NY Times Crossword
December 3, 2015
Patrick Merrill (adapted)

Can you decipher the following "words," as they appeared in the crossword grid, and discover what they have in common?

DAXIGHT
RUNNINGIMPTY
LANDOIVFATHERS
LASIIRDS
CBVIIINGNEWS

HINT:
The "words" above could also be written like this:

DATE NIGHT
RUNNING ON EMPTY
LAND OF OUR FATHERS
LAST WORDS
CBS EVENING NEWS

Answers:

A Roman Numeral is used in each "word" to stand for the letters that spell out its name:

daTE Night
running ON Empty
land oF OUR fathers
lasT WOrds
cbS EVENing news