NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for January 4, 2014
Saturday, January 4, 2014
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Saturday, January 4, 2014. 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
- 43
- 45
Down clues & answers
- 3
- 15
- 22
- 29
- 46
- 47
- 59
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Friday, January 3, 2014
across
- 1. Bite-size sweet: PETITFOUR
- 10. Complains loudly: YAWPS
- 15. Locomotive: IRONHORSE
- 16. 1946 University of Pennsylvania invention: ENIAC
- 17. 1950s-'60s sitcom headliner: DONNAREED
- 18. Instagram filter: SEPIA
- 19. What many cats play: GIGS
- 20. It's snowy in Florida: EGRET
- 22. Left: WENT
- 23. Oxygen tent locale, briefly: ICU
- 24. Home of Harpers Ferry: Abbr.: WVA
- 25. Flock member: EWE
- 27. Literary adverb: OFT
- 28. Dundee denial: NAE
- 29. Nikkei unit: YEN
- 30. Salmagundi: MIXTURE
- 32. Prefix with phobia: ACRO
- 33. Basilica honoree: STPETER
- 34. Former silkworms: MOTHS
- 36. Time indicator, of sorts: TENSE
- 37. Media giant that owns the Detroit Free Press: GANNETT
- 39. 4-Down inventory: BEDS
- 40. Gedda or Ghiaurov of opera fame: NICOLAI
- 41. "Cap'n ___" (Joseph C. Lincoln novel): ERI
- 42. "Phooey!": BAH
- 45. Singer who said "People make music to get a reaction": ONO
- 46. "Tastes terrific!": MMM
- 47. Actress Gardner: AVA
- 48. Oriole rival: RAY
- 49. Junior senator from Texas: CRUZ
- 51. Food whose name means "feathers": PENNE
- 53. Eatery: CAFE
- 54. Nuclei: CORES
- 56. Profession for Laura Bush before the White House: LIBRARIAN
- 58. Rushed: HASTY
- 59. "Cinderella" stepsister: ANASTASIA
- 60. Perfect: IDEAL
- 61. Type-A types: GOGETTERS
down
- 1. Linguistic 30-Across: PIDGIN
- 2. Record glimpsed on Norman Bates's Victrola: EROICA
- 3. 1-Down, e.g.: TONGUE
- 4. Michelin Guide recommendations: INNS
- 5. Lun ___ (Tuptim's beloved in "The King and I"): THA
- 6. Certain rate-hike circumvention: FOREVERSTAMP
- 7. Pizzeria supply: OREGANO
- 8. One logging in: USER
- 9. Cashes in: REDEEMS
- 10. "___ on Prop ..." (campaign sign): YES
- 11. Over: ANEW
- 12. Many "Jackass" stunts: WIPEOUTS
- 13. In a state of nirvana: PAINFREE
- 14. Not stay together: SCATTER
- 21. Online realm since 2006: TWITTERVERSE
- 24. Common British Isles shader: WYCHELM
- 26. "Where you book matters" sloganeer: EXPEDIA
- 31. Some Olympic coups: TENS
- 32. It's 8 for O: ATNO
- 34. Artery: MAINROAD
- 35. Not going astray: ONCOURSE
- 37. Trattoria dish: GNOCCHI
- 38. Delay: TIMELAG
- 39. Midway missile: BEANBAG
- 42. Cook, as Swiss steak: BRAISE
- 43. Erle Stanley Gardner pseudonym: AAFAIR
- 44. Shenzi, Banzai and Ed, in "The Lion King": HYENAS
- 50. Fraternity letter: ZETA
- 52. Hombre, once: NINO
- 53. Techno- tack-on: CRAT
- 55. Dict. demarcation: SYL
- 57. Sidebar requester: Abbr.: ATT
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.