NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for July 27, 2012
Friday, July 27, 2012
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Friday, July 27, 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
- 7
- 20
- 33
- 36
- 38
- 42
Down clues & answers
- 29
- 30
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Thursday, July 26, 2012
across
- 1. White-robed figure of Greek mythology: FATE
- 5. Many an ad buy: TVSPOT
- 11. Hindu scripture: VEDA
- 15. 1975 Tony winner for Best Play: EQUUS
- 16. Bring back on: REHIRE
- 17. Target of some sprays: ODOR
- 18. Ones coming from the Arc de Triomphe?: RUES
- 19. Situated somewhere between two extremes: ONACONTINUUM
- 21. It orbited Earth 86,331 times: MIR
- 22. Brief promises?: IOUS
- 23. Urge to attack: SICON
- 24. Forever: INPERPETUUM
- 28. European blackbirds: MERLS
- 30. Home of Literature Nobelist Sigrid Undset: OSLO
- 31. Give approval: SAYOK
- 33. Station: STOP
- 34. 73-Across units: Abbr.: LBS
- 36. "Family Guy" wife: LOIS
- 38. Goofus: OAF
- 39. "Capeesh?": DOYOUUNDERSTAND
- 44. Torque symbol: TAU
- 45. Echelon: TIER
- 46. Plastic surgeon's concern: SAG
- 47. Lead-in to boy: ATTA
- 49. 1894 opera set in Alexandria: THAIS
- 52. Jackson 5 features, slangily: FROS
- 55. Gymnasium floor choice: MAPLE
- 57. Will-o'-the-wisp: IGNISFATUUS
- 60. Lottery picks: BALLS
- 62. They may be drawn from a 63-Across: ALES
- 63. See 62-Across: TAP
- 64. Like some bags of food: VACUUMSEALED
- 67. Tea party attendee in "Alice in Wonderland": HARE
- 68. "Ah, yes": ISEE
- 69. Ceremony for a newborn: NAMING
- 70. Colorful dress: MUUMUU
- 71. Hideout: NEST
- 72. Rays' home, informally: STPETE
- 73. Figure in Newton's second law: MASS
down
- 1. Unit of length that's roughly the diameter of a proton: FERMI
- 2. Time's 1986 Woman of the Year: AQUINO
- 3. Jerks: TUUERPS
- 4. Poet's ending?: ESS
- 5. Go together as a group: TROOP
- 6. Music halls, e.g.: VENUES
- 7. California county: SHASTA
- 8. Shot: PIC
- 9. "El tiempo es ___" (Spanish proverb): ORO
- 10. Beauty marks?: TENS
- 11. Bass and soprano: VOICES
- 12. Best pal in a 1950s sitcom: EDNORTON
- 13. Many a modern purchase: DOUUNLOAD
- 14. Gulf of Finland vis-à-vis the Baltic Sea: ARM
- 20. QB Tebow: TIM
- 22. Pioneering 1950 Isaac Asimov book: IROBOT
- 25. ___ May Clampett of 1960s TV: ELLY
- 26. Noah of "ER": UUYLE
- 27. Heath: MOOR
- 29. Lotion letters: SPF
- 32. Meet face-to-face?: KISS
- 35. "M*A*S*H" Emmy winner: SUUIT
- 37. Mans: STAFFS
- 39. Researcher's electronic tool: DATABASE
- 40. Surpasses: OUTPACES
- 41. "M*A*S*H" drink: NEHI
- 42. Bummer: DRAG
- 43. Locale in "Slumdog Millionaire": AGRA
- 44. Top for one who says "Top o' the mornin'"?: TAM
- 48. Totally wrong: ALLUUET
- 50. How Perry Mason often caught the guilty: INALIE
- 51. Not providing any hints, say: SILENT
- 53. River to the St. Lawrence: OTTAUUA
- 54. Has a hive mentality?: SUUARMS
- 56. American ___: ELM
- 58. Water chestnut, e.g.: SEDGE
- 59. Expels forcibly: SPEUUS
- 61. Identity theft targets: Abbr.: SSNS
- 64. Sportscaster Scully: VIN
- 65. Parent's order: EAT
- 66. Stage item: AMP
- 67. "I wonder ...": HMM
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.