NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for July 6, 2012
Friday, July 6, 2012
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Friday, July 6, 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
- 30
- 31
- 34
- 38
- 45
- 58
- 59
Down clues & answers
- 11
- 14
- 42
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Thursday, July 5, 2012
across
- 1. Mysterious figure: SASQU2CH
- 9. Stating in detail, with "on": EX3ING
- 15. Flowering vine: SWEETPEA
- 16. Sight at a hotel check-in, once: LEDGER
- 17. Do-overs at a card table: NEWDEALS
- 18. Maestro Toscanini: ARTURO
- 19. Country singer Black: CLINT
- 21. "___-voom!": VAVA
- 22. Potential beach find: SAND4
- 27. Per ___: DIEM
- 29. Get in the end: NET
- 30. Kind of bacteria: ANAEROBIC
- 33. Stockpile: AMASS
- 35. Vibe magazine subject: RAPMUSIC
- 36. Pal: BRO
- 37. Con: AGAINST
- 38. Option on "Let's Make a Deal": DOORONE
- 42. ___-Caps: SNO
- 43. Approach: ZEROINON
- 44. 1985 N.L. M.V.P. Willie: MCGEE
- 47. Court plea: NOCONTEST
- 48. Elemento número 79: ORO
- 49. Surprise attack: RAID
- 51. Portions: 5AGES
- 52. Stun, as a suspect: TASE
- 54. Mount Saint ___, fourth-highest peak in North America: ELIAS
- 57. "Romanian Rhapsodies" composer: ENESCO
- 59. Tiramisu flavorer: AMARETTO
- 65. Neighbors, in a way: LIESON
- 66. One with a lap cat, maybe: CARESSER
- 67. Nurses, e.g.: 6AKERS
- 68. Something that's pressed, which helps explain this puzzle's theme: SHIFTKEY
down
- 1. Identity theft target: Abbr.: SSN
- 2. Amaze: AWE
- 3. Put in stitches: SEW
- 4. Proof finish: QED
- 5. Western native: UTE
- 6. Big name in 35-Across: 2PAC
- 7. Cooler part: CELL
- 8. Like some observant Brooklynites: HASIDIC
- 9. Please greatly: ELATE
- 10. Gen ___: XER
- 11. Reason to wear glasses at home?: 3DTV
- 12. Galápagos creature: IGUANA
- 13. Big game day feeling: NERVES
- 14. Hulled grain: GROATS
- 20. Cage, informally: NIC
- 22. Poet Teasdale: SARA
- 23. "I hate to be ___ ...": ANAG
- 24. Wine tour area: NAPA
- 25. Ultimate end: DEMISE
- 26. Toyota model beginning in 1984: 4RUNNER
- 28. Band with the 2004 hit "She Will Be Loved": MAROON5
- 31. ___ buco: OSSO
- 32. It might come straight from the horse's mouth: BIT
- 34. Oscar-nominated Pat: MORITA
- 36. Any one of five in the Big Apple: BORO
- 38. Big mo. for vacations: DEC
- 39. Universal donor's blood type, briefly: ONEG
- 40. It can be hooked or pierced: NOSE
- 41. Specialty docs: ENTS
- 43. Sign holders: ZODIACS
- 44. Red Roof Inn competitor: MOTEL6
- 45. Head cases?: CRANIA
- 46. Hide's partner: GOSEEK
- 47. Zip: NIL
- 50. Almost an eternity: AEONS
- 53. Latin 101 verb: ESSE
- 55. Asian nurse: AMAH
- 56. Asian attire: SARI
- 58. One of two N.T. books: COR
- 60. Zebra: REF
- 61. Winter D.C. hours: EST
- 62. Critical cluck: TSK
- 63. Get ready to start, with "up": TEE
- 64. Old jazz great Kid ___: ORY
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.