBARREL
- 59. Get 44-Down: NEAR
- 60. Affection: ENDEARMENT
- 61. Bananas: GAGA
- 62. Civil engineering vehicle: ROADGRADER
- 63. School in the Piedmont region: ELON
down
- 1. It's checked before taking off: LUGGAGE
- 2. Ripple: UNDULATE
- 3. Dieter's design: MEALPLAN
- 4. Like many horror flick characters: PSYCHO
- 5. One of the subjects of the best-selling '02 book "The Conquerors": HST
- 6. King Hussein Airport locale: AQABA
- 7. Disgrace: SULLY
- 8. Cod relative: HAKE
- 9. Java, for one: BREW
- 10. Like the Phillies' caps: RED
- 11. Word with career or goal: ORIENTED
- 12. Falls short: WONTDO
- 13. Manx trait: NOTAIL
- 14. Some ermines: STOLES
- 20. Securing device: HASP
- 24. Her help was solicited in a hit song: RHONDA
- 25. P.R., e.g.: ISL
- 27. P.R. releases: PICS
- 28. Passing comment at a poker table: ICHECK
- 31. Shared funds: POOL
- 32. Symphonic score abbr.: STR
- 34. Backed up: SECONDED
- 37. "Sold!": ITSADEAL
- 38. Universidad de las Américas site: SANTIAGO
- 40. "Children of the Albatross" novelist: NIN
- 41. Osmose: SEEP
- 43. Like much of Niger: SAHARAN
- 44. Not so remote: CLOSER
- 45. Swiss alternative: ROMANO
- 46. Big coffee exporter: UGANDA
- 48. Quick and thorough learner: SPONGE
- 50. Like some canine teeth: BARED
- 51. Daughter of Zeus and Themis: IRENE
- 53. "The Incredibles" family name: PARR
- 54. Aretha's Grammy-nominated sister: ERMA
- 57. Bit of 1-Down: BAG
- 58. Photocopier abbr.: LTR
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.