NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for January 31, 2012
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Tuesday, January 31, 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
- 39
- 52
Down clues & answers
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Monday, January 30, 2012
across
- 1. Chicks hatch from them: EGGS
- 5. Social slights: SNUBS
- 10. Org. that shelters dogs and cats: SPCA
- 14. Jump: LEAP
- 15. Spooky: EERIE
- 16. The "E" of G.E.: Abbr.: ELEC
- 17. ___ Millions (multistate lottery): MEGA
- 18. Liability's opposite: ASSET
- 19. Mah-jongg piece: TILE
- 20. Not-so-fancy places to stay: ONESTARHOTELS
- 23. Scoundrel: CUR
- 25. Collection of atoms: Abbr.: MOL
- 26. In addition: ALSO
- 27. Maryland's nickname: OLDLINESTATE
- 32. Contemptuous smile: SNEER
- 33. Small notebooks: PADS
- 34. Ones not entirely gay or straight: BIS
- 37. Tasting like unripe apples: TART
- 38. Layers of 1-Across: BIRDS
- 40. Lock fastener: HASP
- 41. Beast of burden: ASS
- 42. Soothing juice: ALOE
- 43. Info in a library search request: TITLE
- 44. Big Apple list: ITUNESTOPTEN
- 47. Old MacDonald's place: FARM
- 49. Lout: OAF
- 50. '60s "acid": LSD
- 51. Osteoporosis threatens it: BONESTRUCTURE
- 56. Leprechaun land: ERIN
- 57. Therefore: HENCE
- 58. Knitter's ball: YARN
- 61. Identify: NAME
- 62. Go in: ENTER
- 63. Wheel turner: AXLE
- 64. Goes from blonde to brunette, say: DYES
- 65. Heaths: MOORS
- 66. Where 38-Across lay 1-Across ... or a word hidden in 20-, 27-, 44- and 51-Across: NEST
down
- 1. Dutch ___ disease: ELM
- 2. Word said while scratching one's head: GEE
- 3. Judges' decrees to keep information from the public: GAGORDERS
- 4. Length: SPAN
- 5. Spring or fall: SEASON
- 6. Food giant whose brands include Gerber and Goobers: NESTLE
- 7. ___ Major: URSA
- 8. Coffin holder: BIER
- 9. Rogen of "Superbad": SETH
- 10. Colonize: SETTLE
- 11. Layers of wood: PLIES
- 12. Rostropovich's instrument: CELLO
- 13. Untouchable tennis serves: ACES
- 21. Ruler of Kuwait: EMIR
- 22. Cheerios are made with them: OATS
- 23. ___ Rica: COSTA
- 24. Wrist/elbow connectors: ULNAS
- 28. Tennis umpire's cry: LET
- 29. Shopper's wild outing: SPREE
- 30. Small amount: TAD
- 31. Episode interruptions: ADS
- 34. Old weapon in hand-to-hand combat: BATTLEAXE
- 35. Spots in the Caribbean: ISLES
- 36. Buy things: SPEND
- 38. ___-ray Disc: BLU
- 39. Charged particle: ION
- 40. Cry said twice before "hooray!": HIP
- 42. $20 bill dispensers: ATMS
- 43. Bean curd: TOFU
- 44. Actresses Worth and Dunne: IRENES
- 45. World Cup sport: SOCCER
- 46. Spuds: TATERS
- 47. Raid: FORAY
- 48. Japanese cartoons: ANIME
- 51. Show flexibility: BEND
- 52. "It's us against ___": THEM
- 53. City near Lake Tahoe: RENO
- 54. "For ___ us a child is born ...": UNTO
- 55. Actor Gosling: RYAN
- 59. "Kidnapped" monogram: RLS
- 60. Badminton feature: NET
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.