NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for July 14, 2012
Saturday, July 14, 2012
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Saturday, July 14, 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
- 28
- 33
Down clues & answers
- 8
- 12
- 37
- 41
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Friday, July 13, 2012
across
- 1. Attempt to appear alert, say: STIFLEAYAWN
- 12. Unregulated: NOHOLDSBARRED
- 14. The same old, same old: BUSINESSASUSUAL
- 16. Skillfully snatched: SNARED
- 17. Grinding away: ATIT
- 18. Way with a no.: RTE
- 19. Logical conjunctions, in mathematics: ANDS
- 20. Certain leatherworker: DYER
- 21. "Don't Look Now" diretcor: ROEG
- 22. Feature of the previous clue: TYPO
- 25. Ignore: LETBE
- 26. "In my opinion ...": ASISEEIT
- 30. 1950s heartthrob: FABIAN
- 31. Dean Martin persona: SOT
- 32. Exemplar of masculinity: MANSMAN
- 34. El ___: CID
- 35. Sounds off?: HUSHES
- 37. Some modern subscriptions: PODCASTS
- 39. Neil Armstrong's middle name: ALDEN
- 40. Look: SEEM
- 41. Home of the Aztec Ruins Natl. Monument: NMEX
- 42. I.O.U.: CHIT
- 45. Chero-Cola, after a name change: NEHI
- 49. Blues guitarist ___ Mahal: TAJ
- 50. Trick or treat, e.g.: NOUN
- 51. Kato who testified against O. J.: KAELIN
- 53. Vinaigrette alternative: ITALIANDRESSING
- 56. Lab figure who might cackle in glee: EVILSCIENTIST
- 57. "Star Wars" catchphrase: USETHEFORCE
down
- 1. "My heart bleeds": SOSAD
- 2. Lusts: THIRSTS
- 3. Skye of "Say Anything ...": IONE
- 4. Ran: FLED
- 5. Inits. for Mitt Romney: LDS
- 6. Frank Rich piece: ESSAY
- 7. Lower: ABATE
- 8. P.L.O.'s Arafat: YASIR
- 9. Stuck in ___: ARUT
- 10. Targets for QBs: WRS
- 11. Worrywarts, e.g.: NEUROTICS
- 12. Sir Trevor of the Royal Shakespeare Company: NUNN
- 13. Young, alluring sort: DATEBAIT
- 14. Youth org. since 1910: BSA
- 15. Robin Hood and Helen of Troy: LEGENDS
- 20. Bump off: DOIN
- 21. Gray figure?: REB
- 23. The heel of a geographical boot: YEMEN
- 24. Snow ___: PEAS
- 25. Renaissance fair sight: LANCE
- 26. "Foolish" singer, 2002: ASHANTI
- 27. This bud's for you: SOULMATE
- 28. "This somehow feels familiar ...": ITSDEJAVU
- 29. Recipe abbr.: TSP
- 30. Sparkle a little less: FADE
- 33. Very, very: MOST
- 36. Kind of nut: HEX
- 38. Like Bourne in "The Bourne Identity": AMNESIC
- 42. It's clear when danger subsides: COAST
- 43. Feeling: HUNCH
- 44. Kind of rock: INDIE
- 46. Ludwig wrote für her: ELISE
- 47. Help for a guesser: HINT
- 48. Dutch-based banking giant: ING
- 50. Locale of a Horatio Nelson victory: NILE
- 51. Casino activity: KENO
- 52. Physics dept. offering: ASTR
- 54. Easter fleur: LIS
- 55. Target of fans' scorn: REF
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.