How much do we love the New York Times crossword puzzle? Let us count the ways … never mind, we can’t count that high. We can, however, count on it to continually challenge us with its sagacious clues and delight us when we discover the astute answers that fit just right.
While each puzzle offers something unique, with aha moments aplenty, some of their clues stand out as particularly brilliant and witty.
Here are 15 of the best clues the NYT Crossword puzzle has provided over the years … along with their answers.
The 15 best NYT Crossword clues
1) Clue: Lead story in tomorrow’s newspaper.
Answer: CLINTON ELECTED
This epic clue ran on election day 1988. Was it divination? Nope, the answer BOB DOLE ELECTED would have also fit, so their bases were covered.
2) Clue: Looks pretty schlubby
Answer: CUTAPOORFIGURE
A schlub is one thing, but schlubby oh-so-accurately describes how we feel when we can’t remember the last time we used shampoo that wasn’t dry.
3) Clue: Microsoft Chief
Answer: BILLG
Aw, this was actually a marriage proposal for another Bill G.—Bill Gottlieb. Two other clues sealed the deal for him: “1729 Jonathan Swift pamphlet” (Answer: AMODESTPROPPOSAL) and “1992 Paula Abdul hit” (Answer: WILLYOUMARRYME). She said yes!
4) Clue: First lady’s residence
Answer: EDEN
Sorry, Melania, this one goes way back.
5) Clue: Pat on the buns?
Answer: OLEO
Why doesn’t anyone pass the oleo anymore?
6) Clue: Not in one’s cups?
Answer: BRALESS
Tee hee.
7) Clue: One who accepts charges
Answer: MATADOR
Ole!
8) Clue: Sentence structure?
Answer: JAILHOUSE
We love grammar, but that’s quite the clever homonym twist, or to be more specific, homograph twist.
9) Clue: Unexciting, low-paid work, in modern lingo
Answer: MCJOB
Mcjob is an actual entry in the Dictionary, first coined in Douglas Coupland’s novel Generation X. Order up!
10) Clue: Not in a million years!
Answer: HELLNO
The answer is certainly more emphatic.
11) Clue: Condition of being awesome, in modern slang
Answer: EPICNESS
Not to be confused with epicene (an adjective meaning “belonging to, or partaking of the characteristics of, both sexes), this is a slang twist on epic.
12) Clue: More than quirky
Answer: OUTRE
Calling someone’s behavior outre (derived from the French word outrer, which means “to push beyond bounds”) sounds a lot classier than calling them bizarre.
13) Clue: Main course?
Answer: ALEE
While you’re probably thinking food, this is actually a play on the nautical term alee, which means “upon or toward the lee side of a vessel.” File that one away.
14) Clue: Pole vault units?
Answer: ZLOTYS
A zloty is a monetary unit in … you guessed it, Poland.
15) Clue: The __mightier …
Answer: PENIS
Naughty, naughty.
