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NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for October 22, 2013

Tuesday, October 22, 2013

By Last updated How we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Tuesday, October 22, 2013. 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.

76 clues · jump to Across or Down. Tap a tile for one letter, or Answer for the whole word.

Across clues & answers

  1. 1

    Now, in Acapulco

  2. 6

    Like a college course labeled "101"

  3. 11

    551, once

  4. 14

    One using Yelp or TripAdvisor, perhaps

  5. 15

    Prefix with biology

  6. 16

    Suffix with planet or fact

  7. 17

    Overcome an unpleasant misunderstanding

  8. 19

    Fall mo.

  9. 20

    Bit of crew equipment

  10. 21

    ___ tai

  11. 22

    Actor Milo

  12. 24

    Left-brain activity

  13. 29

    "Anderson Cooper 360°" channel

  14. 30

    Asimov and Newton

  15. 31

    March honoree, for short

  16. 34

    "And ___ bed"

  17. 36

    "The Wonder Years" teen, for short

  18. 38

    2004 film featuring Dustin Hoffman

  19. 42

    Half a bikini

  20. 43

    Accompanying

  21. 44

    Final approval

  22. 45

    Anderson Cooper, e.g.

  23. 48

    Midpoint: Abbr.

  24. 49

    Reason to see a rheumatologist

  25. 54

    Instrument played by George Harrison

  26. 55

    Gulf state: Abbr.

  27. 56

    Loony

  28. 58

    ___ Paulo, Brazil

  29. 59

    "The Lord of the Rings" setting ... or a feature of 17-, 24-, 38- and 49-Across?

  30. 64

    Young Darth Vader, to friends

  31. 65

    Filmmaker Morris

  32. 66

    He-Man's sister

  33. 67

    Initials of fashion

  34. 68

    Oracles

  35. 69

    Point toward

Down clues & answers

  1. 1

    Instruction to play with the bow

  2. 2

    Special-request flight meal option

  3. 3

    Cheri formerly of "S.N.L."

  4. 4

    "The Crying Game" actor Stephen

  5. 5

    Sheet music abbr.

  6. 6

    Joy formerly of "The View"

  7. 7

    Failed in a big way

  8. 8

    "___ Na Na"

  9. 9

    Common pasta suffix

  10. 10

    Mexican beer

  11. 11

    Thingamajig

  12. 12

    Royalty payers, say

  13. 13

    Collar attachment

  14. 18

    Certain Fed

  15. 23

    Reggae precursor

  16. 25

    Org. with Lions, Tigers and Bears

  17. 26

    ___'acte

  18. 27

    Thumb a ride

  19. 28

    Escapes injury

  20. 31

    Fam. member

  21. 32

    Allies of the Trojans in the "Iliad"

  22. 33

    What pad Thai is often cooked in

  23. 34

    Bake, as eggs

  24. 35

    Not closeted

  25. 37

    Letters on brandy

  26. 39

    Old draft category for civilian workers

  27. 40

    Italian wine area

  28. 41

    Cartoon boy who can be described by an anagram of his name

  29. 46

    It runs the 'L'

  30. 47

    Mercury counterpart

  31. 48

    Native Canadian

  32. 49

    Test, as ore

  33. 50

    Mary or Elizabeth

  34. 51

    Cough drop brand

  35. 52

    Like some legal proceedings

  36. 53

    Kama ___

  37. 57

    Word said while pointing

  38. 60

    Dander

  39. 61

    Dr. ___

  40. 62

    Spanish 57-Down

  41. 63

    Tuna type

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Previous The Crossword answer

Monday, October 21, 2013

across

  • 1. Slyly spiteful: CATTY
  • 6. The "D" of PRNDL: DRIVE
  • 11. Easy-to-chew food: PAP
  • 14. Mutual of ___ (insurance giant): OMAHA
  • 15. Aid in detecting speeders: RADAR
  • 16. ___ Direction (boy band): ONE
  • 17. John Cusack thriller based on a Grisham novel: RUNAWAYJURY
  • 19. "Golly!": GEE
  • 20. Inviting: ASKING
  • 21. "Gimme ___!" (start of an Iowa cheer): ANI
  • 22. Southward: DOWN
  • 23. "___ Misérables": LES
  • 24. Santa's little helper: ELF
  • 26. Snouts: NOSES
  • 28. Newly famous celebrity: BREAKOUTSTAR
  • 32. ___ date (make some plans): SETA
  • 35. Tuna container: TIN
  • 36. Lying on one's back: SUPINE
  • 37. Conductors of impulses from nerve cells: AXONS
  • 39. Grazing area: LEA
  • 41. Judicial statements: DICTA
  • 42. Fought like the Hatfields and McCoys: FEUDED
  • 44. Abbr. after a lawyer's name: ESQ
  • 46. Lose traction: SKID
  • 47. Stipulation that frees one of liability: ESCAPECLAUSE
  • 50. Minor difficulty: HITCH
  • 51. Bit of butter: PAT
  • 52. "He said, ___ said": SHE
  • 55. Praise: LAUD
  • 57. Nautical record: LOG
  • 59. Nautical unit of measure: FATHOM
  • 61. Swiss peak: ALP
  • 62. Part of a ski jump just before going airborne: TAKEOFFRAMP
  • 64. Bronx ___: ZOO
  • 65. Pop concert venue: ARENA
  • 66. Strong, seasoned stock, in cookery: FUMET
  • 67. Japanese money: YEN
  • 68. Military cap: BERET
  • 69. Run-down, as a bar: SEEDY

down

  • 1. Atoll composition: CORAL
  • 2. Tell jokes, say: AMUSE
  • 3. Oxygen suppliers for scuba divers: TANKS
  • 4. Spicy Southeast Asian cuisine: THAI
  • 5. Show that's bo-o-oring: YAWNER
  • 6. Unmoist: DRY
  • 7. Indian nobleman: RAJA
  • 8. "Can't say": IDUNNO
  • 9. Sundry: VARIOUS
  • 10. Suffix with crock or mock: ERY
  • 11. Toy that hops: POGOSTICK
  • 12. All over again: ANEW
  • 13. Ball-___ hammer: PEEN
  • 18. Shoelace end: AGLET
  • 22. Hate, hate, hate: DESPISE
  • 25. "Words ___ me!": FAIL
  • 27. Macho sort: STUD
  • 28. Quick but temporary fix: BANDAID
  • 29. Prepare for prayer: KNEEL
  • 30. Voting against: ANTI
  • 31. What library patrons do: READ
  • 32. How the cautious play it: SAFE
  • 33. Mates who've split: EXES
  • 34. Mention in passing: TOUCHUPON
  • 38. Aug. follower: SEPT
  • 40. Inits. on a rush order: ASAP
  • 43. State openly, as for a customs official: DECLARE
  • 45. Drink, as of ale: QUAFF
  • 48. Tight necklace: CHOKER
  • 49. Fills with personnel: STAFFS
  • 52. Disgrace: SHAME
  • 53. ___ in on (got closer to): HOMED
  • 54. "E" on a gas gauge: EMPTY
  • 55. Indolent: LAZY
  • 56. ___ vera: ALOE
  • 58. Trait transmitter: GENE
  • 60. Factual: TRUE
  • 62. File extension?: TAB
  • 63. Grain in Cheerios: OAT
Hints and full breakdown for Oct 21

More daily puzzle hints

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.