NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for August 15, 2012
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, August 15, 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
- 32
Down clues & answers
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Tuesday, August 14, 2012
across
- 1. "... and ___ goes": SOIT
- 5. Pre-dyed hair color, often: GRAY
- 9. Hip again: RETRO
- 14. Help desk offering: INFO
- 15. Connecticut Ivy: YALE
- 16. This, that and the ___: OTHER
- 17. John Gotti's nickname, with "the": TEFLONDON
- 19. Cautious: LEERY
- 20. Father of the Symphony: HAYDN
- 21. What a military operative may provide: INTEL
- 23. 1995 N.F.L. expansion team, for short: JAX
- 24. First human in space: YURIGAGARIN
- 27. Google image-organizing app: PICASA
- 30. Like an excited puppy's tail, old-style: AWAG
- 31. Oklahoma town: ADA
- 32. Folk song played at Jewish weddings: HAVANAGILA
- 38. Life Saver-shaped: TORIC
- 41. Come out on top: WIN
- 42. Approvals: YESES
- 43. Giant who was the Super Bowl XLVI M.V.P.: ELIMANNING
- 46. Thos. Jefferson founded it: UVA
- 47. Nuclear reactor part: CORE
- 48. Sluggish: TORPID
- 51. Flat item to cook food on: BAKINGSTONE
- 55. Black shade: JET
- 56. "Vive ___!": LEROI
- 57. More puzzling: ODDER
- 61. Regular: USUAL
- 63. Densely populated area ... or what 17-, 24-, 32-, 43- and 51-Across each have?: INNERCITY
- 65. Sculptor's subject: TORSO
- 66. Place to drop a line from: PIER
- 67. Skin woe: ACNE
- 68. Oktoberfest container: STEIN
- 69. Memento from Zorro: SCAR
- 70. Food items catapulted with a spoon, maybe: PEAS
down
- 1. Dark Lord of the ___ ("Star Wars" title): SITH
- 2. Eminently draftable: ONEA
- 3. Not certain at all: IFFY
- 4. "Was I right, or was I right?!": TOLDYA
- 5. Ob-___: GYN
- 6. Lines going out in all directions: RADII
- 7. "Run ___ now ...": ALONG
- 8. Dirt disher: YENTA
- 9. Bed with wheels: ROLLAWAY
- 10. Juillet season: ETE
- 11. "Caught you, at long last!": THEJIGISUP
- 12. Showed again: RERAN
- 13. Large African antelope: ORYX
- 18. Arduous task: ONUS
- 22. Richard of "Love Me Tender": EGAN
- 25. Bowl noise: RAH
- 26. Huge fad: RAGE
- 27. Spread on crackers: PATE
- 28. Worshiped one: IDOL
- 29. Many an illustration in The Economist: CARICATURE
- 33. Plant bristle: AWN
- 34. Roman septet: VII
- 35. Curry who formerly co-hosted "Today": ANN
- 36. Italian writer Primo: LEVI
- 37. "What ___ state of affairs!": ASAD
- 39. "No problem here": IMOK
- 40. Bell tower instrument: CARILLON
- 44. Spanish baby: NENE
- 45. Pontiac model discontinued in '74: GTO
- 49. ___ about (around): ONOR
- 50. Station aide: REDCAP
- 51. Make drunk: BESOT
- 52. Movie set aides: GRIPS
- 53. Title character in a Sega game: SONIC
- 54. Skin woe: TINEA
- 55. Extends (out): JUTS
- 58. Yahtzee equipment: DICE
- 59. Italian hot spot: ETNA
- 60. Some deli loaves: RYES
- 62. "___ see it ...": ASI
- 64. Do something wrong: ERR
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.