NYT Crossword · The New York Times

The Crossword Clues, Hints & Answers for December 11, 2014

Q: Can I see past crossword answers?

Yes. Each date we have covered is in the crossword archive .

Thursday, December 11, 2014

By WordFinderZ Puzzle TeamLast updated Nov 3, 2026 at 2:44 PM ETHow we make hints

This archive page covers the The Crossword from Thursday, December 11, 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.

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

Across clues & answers

Down clues & answers

1
Before long, quaintly
2
Opus ending
3
See 36-Across
4
They're on the record
5
British rule in India
6
Says for certain
7
R&B artist with the hits "So Sick" and "Because of You"
8
See 29-Across
9
Some proofs of purchase
10
Fat ___
11
Each month has one
12
Loot
13
"Whoa now!"
18
Ancient site of the Luxor Temple
22
Like notepaper and kingdoms
25
See 52-Across
27
Christina of "Sleepy Hollow"
28
1975 Tony-winning play with a Latin name
29
Bender
30
See 54-Across
31
Yawn inducers
32
Touch, for one
38
Invalidate
39
Many of the Ten Commandments
41
Bond
43
Ditz
48
Cat Stevens's surname, now
49
Bistro name starter
50
It may be struck
51
Memo abbr.
53
Some HDTV screens
55
State bordering Can.
56
Like wild boar
58
Can. province not bordering the U.S.
60
Longtime Burmese P.M.

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Wednesday, December 10, 2014

across

1. Rocker Huey: LEWIS
6. Nascar ___: DAD
9. Bonsai, e.g.: DWARF
14. Like many residents of Lancaster County, Pa.: AMISH
15. QB Manning: ELI
16. One in a love triangle, maybe: RIVAL
17. Like a majority of Muslims: SUNNI
18. Word before Mac or cheese: BIG
19. Make amends: ATONE
20. "The Sword in the Stone" author, to a chemist?: THORIUMWHITE
23. Feedbag morsel: OAT
26. Prefix that sounds like 67-Down: TRI
27. Pizza, for one: PIE
28. Colon part: DOT
29. Western Indian: UTE
30. Snoozers catch them: ZEES
32. New title for a 53-Down: MRS
34. "The African Queen" author, to a chemist?: CESIUMFORESTER
39. Part of a 23-Across: HULL
40. Modern prefix with warrior: ECO
41. U.S. island with a royal palace: OAHU
43. "The Children of Men" author, to a chemist?: PALLADIUMJAMES
48. Word often in brackets: SIC
49. Highly draftable ... or a feature of the word "draft": ONEA
50. Season after printemps: ETE
51. U.S.S.R. security org.: KGB
54. Relative of "Voilà!": QED
56. Margery of rhyme: DAW
57. Some Garmin displays: Abbr.: STS
58. "The Island of Dr. Moreau" author, to a chemist?: MERCURYWELLS
62. Television genre: ANIME
63. Put down, as track: LAY
64. Like radon: INERT
68. Having done away with: RIDOF
69. Improve, as cheese: AGE
70. Land bordering Lake Chad: NIGER
71. Minuscule: TEENY
72. TV neighbor of Homer: NED
73. Hobbyist's adhesive: EPOXY

down

1. Word in Spanish place names: LAS
2. Avian source of red meat: EMU
3. Prevail: WIN
4. "___ it, though?": ISNT
5. Chinese toy: SHIHTZU
6. Followed up with after recon: DEBRIEFED
7. Et ___ (and others): ALII
8. Find, as attack ad fodder: DIGUP
9. BVDs, e.g.: DRAWERS
10. Accompanying: WITH
11. Steer clear of: AVOID
12. Made a dash for: RANTO
13. ___ Street (British journalism): FLEET
21. City near a 29-Across reservation: OREM
22. Street performer in an "invisible box": MIME
23. Reaction to a pun or a punch: OUCH
24. Believed gullibly: ATEUP
25. Notable current researcher: TESLA
31. Prefix with -path: SOCIO
33. Greek walkway: STOA
35. Things to cure: ILLS
36. Full of innocent wonder: ROUNDEYED
37. Chair designer Charles: EAMES
38. Butler in fiction: RHETT
42. Takes habitually: USES
44. What gallium will do at about 86 degrees F: LIQUEFY
45. Taiwanese PC maker: ACER
46. Ground-up fare: MEAL
47. Important feature for a male model: JAWLINE
51. Blue Light Special offerer: KMART
52. Something to be rubbed out?: GENIE
53. Figurine on a certain cake: BRIDE
55. About whom Obama said "There is not a bigger giant in the history of American music": DYLAN
59. "You have gotta be kidding me!": CMON
60. Conduct: WAGE
61. Bit of barbering: SNIP
65. Latin I: EGO
66. Title for Tarquinius Superbus: REX
67. Give it a go: TRY

Hints and full breakdown for Dec 10

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.