Samiksha Jaiswal (Editor)

Crossword abbreviations

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Cryptic crosswords often use abbreviations to clue individual letters or short fragments of the overall solution. These include:

Contents

  • Any conventional abbreviations found in a standard dictionary, such as:
  • "current": AC (for "alternating current"); less commonly, DC (for "direct current"); or even I (the symbol used in physics and electronics)
  • Roman numerals: for example the word "six" in the clue might be used to indicate the letters VI
  • The name of a chemical element may be used to signify its symbol; e.g., Tungsten for W
  • Country codes: "Switzerland" can indicate the letters CH
  • ICAO spelling alphabet: where Mike signifies M and Romeo R
  • Conventional abbreviations for US cities and states: for example, New York can indicate NY and "California" CA or CAL.

    • The abbreviation is not always a short form of the word used in the clue. For example:

  • "Knight" for N (the symbol used in chess notation)

    • Taking this one stage further, the clue word can hint at the word or words to be abbreviated rather than giving the word itself. For example:

  • "About" for C or CA, abbreviations of "circa", meaning "about". "About" can also be abbreviated to RE, for "regarding".
  • "Say" for EG, used to mean "for example".

    • More obscure clue words of this variety include:

  • "Model" for T, referring to the Model T.
  • "Beginner" or synonyms such as "novice" or "student" for L, as in L-plate.
  • "Bend" for S or U (as in "S-bend" and "U-bend")
  • "Books" for OT or NT, as in Old Testament or New Testament.
  • "Sailor" for AB, abbreviation of able-bodied.
  • "Take" for R, abbreviation of the Latin word recipe, meaning "take".

    • Clues beginning with A

  • About - c or ca (circa) or re
  • Academic - dd (doctor of divinity)
  • Acceleration - g
  • Account - ac
  • Accountant - ca (chartered accountant)
  • Ace - a
  • Advert - ad
  • Afternoon - pm
  • Against - v or vs (versus)
  • Agent - rep (representative)
  • Agricultural - ag
  • Air conditioning - ac
  • Alien - et (extraterrestrial)
  • Also known as - aka
  • Aluminium - al (chemical symbol)
  • Ambassador - he (his/her excellency)
  • America - am, us or usa (United States of America)
  • American ship - uss
  • Amnesty - ai (Amnesty International)
  • Anglican - ce (Church of England)
  • And French - et
  • Area - a
  • Arbiter - ref (referee)
  • Army cop - mp (Military Policeman)
  • Army corps - reme (Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers (British army))
  • Arsenic - as (chemical symbol)
  • Artificial intelligence - ai
  • Artillery - ra (Royal Artillery)
  • Artists - ra (Royal Academy)
  • Attorney - da (District Attorney) or pa (Practicing Attorney)
  • Australia - aus or oz (slang name for Australia)
  • Avenue - ave

    • Clues beginning with B

  • Bachelor of Arts - ba
  • Bachelor of Medicine - bm
  • Basque nationalists - eta
  • Bearing - n, e, s, w, ne, nw etc. (compass points)
  • Beginner - l (for Learner)
  • Bend - s or u (U-bend and S-bend)
  • Bill - ac (account) or iou
  • Bird - tit
  • Bishop - b or rr (Right Reverend) or dd (Doctor of Divinity)
  • Bob - s (shilling)
  • Bone - os
  • Book (or books) - nt (New Testament), ot (Old Testament), ms (Manuscript), gen (Genesis)
  • Boy - b
  • Bridge player - n, e, s, w
  • Byte - b

    • Clues beginning with C

  • Calcium - ca
  • California - ca
  • Car - t (Model T), rr (Rolls-Royce)
  • Care of - co
  • Caught - c or ct
  • Celsius - c
  • Cent - c
  • Centigrade - c
  • Centigrade - c
  • Century - c
  • Certificate - x, u, pg, r, g (from the film certificates)
  • Charged - ion
  • Chartered accountant - ca
  • Chief - ch
  • Chlorine - cl (chemical symbol)
  • Chromosome - x or y
  • Church - ch or ce (Church of England)or rc(Roman Catholic)
  • Circa - c
  • Circle - o (the letter O is a circle)
  • City - ny (New York), la (Los Angeles), or ec (postcode for City of London)
  • Club - y (YMCA)
  • Coin - p (penny), d (from the Latin denarius) or c (cent) - d or c would usually have "old" or "American" as well as "coin".
  • Colonel - col
  • Colt - c
  • Communist - red
  • Companion - CH (Order of the Companions of Honour)
  • Company - co
  • Compare - cf (abbreviation of the Latin confer)
  • Compass point - n, e, s, w (and other bearings)
  • Computer - pc
  • Conservationists - nt (National Trust)
  • Conservative - c, con
  • Constable - pc (police constable)
  • Constant - ℯ or pi (mathematical constants)
  • Copper - p (penny), d (denarius), cu (chemical symbol), pc (police constable)
  • Corner - SE,NW,NE,SW (Any two direction)
  • Councillor - cl, clr, cllr
  • Court - ct
  • Credit - cr
  • Criminal - con
  • Cross - x
  • Current - ac (alternating current), dc (direct current), ad (Anno Domini) or amp
  • Current account - ca
  • Cystic fibrosis - cf

    • Clues beginning with D

  • Date - d
  • Daughter - d
  • Dead or Died - d, dec (deceased), ex, ob (abbreviation)
  • Debts - ious (IOU)
  • Deceased - d, dec, ex
  • Decoration - vc (Victoria Cross), gc (George Cross)
  • Degree - deg, c (Celsius or Centigrade), f (Fahrenheit), ba (Bachelor of Arts), ma (Master of Arts).
  • Detectives - cid
  • Detective inspector - di
  • Deutschmark - dm
  • Direction - n, e, s, w (and other compass bearings)
  • Disc - o (the letter O is round, like a disc), ep (extended play record), lp (long play record), cd (compact disc)
  • Disease - tb, me
  • Doctor of Divinity - dd
  • Doctor - doc, bm (Bachelor of Medicine), mb (Medicinae Baccalaureus), md (Medicinae Doctor), mo (medical officer), gp (General Practitioner), dr
  • Drip - iv (intravenous drip)
  • Drug - c (cocaine), e, x (both short for ecstasy) or h (heroin)
  • Dry - tt (teetotal) or aa (Alcoholics Anonymous)
  • Duck - o (from the cricket score of 0)
  • Ducks - oo

    • Clues beginning with E

  • Each - ea
  • East - e
  • East Germany - gdr (German Democratic Republic)
  • Ecstasy - e or x (slang names for the drug)
  • Editor - ed
  • Egg - o (the letter O loosely resembles the shape of an egg)
  • Electricity - ac (alternating current), dc (direct current)
  • Eleven - ll (II looks similar to 11), or xi (Roman numerals)
  • Energy - e, j (joule)
  • Engineer - ce (civil engineer) or re (Royal Engineer) or me (mechanical engineer)
  • English - e
  • Escape - esc
  • Established - est
  • Estimated time of arrival - eta
  • Europe - eu (European Union), ec (European Community)
  • Exercise - pe (physical education), pt (physical training), train
  • Extra - w (from the extra runs in cricket for a wide ball)
  • Extra large - xl
  • Extra terrestrial - et

    • Clues beginning with F

  • Fahrenheit - f
  • Father - da, dad, fr, pa
  • Female - f
  • Fighter plane - mig (type of plane)
  • Firm - co (company)
  • Fifty - l (Roman numeral (lower case L))
  • Five - v (Roman numeral)
  • Fleet - rn (Royal Navy)
  • Flying bomb - vi (looks like V1)
  • Following - f
  • Football association - fa
  • Football club - fc
  • For example - e.g. (short for the Latin exempli gratia)
  • Former - ex
  • Four - iv (Roman Numeral)
  • France - f
  • a French - un,une
  • of the French - de,des,du
  • the French - la,le,les
  • Frenchman - m (Monsieur)
  • Friend - pal

    • Clues beginning with G

  • Game - ru (Rugby Union)
  • Gas - h (hydrogen), o (oxygen), n (nitrogen), cs (tear gas)
  • German submarine - u (U-boat)
  • Germany - ger, d (Deutschland)
  • Glasses - oo
  • Gold - au (chemical symbol), or (in heraldry)
  • Good - pi (pious)
  • Good Man - st (abbreviation for Saint)
  • Graduate - ba, ma (university degrees)
  • Gram - g
  • Grand prix - gp
  • Grand - g, m (Roman numeral for 1000), k (kilo-)
  • Group - gp
  • Gunners/Gunmen - ra (Royal Artillery)
  • Gym - pe (Physical Education) or pt (Physical Training)

    • Clues beginning with H

  • Hand - n, e, s, w (Bridge hands)
  • Hear - t (Position on hearing aid)
  • Hectare - ha
  • Helium - he
  • Heroin - h
  • Hire purchase - hp
  • Holy man - st (saint)
  • Home counties - se (South-east of England)
  • Honours - ba or ma (see Degree)
  • Horse - g, gg (slang)
  • Hospital - h
  • Hospital Department - ae (Accident & Emergency), ent (Ear, Nose & Throat)
  • Hour - h
  • Houses of Parliament - hp
  • Hundred - c (Roman numeral)
  • Husband - h
  • Hydrogen - h

    • Clues beginning with I

  • Iceland - is (country code)
  • Inch - in
  • Independent - i or ind.
  • Information - gen
  • Information technology - it
  • Initials - inits.
  • Intelligence - iq
  • Iodine - i (chemical symbol)
  • Ireland - ire
  • Irish Republican Army - ira
  • Iron - fe (chemical symbol)

    • Clues beginning with J

  • Jack - j, tar, ab (sailor)
  • Jet - mig (type of plane)
  • Jolly - rm (Royal Marine)
  • Journalist - ed (editor)
  • Judge - j, ref
  • Junction - t (T-junction)
  • Junior - jr

    • Clues beginning with K

  • Kelvin - k
  • Kentucky - ky
  • Key - a, b, c, d, e, f or g (musical keys)
  • Kick off - ko
  • Kilo - k
  • King - k, r (from the Latin rex), hm (His Majesty), or hrh (His Royal Highness), or gr (King George (rex), or cr (King Charles))
  • Kiss - x (the symbol for a kiss)
  • Knave - j (Jack)
  • Knight - k, kt, kbe (Knight Commander of the Order of the British Empire) or kg (Knight of the Garter) or n(the symbol for a knight on a chessboard)
  • Knock out - ko
  • Knot - kt

    • Clues beginning with L

  • Labour - lab
  • Lake - l or la
  • Large number - c, d, m (Roman numerals) or k (kilo-)
  • Last - z (the last letter of the alphabet)
  • Last month - ult (ultimo)
  • Lawrence - dh (D. H. Lawrence) or te (T. E. Lawrence)
  • Lead - pb (chemical symbol)
  • Learner - l
  • Left - l
  • Liberal - l or lib
  • Lieutenant - lt
  • Lines - ry (railway) br (British Rail)
  • Litre - l
  • Local area network - lan
  • Long playing record - lp
  • Long wave - lw
  • Loud - f (forte), or ff (fortissimo)
  • Los Angeles - la
  • Love - o (zero score in tennis)

    • Clues beginning with M

  • Maiden - m (cricket terminology for no runs in an over)
  • Male - m, he or pa
  • Madame (As in French) - mme
  • Manager - mic (man in charge)
  • Many - CL, XD... (A collection of at least 2 Roman numerals)
  • Map-makers - os (Ordnance Survey)
  • Marines - rm (Royal Marines)
  • Married - m
  • Master of ceremonies - mc
  • Medal - vc (Victoria Cross), gc (George Cross), obe (Order of the British Empire), om (Order of Merit)
  • Medic - doc (short for doctor), bm (Bachelor of Medicine), mb (Medicinae Baccalaureus), md (Medicinae Doctor), mo (medical officer), gp (General Practitioner), dr (short for doctor)
  • Master of Arts - ma
  • Master's - ma (Master of Arts degree)
  • Megabyte - mb
  • Member - mp (same as Member of Parliament (below)), arm, leg, words for male genitals
  • Member of Parliament - mp
  • Messerschmitt - me
  • Middle East - me
  • Midfielder - l (the 'mid' letter of 'fielder')
  • Military Police - mp
  • Ministry of Defence - mod
  • Minute - m
  • Model - t (Model T Ford)
  • Monarch - er (Elizabeth Regina), gr (George Rex), q (queen), k (king) or r (rex/regina)
  • Monsieur - m
  • Morning or Half Day - am
  • Mother - ma
  • Motor racing - fi (as in f1, formula one)
  • Motorway - m or mi (looks like M1)

    • Clues beginning with N

  • Namely - sc (from the Latin scilicet), alternative to ie
  • National Trust - nt
  • Navy - rn (Royal Navy), abs (able-bodied seamen) or tars (slang for seamen)
  • Nazis - ss (Schutzstaffel)
  • Neon - ne (chemical symbol)
  • Never-never - hp (synonym for hire purchase)
  • New - n
  • New Testament - nt
  • Nitrogen - n
  • No ball - nb (cricket terminology)
  • North - n
  • Not applicable - na
  • Note - nb (from the Latin nota bene) or a, b, c, d, e, f, g (musical notes) or Do, Re, Mi, Fa, Sol, La, Te/Ti (musical notes). However La is commonly referred.
  • Nothing - o (the letter O looks like the number 0)
  • Now - ad (from the Latin Anno Domini)
  • Number - v, x, c, d, m, l (Roman numerals)

    • Clues beginning with O

  • Odds - sp (starting price)
  • Officer - oc (Officer Corps) or co (Commanding Officer)
  • Old - o
  • Old person - oap
  • Old Testament - ot
  • One - i (I is the Roman numeral for 1) or rarely a, an (not normally used in British crosswords), ace (playing card)
  • Operating system - os
  • Operation - op
  • Order - om (Order of Merit)
  • Ordinary Seaman - os
  • Oriental - e (East)
  • Other Ranks - or (military term for non-commissioned ranks)
  • Ounce - oz (abbreviation)
  • Outsized - os
  • Over the top - ott
  • Overdose - od
  • Oxygen - o

    • Clues beginning with P

  • Page - p
  • Painters - ra (Royal Academy)
  • Paramilitaries - eta (Basque Nationalists), ira (Irish Republican Army), uff (Ulster Freedom Fighters), uda (Ulster Defence Association)
  • Parking - p
  • Party - lab, lib or ld, con or c or tory (UK political parties)
  • Peacekeepers - un (United Nations)
  • Pencil - hb
  • Penny - p, d (old penny), cu (copper)
  • Phone company - bt
  • Physical education - pe
  • Physical training - pt
  • Piano - pt
  • Pint - pt
  • Plane - mig (type of plane)
  • Plate - l or p (L-plate and P-plate)
  • Poem - if (Kipling)
  • Poet - ts (T.S. Eliot)
  • Point - n, e, s, w (and other compass bearings)
  • Pole - n (north) or s (south)
  • Policeman/men - pc (Police Constable), di (Detective Inspector), met (Metropolitan Police), cid (Criminal Investigation Department)
  • Politician - mp
  • Posh - u (short for upper class)
  • Post office - po
  • Potassium - k (chemical symbol)
  • Pound - lb (weight), l (currency)
  • Priest - pr, rev (reverend), rr (Right Reverend), dd (Doctor of Divinity), fr (Father), eli (Eli (Bible))
  • Prime Minister - pm
  • Prisoner of war - pow
  • Promises - ious (I owe yous)
  • Province - ni (Northern Ireland)
  • Pub - ph (Public House)

    • Clues beginning with Q

  • Quarter - n, s, e, w (compass direction)
  • Quartet - iv (four in Roman numerals)
  • Queen - q, er (Elizabeth Regina), hm (Her Majesty)
  • Quiet/quietly - p (piano)

    • Clues beginning with R

  • Railway - r, ry or br (British Rail)
  • Rechabite - tt (Rechabite - tee-total)
  • Record - ep (extended play record), lp (long playing record)
  • Ref - ump (referee - umpire)
  • Regina - r
  • Retired - ret
  • Reverend - rr (Right Reverend), dd (Doctor of Divinity), rev
  • Rex - r
  • Right Reverend - rr
  • Right - r
  • Ring - o (the letter O looks like a ring)
  • River - r, ma (Ma River)
  • Road - rd or ai (looks like A1)
  • Rolls Royce - rr
  • Roman Catholic - rc
  • Rook - r
  • Royal Academy - ra
  • Royal Artillery - ra
  • Royal Engineers - re
  • Royal Marines - rm
  • Royal Navy - rn
  • Rugby (Union) - ru
  • Run - r

    • Clues beginning with S

  • Sailor - ab (able-bodied seaman), tar (slang), rn, salt, jack, hand, os (ordinary seaman)
  • Saint - st or s
  • Same - do (ditto)
  • Sappers - re (the Royal Engineers equivalent of "private")
  • Satisfactory - s
  • Say - e.g. (short for the Latin exempli gratia)
  • Seaman - ab (able-bodied seaman)
  • Second - s or mo (moment)
  • Secret service - ss
  • Secretary - pa (personal assistant)
  • Senior Service - rn (Royal Navy)
  • Setter - i or me (meaning the setter of the crossword)
  • Sex appeal - it (after Clara Bow - the It girl) or sa
  • Shilling - s
  • Significant other - so
  • Ship - ss (steam ship)
  • Short wave - sw
  • Silk - qc or kc (From Queen's—or King's—Counsel)
  • Silver - ag (chemical symbol)
  • Sodium - na (chemical symbol)
  • Small - s
  • Softly - p (musical notation)
  • Soldier - rm (Royal Marine), re (Royal Engineer), gi (General Infantryman), ant, vet
  • Soldiers - men, or (Other Ranks)
  • Son - s
  • South - s
  • Spanish for - por
  • the Spanish - el, los
  • Spectacles - oo
  • Sportsman - blue(From Oxford - Cambridge Face-Offs)
  • State - any abbreviation of an American State (e.g. CA, FL ..)
  • Steam Ship - ss
  • Street - st
  • Student - l (learner) or nus (National Union of Students)
  • Study - con
  • Stumped - st
  • Submarine - u (U-boat) or sub
  • Supporter - bra
  • Sweat - bo (Body odor)

    • Clues beginning with T

  • Tar - ab (able-bodied seaman)
  • Tax - vat (Value added tax)
  • Teachers - nut (National Union of Teachers)
  • Team - xi (Roman numerals for eleven players in a football or cricket team)
  • Teetotal - tt or aa (from Alcoholics Anonymous)
  • Ten - x (Roman numerals) or io (IO looks like 10)
  • Territorial Army - ta
  • Terrorists - eta (Basque Nationalists), ira (Irish Republican Army), uff (Ulster Freedom Fighters), uda (Ulster Defence Association)
  • Thanks- TA
  • That is - ie (from the Latin id est) or sc (from the Latin scilicet meaning namely = that is)
  • Theologian - dd (Doctor of Divinity)
  • This month - inst (from the Latin instante mense)
  • Thousand - g (grand), m (Roman numeral), or k (kilo-)
  • Thus - ie (short for the Latin id est), so
  • Time - t, s, m
  • Times - x (multiplication symbol)
  • Toilet - wc (water closet)
  • Tory - con (slang for Conservative)
  • Trendy - in (euphemism)
  • Tripod - Y (shape of a Tripod)
  • Tungsten - w (chemical symbol)
  • Tyro - l (for learner)

    • Clues beginning with U

  • Ulster - ni (Northern Ireland)
  • Ulster Defence Association - uda
  • Ulster Freedom Fighters - uff
  • Ultimate - z (last or ultimate letter of the alphabet)
  • United Nations - un
  • Unknown - x, y or z (Mathematical variable)
  • University - u or ou (Open University) or up (in the UK one goes up to university)

    • Clues beginning with V

  • Value added tax - vat
  • Variable - x, y or z (Mathematical unknown)
  • Versus - v or vs
  • Very - v
  • Vessel - ss
  • Viscount - vis (abbreviation)
  • Volunteers - ta (Territorial Army)
  • Vote - x

    • Clues beginning with W

  • Way - rd (road), st (street), ave (avenue)
  • Weight - g (gram), lb (pound)
  • Whistle-blower - ref (referee)
  • Wide - w (cricket)
  • Wife - w
  • With - w
  • Without - wo
  • Work - w, op (operation), opus (classical music)
  • Worker - ant

    • Clues beginning with X

  • X - IO (The letters IO look like the number 10)

    • Clues beginning with Y

  • Yard - yd or y
  • Year - y or yr
  • Yours Truly- ID or I

    • Clues beginning with Z

  • Zero - o (the letter O looks like the number 0)

    • References

    Crossword abbreviations Wikipedia
    (Text) CC BY-SA


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