Crosswordese
Terms found more frequently in crosswords
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 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".[ 1]
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 Robert Ito , then boomed in the late 1990s and 2000s when judge Lance Ito was a household name, and has since fallen somewhat, and when it appears today, the clue typically references figure skater Midori Ito or uses the partial phrase "I to" (as in ["How was ___ know?"]).[ 2]
List of crosswordese
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
APSE – semicircular church recess[ 3] ELL – type of extension to a building; a measure for clothDORIC and IONIC orders – referring to ancient architecture most readily identifiable by the style of support columnsNAVE – the middle section of a church[ 6] OGEE – S-shaped curve often seen in Gothic arches[ 7] STOA – covered walkway of ancient Greece[ 9]
Biblical references
Brand and trade names
AFTA – Gillette aftershave brand[ 11]
ATRA – Gillette safety razor brand
OXO – kitchen utensil brandSTP – motor oil additive brandOREO – snack item known as "Milk's favorite cookie". In the Maleska era, to avoid brand names in the puzzle, it was invariably clued as [Mountain: Comb. form].[ 12] [ 13]
Computers and the Internet
LAN – local area network, network of computers in a limited areaHTML – the standard language for documents designed to be displayed in a web browser
Currency and business
LEK – official currency of AlbaniaLEV – official currency of BulgariaLIRA (plural LIRE) – official currency of Turkey; former currency of ItalyOPEC – Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries[ 15] PESO – official currency of many countries, including Mexico[ 16]
Directions
A 16-point compass rose showing the 16 standard compass 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
Food and drink
Foreign words
À MOI and À TOI – French for "mine" and "yours" respectively[ 15]
AMI or AMIE – French for "friend"[ 15]
ANO (more properly AÑO ; the tilde is usually ignored) – Spanish for "year"[ 16]
AVEC – French for "with"[ 15]
BESO – Spanish for "kiss"[ 16]
EAU (plural: EAUX) – French for "water"
ERSE – Scottish Gaelic
ESA and ESO – Spanish feminine and masculine pronouns[ 16]
ESTA and ESTO – Spanish feminine and masculine pronouns[ 16]
ÉTAT – French for "state", as in "coup d'état "[ 15]
ÉTÉ – French for "summer"[ 15]
ÊTRE – French for "to be", as in "raison d'être "[ 15]
FRAU – German for "woman", "wife" or "Mrs. "
HERR – German for "Mister (Mr.)"
ICI – French for "here"[ 15]
ÎLE – French for "island", as in "Île-de-France "[ 15]
MÁS – Spanish for "more"[ 16]
MES – French for "my"; Spanish for "month"[ 15]
MLLE and MME – French abbreviations for "Mademoiselle " and "Madame " respectively[ 15]
ORO – Spanish for "gold"[ 16]
REATA – Spanish for "lasso"[ 16]
ROI – French for "king"[ 15]
SEL – French for "salt"[ 15]
SES – French possessive[ 15]
SRA and SRTA – Spanish abbreviations for "señora " and "señorita " respectively[ 16]
STE – French abbreviation for "sainte ", as in Sault Ste. Marie [ 15]
TES – French possessive[ 15]
TÊTE – French for "head", as in "tête-à-tête"[ 15]
TÍA and TÍO – Spanish for "aunt" and "uncle" respectively
UNE – French article[ 15]
Geography
Proper names
General terms
ARÊTE – thin ridge of rock that formed by glaciers[ 17] MESA – high-elevation area of rock that stands out from its surroundings[ 16] TOR – rock outcrop formed by weathering
Interjections
AHEM – used to represent the noise made when clearing the throatEGAD – used to express surprise (dated)[ 30] HAHA – used to represent laughterHMM – used to express uncertaintyPHEW – used to express reliefPSST – used to attract someone's attention[ 30] WHOA – used to express surpriseWOWEE (or WOWIE) – used to express astonishmentYEA – used as an affirmative response
Jargon and slang
Language
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[ 31]
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).
Greek letters often appear as well, such as ETA.[ 28]
Latin words and phrases
ET TU – "Et tu, Brute? ", the alleged last words spoken by Julius Caesar after being stabbed by his friend Brutus
HOC – ad hoc , meaning "pertaining to a specific problem"
IRAE – "Dies irae " ("Day of Wrath"), medieval hymn used in the Roman Catholic Requiem Mass
VENI, VIDI, VICI – phrase spoken by Julius Caesar meaning "I came, I saw, I conquered"
Manmade items
Mathematics
Music
Names
AGEE – James Agee , American novelist and critic[ 35]
ALDA – Alan Alda , American actor who starred in M*A*S*H [ 36]
ALI – Various people, including Muhammad Ali and Ali Baba [ 37]
ALOU – Alou family of American baseball players (Felipe , Matty , Jesús , and Moisés )[ 37]
ANKA – Paul Anka , Canadian-American singer, songwriter and actor[ 36]
AOKI and ISAO – Isao Aoki , Japanese golfer[ 37] [ 38]
ARIE – Arie Luyendyk , Dutch race car driver; or India Arie , American singer[ 37]
ARLO – Arlo Guthrie , American folk singer[ 30]
AROD – Alex Rodriguez ("A-Rod"), American baseball player[ 39]
ARP – Jean Arp , German Dadaist sculptor[ 21]
ASCH – Sholem Asch , Polish-American writer in the Yiddish language [ 40]
ASHE – Arthur Ashe , American tennis player[ 37]
ASNER – Ed Asner , American actor who played Lou Grant [ 36]
AUEL – Jean M. Auel , American author of the best-selling Earth's Children [ 40]
AYN – Ayn Rand , American writer and philosopher[ 40]
BAER – Max Baer , American boxer[ 37]
BARA – Theda Bara , American silent film actress[ 21]
CID – El Cid , Castilian soldier of the 11th century
DENG – Deng Xiaoping , leader of China in the 1980s[ 21]
EDA – Eda LeShan , American psychologist and childcare expert[ 40]
EDD – Edd Roush , American baseball player[ 37]
EDIE – Edie Adams ; Edie Falco , American actress who starred on The Sopranos [ 41]
EERO – Eero Saarinen , Finnish-American architect[ 42]
ELBA – Idris Elba , English actor[ 18]
ELI – Various people, including American football quarterback Eli Manning [ 37]
ELIA – pen name for Charles Lamb ; Elia Kazan , Greek-born American film and theater director
ELIE – Elie Wiesel , Holocaust survivor and author of Night [ 40]
ELKE – Elke Sommer , German actress[ 41]
ELLA – Ella Fitzgerald , American jazz singer[ 21]
ELS – Ernie Els , South African golfer (sometimes refers to the "El" trains of Chicago)[ 37]
EMIL – Emil Jannings , winner of the first Academy Award for Best Actor [ 41]
ENO – Brian Eno , English musician and record producer[ 11]
ENYA – Enya , Irish singer of New Age music
ERIQ – Eriq La Salle , American actor who starred on ER
ERLE – Erle Stanley Gardner , American detective author who created Perry Mason [ 40] [ 43]
ERNO – Ernő Rubik , inventor of the Rubik's Cube
ERROL – Errol Flynn , American actor who played swashbucklers [ 36]
ERTE – Erté , Russian-born French graphics and costume designer in the Art Deco style[ 43]
ESAI – Esai Morales , American actor of Puerto Rican descent[ 43] [ 36]
ETTA – Etta James , American blues and R&B singer;[ 21] Etta Jones
EVERT – Chris Evert , American tennis player[ 37]
EWAN – Ewan McGregor , Scottish actor[ 36]
EZIO – Ezio Pinza , Italian opera singer[ 20]
GENA – Gena Rowlands , American actress[ 41]
GERE – Richard Gere , American actor[ 36]
GRAF – Steffi Graf , German tennis player[ 37]
ILIE – Ilie Năstase , Romanian tennis player[ 37]
IM PEI (or just PEI) – I. M. Pei , Chinese-American architect[ 42]
INGE – William Inge , American playwright[ 35]
ISAK – Isak Dinesen , Danish author[ 40]
ISSA – Issa Rae , American actress and writer[ 34]
ITALO – Italo Calvino , Italian author[ 40]
LON – Lon Chaney , American actor in silent horror films[ 36]
MAO – Mao Zedong , first chairman of communist China[ 21]
MIRA – Mira Sorvino , American actress[ 41]
NERO – Nero , Roman emperor[ 30]
NIA – Various people, including American actresses Nia Long , Nia Peeples , and Nia Vardalos [ 41]
NIN – Anaïs Nin , French-born diarist and writer of erotica;[ 40]
ONO – Yoko Ono , Japanese artist and singer
ORR – Bobby Orr , Canadian ice hockey player[ 37]
OTT – Mel Ott , American baseball player[ 43] [ 39]
PELE – Pelé , Brazilian soccer player[ 39]
POLA – Pola Negri , Polish silent film actress[ 41]
RAE – Various people, including Charlotte Rae ,[ 43] John Rae , Issa Rae ,[ 34] Norma Rae Corinne Bailey Rae , and Carly Rae Jepsen
REA – Stephen Rea , Irish actor who starred in The Crying Game [ 36]
SELA – Sela Ward , American actress[ 41]
SELES – Monica Seles , Swiss tennis player[ 37]
SOSA – Sammy Sosa , Dominican-American baseball player[ 37]
TATI – Jacques Tati , French mime and filmmaker[ 36]
TERI – Various people, including American actresses Teri Garr , Teri Hatcher , and Teri Polo [ 41]
TRIS – Tris Speaker , American baseball player[ 37]
UMA – Uma Thurman , American actress who starred in Pulp Fiction Kill Bill [ 41]
U NU – U Nu , first prime minister of Burma[ 21]
UTA – Uta Hagen , American actress and acting teacher[ 41]
URI – Uri Geller , Israeli magician[ 43]
URIS – Leon Uris , American author[ 40]
YAO – Yao Ming , Chinese basketball player[ 39]
YMA – Yma Sumac , Peruvian singer[ 43]
YUL – Yul Brynner , Russian-born American actor who starred in The King and I [ 36]
Nature
Poetic phrases and terms
E'EN – contraction of "even"[ 6] E'ER – poetic contraction of "ever"ERE – poetic synonym of "before"ERIN – poetic name for IrelandO'ER – contraction of "over"[ 6]
Prefixes
AERO- – relating to flight and airPYRO- – relating to fire and heat
Suffixes
-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 or "full of"[ 6] -ULE – a suffix meaning small
Religion and mythology
Roman numerals
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.
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 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.} }
The following table shows the numerals used in crossword puzzles.
Science
OZONE – a pale-blue, inorganic moleculeXENON – a colourless noble gas with symbol 'Xe' and atomic-number '54'
Sports and gaming
Team nicknames
ANA – Anaheim Ducks
ARI (or ARZ) – Arizona Cardinals , Coyotes and Diamondbacks
ATL – Atlanta Braves , Falcons and Hawks
BAL – Baltimore Orioles and Ravens
BKN – Brooklyn Nets
BOS – Boston Bruins , Celtics and Red Sox
BUF – Buffalo Bills and Sabres
CAR – Carolina Hurricanes and Panthers
CGY – Calgary Flames and Stampeders
CHA – Charlotte Hornets (formerly Bobcats )
CHC – Chicago Cubs
CHI – Chicago Bears , Blackhawks and Bulls
CHW (or CWS) – Chicago White Sox
CIN – Cincinnati Bengals and Reds
CLE – Cleveland Browns , Cavaliers and Guardians
COL – Colorado Avalanche and Rockies
DAL – Dallas Cowboys , Mavericks and Stars
DEN – Denver Broncos and Nuggets
DET – Detroit Lions , Pistons , Red Wings and Tigers
EDM – Edmonton Elks and Oilers
FLA – Florida Panthers
GSW – Golden State Warriors
HOU – Houston Astros , Rockets and Texans (also, formerly, Oilers )
IND – Indianapolis Colts and Indiana Pacers
JAC (or JAX) – Jacksonville Jaguars
LAA – Los Angeles Angels
LAC – Los Angeles Chargers and Clippers
LAD – Los Angeles Dodgers
LAK – Los Angeles Kings
LAL – Los Angeles Lakers
LAR – Los Angeles Rams
MEM – Memphis Grizzlies
MIA – Miami Dolphins , Heat and Marlins
MIL – Milwaukee Brewers and Bucks
MIN – Minnesota Timberwolves , Twins , Vikings and Wild
MTL – Montreal Alouettes and Canadiens (also, formerly, Expos )
NAS (or NSH) – Nashville Predators
NOP – New Orleans Pelicans
NYG – New York Giants
NYI – New York Islanders
NYJ – New York Jets
NYK – New York Knicks
NYM – New York Mets
NYR – New York Rangers
NYY – New York Yankees
OAK – Oakland Athletics (also, formerly, Raiders )
OKC – Oklahoma City Thunder
ORL – Orlando Magic
OTT – Ottawa Senators
PHI – Philadelphia Eagles , Flyers , Phillies and 76ers
PHO (or PHX) – Phoenix Suns
PIT – Pittsburgh Penguins , Pirates and Steelers
POR – Portland Trail Blazers
SAC – Sacramento Kings
SAS – San Antonio Spurs
SEA – Seattle Kraken , Mariners and Seahawks (also, formerly, SuperSonics )
STL – St. Louis Blues and Cardinals (also, formerly, Cardinals (NFL) and Rams )
TBL – Tampa Bay Lightning
TEN – Tennessee Titans
TEX – Texas Rangers
TOR – Toronto Argonauts , Blue Jays , Maple Leafs and Raptors
UTA – Utah Jazz
VAN – Vancouver Canucks
WAS (or WSH) – Washington Capitals , Commanders (formerly Redskins ), Nationals , and Wizards
Titles used by royalty and the nobility
AGA (or AGHA) – Turkish honorific for a high-level government officialBEY – 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;[ 6] PASHA – high Ottoman military rankRAJA (or RAJAH) and RANI (or RANEE) – former Indian monarch and wife (often clued as a princess)SRI – South Asian honorific
Transportation
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 Minnesota and "QC" 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.)
ALA – Alabama
ALB – Alberta
ARIZ – Arizona
ARK – Arkansas
CALIF – California (also, unofficially, CAL or, colloquially, CALI)
COLO – Colorado
CONN – Connecticut
DEL – Delaware
FLA – Florida
IDA – Idaho (unofficial)
ILL – Illinois
IND – Indiana
KANS – Kansas (also, unofficially, KAN)
MICH – Michigan
MINN – Minnesota
MISS – Mississippi
MONT – Montana
NEB – Nebraska
NEV – Nevada
NMEX – New Mexico
NCAR – North Carolina (unofficial)
NDAK – North Dakota
NWT – Northwest Territories
OKLA – Oklahoma
OREG – Oregon (also, unofficially, ORE)
ONT – Ontario
PEI – Prince Edward Island
PENN – Pennsylvania (unofficial)
QUE – Quebec
SASK – Saskatchewan
SCAR – South Carolina (unofficial)
SDAK – South Dakota
TENN – Tennessee
TEX – Texas
WASH – Washington
WVA – West Virginia
WIS – Wisconsin (also, unofficially, WISC)
WYO – Wyoming
Weaponry and warfare
Miscellaneous crosswordese
Outdated crosswordese
These once-common terms are especially rare or never found in new puzzles.
References
^ Romano, Marc (2006). "Puzzle Neophyte Seeks Puzzle Mentor" . Crossworld: One Man's Journey into America's Crossword Obsession (1st pbk. ed.). New York: Broadway Books. p. 69. ISBN 978-0-7679-1758-2 ^ Kurzman, Charles; Katz, Josh (February 6, 2016). "What 74 Years of Crossword History Says About the Language We Use" . The New York Times . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ a b c d Der, Kevin; Pasco, Paolo (13 June 2018). "How to Make a Crossword Puzzle" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 . ^ a b c d e f g h i "Master The Secrets Of Crosswordese" . Dictionary.com . October 8, 2018. Retrieved January 3, 2023 .^ a b c d Amlen, Deb (May 20, 2019). " . The New York Times . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ Amlen, Deb (January 16, 2018). "Warm Winter Coat Contents" . The New York Times . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ a b c d e f "How Well Do You Know Your 'Crosswordese?' . The New York Times . 28 November 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2020 .^ Macdonald, Moira (January 7, 2022). "Meet Jeff Chen, the Seattle man who's published more than 125 crosswords in The New York Times" . The Seattle Times . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ Fabi, Rachel (August 14, 2022). "A Typical Crossword Cookie" . The New York Times . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r Ezersky, Sam (30 May 2018). "15 French Words That Will Raise Your Crossword Game" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 . ^ a b c d e f g h i j Amlen, Deb (15 February 2018). "10 Spanish Words That Will Raise Your Crossword Game" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 . ^ a b c "Submit Your Crossword Puzzles to The New York Times" . The New York Times . January 3, 2023. Archived from the original on February 1, 2023. Retrieved February 9, 2023 .^ a b c d e f g Maynes-Aminzade, Liz (February 15, 2023). "Will Shortz's Life in Crosswords" . The New Yorker . Retrieved February 15, 2023 . ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Ezersky, Sam (12 April 2018). "The Crossword Zoo: 10 Animals You Should Know" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 . ^ a b c d e f 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 . ^ a b c d e f g h i j Peremes, Donna (November 26, 2013). "On the grid: Those funny words we rarely see outside the crossword puzzles" . The Washington Post . Retrieved February 24, 2023 . ^ Amlen, Deb (April 1, 2021). "Grand Opening for a Casino" . The New York Times . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ a b c d e f g h i 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 . ^ a b c d e f g h i Ezersky, Sam (13 November 2019). "The Crossword Travel Guide: 10 Cities You Should Know" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 . ^ a b c Eschner, Kat (December 21, 2016). "Why Crossword Puzzles Are Still Mostly Written By Humans" . Smithsonian . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ a b c d e f Veltman, Noah (February 4, 2013). "Calculating 'crosswordiness' of answers: how to do it and what it shows us" . The Guardian . Retrieved February 24, 2023 . ^ 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 . ^ a b c d Connor, Alan (February 8, 2013). "Crossword blog: the words that puzzle setters love" . The Guardian . Retrieved February 24, 2023 . ^ Amlen, Deb (22 April 2019). "What the Heck Is That?: Ars" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 . ^ Amlen, Deb (March 14, 2021). "They Get Smashed at Parties" . The New York Times . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n Ezersky, Sam (February 6, 2019). "The Crossword Symphony: 12 Musical Terms And Solving Tips" . The New York Times . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ a b c d Raphel, Adrienne (September 9, 2021). "What Has One Eye and 1,200 Heads? An Old English Riddle, That's What!" . The New York Times . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ a b Fabi, Rachel (August 15, 2022). "Interlocking Puzzle" . The New York Times . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Ezersky, Sam (7 August 2019). "The Griddy Awards, Part 2: 10 Male Actors You Should Know" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 . ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Mather, Victor (May 22, 2015). "Where Ott and Orr Are Most Valuable: 15 Across, or Maybe 7 Down" . The New York Times . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ Amlen, Deb (7 April 2020). "Who the Heck Is That?: Isao" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 . ^ a b c d 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 . ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ezersky, Sam (November 21, 2018). "The Crossword Library: 11 Authors You Should Know" . The New York Times . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ a b c d e f g h i j k Ezersky, Sam (May 8, 2019). "The Griddy Awards, Part 1: 10 Female Actors You Should Know" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 . ^ a b Amlen, Deb (May 12, 2019). "Early Railroad Tycoon" . The New York Times . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ a b c d e f g "The Shortz List of Crossword Celebrities" . Slate . 27 January 2012. Retrieved October 26, 2018 .^ a b c d e f g h i j Ezersky, Sam (July 18, 2018). "The Crossword Garden, Part One: 10 Plants You Should Know" . The New York Times . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ a b c d e "10 Baseball Terms That Will Help You Become a Better Crossword Solver" . The New York Times . 1 April 2017. Retrieved August 9, 2020 .^ a b c d e f g h i Ezersky, Sam (2 March 2018). "These Words Are for the Birds: A Crossword Aviary" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 . ^ Amlen, Deb (April 20, 2022). "Plant Watcher" . The New York Times . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ McKean, Erin (2009-02-15). "Farewell, etui" . Boston.com the original on 2009-03-03.^ Amlen, Deb (September 3, 2019). " . The New York Times . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ Amlen, Deb (July 16, 2017). "Miscellany" . The New York Times . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ a b c d e f g h i j Ezersky, Sam (26 December 2017). "10 Greek Mythological Characters to Help You Raise Your Crossword Game" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 . ^ Amlen, Deb (7 May 2018). "What the Heck Is That?: OED" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 . ^ a b c d e f g h Ezersky, Sam (19 September 2018). "The Crossword Garage: 8 Car Makes and Models You Should Know" . The New York Times . Retrieved August 9, 2020 . ^ Liu, Wyna (May 5, 2022). "The Folded Puzzle" . The New York Times . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ Lovinger, Caitlin (July 23, 2022). "Going Somewhere?" . The New York Times . Retrieved February 9, 2023 . ^ Aronow, Isaac (October 6, 2021). "How Word Lists Help — or Hurt — Crossword Puzzles" . The New York Times . Retrieved February 14, 2023 . ^ https://www.wordplays.com/crossword-clues/EMAG
Works cited
Types Elements Constructors
Events In popular culture
