NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for August 22, 2012
Wednesday, August 22, 2012
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Wednesday, August 22, 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
- 51
- 56
Down clues & answers
- 12
- 24
- 45
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Tuesday, August 21, 2012
across
- 1. Gossip: DISH
- 5. David Bowie's rock genre, informally: GLAM
- 9. Old Indian ruler: RAJAH
- 14. Fit: ABLE
- 15. Excellent, in modern slang: DOPE
- 16. African virus: EBOLA
- 17. Samuel Adams or Corona: BEER
- 18. Magazine for arithmetic lovers?: PLUSWEEKLY
- 20. Momentum, informally: STEAM
- 22. [as written]: SIC
- 23. Want ad letters: EOE
- 24. Bizarre demand to a dry cleaner?: PLEATMYSHORTS
- 29. City served by Indira Gandhi International Airport: NEWDELHI
- 31. Sexy: HOT
- 32. Flamenco cry: OLE
- 33. Took part in a bee, British-style: SPELT
- 35. Arizona tribe: HOPI
- 39. Zales or Tiffany's?: PLACEOFDIAMONDS
- 43. Middling noble rank: EARL
- 44. Early Westinghouse collaborator: TESLA
- 45. Silent ___ (Coolidge nickname): CAL
- 46. "That feels goo-oo-ood!": AAH
- 49. Oscar-winning director of "The Departed," 2006: SCORSESE
- 51. Overfish?: PLUNDERTHESEA
- 55. "Luke, ___ your father": IAM
- 56. Center of gravity?: VEE
- 57. Philosopher who was the father of dialectical idealism: HEGEL
- 60. Light shower?: PLACIDRAIN
- 65. Flowing hair: MANE
- 66. Chair designer Charles: EAMES
- 67. High coif: UPDO
- 68. Record for later, in a way: TIVO
- 69. Ones before whom pearls are cast: SWINE
- 70. Hornets' home: NEST
- 71. Deep black gem: ONYX
down
- 1. Applies with a Q-Tip, say: DABS
- 2. "Yeah, sure ...": IBET
- 3. Retirement attire: SLEEPWEAR
- 4. Usher in with fanfare: HERALD
- 5. Important econ. indicator: GDP
- 6. "U crack me up!": LOL
- 7. "Thank you, come again" speaker, on "The Simpsons": APU
- 8. Like drawn-out divorces: MESSY
- 9. Bounce around a canyon, say: REECHO
- 10. Lincoln moniker: ABE
- 11. Card #53 or #54: JOKER
- 12. Dole out: ALLOT
- 13. First president to have a telephone in the White House: HAYES
- 19. Genie's offering: WISH
- 21. Reagan attorney general Ed: MEESE
- 25. Chow chow chow brand: ALPO
- 26. Grand ___ Auto: THEFT
- 27. Least spicy: MILDEST
- 28. Emperor of A.D. 69: OTHO
- 29. "Uh-uh": NOPE
- 30. "___ Enchanted" (2004 film): ELLA
- 34. N.Y.U.'s ___ School of the Arts: TISCH
- 36. "I repeat ...": ONCEAGAIN
- 37. Droids, e.g., for short: PDAS
- 38. Aruba or Bora Bora: ISLE
- 40. Extended family: CLAN
- 41. Ingredient in some suntan lotions: ALOE
- 42. Waterlogged locale: MARSH
- 47. Counsel: ADVISE
- 48. Take counsel from: HEED
- 50. "It would ___ me ...": SEEMTO
- 51. Singing ability, informally: PIPES
- 52. 1980s-'90s courtroom drama: LALAW
- 53. Taste that's not sweet, sour, bitter or salty: UMAMI
- 54. Many a summer show: RERUN
- 58. Green-eyed monster: ENVY
- 59. Pope who excommunicated Martin Luther: LEOX
- 61. 100 years: Abbr.: CEN
- 62. Jungle swinger: APE
- 63. Checks the age of, in a way: IDS
- 64. "Only kidding!": NOT
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.