NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for April 20, 2012
Friday, April 20, 2012
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Friday, April 20, 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
- 16
- 33
- 40
- 44
- 49
Down clues & answers
- 49
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Thursday, April 19, 2012
across
- 1. It can change one's tune: CAPO
- 5. Before the procedure, informally: PREOP
- 10. Abbr. on many a cornerstone: ESTD
- 14. ___ Trevelyan, villain in the James Bond film "GoldenEye": ALEC
- 15. Must: HASTO
- 16. Wolf whistle accompanier, maybe: LEER
- 17. Put in the hole: SINK
- 18. Question asked in Matthew 26:22: ISITI
- 19. Actress Steppat of "On Her Majesty's Secret Service": ILSE
- 20. World capital at 7,200+ feet elevation: SANAA
- 22. Certain Ghostbuster: EGON
- 23. Groks: GETS
- 24. "Thank you," in Swahili: ASANTE
- 26. Carps: NITPICKS
- 28. Blood feud: VENDETTA
- 30. One of a pair of items often given at a baby shower: BOOTIE
- 31. Stellar start?: ASTR
- 32. "Das ___" (Volkswagen slogan): AUTO
- 34. Shows the door: OUSTS
- 35. Nonmembers ... or what 4-, 7- and 10-Down lack?: OUTSIDERS
- 38. Pharmacy stock: VIALS
- 41. Part of a landscaping team: HOER
- 42. Makeover: REDO
- 46. Old Shaker leader: ANNLEE
- 48. Like horseshoes on barn doors: NAILEDUP
- 50. Embarks: SETSSAIL
- 52. He once wrote "Last but not least, avoid clichés like the plague": SAFIRE
- 53. "Star Trek: T.N.G." role: TROI
- 54. Slant: SKEW
- 56. Trig function: COTAN
- 57. Blarney source: ERIN
- 58. Following behind: INTOW
- 60. Barbecue fare: RIBS
- 61. It may be broken into on Broadway: SONG
- 62. Jean-Luc Godard film "___ Musique": NOTRE
- 63. Spymaster's worry: MOLE
- 64. Put in a difficult spot: TREE
- 65. Music's Stefani and others: GWENS
- 66. Recording artist made famous by the BBC series "The Celts": ENYA
down
- 1. Tapioca source: CASSAVA
- 2. Ellery Queen and others: ALIASES
- 3. It's decided in the fall: PENNANT
- 4. Checker or Domino: OCKANDROLLSINGE
- 5. Fraternity character: PHI
- 6. Destroy, in Devon: RASE
- 7. It may include two weeks' notice: ESIGNATIONLETTE
- 8. 10th-century Holy Roman emperor: OTTOI
- 9. End of many trips: POINTB
- 10. John Calvin, e.g.: ELIGIOUSREFORME
- 11. Superior things: SELECTS
- 12. Drug or DNA home-use set: TESTKIT
- 13. Does a morning routine: DRESSES
- 21. Corroded: ATE
- 25. Floride, par exemple: ETAT
- 27. Ones protected by a safety net, with "the": POOR
- 29. Bottom: TUSH
- 33. Ancient concert halls: ODEA
- 36. Gets high, say: USES
- 37. Dwarf planet beyond Pluto: ERIS
- 38. Most widespread: VASTEST
- 39. Mistakenly: INERROR
- 40. Fats Domino's real first name: ANTOINE
- 43. Dictionary specification: EDITION
- 44. So as to last: DURABLY
- 45. It's far from shore: OPENSEA
- 47. Providing relief for: EASING
- 49. ___ Neuchâtel: LAC
- 51. "You don't have to tell me": IKNOW
- 55. Old-looking: WORN
- 59. Montgomery of jazz: WES
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.