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Crosswordese is the group of words frequently found in US 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 or end with (or both), abbreviations consisting entirely of , unusual combinations of letters, and words consisting almost entirely of . Such words are needed in almost every puzzle to some extent. Too much crosswordese in a crossword puzzle is frowned upon by crossword-makers 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".

(2025). 9780767917582, Broadway Books.

The popularity of individual words and names of crosswordese, and the way they are clued, changes over time. For instance, ITO was occasionally clued in the 1980s and 1990s in reference to dancer Michio Itō and actor , then boomed in the late 1990s and 2000s when judge was a household name, and has since fallen somewhat, and when it appears today, the clue typically references figure skater or uses the partial phrase "I to" (as in "How).

List of crosswordese
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
  • – semicircular church recess
  • – type of extension to a building; a measure for cloth
  • and – referring to ancient architecture most readily identifiable by the style of support columns
  • – the middle section of a church
  • – S-shaped curve often seen in Gothic arches
  • – covered walkway of ancient Greece

Biblical references
  • CAIN and ABEL – sons of Adam and Eve in Genesis 4:1–16
  • ENOS – first-born son of
  • – older twin son of
  • EDEN – biblical paradise described in Genesis 2–3 and Ezekiel 28

Brand and trade names
  • AFTA – aftershave brand
  • ATRA – Gillette safety razor brand
  • OXO – kitchen utensil brand
  • STP – motor oil additive brand
  • – snack item known as "Milk's favorite cookie". In the era, to avoid brand names in the puzzle, it was invariably clued as Mountain:.

Computers and the Internet
  • – local area network, network of computers in a limited area
  • – the standard language for documents designed to be displayed in a web browser

Currency and business
  • – official currency of Albania
  • – official currency of Bulgaria
  • (plural LIRE) – official currency of Turkey; former currency of Italy
  • – Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries
  • – official currency of many countries, including Mexico

Directions
Many puzzles ask for the direction from one place 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
  • ASTA – dog of Nick and Nora Charles in The Thin Man movies
  • – protagonist of Melville's
  • ELSA – princess from the 2013 film Frozen. Also Elsa the lioness or Elsa von Brabant.
  • ENOLA – Enola Holmes from the mystery series of the same name
  • – treelike species in
  • ESMÉ – title character of J. D. Salinger's short story "For Esmé—with Love and Squalor"
  • – furry species in the universe
  • IAGO – , villain of Shakespeare's ; or Iago, parrot in Disney's Aladdin
  • ISOLDE – medieval character depicted in 's Tristan und Isolde
  • ILSA – , 's character in Casablanca
  • – dog in the comic strip
  • – 's character on The Andy Griffith Show
  • – goblinlike species in Middle-earth
  • SMEE – 's assistant in Peter Pan
  • TOTO – 's dog in The Wizard of Oz

Food and drink
  • – condiment similar to mayonnaise, usually with garlic
  • – alcoholic beverage made of heated , and a variety of flavorings such as lemon or lime juice, cinnamon and sugar
  • MAHI – (borrowed into Hindi–Urdu) for fish. More often refers to
  • – line of fruit-flavored soft drinks from the Royal Crown Company. Grape Nehi was the favorite drink of Radar O'Reilly on the TV series M*A*S*H
  • MSG – monosodium glutamate, flavor enhancer; also sometimes clued as an abbreviation for "message" or Madison Square Garden
  • OLEO – used as a synonym for
  • – scrap of leftover food
  • – Vietnamese soup
  • POI – mashed dish

Geography
Proper names
  • (or AAR) – tributary of the Rhine in Switzerland
  • – capital of Ghana
  • – westerly island of the chain
  • – ancient city of India that is the home of the
  • AMES – city of Iowa that is the home of Iowa State University
  • – capital of Samoa
  • – lake of Central Asia that has largely dried up by the 2010s
  • – city of southern France where painted
  • – river of Italy
  • – city of Italy known for its sparkling wines
  • – westernmost island of the Aleutian Islands chain
  • CAEN – World War II battle site in Normandy
  • – river of Spain
  • EDER – river of Germany
  • – river of Czechia and Germany
  • – Mediterranean island that was the site of 's first exile
  • ENID – city of Oklahoma
  • – one of the or its namesake city in Pennsylvania
  • – city of Germany
  • IWO – Iwo Jima, World War II battle site in Japan
  • – river of Russia
  • – city of Ukraine
  • OISE – river of France and Belgium
  • – city in southern California
  • – largest city of Nebraska
  • OREM – city near Provo, Utah
  • – capital of Norway
  • OUSE – river of Yorkshire, England
  • RENO – city of Nevada
  • – capital of Latvia
  • SOHO – neighborhood in London () or neighborhood in New York City (SoHo)
  • ST. LO – Saint-Lô, World War II battle site in Normandy
  • URAL – river and mountain range of Russia
  • – river of France and Belgium

General terms
  • ADIT - mine entrance
  • ARÊTE – thin ridge of rock that formed by glaciers
  • – high-elevation area of rock that stands out from its surroundings
  • TOR – rock outcrop formed by weathering

Interjections
  • – used to represent the noise made when clearing the throat
  • – used to express surprise (dated)
  • – used to represent laughter
  • – used to express uncertainty
  • – used to express relief
  • – used to attract someone's attention
  • – used to express surprise
  • (or WOWIE) – used to express astonishment
  • – used as an affirmative response

Jargon and slang
  • – in nautical language, toward the side opposite the wind
  • ARO – clipping of
  • – old slang for a de tective

Language
Because of crossword rules that restrict the usage of two-letter words, only entries of three or more letters have been listed.
Often these letters are clued as puns, e.g. the clue Puzzle for ZEES, referring to the two Zs in the center of the word "pu zzle".

The "zed" spelling of Z is often indicated by a reference to a Commonwealth country, where that is the standard pronunciation (e.g. British for ZEDS).

Greek letters often appear as well, such as ETA.

Manmade items
  • – pointed tool used for punching holes in leather
  • ETUI – small purse often used to hold sewing supplies
  • – decorative
  • OBI – sash worn with a
  • OLIO – miscellaneous mixture of elements, especially artistic works, musical pieces, writing, or food
  • – ceramic stew pot
  • – knife traditionally used by , , and women

Mathematics
  • – plural of , straight line from the centre of a circle to its

Music
  • – marking that means "play slowly"
  • – musical direction that means "for two"
  • A FLAT (or B FLAT, etc.)
  • (or , , etc.)
  • – musical direction that means "with the bow"
  • – solo in an
  • – musical direction that means "very"
  • – musical direction that means "resume (original) speed"
  • – tempo marking that means "play slowly"
  • – musical direction that means "play smooth and connected"
  • – tempo marking that means "play very slowly"
  • – musical direction modifier that means "somewhat" (literally "a little")
  • RIT – abbreviation for ""
  • STAC – abbreviation for ""
  • – musical direction to rest

Names

Nature
  • – Amazonian palm fruit
  • AERIE – high nest of a bird of prey
  • – spiky succulent plant of the desert used to make
  • – succulent plant. Often refers to , a common cosmetic ingredient and sunburn-relieving gel
  • ANIL – plant used to make
  • – common tree
  • ASP – Egyptian snake
  • ASTER – flower whose name means "star"
  • – common seabird
  • AWN – bristle on some grasses
  • – type of snake
  • – type of pear
  • – kind of lily
  • EFT – juvenile phase of the
  • – kind of duck used for their
  • – African antelope
  • – large deer
  • – large flightless bird of Australia
  • (or ERN) – sea eagle
  • – another name for the wildebeest
  • – goat living in mountains
  • – wading bird that was venerated in ancient Egypt
  • IRIS – common flower
  • – kind of antelope
  • – extinct bird of New Zealand
  • NENE – goose endemic to Hawaii (and its state bird)
  • – tuber of South America
  • – relative of the giraffe
  • – pod vegetable used in
  • – another name for the killer whale
  • RHEA – large flightless bird of South America (sometimes refers to or the goddess Rhea)
  • – family of grassy marsh plants
  • – kind of lily (state flower of Utah)
  • – flower part that supports the petals
  • – fruit plant used to make a
  • – kind of duck
  • – root vegetable used in poi
  • – common seabird
  • TIT – common bird related to the
  • – disease-carrying insect of Africa ()
  • – Japanese herb
  • – Jamaican citrus fruit

Non-English words
  • À MOI and À TOI – (French) "mine" and "yours" respectively
  • AMI or AMIE – (French) "friend"
  • ANO (more properly AÑO; the tilde is usually ignored) – (Spanish) "year"
  • AVEC – (French) "with"
  • BESO – (Spanish) "kiss"
  • EAU (plural: EAUX) – (French) "water"
  • ERSE – ()
  • ESA and ESO – (Spanish) feminine and masculine pronouns
  • ESTA and ESTO – (Spanish) feminine and masculine pronouns
  • ET TU – "Et tu, Brute?", (Latin) the alleged last words spoken by after being stabbed by his friend Brutus
  • ÉTAT – (French) "state", as in "coup d'état"
  • ÉTÉ – (French) "summer"
  • ÊTRE – (French) "to be", as in ""
  • FRAU – (German) "woman", "wife" or "Mrs."
  • HERR – (German) "Mister (Mr.)"
  • HOC – , (Latin) meaning "pertaining to a specific problem"
  • ICI – (French) "here"
  • IRAE – "" (Latin) "Day of Wrath", medieval hymn used in the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass
  • ÎLE – (French) "island", as in "Île-de-France"
  • MÁS – (Spanish) "more"
  • MES – (French) "my"; Spanish for "month"
  • MLLE and MME – French abbreviations for "Mademoiselle" and "" respectively
  • ORO – (Spanish) "gold"
  • REATA – (Spanish) "lasso"
  • ROI – (French) "king"
  • SEL – (French) "salt"
  • SES – (French) possessive adjective, "it's".
  • SRA and SRTA – (Spanish) abbreviations for "señora" and "" respectively
  • STE – (French) abbreviation for "", as in Sault Ste. Marie
  • TES – (French) possessive
  • TÊTE – (French) "head", as in "tête-à-tête"
  • TÍA and TÍO – (Spanish) "aunt" and "uncle" respectively
  • UNE – (French) Feminine singular indefinite article. Equivalent to "a" or "an" in English.
  • VENI, VIDI, VICI – (Latin) phrase spoken by Julius Caesar meaning "I came, I saw, I conquered"

Poetic phrases and terms
  • – contraction of "even"
  • – poetic contraction of "ever"
  • – poetic synonym of "before"
  • – poetic name for Ireland
  • – contraction of "over"

Prefixes
  • – relating to flight and air
  • – relating to fire and heat

Suffixes
  • – a suffix used to form the names of
  • – indicating a belief or principle
  • – indicating an adherent to a belief or principle
  • – a suffix with several meanings, including a faithful follower of a certain person, a mineral, and a native of a certain place
  • – a suffix in chemistry indicating sugar or "full of"
  • – a suffix meaning small

Religion and mythology
  • AJAX – Greek hero (or Ajax, cleaning brand)
  • (also AMON-RA or AMEN-RA)
  • – Greek god of war, one of the
  • EID – or , Islamic holidays (literally Arabic for "festival")
  • EOS – Greek goddess of the dawn (or cameras)
  • – Greek muse of poetry
  • – Greek god of love
  • – the pilgrimage every faithful Muslim is obliged to perform; one of the Five Pillars of Islam. Sometimes spelled HADJ.
  • – Greek goddess, sister and wife of
  • LEDA – queen in Greek mythology, part of "Leda and the Swan"
  • – Greek figure who helped
  • – weeping Greek figure
  • NOEL –
  • ROC – giant bird of Middle Eastern mythology
  • – half-man, half-goat of Greek mythology
  • TET – Tết Nguyên Đán, the Vietnamese New Year

Roman numerals
Many puzzles ask for 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.
  • IIII, sometimes used on clocks as the number 4.
  • LEOIV is the answer to a clue about Pope Leo IV.
  • a puzzle might ask which 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:

\mathrm{I,\;II,\;III,\;IV,\;V,\;VI,\;VII,\;VIII,\;IX, and \;X.}
The following table shows the numerals used in crossword puzzles.

I1 (one)
V5 (five)
X10 (ten)
L50 (fifty)
C100 (one hundred)
D500 (five hundred)
M1,000 (one thousand)

Science
  • – a pale-blue, inorganic molecule
  • – a colourless with symbol 'Xe' and atomic-number '54'

Sports and gaming
  • ALAI – , game played in a court with a ball and a wickerwork racket
  • ALEAST, ALWEST, ALER – East/West and a baseball player in the AL ("AL'er")
  • – baseball batter's turn at the plate
  • ANTE – forced bet in poker
  • BAMA – University of Alabama Crimson Tide
  • ÉPÉE – modern sword
  • ERA – earned run average
  • ESPY – ; also sometimes clued as the verb "espy", meaning "catch a glimpse of"
  • NLEAST, NLWEST, NLER – National League East/West and a baseball player in the NL ("NL'er")
  • RBI (plural: RBIs) – run batted in
  • SAC – baseball clipping of "sacrifice", as in or
  • TKO – a boxing term meaning "technical knockout"; plural is "TKOs"

Team nicknames
  • BOSOX (or just SOX) – Boston Red Sox
  • BUCS – Tampa Bay Buccaneers
  • CAPS – Washington Capitals
  • CAVS – Cleveland Cavaliers or University of Virginia Cavaliers
  • HABS – Montreal Canadiens
  • JAGS – Jacksonville Jaguars
  • MAVS –
  • NATS – Washington Nationals
  • PATS – New England Patriots
  • VIKES – Minnesota Vikings
  • VOLS – University of Tennessee Volunteers

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abbreviations

Titles of books, plays, movies, etc.
  • – 1871 opera by set in ancient Egypt or the Elton John musical adaptation
  • "ERI TU" – aria from Verdi's Un ballo in maschera
  • OED – Oxford English Dictionary
  • – 1847 novel by
  • – 1887 opera by Verdi based on Shakespeare's
  • R.U.R. 1920 play by Karel Čapek that popularized the word ""
  • – 1900 opera by
  • – 1846 novel by Melville

Titles used by royalty and the nobility
  • (or AGHA) – Turkish honorific for a high-level government official
  • – the governor of a district or province in the
  • – a title given to princes and/or who rule certain countries; formerly, alternative spellings included AMIR, AMEER, and EMEER
  • – high Ottoman military rank
  • (or RAJAH) and RANI (or RANEE) – former Indian monarch and wife (often clued as a princess)
  • – South Asian honorific

Transportation
  • – last model
  • ALFA – short for , Italian carmaker
  • – German carmaker
  • – subcompact
  • BART – abbreviated name of the Bay Area Rapid Transit, the subway system that serves the San Francisco Bay Area
  • – Ford model that famously flopped
  • GEO – line of compact cars sold by dealers, based on cars manufactured by and
  • GTI – abbreviation of Injection, used on many sporty European and Japanese cars, most notably the Volkswagen Golf GTI
  • GTO – abbreviation of the Italian term Gran Turismo Omologato, most notably used on the
  • (or ) – racing organization or its namesake type of
  • IRT – abbreviated name of the Interborough Rapid Transit Company which used to operate a portion of the New York City subway system
  • – abbreviated name of the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority, the subway system that serves the Atlanta metropolitan area
  • – German carmaker
  • REO Motor Car Company – American carmaker founded by Ransom E. Olds; one of its models inspired the band name
  • – model

U.S. states and Canadian provinces
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 and "QC" for ). 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
  • ENOLA – , airplane that dropped the first atomic bomb
  • ETO – European Theater of Operations
  • – obsolete term for a dagger ("Snick's")

Miscellaneous crosswordese
  • – mission in San Antonio, Texas, where the Battle of the Alamo took place
  • ARA – of the Southern Hemisphere
  • – indigenous people of northern North America, especially what is now Canada
  • – pale color similar to beige; from French écru, meaning "raw, unbleached"
  • LAIC – of the (non-clergy)
  • NÉE – designates woman's surname before marriage; literally French for "born"
  • – rock mined for metal
  • – indigenous people of what is now Nebraska, also OTO
  • SCALA – , opera house in Milan, Italy
  • – indigenous people of what is now Utah

Outdated crosswordese
These once-common terms are especially rare or never found in new puzzles.

  • – buffalo of Indonesia
  • EMAG - rarely used term for an online "electronic" Https://www.wordplays.com/crossword-clues/EMAG< /ref>
  • – type of arrow poison used by native South Americans
  • SLA – Symbionese Liberation Army, 1970s radical group known for kidnapping

Works cited

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