NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for August 1, 2012
Wednesday, August 1, 2012
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, August 1, 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
Down clues & answers
- 49
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Previous The Crossword answer
Tuesday, July 31, 2012
across
- 1. 10K, e.g.: RACE
- 5. Walk heavily: STOMP
- 10. Words, words, words: Abbr.: VOCAB
- 15. Uptight, informally: ANAL
- 16. Birthplace of Obama's father: KENYA
- 17. "___ roll!": IMONA
- 18. Gotham district attorney who becomes Batman's nemesis Two-Face: HARVEYDENT
- 20. ___ Millan, TV's "dog whisperer": CESAR
- 21. Immune system agent: TCELL
- 22. Central figure in a Clement C. Moore poem: SAINTNICK
- 24. Adore: WORSHIP
- 26. Propeller for a 43-Across: OAR
- 27. Vardalos of "My Big Fat Greek Wedding": NIA
- 28. Org. for docs: AMA
- 29. Turner memoir: ITINA
- 32. Museum guide: DOCENT
- 34. Central part of an argument: GIST
- 36. How some chew gum or talk on cellphones: NOISILY
- 38. Barely legible handwriting: CHICKENSCRATCH
- 43. Venetian transport: GONDOLA
- 44. Former Israeli P.M. Barak: EHUD
- 46. Plot: SCHEME
- 49. Sans-___ (kind of typeface): SERIF
- 52. Game with 108 cards: UNO
- 53. Runner Sebastian: COE
- 54. Amigo: PAL
- 56. Blow up: ENLARGE
- 58. Having razzle-dazzle, to a Rat Packer: RINGADING
- 62. Slangy expression of ignorance: DUNNO
- 63. "The Lady ___": INRED
- 64. Causes of some rear-end damage, as represented by the rear ends of 18-, 22-, 38- and 58-Across: COLLISIONS
- 67. Jamie ___, oldest pitcher in major-league history to win a game: MOYER
- 68. "Shaft" composer Hayes: ISAAC
- 69. Remote button: MUTE
- 70. Director Lee: SPIKE
- 71. Lure: TEMPT
- 72. School for English princes: ETON
down
- 1. Cheerleader's cry: RAH
- 2. Structural: ANATOMIC
- 3. Cause for emergency vehicles or a tow truck: CARCRASH
- 4. North Pole workers: ELVES
- 5. Like atria: SKYLIT
- 6. Hit 2012 film with a talking stuffed bear: TED
- 7. Small bills: ONES
- 8. Mimicking bird: MYNA
- 9. Place to sunbathe or barbecue: PATIO
- 10. Early phonograph: VICTROLA
- 11. Eclipse, to some: OMEN
- 12. Trig function: COSINE
- 13. Pain relief brand: ANACIN
- 14. Threaten, dog-style: BARKAT
- 19. Geared to 1st-12th grades: ELHI
- 23. Low point: NADIR
- 24. Joker: WAG
- 25. Yearned (for): PINED
- 30. Taboos: NONOS
- 31. Airplane seating option: AISLE
- 33. Suffix with spermato-: CYTE
- 35. Buster Brown's dog: TIGE
- 37. Fright: SCARE
- 39. Amigo: COMPADRE
- 40. Work, as dough: KNEAD
- 41. Produce in large quantities: CHURNOUT
- 42. Kept: HUNGONTO
- 45. Anonymous John: DOE
- 46. Theater drops: SCRIMS
- 47. Like arcade games: COINOP
- 48. English king said to have died from eating a "surfeit of lampreys": HENRYI
- 50. Bring charges against: INDICT
- 51. Seasonal threats: FLUS
- 55. Legally allowed: LICIT
- 57. Japanese cartoon art: ANIME
- 59. Computer whiz: GEEK
- 60. Prominent part of a Groucho disguise: NOSE
- 61. Razzle-dazzle: GLAM
- 65. Drink like a cat: LAP
- 66. Obama, Biden or McCain (but not Palin), in 2008: Abbr.: SEN
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.