NYT Crossword · The New York Times
The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for May 12, 2014
Monday, May 12, 2014
By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated How we make hints
This archive page covers the The Crossword from Monday, May 12, 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
- 16
- 37
- 52
- 69
Down clues & answers
- 30
- 33
- 38
- 47
Know someone stuck on this one? The link opens on the hints, not the answer.
Previous The Crossword answer
Sunday, May 11, 2014
across
- 1. Diamond cover: TARP
- 5. Some Arizonans: HOPI
- 9. Sultan's charge: HAREM
- 14. Mother ___: JONES
- 19. Calypso staple: STEELDRUM
- 21. Pull together: UNITE
- 22. Quarter-rounded molding: OVOLO
- 23. Agents in blood clotting: PLATELETS
- 24. I.Q. test developer: BINET
- 25. Minute: EENSY
- 26. Part of A.P.R.: Abbr.: PCT
- 27. Archaeologist's discovery: TOMB
- 29. New Orleans Saint who was the Super Bowl XLIV M.V.P.: DREWBREES
- 33. ___ Disraeli, author of "Curiosities of Literature": ISAAC
- 35. Like seven Nolan Ryan games: NOHIT
- 36. "No kidding!": OH
- 38. Element #2's symbol: HE
- 39. Rodent that burrows near streams: NUTRIA
- 41. Prince Harry, for one: REDHEAD
- 45. Some West Coast wines: NAPAS
- 47. Resented: GRUDGED
- 49. Mother ___: TERESA
- 50. Joel and Jennifer: GREYS
- 51. Opposite of 'neath: OER
- 52. Start the growing season: SOW
- 54. With 58-Down, four-time destination for 56-Down: NORTH
- 55. Simple storage unit on a farm: POLEBARN
- 57. Abbreviation between two names: AKA
- 60. Bert's mystery-solving twin: NAN
- 62. Eye cover for the naive?: WOOL
- 63. The original "It" girl: CLARABOW
- 64. What's good in Jerusalem?: TOV
- 65. Lock: TRESS
- 67. ID digits: SSN
- 68. Mother ___: LODE
- 69. Michael Collins's org.: IRA
- 70. Mother ___: SHIP
- 71. Circular parts?: ADS
- 74. Bank of Israel: LEUMI
- 75. Vintner's prefix: OEN
- 76. 800, say: TOLLFREE
- 78. Cuba libre ingredient: COLA
- 81. End of a pickoff: TAG
- 82. D.C. player: NAT
- 83. "Survivor" tactic: ALLIANCE
- 84. Really went for: ATEUP
- 86. Sharks' and Jets' org.: NHL
- 88. Needle-nosed fish: GAR
- 90. Montemezzi opera "L'Amore dei ___ Re": TRE
- 91. Mother ___: TONGUE
- 93. Pot pusher's vehicle?: TEACART
- 98. Literally, "lion dog": SHIHTZU
- 100. Second of six?: SHORTI
- 101. Dorothy's aunt: EM
- 103. 2001 Spielberg sci-fi film: AI
- 104. Greases: LARDS
- 106. "The Age of Anxiety" poet: AUDEN
- 107. Not accidental: MEANT
- 109. Pointed fence stakes: PALISADES
- 113. Wager of war against Parthia: NERO
- 114. Trident alternative: ORBIT
- 115. Téa of "The Family Man": LEONI
- 116. What unicorns don't do: EXIST
- 118. Not said expressly: INDICATED
- 121. Prodded: URGED
- 122. Stick in a school desk: RULER
- 123. Smithsonian artifacts: AMERICANA
- 124. Mother ___: GOOSE
- 125. Spread out: SPLAY
- 126. Cataract location: LENS
- 127. Paris suburb on the Seine: ISSY
down
- 1. Recipe amt.: TSP
- 2. Braves, on a sports ticker: ATL
- 3. End the growing season: REAP
- 4. Purina purveyor: PETCO
- 5. "Good" cholesterol, for short: HDL
- 6. Some freighter cargo: ORE
- 7. Backsliding, to a dieter: PUTTINGONWEIGHT
- 8. "Yeah, right!": IMSOSURE
- 9. Mother ___: HUBBARD
- 10. Singer DiFranco: ANI
- 11. Zest: RIND
- 12. Forever, in verse: ETERN
- 13. Astronomical sighting: METEOR
- 14. Politician who appeared as himself on NBC's "Parks and Recreation": JOEBIDEN
- 15. Topples: OVERTHROWS
- 16. Abstainer's choice: NONE
- 17. Ultimate word of an ultimatum: ELSE
- 18. Kikkoman sauces: SOYS
- 20. Umpire's cry: LET
- 28. Coming of age: MATURATION
- 30. Hone: WHET
- 31. Khan's clan: MONGOLS
- 32. Goof around: MESSABOUT
- 34. Coffin nail: CIG
- 37. Former chief justice Stone: HARLAN
- 38. Bucolic bundle: HAYBALE
- 40. 1950s political monogram: AES
- 42. Architect Saarinen: EERO
- 43. Regarding: ASTO
- 44. Wonka inventor: DAHL
- 46. Kind of review: PEER
- 48. Words to one who's about to go off: DONTSTARTINONME
- 53. Subject of a Pittsburgh art museum: WARHOL
- 55. Windows boxes?: PCS
- 56. Seven-time N.B.A. rebounding champ, 1992-98: RODMAN
- 58. See 54-Across: KOREA
- 59. Pushing the envelope, say: AVANTGARDE
- 61. Actor Sam of "The Horse Whisperer": NEILL
- 66. Bowler's bane: SPLIT
- 71. Education secretary Duncan: ARNE
- 72. Last month: Abbr.: DEC
- 73. "What'd I tell you?": SEE
- 74. Most people don't think they're funny: LAUGHLINES
- 77. Game for which Wyatt Earp and Doc Holliday were once dealers: FARO
- 78. Jazz musicians: CATS
- 79. Then again, in text messages: OTOH
- 80. Filmmaker Riefenstahl: LENI
- 85. Table: PUTASIDE
- 87. Former defense secretary Aspin: LES
- 89. Through road: ARTERIAL
- 92. Pound of poetry: EZRA
- 94. "Now I remember!": AHA
- 95. Mother ___: COUNTRY
- 96. Some kiss-and-tell books: MEMOIRS
- 97. They don't have fingers: MITTENS
- 99. Milk dispensers: UDDERS
- 102. "Much obliged," in Montréal: MERCI
- 103. Baker and Brookner: ANITAS
- 105. Make more alluring: SEXUP
- 108. Simple counters: ABACI
- 109. Advertise: PLUG
- 110. Sleek, informally: AERO
- 111. Target's target, e.g.: LOGO
- 112. Flowerpot spot: SILL
- 117. Body on a map: SEA
- 119. Cozy room: DEN
- 120. "Happy Mother's ___!": DAY
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.