J u m p t o c o n t e n t
M a i n m e n u
M a i n m e n u
N a v i g a t i o n
● M a i n p a g e
● C o n t e n t s
● C u r r e n t e v e n t s
● R a n d o m a r t i c l e
● A b o u t W i k i p e d i a
● C o n t a c t u s
● D o n a t e
C o n t r i b u t e
● H e l p
● L e a r n t o e d i t
● C o m m u n i t y p o r t a l
● R e c e n t c h a n g e s
● U p l o a d f i l e
S e a r c h
Search
A p p e a r a n c e
● C r e a t e a c c o u n t
● L o g i n
P e r s o n a l t o o l s
● C r e a t e a c c o u n t
● L o g i n
P a g e s f o r l o g g e d o u t e d i t o r s l e a r n m o r e
● C o n t r i b u t i o n s
● T a l k
( T o p )
1
F r e q u e n t l y u s e d c r o s s w o r d e s e
T o g g l e F r e q u e n t l y u s e d c r o s s w o r d e s e s u b s e c t i o n
1 . 1
A r c h i t e c t u r e
1 . 2
B i b l i c a l r e f e r e n c e s
1 . 3
B r a n d a n d t r a d e n a m e s
1 . 4
C o m p u t e r s a n d t h e I n t e r n e t
1 . 5
C u r r e n c y a n d f i n a n c e
1 . 6
D i r e c t i o n s
1 . 7
F i c t i o n a l c h a r a c t e r s
1 . 8
F o o d a n d d r i n k
1 . 9
F o r e i g n w o r d s
1 . 1 0
G e n e r a l a d j e c t i v e s a n d a d v e r b s
1 . 1 1
G e o g r a p h y
1 . 1 2
I n t e r j e c t i o n s
1 . 1 3
J a r g o n a n d s l a n g
1 . 1 4
L a n g u a g e
1 . 1 4 . 1
L a n g u a g e s
1 . 1 5
L a t i n w o r d s a n d p h r a s e s
1 . 1 6
M a n m a d e i t e m s
1 . 1 7
M a t h e m a t i c s
1 . 1 8
N a m e s o f c o n t e m p o r a r y p e o p l e ( 2 0 t h a n d 2 1 s t c e n t u r i e s )
1 . 1 9
N a m e s o f h i s t o r i c a l p e o p l e
1 . 2 0
N a t u r e , r e f e r e n c e s t o
1 . 2 1
P o e t i c p h r a s e s a n d t e r m s
1 . 2 2
P r e f i x e s
1 . 2 3
S u f f i x e s
1 . 2 4
R e l i g i o u s h o l i d a y s , f e s t i v a l s , c e l e b r a t i o n s a n d o b s e r v a n c e s
1 . 2 5
R o m a n n u m e r a l s
1 . 2 6
S c i e n c e
1 . 2 7
S p o r t s a n d g a m i n g
1 . 2 8
T i t l e s o f b o o k s , p l a y s , m o v i e s , e t c .
1 . 2 9
T i t l e s u s e d b y r o y a l t y a n d t h e n o b i l i t y
1 . 3 0
T r a n s p o r t a t i o n
1 . 3 1
U . S . s t a t e s a n d C a n a d i a n p r o v i n c e s
1 . 3 2
W e a p o n r y a n d w a r f a r e
1 . 3 3
W o r l d W a r I I
2
R e f e r e n c e s
3
F u r t h e r r e a d i n g
T o g g l e t h e t a b l e o f c o n t e n t s
U s e r : A d a m H e l p s O u t / C r o s s w o r d e s e
A d d l a n g u a g e s
● U s e r p a g e
● T a l k
E n g l i s h
● R e a d
● E d i t
● V i e w h i s t o r y
T o o l s
T o o l s
A c t i o n s
● R e a d
● E d i t
● V i e w h i s t o r y
G e n e r a l
● W h a t l i n k s h e r e
● R e l a t e d c h a n g e s
● U s e r c o n t r i b u t i o n s
● U s e r l o g s
● V i e w u s e r g r o u p s
● U p l o a d f i l e
● S p e c i a l p a g e s
● P e r m a n e n t l i n k
● P a g e i n f o r m a t i o n
● G e t s h o r t e n e d U R L
● D o w n l o a d Q R c o d e
P r i n t / e x p o r t
● D o w n l o a d a s P D F
● P r i n t a b l e v e r s i o n
A p p e a r a n c e
F r o m W i k i p e d i a , t h e f r e e e n c y c l o p e d i a
Crosswordese is the group of words frequently found in US crossword puzzles but seldom found in everyday conversation. The words are usually short, three to five letters, with letter combinations which crossword constructors find useful in the creation of crossword puzzles, such as words that start and/or end with vowels , abbreviations consisting entirely of consonants , unusual combinations of letters, and words consisting almost entirely of frequently used letters . Such words are needed in almost every puzzle to some extent. Too much crosswordese in a crossword puzzle is frowned upon by cruciverbalists and crossword enthusiasts.
Knowing the language of "crosswordese" is helpful to constructors and solvers alike. According to Marc Romano, "to do well solving crosswords, you absolutely need to keep a running mental list of "crosswordese", the set of recurring words that constructors reach for whenever they are heading for trouble in a particular section of the grid."[1]
Frequently used crosswordese [ edit ]
When applicable, example clues will be denoted in square brackets and answers will be denoted in all caps, e.g. [Example clue] for ANSWER.
Portions of phrases are occasionally used as fill in the blank clues. For instance, "Et tu, Brute?" might appear in a puzzle's clue sheet as "_____, Brute?"
Architecture [ edit ]
Biblical references [ edit ]
Brand and trade names [ edit ]
Afta[3] and Atra – Gillette brand aftershave and safety razor, respectively
STP – a brand of motor oil additives; slogan "The Racer's Edge"
Computers and the Internet [ edit ]
LAN – local area network, a network of computers in a limited area.
Currency and finance [ edit ]
Directions [ edit ]
A 16-point compass rose showing the 16 standard compass directions.
Many puzzles ask for the direction from one city to another. These directions always fall between the standard octaval compass points—i.e., North (N – 0° or 360°), Northeast (NE – 45°), East (E – 90°), etc.
The directions asked for on clue sheets are usually approximations. Starting at north and going clockwise, the directions are:
NNE = North-northeast (22.5°)
ENE = East-northeast (67.5°)
ESE = East-southeast (112.5°)
SSE = South-southeast (157.5°)
SSW = South-southwest (202.5°)
WSW = West-southwest (247.5°)
WNW = West-northwest (292.5°)
NNW = North-northwest (337.5°)
Fictional characters [ edit ]
Food and drink [ edit ]
Foreign words [ edit ]
Ano – more properly año (the tilde is usually ignored), Spanish for "year"[4]
Erse – Scottish Gaelic
Été – summer in French[5]
Frau – German for "woman", "wife" or "Mrs. "
Herr – German for "Mister (Mr.)"
Mme – abbreviation of the French honorific "Madame "[5]
Mann – German for "man" or "husband"
Sra. – abbreviation for señora (Spanish)[4]
Srta. – abbreviation for señorita (Spanish)[4]
Tío and Tía – Spanish for "uncle" and "aunt", respectively
General adjectives and adverbs [ edit ]
Geography [ edit ]
Aare – Swiss river (also Aar)
Adak – Island in the western extent of the Aleutian chain
Agra – Ancient city in India best known as the location of the Taj Mahal [6]
Aire – River in Yorkshire
Aisne – French river
Altai – Mountain range in Central and East Asia
Ames – Iowa university town
Amur – River in northeastern Asia
Apia – Capital of Samoa
Aral – Shrinking sea of Asia
Aran – Islands of Ireland
Asti – Italian wine region
Atri – Italian bell town
Attu – westernmost island in the Aleutian chain
Belém – Brazilian city
Caen – Normandy city
Cebu – Philippine island
Ebro – Spanish river
Ede – Dutch city
Eder – German river
Edo – Former name of Tokyo
Eger – German river also called Ohře
Elba – Island of Napoleon's exile
Elbe – German river
Ely – English cathedral town
Enid – City in Oklahoma
Enna – Sicilian city
Etna – Sicilian volcano
Goa – Indian state and former Portuguese colony
Herat – Afghanistan city
Horeb – Biblical mountain
Ida – Mountain on Crete
Iola – Kansas town
Iona – Scottish isle
Ionia – Asia minor region
Isère – French river
Lae – New Guinea port and Ka Lae , a place in Hawaii
Leyte – Philippine island
Lodi – Town in New Jersey or California
Lys – French/Belgian river
Naha – Okinawa port
Neva – Leningrad's river
Oder – German-Polish border river
Oise – River of France
Oka – Russian river
Oran – Algerian port and setting of Albert Camus's novel The Plague
Oder – German-Polish border river
Orel – Russian city
Orne – French department or river
Orono – Maine university town
Ossa – Greek mountain
Ostia – Ancient port of Rome
Ouse – River in Yorkshire
Pelée – Martinique volcano
Riga – Capital of Latvia
Sanaa – Capital of Yemen (also Sana)
Siena – City of Tuscany
Simi – Valley in California
St. Lô – Normandy town
Suva – Capital of Fiji
Ulan – ___ Bator, old name of Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar
Ural – a river and mountain range in Russia [7]
Yalu – Korean river
Yser – Belgian river
Ait – Small river island
Arete – Thin ridge of rock that is formed by glaciers
Ria – Narrow inlet
Serac – Glacial ridge
Tarn – Mountain lake
Tor – Rock outcrop formed by weathering
Interjections [ edit ]
Ahem – used to represent the noise made when clearing the throat
Damn – used to express anger or frustration
Haha – used to represent laughter
Hmm – used to express uncertainty
Jeez – used to show surprise or annoyance
Phew – used to express relief
Psst – used to attract someone's attention
Whoa – used to express surprise
Yea – used as an affirmative response
Jargon and slang [ edit ]
Alee – in seaman's language, toward the side opposite the wind[3]
Language [ edit ]
Because of crossword rules that restrict the usage of two-letter words, only entries of three or more letters have been listed.
A
B
C
D
E
F
G
H
I
J
K
L
M
Singular
aye
bee
cee
dee
n/a
eff
gee
aitch
n/a
jay
kay
ell
n/a
Plural
ayes
bees
cees
dees
n/a
efs/effs
gees
aitches
n/a
jays
kays
els/ells
ems
N
O
P
Q
R
S
T
U
V
W
X
Y
Z
Singular
n/a
n/a
pee
cue
n/a
ess
tee
n/a
vee
double-u
n/a
wye
zee/zed
Plural
ens
ohs
pees
cues
ars[8]
esses
tees
n/a
vees
double-us
exs/exes/xes
wyes
zees/zeds
Often these letters are clued as puns, e.g. the clue [Puzzle center?] for ZEES, referring to the two Zs in the center of the word "puzz le".
The "zed" spelling of Z is often indicated by a reference to a Commonwealth country, where that is the standard pronunciation (e.g. [British puzzle center?] for ZEDS).
Languages [ edit ]
Latin words and phrases [ edit ]
Manmade items [ edit ]
Mathematics [ edit ]
Names of contemporary people (20th and 21st centuries) [ edit ]
(Note: The popularity of certain names used in crosswordese may wane with the passing of time. For instance, "Ito" – as in Robert Ito , a Canadian-born actor of Japanese descent who was a regular on Quincy, M.E. from 1976 to 1983—continued to be a popular crosswordese reference throughout most of the 1980s. Yet, although he has remained active professionally, and the name got reexposed in the 1990s due to judge Lance Ito 's presiding over the O. J. Simpson murder case , the appearance of the name in today's crosswords is a rare occurrence.)
Agee – as James Agee , an American novelist
Arlo – as in Arlo Guthrie , an American folk singer
Eero – as in Eero Saarinen , a Finnish-American architect
Elia – as in Elia Kazan , a Greek-born American film and theater director
Eno – as in Brian Eno , an English musician and record producer[3]
Enya – an Irish New Age singer
Erle – as in Erle Stanley Gardner , an American lawyer, author of detective stories, creator of Perry Mason [9] [10]
Erté – a Russian-born French graphics and costume designer[9]
Esai – as in Esai Morales , an American actor of Puerto Rican descent[9] [11]
Inge – as in William Inge , an author
Isao – as in Isao Aoki , a Japanese professional golfer[12]
Ono – as in Yoko Ono , a Japanese singer, songwriter, and artist
Ott – as in Mel Ott , a baseball player[9] [13]
Uta – as in Uta Hagen , an American actress born in Germany[14]
Uri – as in Uri Geller , an Israeli magician[9]
Yma – as in Yma Sumac , a Peruvian singer[9]
Yoko – also as in Yoko Ono
Names of historical people [ edit ]
Nature, references to [ edit ]
Poetic phrases and terms [ edit ]
E'en – contraction of "even"
Erin – poetic name for Ireland
O'er – contraction of "over"
Prefixes [ edit ]
Aero- – relating to flight and air
Pyro- – relating to fire and heat
Suffixes [ edit ]
-ase – a suffix used to form the names of enzymes
-ism – indicating a belief or principle
-ist – indicating an adherent to a belief or principle
-ite – a suffix with several meanings, including a faithful follower of a certain person, a mineral, and a native of a certain place
-ose – a suffix in chemistry indicating sugar
-ule – a suffix meaning small
Religious holidays, festivals, celebrations and observances [ edit ]
Eid – Arabic for "festival"; part of the names of several Islamic festivals
Hajj – the pilgrimage every faithful Muslim is obliged to perform; one of the Five Pillars of Islam
Purim – the festival celebrating the deliverance of the Jewish people from a plot to annihilate them, as told in the Book of Esther
Tết or Tết Nguyên Đán – the Vietnamese new year, Lunar new year
Roman numerals [ edit ]
Many puzzles ask for Roman numerals either as answers or as portions of answers. For instance:
a puzzle might ask for the solution of 1916 − 1662 as "MCMXVI minus MDCLXII ." The answer (254) would be written as CCLIV .
LEOIV is the answer to a clue about Pope Leo IV .
a puzzle might ask which Super Bowl was the first to be played in Tampa, Florida . The answer is XVIII .
Standard Roman numerals run from 1 to 3999, or I to MMMCMXCIX . The first ten Roman numerals are:
I
,
I
I
,
I
I
I
,
I
V
,
V
,
V
I
,
V
I
I
,
V
I
I
I
,
I
X
,
a
n
d
X
.
{\displaystyle \mathrm {I,\;II,\;III,\;IV,\;V,\;VI,\;VII,\;VIII,\;IX,and\;X.} }
For numerals representing values equal to or greater than 4000, a line is placed above the numeral. The following table shows the numerals used in crossword puzzles.
For those who are curious, the chart below shows numeral values up to 900,000.
×1
×2
×3
×4
×5
×6
×7
×8
×9
Ones
I
II
III
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
Tens
X
XX
XXX
XL
L
LX
LXX
LXXX
XC
Hundreds
C
CC
CCC
CD
D
DC
DCC
DCCC
CM
Thousands
M
MM
MMM
IV
V
VI
VII
VIII
IX
Ten thousands
X
XX
XXX
XL
L
LX
LXX
LXXX
XC
Hundred thousands
C
CC
CCC
CD
D
DC
DCC
DCCC
CM
Use of medieval Roman numerals (an informalized system that spanned most of the Latin alphabet) is almost unheard of.
Science [ edit ]
Ozone – a pale-blue, inorganic molecule
Xenon – a colourless noble gas with symbol 'Xe' and atomic-number '54'
Sports and gaming [ edit ]
Alai – as in jai alai , a game played in a court with a ball and a wickerwork racket
Ali – Muhammad Ali / born Cassius Clay
Ante – a forced bet in poker
Epee – a modern version of a duelling sword
Nicknames
RBI – a baseball term meaning "run batted in"; plural is RBIs[17]
TKO – a boxing term meaning "technical knockout"; plural is "TKOs"
Three-letter scoreboard abbreviations of major league teams
ATL – Atlanta Braves , Falcons , Hawks and Thrashers
ARZ – Arizona (Phoenix ) Cardinals and Diamondbacks (also ARI )
BAL – Baltimore Orioles and Ravens (also, formerly, Colts )
BOS – Boston Bruins , Celtics and Red Sox
BUF – Buffalo Bills and Sabres
CAL – Calgary Flames and Stampeders (also, more commonly, CGY ) (also, formerly, the California Angels )
CAR – Carolina Hurricanes (located in Raleigh ) and Panthers (located in Charlotte )
CBS – Columbus Blue Jackets (also CBJ , CLB and CLS )
CHA – Charlotte Bobcats (also, formerly, Hornets )
CHC – Chicago Cubs
CHI – Chicago Bears , Blackhawks , and Bulls
CIN – Cincinnati Bengals and Reds
COL – Colorado (Denver ) Avalanche and Rockies
CLE – Cleveland Browns , Cavaliers and Indians
CWS – Chicago White Sox
DAL – Dallas Cowboys , Mavericks (Mavs) and Stars
DEN – Denver Broncos and Nuggets
DET – Detroit Lions , Pistons , Red Wings and Tigers
EDM – Edmonton Eskimos and Oilers
FLA – Florida (Miami ) Marlins and Panthers
HOU – Houston Astros , Rockets and Texans (also, formerly, Oilers )
IND – Indianapolis Colts and Indiana Pacers
JAX – Jacksonville Jaguars
LAA – Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim
LAC – Los Angeles Clippers
LAD – Los Angeles Dodgers
LAL – Los Angeles Lakers
MEM – Memphis Grizzlies
MIA – Miami Dolphins and Heat
MIL – Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks
MIN – Minnesota (Minneapolis –St. Paul ) Timberwolves , Twins , Vikings and Wild
MTL – Montreal Alouettes and Canadiens (also, formerly, Expos )
NAS – Nashville Predators
NYG – New York Giants
NYI – New York Islanders
NYJ – New York Jets
NYM – New York Mets
NYR – New York Rangers
NYY – New York Yankees
OAK – Oakland Athletics (A's) and formerly Raiders
OKC – Oklahoma City Thunder
ORL – Orlando Magic
PHO – Phoenix Coyotes
PHL – Philadelphia Eagles , Flyers , Phillies and 76ers
PIT – Pittsburgh Penguins , Pirates and Steelers
POR – Portland Trail Blazers
PHX – Phoenix Suns
SAC – Sacramento Kings
SEA – Seattle Mariners and Seahawks
STL – St. Louis Blues , Cardinals
TEX – Texas (Arlington –Dallas –Fort Worth ) Rangers
TOR – Toronto Argonauts , Blue Jays , Maple Leafs and Raptors
UTA – Utah (Salt Lake City ) Jazz
WAS – Washington, D.C. Capitals , Nationals , Redskins and Wizards
Titles of books, plays, movies, etc. [ edit ]
Titles used by royalty and the nobility [ edit ]
Aga – a Turkish honorific for a high-level government official; occasionally spelled "agha ."
Bey – the governor of a district or province in the Ottoman Empire
Emir – a title given to princes and/or sheikhs who rule certain Arab countries; may also be spelled amir, aamir or ameer
Transportation [ edit ]
U.S. states and Canadian provinces [ edit ]
Postal abbreviations: Since the late 1970s, the post offices in the United States and Canada have used computerized letter sorting. This prompted the creation of the two-capital-letter abbreviations used today for all states and most provinces (i.e., "MN" for Minnesota and "PQ" for Quebec ). Previously, when mail was sorted by hand, many states and provinces had abbreviations of three to five letters. Many of these longer abbreviations are now part of crosswordese. (Notes: (1 ) Except for Texas, states with four- or five-letter names were generally spelled out. (2 ) Other states and provinces not shown below had the same two-letter abbreviations that are still used today.)
Weaponry and warfare [ edit ]
Inee – A type of arrow poison
Snee – a dagger or knife
World War II [ edit ]
Anzio – American invasion point into mainland Italy
Towns
ETO – European Theater of Operations[20]
Iwo Jima
References [ edit ]
^ a b c d e f "How Well Do You Know Your 'Crosswordese?' " . The New York Times . 28 November 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
^ a b c Amlen, Deb (15 February 2018). "10 Spanish Words That Will Raise Your Crossword Game" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
^ a b Ezersky, Sam (30 May 2018). "15 French Words That Will Raise Your Crossword Game" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
^ Ezersky, Sam (13 November 2019). "The Crossword Travel Guide: 10 Cities You Should Know" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
^ Amlen, Deb; Ezersky, Sam (12 July 2017). "12 European Rivers That Will Help You Raise Your Crossword Game" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
^ Amlen, Deb (22 April 2019). "What the Heck Is That?: Ars" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
^ a b c d e f Cite error: The named reference Slate2012
was invoked but never defined (see the help page ).
^ Ezersky, Sam (21 November 2018). "The Crossword Library: 11 Authors You Should Know" . The New York Times .
^ Ezersky, Sam (7 August 2019). "The Griddy Awards, Part 2: 10 Male Actors You Should Know" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
^ Amlen, Deb (7 April 2020). "Who the Heck Is That?: Isao" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
^ Amlen, Deb (19 April 2017). "10 Sports Names That Will Help You Become a Better Crossword Solver" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
^ Ezersky, Sam (8 May 2019). "The Griddy Awards, Part 1: 10 Female Actors You Should Know" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
^ Ezersky, Sam (2 March 2018). "These Words Are for the Birds: A Crossword Aviary" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
^ Ezersky, Sam (12 April 2018). "The Crossword Zoo: 10 Animals You Should Know" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
^ "10 Baseball Terms That Will Help You Become a Better Crossword Solver" . The New York Times . 1 April 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
^ Amlen, Deb (7 May 2018). "What the Heck Is That?: OED" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
^ Ezersky, Sam (19 September 2018). "The Crossword Garage: 8 Car Makes and Models You Should Know" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
^ "XWord Info -- Finder" . www.xwordinfo.com . Retrieved 2020-09-27 .
Further reading [ edit ]
Amlen, Deb; Ezersky, Sam (19 July 2017). "8 Opera Terms That Will Raise Your Crossword-Solving Game" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
Ezersky, Sam (26 December 2017). "10 Greek Mythological Characters to Help You Raise Your Crossword Game" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
Ezersky, Sam (18 July 2018). "The Crossword Garden, Part One: 10 Plants You Should Know" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
Ezersky, Sam (15 August 2018). "The Crossword Garden, Part Two: 8 Fruits and Vegetables You Should Know" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
Ezersky, Sam (6 February 2019). "The Crossword Symphony: 12 Musical Terms And Solving Tips" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 .
R e t r i e v e d f r o m " https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=User:AdamHelpsOut/Crosswordese&oldid=980663105 "
H i d d e n c a t e g o r y :
● U s e r p a g e s w i t h r e f e r e n c e e r r o r s
● T h i s p a g e w a s l a s t e d i t e d o n 2 7 S e p t e m b e r 2 0 2 0 , a t 1 9 : 1 5 ( U T C ) .
● T e x t i s a v a i l a b l e u n d e r t h e C r e a t i v e C o m m o n s A t t r i b u t i o n - S h a r e A l i k e L i c e n s e 4 . 0 ;
a d d i t i o n a l t e r m s m a y a p p l y . B y u s i n g t h i s s i t e , y o u a g r e e t o t h e T e r m s o f U s e a n d P r i v a c y P o l i c y . W i k i p e d i a ® i s a r e g i s t e r e d t r a d e m a r k o f t h e W i k i m e d i a F o u n d a t i o n , I n c . , a n o n - p r o f i t o r g a n i z a t i o n .
● P r i v a c y p o l i c y
● A b o u t W i k i p e d i a
● D i s c l a i m e r s
● C o n t a c t W i k i p e d i a
● C o d e o f C o n d u c t
● D e v e l o p e r s
● S t a t i s t i c s
● C o o k i e s t a t e m e n t
● M o b i l e v i e w