February 02, 1990 NYT Clues Solutions | XWordHint

NYT Crossword Answers for February 02, 1990 - Friday Puzzle

Quick Navigation - Table of Contents

• Puzzle Overview & Difficulty
• Across Clues (37 clues)
• Down Clues (35 clues)
• Category Breakdown
• Complete Puzzle Statistics
• Pro Solving Tips

Puzzle Overview & Difficulty Analysis

Date: Friday, February 02, 1990

Difficulty Level: Moderate Wednesday Puzzle

Total Clues: 72 (37 Across, 35 Down)

Average Word Length: 5.2 letters

February 02, 1990 Across Hints: NYT Friday Crossword Answers

No.	Clue	Letters	Difficulty	Category
1A	1. Nitwit	4	Easy	General Knowledge
2A	5. A Detroit dud	5	Medium	General Knowledge
3A	10. Summit	4	Easy	General Knowledge
4A	14. Hawkeye portrayer	4	Medium	General Knowledge
5A	15. Grand follower	5	Medium	General Knowledge
6A	16. Picturesque sights in the Seine	4	Medium	General Knowledge
7A	17. Signed on for another hitch	10	Hard	General Knowledge
8A	19. Endure	4	Easy	General Knowledge
9A	20. Git thar fustest with the ___	7	Hard	General Knowledge
10A	21. Japanese courtesan	6	Medium	General Knowledge
11A	23. Love: Lat.	4	Medium	General Knowledge
12A	24. Medricks	5	Easy	General Knowledge
13A	25. Kind of triangle	7	Medium	General Knowledge
14A	28. Roots	7	Medium	General Knowledge
15A	31. "I Was the ___," Presley hit	3	Medium	Short Answer
16A	32. Eremite	7	Medium	General Knowledge
17A	34. Devotee	3	Easy	Short Answer
18A	35. Brazil, e.g.	3	Easy	Short Answer
19A	36. Threefold: Comb. form	3	Easy	Short Answer
20A	37. Diamonds, to Legs	3	Easy	Short Answer
21A	38. Stray	3	Easy	Short Answer
22A	39. Luge occupant	7	Medium	General Knowledge
23A	43. Defeated Amendment	3	Easy	Short Answer
24A	44. Better prepared	7	Medium	General Knowledge
25A	46. Redacted	7	Medium	General Knowledge
26A	48. Musical endings	5	Medium	Music
27A	49. Rasp	4	Easy	General Knowledge
28A	50. Put on weight	6	Medium	General Knowledge
29A	52. Beards of grain	7	Medium	General Knowledge
30A	56. Send out	4	Medium	General Knowledge
31A	57. Belittler's activity	10	Hard	General Knowledge
32A	60. Jimmy, e.g.	4	Medium	General Knowledge
33A	61. Official proclamation	5	Medium	General Knowledge
34A	62. Resort in Sicily	4	Medium	General Knowledge
35A	63. Anglo-Saxon day laborer	4	Medium	General Knowledge
36A	64. Freeman biography	5	Medium	General Knowledge
37A	65. Exploit	4	Easy	General Knowledge

Across Clues - Detailed Hints and Explanations

1A: "1. Nitwit" (4 letters)

• Think of something that an ignorant or foolish person
• Similar words include: booby, bosom, tit
• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: BOOB

2A: "5. A Detroit dud" (5 letters)

• Pattern: _____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: EDSEL

3A: "10. Summit" (4 letters)

• Think of something that the highest level or degree attainable; the highest stage of development
• Similar words include: top, elevation, summit
• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: ACME

4A: "14. Hawkeye portrayer" (4 letters)

• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: ALDA

5A: "15. Grand follower" (5 letters)

• Think of something that a keyboard instrument that is played by depressing keys that cause hammers to strike tuned strings and produce sounds
• Similar words include: softly, soft, forte-piano
• Opposite of: forte
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: PIANO

6A: "16. Picturesque sights in the Seine" (4 letters)

• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: ILES

7A: "17. Signed on for another hitch" (10 letters)

• Pattern: __________
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: REENLISTED

8A: "19. Endure" (4 letters)

• Think of something that the temporal end; the concluding time
• Similar words include: final, live, close
• Opposite of: first
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: LAST

9A: "20. Git thar fustest with the ___" (7 letters)

• Think of something that (superlative of `many' used with count nouns and often preceded by `the') quantifier meaning the greatest in number
• Similar words include: most
• Opposite of: least, fewest
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: MOSTEST

10A: "21. Japanese courtesan" (6 letters)

• Think of something that a japanese woman trained to entertain men with conversation and singing and dancing
• Similar words include: geisha girl
• Pattern: ______
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: GEISHA

11A: "23. Love: Lat." (4 letters)

• Think of something that (roman mythology) god of love; counterpart of greek eros
• Similar words include: Cupid
• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: AMOR

12A: "24. Medricks" (5 letters)

• Think of something that small slender gull having narrow wings and a forked tail
• Similar words include: tern
• Pattern: _____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: TERNS

13A: "25. Kind of triangle" (7 letters)

• Think of something that a group of islands in the atlantic off the carolina coast; british colony; a popular resort
• Similar words include: Bermudas
• Pattern: _______
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: BERMUDA

14A: "28. Roots" (7 letters)

• Think of something that the place where something begins, where it springs into being
• Similar words include: rootage, pedigree, line
• Pattern: _______
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: ORIGINS

15A: "31. "I Was the ___," Presley hit" (3 letters)

• Think of something that the smallest whole number or a numeral representing this number
• Similar words include: ane, ace, I
• Pattern: ___
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: ONE

16A: "32. Eremite" (7 letters)

• Think of something that one who lives in solitude
• Similar words include: solitary, hermit, reclusive
• Pattern: _______
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: RECLUSE

17A: "34. Devotee" (3 letters)

• Think of something that a device for creating a current of air by movement of a surface or surfaces
• Similar words include: devotee, winnow, lover
• Pattern: ___
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: FAN

18A: "35. Brazil, e.g." (3 letters)

• Think of something that usually large hard-shelled seed
• Similar words include: egg, orchis, nut case
• Pattern: ___
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: NUT

19A: "36. Threefold: Comb. form" (3 letters)

• Pattern: ___
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: TER

20A: "37. Diamonds, to Legs" (3 letters)

• Think of something that water frozen in the solid state
• Similar words include: water ice, glass, frost
• Pattern: ___
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: ICE

21A: "38. Stray" (3 letters)

• Think of something that to make a mistake or be incorrect
• Similar words include: drift, slip, stray
• Pattern: ___
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: ERR

22A: "39. Luge occupant" (7 letters)

• Think of something that someone who rides a sled
• Pattern: _______
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: SLEDDER

23A: "43. Defeated Amendment" (3 letters)

• Think of something that a period marked by distinctive character or reckoned from a fixed point or event
• Similar words include: epoch, geological era, earned run average
• Pattern: ___
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: ERA

24A: "44. Better prepared" (7 letters)

• Think of something that completely prepared or in condition for immediate action or use or progress
• Similar words include: quick, ready
• Opposite of: unready
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: READIER

25A: "46. Redacted" (7 letters)

• Think of something that make improvements or corrections to
• Similar words include: edited, emend
• Pattern: _______
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: EMENDED

26A: "48. Musical endings" (5 letters)

• Think of something that the closing section of a musical composition
• Similar words include: coda, finale
• Pattern: _____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: CODAS

27A: "49. Rasp" (4 letters)

• Think of something that a set of related records (either written or electronic) kept together
• Similar words include: register, lodge, single file
• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: FILE

28A: "50. Put on weight" (6 letters)

• Think of something that make fat or plump
• Similar words include: fat, plump, fatten out
• Pattern: ______
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: FATTEN

29A: "52. Beards of grain" (7 letters)

• Think of something that bristlelike process near the tip of the antenna of certain flies
• Similar words include: arista
• Pattern: _______
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: ARISTAE

30A: "56. Send out" (4 letters)

• Think of something that expel (gases or odors)
• Similar words include: utter, breathe, give off
• Opposite of: absorb
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: EMIT

31A: "57. Belittler's activity" (10 letters)

• Think of something that take away a part from; diminish
• Similar words include: take away, detract
• Pattern: __________
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: DETRACTING

32A: "60. Jimmy, e.g." (4 letters)

• Think of something that an implement used in the practice of a vocation
• Similar words include: dick, putz, pecker
• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: TOOL

33A: "61. Official proclamation" (5 letters)

• Think of something that a formal or authoritative proclamation
• Similar words include: rescript, order, decree
• Pattern: _____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: EDICT

34A: "62. Resort in Sicily" (4 letters)

• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: ENNA

35A: "63. Anglo-Saxon day laborer" (4 letters)

• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: ESNE

36A: "64. Freeman biography" (5 letters)

• Pattern: _____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: RELEE

37A: "65. Exploit" (4 letters)

• Think of something that a legal document signed and sealed and delivered to effect a transfer of property and to show the legal right to possess it
• Similar words include: deed of conveyance, act, title
• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: DEED

February 02, 1990 Friday NYT - All Down Answers

No.	Clue	Letters	Difficulty	Category
1D	1. Brewery yeast	4	Medium	General Knowledge
2D	2. Airplane's ___ strut	4	Medium	General Knowledge
3D	3. Monodies	4	Easy	General Knowledge
4D	4. Miniature domestic fowl	6	Medium	General Knowledge
5D	5. Occurrence	7	Medium	General Knowledge
6D	6. Magicians, often	11	Expert	General Knowledge
7D	7. Posed	3	Easy	Short Answer
8D	8. Direction or suffix	3	Easy	Short Answer
9D	9. Tabard guests	7	Medium	General Knowledge
10D	10. Under the weather	6	Medium	General Knowledge
11D	11. "Top secret" designation	10	Hard	General Knowledge
12D	12. Interlock	4	Easy	General Knowledge
13D	13. "¿Cómo ___ usted?"	4	Hard	General Knowledge
14D	18. Nocturnal mammal	5	Medium	General Knowledge
15D	22. Ashtabula's lake	4	Medium	General Knowledge
16D	24. W. C. Fields comedy?	11	Expert	General Knowledge
17D	25. Blunder	5	Easy	General Knowledge
18D	26. Habituate or accrue	5	Medium	General Knowledge
19D	27. Act of eating one's words	10	Hard	General Knowledge
20D	29. Mother-of-pearl	5	Easy	General Knowledge
21D	30. Slammin' Sammy	5	Medium	General Knowledge
22D	33. Guided	3	Easy	Short Answer
23D	39. Support	4	Easy	General Knowledge
24D	40. Hero's lover	7	Medium	General Knowledge
25D	41. SW Asian state	7	Medium	Geography
26D	42. Memento	5	Easy	General Knowledge
27D	45. Partially burned pipe tobacco	6	Hard	General Knowledge
28D	47. Embedded	6	Medium	General Knowledge
29D	50. Lavish party	4	Medium	General Knowledge
30D	51. Hebrew prophet	4	Medium	General Knowledge
31D	53. Prong of a pitchfork	4	Medium	General Knowledge
32D	54. "Thousand days" queen	4	Medium	General Knowledge
33D	55. Hoople's exclamation	4	Medium	General Knowledge
34D	58. Noted painter of birds	3	Medium	Short Answer
35D	59. "I Hadn't Anyone ___ You," 1938 song	3	Medium	Music

Down Clues - Comprehensive Solutions and Tips

1D: "1. Brewery yeast" (4 letters)

• Think of something that a commercial leavening agent containing yeast cells; used to raise the dough in making bread and for fermenting beer or whiskey
• Similar words include: yeast
• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: BARM

2D: "2. Airplane's ___ strut" (4 letters)

• Think of something that a spread made chiefly from vegetable oils and used as a substitute for butter
• Similar words include: margarine, oleomargarine, margarin
• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: OLEO

3D: "3. Monodies" (4 letters)

• Think of something that a lyric poem with complex stanza forms
• Similar words include: ode
• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: ODES

4D: "4. Miniature domestic fowl" (6 letters)

• Think of something that any of various small breeds of fowl
• Similar words include: flyspeck, midget, diminutive
• Pattern: ______
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: BANTAM

5D: "5. Occurrence" (7 letters)

• Think of something that a happening that is distinctive in a series of related events
• Similar words include: instalment, installment, sequence
• Pattern: _______
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: EPISODE

6D: "6. Magicians, often" (11 letters)

• Pattern: ___________
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: DISTRACTERS

7D: "7. Posed" (3 letters)

• Think of something that the seventh and last day of the week; observed as the sabbath by jews and some christians
• Similar words include: Saturday, sit around, pose
• Opposite of: arise, stand
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: SAT

8D: "8. Direction or suffix" (3 letters)

• Think of something that the compass point midway between northeast and east
• Similar words include: east northeast
• Pattern: ___
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: ENE

9D: "9. Tabard guests" (7 letters)

• Think of something that a tenant in someone's house
• Similar words include: boarder, lodger, roomer
• Pattern: _______
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: LODGERS

10D: "10. Under the weather" (6 letters)

• Think of something that be ill or unwell
• Similar words include: unwell, under the weather, poorly
• Pattern: ______
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: AILING

11D: "11. "Top secret" designation" (10 letters)

• Think of something that a short ad in a newspaper or magazine (usually in small print) and appearing along with other ads of the same type
• Similar words include: classified advertisement, assort, classify
• Opposite of: unclassified, declassify
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: CLASSIFIED

12D: "12. Interlock" (4 letters)

• Think of something that the number of openings per linear inch of a screen; measures size of particles
• Similar words include: meshwork, operate, interlock
• Opposite of: disengage
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: MESH

13D: "13. "¿Cómo ___ usted?"" (4 letters)

• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: ESTA

14D: "18. Nocturnal mammal" (5 letters)

• Think of something that large-eyed arboreal prosimian having foxy faces and long furry tails
• Pattern: _____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: LEMUR

15D: "22. Ashtabula's lake" (4 letters)

• Think of something that a member of an iroquoian people formerly living on the south shore of lake erie in northern ohio and northwest pennsylvania and western new york
• Similar words include: Lake Erie
• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: ERIE

16D: "24. W. C. Fields comedy?" (11 letters)

• Pattern: ___________
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: TOURDEFARCE

17D: "25. Blunder" (5 letters)

• Think of something that an embarrassing mistake
• Similar words include: foul-up, flub, pratfall
• Pattern: _____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: BONER

18D: "26. Habituate or accrue" (5 letters)

• Pattern: _____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: ENURE

19D: "27. Act of eating one's words" (10 letters)

• Think of something that a disavowal or taking back of a previous assertion
• Similar words include: abjuration, recantation
• Pattern: __________
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: RETRACTION

20D: "29. Mother-of-pearl" (5 letters)

• Think of something that the iridescent internal layer of a mollusk shell
• Similar words include: mother-of-pearl
• Pattern: _____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: NACRE

21D: "30. Slammin' Sammy" (5 letters)

• Think of something that united states golfer known for the graceful arc of his swing (1912-2002)
• Similar words include: Samuel Jackson Snead, Sam Snead
• Pattern: _____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: SNEAD

22D: "33. Guided" (3 letters)

• Think of something that diode such that light emitted at a p-n junction is proportional to the bias current; color depends on the material used
• Similar words include: light-emitting diode, moderate, head
• Opposite of: follow
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: LED

23D: "39. Support" (4 letters)

• Think of something that a place within a region identified relative to a center or reference location
• Similar words include: English, side of meat, face
• Opposite of: top
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: SIDE

24D: "40. Hero's lover" (7 letters)

• Think of something that (greek mythology) a youth beloved of hero who drowned in a storm in the hellespont on one of his nightly visits to see her
• Pattern: _______
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: LEANDER

25D: "41. SW Asian state" (7 letters)

• Think of something that the domain controlled by an emir
• Pattern: _______
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: EMIRATE

26D: "42. Memento" (5 letters)

• Think of something that an antiquity that has survived from the distant past
• Similar words include: keepsake, token, souvenir
• Pattern: _____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: RELIC

27D: "45. Partially burned pipe tobacco" (6 letters)

• Think of something that the residue of partially burnt tobacco left caked in the bowl of a pipe after smoking
• Pattern: ______
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: DOTTLE

28D: "47. Embedded" (6 letters)

• Think of something that inhabit a nest, usually after building
• Similar words include: draw close, cuddle, nest
• Pattern: ______
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: NESTED

29D: "50. Lavish party" (4 letters)

• Think of something that an elaborate party (often outdoors)
• Similar words include: fiesta, festival, celebrate
• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: FETE

30D: "51. Hebrew prophet" (4 letters)

• Think of something that a hebrew shepherd and minor prophet
• Similar words include: Book of Amos
• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: AMOS

31D: "53. Prong of a pitchfork" (4 letters)

• Think of something that prong on a fork or pitchfork or antler
• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: TINE

32D: "54. "Thousand days" queen" (4 letters)

• Think of something that queen of england and scotland and ireland; daughter if james ii and the last of the stuart monarchs; in 1707 she was the last english ruler to exercise the royal veto over parliament (1665-1714)
• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: ANNE

33D: "55. Hoople's exclamation" (4 letters)

• Pattern: ____
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: EGAD

34D: "58. Noted painter of birds" (3 letters)

• Pattern: ___
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: EDE

35D: "59. "I Hadn't Anyone ___ You," 1938 song" (3 letters)

• Pattern: ___
• Click to reveal answer

  Answer: TIL

Category Breakdown

Category	Number of Clues	Percentage
General Knowledge	58	80.6%
Short Answer	11	15.3%
Music	2	2.8%
Geography	1	1.4%

Complete Puzzle Statistics

Metric	Value
Across Clues	37
Down Clues	35
Total Clues	72
Average Answer Length	5.2 letters
Shortest Answer	3 letters
Longest Answer	11 letters

Pro Solving Tips for Friday Puzzles

• Start with the shortest clues - they often have fewer possible answers
• Look for fill-in-the-blank clues, which are typically easier
• Check crossing letters to confirm your answers
• Friday puzzles typically have a difficulty level of Moderate
• Pay attention to clue categories - General Knowledge appears most frequently today
• Use the word length as a guide - today's average is 5.2 letters

Disclaimer: Crossword clues are property of The New York Times. This educational content is designed to help puzzle enthusiasts improve their solving skills.

Last Updated: August 24, 2025 at 07:31 AM