Welcome to the inaugural edition of this New York Times Crossword clues and answers guide, where I go through the puzzle and pull out all the answers to the toughest questions the NYT has for you. And they are really tough, as you probably know by now, depending on the day. Today we will begin with the Sunday, May 4 puzzle. But first:
HOW TO PLAY THE NYT CROSSWORD
Well, the first step here is that if you’re doing this online and not in the newspaper, you will need a full all-access subscription to the New York Times, which allows you to play online and it gives you access to all archives of all puzzle games on the site.
Past that, well, it’s a crossword. You will be given clues stretching on both directions on the board and find the letters that fill out the entire thing correctly. Clues can be tough on their own, but with multiple answers potentially in the same lettercount, they can be downright diabolical.
The puzzle has a timer to see how you’re doing for your personal bests, and don’t forget about the “Rebus” button which turns some squares into two letter spaces, which is always a nightmare. But don’t worry, we’re here to help. And with that, here’s today’s puzzle.
ACROSS CLUES AND ANSWERS
1) Things hidden after purchasing a premium account, maybe – ADS
4) Follower of a bit? – MUCH
8) Bank robber’s accessory – MASK
12) “The Wild Duck” playwright – IBSEN
17) Egg ___ yung – FOO
18) Big name in deodorant – ARRID
20) Contents of a blog – POSTS
21) Handle – SEETO
22) Product that “can cut a slice of bread so thin you can almost see through it!,” in old ads – GINSUKNIFE
24) Try to open, as a gift – RIPAT
25) Toon fighter of Skeletor – HEMAN
26) French name that’s an anagram of a mostly German river – HENRI
27) Features of jalapeños and piña coladas – TILDES
29) Coach Lasso on TV – TED
31) Confirmation, e.g. – RITE
32) Brand with a line of “Calm + Restore” products – AVEENO
34) Bunless cookout entrees – LETTUCEWRAPS
37) Land – NET
38) Natl. economic stat – GDP
40) Spirit for a spritz – APEROL
41) Moves one’s butt (over) – SCOOTS
44) Book reviews of sorts? – IRSAUDITS
47) Reason to take iron supplements – ANEMIA
49) Concave umbilicus – INNIE
50) Gives one’s all – GOESHARD
52) Given reluctantly – BEGRUDGING
54) The Aztecs of the N.C.A.A. – SDSU
57) Damning info – DIRT
58) Some hosp. workers – RNS
59) Texter’s “Bye!” – CYA
60) It squirts on a squid – INKSAC
63) Royal house of Mary, Queen of Scots – STUART
67) Many air travelers’ texts, for short – ETAS
70) Sci-fi-inspired greeting that’s a hint to eight squares in this puzzle – MAYTHEFOURTHBEWITHYOU
76) Gives a hand – AIDS
77) “Au ___ les Enfants” (1987 film) – REVOIR
78) Apparel for wizards and thieves – CLOAK
79) Bad spot for a tear, in brief – ACL
82) Saison avant l’automne – ETE
84) Possible cause of insomnia – DRIP
86) 2017 Pixar film inspired by el Día de los Muertos – COCO
87) Companion who might take your breath away? – BLOWUPDOLL
91) Camp inspection after lights out – BEDCHECK
94) Ballet handrail – BARRE
95) “Grand” things – PIANOS
97) Over and over – ADNAUSEAM
101) All mixed up – ADDLED
103) They contain brains – CRANIA
105) Sorority member, endearingly – SIS
106) Org. with a tip line – FBI
107) Famous Leonardo da Vinci drawing with four arms and four legs – VITRUVIANMAN
109) Turns down – DENIES
111) Little feud – SPAT
113) Contracted – GOT
114) Like organic food products, for short – NONGMO
117) Droops – WILTS
118) Invasive Japanese vine – KUDZU
120) Alphanumeric component – DIGIT
122) Steaminess – SENSUALITY
124) Drinks that get slushy over time – ICEES
125) Places for some braces – KNEES
126) Senator Baldwin or Duckworth – TAMMY
127) Prefix with -lithic – NEO
128) Alternative name for our planet – TERRA
129) Goes from 0 to 60? – AGES
130) Some summer babies – LEOS
131) “Despicable Me” character voiced by Steve Carell – GRU
DOWN CLUES AND ANSWERS
1) Currency unit of Kabul – AFGHANI
2) Enthusiastic reply to “Want to?” – DOIEVER
3) Poems also fancily known as quatorzains – SONNETS
4) Barely managing – MAKINGDO
5) Coffee holder – URN
6) Lit ___ (rhyming class nickname) – CRIT
7) Antique purchase for an audiophile – HIFI
8) Dew, for example – MOISTURE
9) A nemesissssss to Indiana Jones? – ASP
10) More dignified – STA
11) Lead actress in the “Twilight” movies, in tabloids – KST
12) “More or less” – ISH
13) Game you likely get worse at the longer you play – BEERPONG
14) Band with the 1998 hit “Closing Time” – SEMISONIC
15) Coup d’___ – ETAT
16) Zip – NONE
19) Gospel/jazz singer Reese – DELLA
20) Make believe – PRETEND
23) “Well, OK” – SURE
28) Exodus – DEPATURE
30) Practice group?: Abbr. – DRS
33) Drooling pooch of the comics – ODIE
35) Tool for grooming – COMB
36) What vinegar or lemon juice adds to a dressing – ACID
39) Focus of some psychotherapy, for short – PTSD
42) Lilliputian – TINY
43) Company behind the Saturn and Dreamcast consoles – SEGA
45) The Masters host city – AUGUSTA
46) Minty herb used in Japanese cuisine – SHISO
48) Veep from 1969 to 1973 – AGNEW
51) Boxer Beterbiev – ARTUR
53) Countrylike – RUSTIC
54) ___ card – SIM
55) Kendrick Lamar title that completes the lyric “I got power, poison, pain and joy inside my …” – DNA
56) Where to see contrails – SKY
61) Tuna type – AHI
62) Handed over – CEDED
64) Dune buggy, e.g., in brief – ATV
65) ___ Ridgeback, dog breed originally from Zimbabwe – RHODESIAN
66) Classic sports car, familiarly – TBIRD
68) Hub code for Delta – ATL
69) Necessity for off-roading – SHOCK
71) Photog’s setting – FSTOP
72) ___ Kane, longtime role on “All My Children” – ERICA
73) Chairman ___ (old N.B.A. nickname) – YAO
74) The N.B.A.’s Thunder, on scoreboards – OKC
75) Grp. with so-called “camp shows” – USO
79) “Money, Money, Money” group – ABBA
80) Attired – CLAD
81) Term of address aboard the Death Star – LORDVADER
83) Bringing forth – ELICITING
85) Third degrees? – PHDS
88) Big name in organs – WURLITZER
89) Amanda of film – PEET
90) “___ Croft: Tomb Raider” – LARA
91) Witticisms – BONMOTS
92) Wednesday Addams’s werewolf roommate on TV’s “Wednesday” – ENID
93) Routes across low waters – CAUSEWAYS
96) Baby monitors – NANNIES
98) TurboTax activity – EFILING
99) Getaway driver, for instance – ABETTER
100) Sentiment in a letter from home – MISSYOU
102) Just what the doctor ordered? – DRUG
104) Perturbation – ANGST
108) Screwdriver component – VODKA
110) Zip – NIL
111) Piece of improv – SKIT
112) Hue of a dry bloodstain, maybe – PUCE
115) Cafeteria offering – MEAL
116) “I’ve got this one” – ONME
119) Women’s soccer powerhouse – USA
121) “Who knew?!” – GEE
123) Sport that takes place in a dohyo – SUMO
Embarrassing Clue – How did that go for you? Some really tough ones in there, and I was embarrassed I thought “May the fourth be with you” was “live long and prosper” because that was the only sci-fi phrase that came to mind. To be far, that’s not exactly in the movies.
Favorite Clue – I really enjoyed the “companion who takes your breath away” being a blow-up doll, extremely clever.
Hardest Clue – Always a lot to choose from here, but it’s almost always something with a Rebus, which in this case whas the ginsu knife from the old TV ads, as sometimes it will be used to make something plural, but not in this case, and you needed it to face the base word in. Very tough.
That’s all for today, see you tomorrow. Maybe. Depending on how this goes.
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