NYT Crossword Cute Clues in 2002

Crossword Cute Clues -- 2002

Here are the New York Times Cute Clues I liked in the year 2002. What you see below is what the answer might look like with only one or a few letters filled in, just as it might be if you were working a puzzle.

To enjoy the table below best, resist the temptation to click the answer cell right away. Instead, wait till you've played with the clue for a while. To appreciate the answers and their clues from a different perspective, imagine that as the constructor you have a particular answer filled into the grid and you need a clue for it. If you don't understand why a particular answer makes sense, .

Title holder?	S _ I N _	Date: 01-02-2002 Constructor: Sarah Keller
Wedge in a bottleneck	_ I M _	Date: 01-?-2002 Constructor: Unknown
Scales up?	_ I _ R A	Date: 01-10-2002 Constructor: Alex Vaughn
Detached ends?	_ E E S	Date: 01-10-2002 Constructor: Alex Vaughn
Off-the-wall pastime?	H _ N D _ _ _ L	Date: 01-10-2002 Constructor: Alex Vaughn
Not good at losing	O _ E _ E	Date: 01-11-2002 Constructor: Mark Diehl
Music box?	_ D C _ _ E	Date: 01-11-2002 Constructor: Mark Diehl
Success in the offing?	H _ T	Date: 01-12-2002 Constructor: Brendan Emmet Quigley
Provide an address	_ _ A T E	Date: 01-13-2002 Constructor: Nelson Hardy
Row in a shell?	_ _ A S	Date: 01-18-2002 Constructor: Manny Nosowsky
Piece activists?	_ R A	Date: 01-24-2002 Constructor: Brendan Emmett Quigley
Beetle driver?	S _ T _ N O R K _ L	Date: 01-26-2002 Constructor: Mark Diehl
Butts into	_ E A _ E N _ S	Date: 01-27-2002 Constructor: Patrick Berry
What makes a bloom blossom?	_ S S _ S	Date: 01-27-2002 Constructor: Brendan Emmett Quigley Terrific.
Harry the hubby	H E _ _ E C _	Date: 02-15-2002 Constructor: Sherry O. Blackard
Point of no return?	E _ T	Date: 02-26-2002 Constructor: Peter Gordon
Neigh-sayer	H O _ _ E	Date: 02-28-2002 Constructor: Greg Staples
Shoe store?	_ _ S T P L A C _	Date: 03-01-2002 Constructor: Manny Nosowsky
Top of the military?	_ E R _ T	Date: 03-07-2002 Constructor: Elizabeth C. Gorski
Has a flat	_ E _ T S	Date: 03-10-2002 Constructor: Nelson Hardy
Person at home	_ M _	Date: 03-10-2002 Constructor: Nelson Hardy
Made young?	_ A T H E _ _ D	Date: 03-10-2002 Constructor: Nelson Hardy
Not stick to the script?	P _ _ N T	Date: 03-14-2002 Constructor: Alan Arbesfeld
Band instrument?	_ _ T C H	Date: 03-17-2002 Constructor: David J. Kahn
Chamber quartet?	_ A L _ S	Date: 03-24-2002 Constructor: Con Pederson
Hula hoop	L _ I	Date: 03-27-2002 Constructor: Sarah Keller
Thinking person's conclusion?	I _ M	Date: 03-29-2002 Constructor: Kevin Hagen
They're given money to waste	H _ T _ E _	Date: 03-31-2002 Constructor: Lynn Lempel
Chow checker	_ E T	Date: 04-06-2002 Constructor: Brendan Emmett Quigley
Chow checker	_ E A S _	Date: 04-06-2002 Constructor: Brendan Emmett Quigley
Almost scores	_ I _ E T E E _ S	Date: 04-06-2002 Constructor: Brendan Emmett Quigley
Support group?	_ R _ S	Date: 04-07-2002 Constructor: Nancy Salomon
Crossword worker	E S _ E	Date: 04-10-2002 Constructor: Gregory Casagrande This answer appears in crosswords way out of proportion to how often it appears everywhere else put together.
Ones who have issues over issues	E _ _ S	Date: 04-12-2002 Constructor: Manny Nosowsky
Office staffs?	M _ C _ S	Date: 04-14-2002 Constructor: David J. Kahn
Suit material?	T O _ _	Date: 04-29 -2002 Constructor: Elizabeth C. Gorski
Words that leave one in a bind?	_ D O	Date: 04-29 -2002 Constructor: Elizabeth C. Gorski
Ex-lax?	T _ _ T	Date: 04-30-2002 Constructor: John F. Hughes
Put the end first?	_ O _ N	Date: 05-01-2002 Constructor: Steve Jones
They may get quarters downtown	A _ C _ D _ S	Date: ?-2002 Constructor: Dave and Diane Epperson
Retiring groups?	P I T C _ _ _ S	Date: 05-11-2002 Constructor: Mark Diehl
Places of passing interest?	L _ F _ L _ _ E S	Date: 05-17-2002 Constructor: Joe DiPietro
Shot blocker	L _ _ S C _ P	Date: 06-07-2002 Constructor: Manny Nosowsky
Pocket protector?	_ A _ S _ P _ A L	Date: 06-15-2002 Constructor: Trip Payne
One that's ill-prepared?	C _ R _ E	Date: 06-15-2002 Constructor: Trip Payne
Sight-see?	A _ M	Date: 06-20-2002 Constructor: Steve Jones
Manners?	C _ _ W	Date: 06-21-2002 Constructor: Bob Peoples
Side dishes?	_ E _ T W O _ E N	Date: 06-30-2002 Constructor: Joe DiPietro
Sewer line?	T _ R E _ D	Date: 07-09-2002 Constructor: Robert Malinow
Company name tag?	I N _	Date: 07-26-2002 Constructor: Manny Nosowsky
They go back and forth to work	_ _ W S	Date: 08-15-2002 Constructor: Manny Nosowsky
Grace period?	_ M E _	Date: 08-25-2002 Constructor: Randolph Ross
Supporters of the arts	_ A S E _ S	Date: 08-25-2002 Constructor: Randolph Ross
One might go for a spin in it	T _ T _	Date: 08-31-2002 Constructor: Trip Payne
Bookmaker's odds?	R E C _ _ S	Date: 09-01-2002 Constructor: Patrick Berry
Got in on the deal?	A _ _ E D	Date: 09-06-2002 Constructor: Manny Nosowsky
Low-cost oil venue?	_ R _ S _ L _	Date: 09-06-2002 Constructor: Manny Nosowsky
Bred winners?	_ I R E D	Date: 09-08-2002 Constructor: Rich Norris
Wild West outlaw's comeuppance	_ O _ S E	Date: 09-08-2002 Constructor: Rich Norris Excellent.
Right of passage	_ A S E _ E N _	Date: 09-14-2002 Constructor: Bruce L. Bliven
Mudder's fodder	H A _	Date: 09-15-2002 Constructor: Fred Piscop Also excellent.
Almost never?	O _ C _	Date: 09-26-2002 Constructor: Manny Nosowsky
Its appeal is in creasing	_ R I _ A M _	Date: 09-27-2002 Constructor: Michael Shteyman
Running mates?	E _ O _ _ R S	Date: 09-27-2002 Constructor: Michael Shteyman
Give bad marks	D E F A _ _	Date: 09-29-2002 Constructor: Randolph Ross
Overnight letter?	_ N _	Date: 10-05-2002 Constructor: Donald E. West
Present day?	_ M A _	Date: 10-09-2002 Constructor: Peter Gordon
Double-decker checker	K _ N _	Date: 10-16-2002 Constructor: Alan Arbesfeld
Screen writing?	_ M A I _	Date: 10-20-2002 Constructor: Harvey Estes and Nancy Salomon
Big top?	A _ _ O	Date: 10-27-2002 Constructor: Nancy Nicholson Joline
Inner ear?	C _ B	Date: 10-31-2002 Constructor: Dave and Diane Epperson
High and low?	A I _ _ I C _	Date: 11-02-2002 Constructor: Robert H. Wolfe
The pros say it	A _ E	Date: 11-03-2002 Constructor: Patrick Berry
They serve dictators	S T E _ _ S	Date: 11-03-2002 Constructor: Patrick Berry
Poor character analysis?	D _ L S _ _ I _	Date: 11-12-2002 Constructor: Adam Cohen
Come out of the blue?	C _ E E R _ _	Date: 11-15-2002 Constructor: Brendan Emmett Quigley
Far out	I _ A _ O M _	Date: 11-16-2002 Constructor: Leonard Williams
Be on the bottom	S I _	Date: 11-16-2002 Constructor: Leonard Williams
Coming out party?	P A _ _ L E _	Date: 11-22-2002 Constructor: Sherry O. Blackard
Hit man of the Year?	_ E S T O _ F E R	Date: 11-24-2002 Constructor: Nancy Salomon and Lee Glickstein And see here.
Beaver damn?	_ _ S H	Date: 11-29-2002 Constructor: Patrick Berry
Brief phrase	I _ R E	Date: 12-01-2002 Constructor: David J. Kahn
Smaller than small	M _ C _ O	Date: 12-01-2002 Constructor: David J. Kahn
Cats' dogs	_ A W S	Date: 12-08-2002 Constructor: Peter Gordon
Well-gotten gain?	O _ L	Date: 12-13-2002 Constructor: Bob Peoples
Chase vehicle, briefly?	_ N L	Date: 12-13-2002 Constructor: Bob Peoples
Follower of P in accounting and S in finance	_ N _ L	Date: 12-14-2002 Constructor: David J. Kahn

Crossword Cute Clues -- 2002