NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for May 16, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, May 16, 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
- 33
- 46
Down clues & answers
- 24
- 32
- 45
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Tuesday, May 15, 2012
across
- 1. "Kinsman" of Tarzan: APE
- 4. Impact sound: WHAM
- 8. Spicy cuisine: CAJUN
- 13. A witch might put one on you: HEX
- 14. Just about forever: EONS
- 15. Epoch when mammals arose: EOCENE
- 16. Klee contemporary: ARP
- 17. Monte Cristo ingredient: SWISSCHEESE
- 19. Sharon of "Cagney & Lacey": GLESS
- 21. Old Saturn model: ION
- 22. Scholar's deg.: PHD
- 23. Spelling aid?: VOODOODOLL
- 26. Church bells' sound: PEAL
- 27. Get in a row: ALIGN
- 28. Response at the altar: IDO
- 29. Mesa ___ National Park: VERDE
- 30. Sharon of "Valley of the Dolls": TATE
- 31. Club ___: MED
- 32. Tightened up: TENSED
- 33. Pub hub: DARTBOARD
- 36. Legally impedes: ESTOPS
- 39. Math subj.: ALG
- 40. Commando weapons: UZIS
- 44. Teakettle feature: SPOUT
- 45. Ga. neighbor: FLA
- 46. Secluded valleys: GLENS
- 47. Stretched to the max: TAUT
- 48. Where people are always putting things?: GOLFCOURSE
- 50. Those aboard a U.F.O.: ETS
- 51. "___ semper tyrannis": SIC
- 52. Swab the floor again: REMOP
- 53. Like 17-, 23-, 33- and 48-Across: FULLOFHOLES
- 57. Aegean island on which Homer is said to be buried: IOS
- 59. N.Y. Yankees' division: ALEAST
- 60. Castle obstacle: MOAT
- 61. Big D.C. lobby: NRA
- 62. Gymnast Comaneci: NADIA
- 63. John's other half: YOKO
- 64. Car that "really drives 'em wi-i-ild," in a 1960s song: GTO
down
- 1. Inventor's cry: AHA
- 2. Vine-covered passageway: PERGOLA
- 3. Heroic deed: EXPLOIT
- 4. Oil name: WESSON
- 5. "In what way?": HOWSO
- 6. "Gimme ___!" (start of an Illinois cheer): ANI
- 7. Ed.'s stack: MSS
- 8. Harry who co-founded Columbia Pictures: COHN
- 9. Server's wish: ACE
- 10. "Golly!": JEEPERS
- 11. Expose to light: UNSHADE
- 12. Ribbed: NEEDLED
- 15. Green sci.: ECOL
- 18. Storage site: SILO
- 20. Beat by a nose: EDGEDOUT
- 23. Fermenting locale: VAT
- 24. Nuts, berries, etc., for squirrels: DIET
- 25. Kook: ODDBALL
- 26. Tick-tock maker: PENDULUM
- 29. Part of a chapter: Abbr.: VER
- 31. ___ Butterworth: MRS
- 32. It may put someone out: TAG
- 34. Likely: APT
- 35. Norwegian king: OLAF
- 36. Grammy-winning Gloria: ESTEFAN
- 37. Burger flipper: SPATULA
- 38. A bit messy, as the hair: TOUSLED
- 41. Closing (in on): ZEROING
- 42. Playfully: INSPORT
- 43. Montreal-to-Boston dir.: SSE
- 45. Nina of 1940s-'50s films: FOCH
- 46. Attends: GOESTO
- 48. Natural talent: GIFT
- 49. Haunted house sound: CREAK
- 51. Slugger Sammy: SOSA
- 54. China's Chou En-___: LAI
- 55. "Peg ___ Heart": OMY
- 56. Stall in London: LOO
- 58. ___ Tomé: SAO
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.