NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for March 29, 2012
Thursday, March 29, 2012
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Thursday, March 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
- 27
- 47
- 53
- 71
- 73
Down clues & answers
- 10
- 17
- 25
- 42
- 59
- 61
- 66
- 67
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
across
- 1. Barbers' aids: COMBS
- 6. Like some batters: EGGY
- 10. Hurry it up: RUSH
- 14. Available for mugs: ONTAP
- 15. Added, in commercialese: XTRA
- 16. Pizarro foe: INCA
- 17. Flirty one: TEASE
- 18. Man's labor?: WORKOFART
- 20. Christina of "Sleepy Hollow": RICCI
- 22. Barbecue grill brand: WEBER
- 23. Woman's flippant remark?: CRACKOFDAWN
- 28. Wrangler rival: LEE
- 29. "___ Miss Brooks": OUR
- 30. Golden, in México: DEORO
- 31. Not stay rigid: BEND
- 32. Sweet-talk: CHARM
- 35. Garden decoration: GNOME
- 37. Woman's journalism?: ARTICLESOFFAITH
- 43. NutraSweet rival: EQUAL
- 44. "___ Hall": ANNIE
- 45. Spiral shape: COIL
- 48. Branches of study: AREAS
- 51. "Is there something more?": AND
- 52. Lob's path: ARC
- 53. Woman's package?: BUNDLEOFJOY
- 56. You're being attacked while under it: SIEGE
- 58. "Vive ___!": LEROI
- 59. Man's plank?: BOARDOFED
- 63. Magazine revenue source: ADFEE
- 66. Sea lettuce, e.g.: ALGA
- 67. Something many a celebrity carries in public: AURA
- 68. Towering: LOFTY
- 69. Pay attention to: HEED
- 70. Skirmish: FRAY
- 71. Utah's ___ Canyon: BRYCE
down
- 1. Foldout bed: COT
- 2. Telephone key with no letters: ONE
- 3. Highest peak in Turk.: MTARARAT
- 4. Nuts-and-bolts: BASIC
- 5. Tiny bit: SPECK
- 6. Splitsville resident?: EXWIFE
- 7. Bygone muscle car: GTO
- 8. [Damn, this is frustrating!]: GRR
- 9. Talk and talk: YAK
- 10. In great supply: RIFE
- 11. Powerless: UNABLE
- 12. Lint catcher: SCREEN
- 13. Enmity: HATRED
- 19. Have: OWN
- 21. Fish salted for bacalao: COD
- 23. Andean stimulant: COCA
- 24. River to the Rhine: RUHR
- 25. Iditarod transport: DOGSLED
- 26. River near the Leaning Tower: ARNO
- 27. Sound from a pound: WOOF
- 31. Conk: BEAN
- 33. Cambodian money: RIEL
- 34. 1974 John Wayne film: MCQ
- 36. Advanced deg. for musicians: MFA
- 38. Bash on a beach: LUAU
- 39. Make: EARN
- 40. Right away: INAJIFFY
- 41. One of the Flying Wallendas: TINO
- 42. Actress Lamarr: HEDY
- 45. The Clash's "Rock the ___": CASBAH
- 46. American Leaguer since 1954: ORIOLE
- 47. When mastodons became extinct: ICEAGE
- 49. Like some amusement park passes: ALLDAY
- 50. "Told ya!": SEE
- 53. Crash site?: BED
- 54. Floss brand: ORALB
- 55. Big name in travel guides: FODOR
- 57. Sheepskin holder: GRAD
- 60. Dolt: OAF
- 61. Warm lining: FUR
- 62. Laundry day brand: ERA
- 64. And the like: Abbr.: ETC
- 65. Look over: EYE
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.