NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for August 3, 2012
Friday, August 3, 2012
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Friday, August 3, 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
- 24
- 38
Down clues & answers
- 23
- 25
- 49
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Thursday, August 2, 2012
across
- 1. Vulnerable one: SITTINGDUCK
- 9. "THAT'S your offer?!": NODEAL
- 15. Start of a small sundae: ONESCOOP
- 16. Armpit: AXILLA
- 17. Racing legend who voices a character in "Cars": ANDRETTI
- 18. Take turns skiing?: SLALOM
- 19. Bean and Combs: SEANS
- 21. Memorable 2011 hurricane: IRENE
- 22. Makes like Chuck Berry: DUCKWALKS
- 26. Dish often served with hoisin sauce: PEKINGDUCK
- 28. First name on the Supreme Court: SONIA
- 29. Exchange units: SHARES
- 31. Kickoff: ONSET
- 32. Get to work?: HIRE
- 33. Like a plane, for short: TWOD
- 37. Something you might pick in Hawaii: UKE
- 38. Self-gratifying episode: EGOTRIP
- 41. Response that's often doubled: AYE
- 42. ___ Alto: PALO
- 44. Camera setting: AUTO
- 45. Doodlebug, e.g.: LARVA
- 47. More than shout: BELLOW
- 49. Open-___: ENDED
- 50. Platypus-like, in a way: DUCKBILLED
- 53. Disney character with long eyelashes: DAISYDUCK
- 54. "Catch Me If You Can" airline: PANAM
- 55. "That'll do me": IMSET
- 58. Presented an address: ORATED
- 60. Precisely: ONTHEDOT
- 65. Revolution brings it: NEWERA
- 66. Sarcastic reply to the obvious: NOREALLY
- 67. Somewhat formal: DRESSY
- 68. Relatives of currants: GOOSEBERRIES
down
- 1. "___ wise guy, eh?": SOA
- 2. What a keeper keeps: INN
- 3. Annual conference with the slogan "Ideas worth spreading": TED
- 4. Original Dungeons & Dragons co.: TSR
- 5. Go in circles, in a way?: ICESKATE
- 6. Classroom writing: NOTES
- 7. #1 Ray Charles R&B hit "I've ___ Woman": GOTA
- 8. Something short found in an alley: DUCKPIN
- 9. "Illmatic" and "Stillmatic" rapper: NAS
- 10. Strong, say: OXLIKE
- 11. Anne Frank, e.g.: DIARIST
- 12. Actress Page of "Juno": ELLEN
- 13. Together (with): ALONG
- 14. Kind of session: LAMEDUCK
- 20. Word with house or song: SPARROW
- 22. A cinch: DUCKSOUP
- 23. Candy man played by Depp: WONKA
- 24. Photographer Adams: ANSEL
- 25. Piece of fiction: LIE
- 27. "... ___ saw Elba": EREI
- 29. Question of self-doubt: SHOULDI
- 30. Give ground-ball practice, maybe: HITTO
- 34. Hospital divisions: WARDS
- 35. "Oh brother!": OYVEY
- 36. Toast, with "a": DEADDUCK
- 39. Air force?: GALE
- 40. Non-deluxe sofa covering: PLEATHER
- 43. Monastery residents who have not taken monastic vows: OBLATES
- 46. Young Skywalker, informally: ANI
- 48. Glue with a bovine logo: ELMERS
- 50. Centerpiece of many a park: DUCKPOND
- 51. Not so well stocked: BARER
- 52. More than impressed: INAWE
- 53. Raison ___: DETRE
- 56. Animal in a Kipling story: MONGOOSE
- 57. One who's always looking down: SNOB
- 59. One revolution: DAY
- 61. Organ that's sensitive to vibrations: EAR
- 62. Half of MCII: DLI
- 63. Soccer stadium cry: OLE
- 64. Cobb and Treadway: TYS
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.