NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for August 16, 2012
Thursday, August 16, 2012
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Thursday, August 16, 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
- 15
Down clues & answers
- 31
- 33
- 53
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Wednesday, August 15, 2012
across
- 1. Andersson of "Persona": BIBI
- 5. Bilko and Friday: Abbr.: SGTS
- 9. Pie choice: APPLE
- 14. Black, to bards: EBON
- 15. Ritz look-alike of old: HIHO
- 16. Simon of Duran Duran: LEBON
- 17. Managed care grps.: HMOS
- 18. Sch. type: ELEM
- 19. Gut course: EASYA
- 20. F.D.A.-banned weight-loss supplement: EPHEDRA
- 22. Next century's end: MMCC
- 24. Edinburgh's locale, in poetry: SCOTIA
- 25. It may be fit for a queen: BEDSHEET
- 29. Menu general: TSO
- 30. Some flights: STAIRS
- 32. Drop ___: TROU
- 33. Blackens with chimney grime: SOOTS
- 34. Subway Series borough: BRONX
- 35. What the six groups of circled letters represent: TOWNSQUARES
- 38. Ivy League sch.: UPENN
- 40. Excessive: UNDUE
- 41. Girl in a Beatles title: RITA
- 42. Patronized a restaurant: ATEOUT
- 44. Toward the rear: AFT
- 47. Close-fitting women's garments: BUSTIERS
- 49. "In conclusion ...": LASTLY
- 51. People who valued vicuña wool: INCA
- 52. Hale telescope's observatory: PALOMAR
- 53. Words of denial: IDONT
- 56. "Add to ___" (e-shopper's button): CART
- 58. Wig style: AFRO
- 59. Egypt's Sadat: ANWAR
- 60. Sport with touches: EPEE
- 61. Sound like a banshee: KEEN
- 62. Wonder Woman's weapon: LASSO
- 63. Takes night courses?: SUPS
- 64. Zaire's Mobutu ___ Seko: SESE
down
- 1. Urgent request: BEHEST
- 2. Cloned office equipment: IBMPCS
- 3. [That's such a shame!]: BOOHOO
- 4. Cartographic detail: INSET
- 5. Marriott competitor: SHERATON
- 6. Arizona county or river: GILA
- 7. Everyday article: THE
- 8. Elke of film: SOMMER
- 9. Baldwin and others: ALECS
- 10. Atlanta's main street: PEACHTREE
- 11. "Sesame Street" channel: PBS
- 12. Powell's "The Thin Man" co-star: LOY
- 13. Doe in "Bambi": ENA
- 21. Wash one's hands of: DISOWN
- 23. Rx writers: MDS
- 25. Starters at some seafood restaurants: BISQUES
- 26. Lust, deified: EROS
- 27. Lo-o-o-ong time: EON
- 28. Monkey suit: TUX
- 31. Cadillac model unveiled in 2012: ATS
- 33. Some Beethoven works: SONATINAS
- 34. Really, really tough: BRUTAL
- 35. Hanoi holidays: TETS
- 36. ___ Chicago Grill: UNO
- 37. Really looks up to: ADULATES
- 38. Populous area, informally: URB
- 39. More, on a score: PIU
- 42. Early nuclear org.: AEC
- 43. Uses as a pattern: TRACES
- 44. Withdrawal charge: ATMFEE
- 45. Distress signals: FLARES
- 46. Old county of Northern Ireland: TYRONE
- 48. 101 course, typically: INTRO
- 50. Is in hot water?: SOAKS
- 52. Attend Choate, say: PREP
- 53. Proverb ender?: IAL
- 54. Evidence in paternity suits: DNA
- 55. Hammer-on-the-thumb cries: OWS
- 57. "The Simpsons" merchant: APU
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.