Site links:
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crosswords
dvds
widgets
Links to sites with useful frequent abbreviations and useful knowledge:
I will occasionally check the above links to check that they still live, but if you come across any better sources
then please let me know.
This guide was created by Paul Aubrey-Rees and
developed by Woof. Please let us have any feedback you wish.
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The following list is as many of the most commonly used words and their synonyms or abbreviations we
can think of. There will of course be exceptions, and more unusual examples to be found from time to
time, but this should serve as a reasonable starting point. It is only a template though Ð you will
find yourself constantly surprised, amused and disappointed by the compilers in their choices.
Most important to remember is that some compilers, even at the same publisher/newspaper, have different
ways of working, thinking, and writing. Thus, whilst you may get used to managing a certain crossword, with
good and bad days, things do change.
So here we go - common abbreviations, vocabulary, and synonyms - for your pleasure:
- About - re, c (See also the Anagrams convention)
- Account - ac
- Accountant - ca
- Act - deed, do
- Add, sum, tot (interchangeable)
- Advert - ad, promo
- Again - re
- Afternoon - pm
- Afterwards - later
- Allowed - let
- Always - ever
- American - us, yank
- Ancient city - ur, rome, thebes
- Article - a, an, the
- Artist - ra
- At home, (not) - in, (out)
- Attorney - da, pa
- Bed - cot
- Beer - ale, stout
- Beginner - L
- Bill - (See Account), iou, will, tab
- Bishop - he
- Born - b, ne
- Boss - stud
- Bowl - fast, spin, slow, seam, pitch, toss
- Boy - lad, son, he (sometimes an actual boys name)
- British - br, b, gb
- Business - co, firm
- Call - ring, name, bell
- Can - able, do, tin, act
- Chap - man, he, him
- Charge - fee, ion, bill, tab
- Church - ch, ce, rc
- Circuit - lap, o, lap, course
- Cleaner - char
- Clergyman - rev, fr
- Coins - s, d, p, at, yen, lew, bit, sol, ban
- Cold - c, chill
- Communist - red, c, lenin
- Company - (See Business), crowd
- Composer - arne, elgar, ives, ravel (See also the Anagrams convention)
- Conservative - c, tory, con, blue, rep
- Copper - Cu (See Periodic Table for
more chemical symbols), (See also - Penny)
- Copy - ape, act
- Credit - cr, c, plus, more
- Daily - char
- Day - d, mon, tue ... etc.
- Daughter - d
- Degree - ba, ma
- Delivery - post, over
- Detectives - cid, yard, pis, cops, dis
- Died - d, rip
- Diplomacy - tact
- Direction - n, e, s, w, l, r, dir, lead
- Doctor - mo, dr, mb, md, mr, change
- Drink - tea, gin, sip, cha
- Duck - o
- Each - ea
- Egg - ova, oo, ovum, spawn, nit
- Egghead - e
- Eight - crew (rowing)
- Eleven - side, team, xi
- Embarrassed - red
- Employ(ed) - use(d), run
- Enclosure - pen, sty
- Encountered - met
- Energy - e, pe, ke, amp
- Engineers - re, beng
- English - e
- Evening - (See Afternoon), eve, dusk
- Example - eg, so, such, thus, like
- Expert - pro, ace
- Fashion - in, make, chez
- Fashionable - in
- Father('s) - pa(s), fr, da(s), dad
- Fellow - f, don, man, mate
- Firm - (See Business)
- Fish - ling, gar, eel, cod, id, carp, ide
- Flower - river, rose
- Fool, idiot - ass, con
- Formal clothing - dress, suit
- French - f, fr (See Foreign convention)
- Frenchman - m
- Friend - pal, mate
- Fuss - ado
- Girl - lass, her, she, gal, her, it (Sometimes an actual girls name, e.g. Sal, Ann, Vic)
- God(ess) - ra, pan, ea, ka, el, zu, al, sin, abu, bel, aya, sri, uma, vac, ran
- Gold - or, au (See Periodic Table for
more chemical symbols)
- Gong - (See Medal)
- Good man - (See Saint)
- Graduate - mark (See Degree)
- Greek - gr (see
Greek Alphabet for letter names)
- Heather - ling, erica
- Hesitate - er, em
- Hill - tor
- Honour - obe, vc, gc (See Medal)
- Hospital - h, ward, wing
- Hotel - h, inn
- House - ho
- I am - im, ego
- Information - gen, data
- In this way - (See Thus)
- Island - is, isle, man, wight
- Italian river - po, tiber
- Job - post, role
- Journalist - ed, rep, pen
- King - gr, r, k
- Kiss - x
- Knowledge - ken, gen, data
- Large - l, big, (See Very Large)
- Last month - ult, dec
- Lawyer - (See Attorney)
- Learner - (See Beginner)
- Left - l, lt, lab, red
- Like - as, so
- Line(s) - l (See Railway)
- Listener - ear, bug, mic
- Lock - tress
- Long way - far, mile
- Look - lo, eye
- Loud, very loud f, ff
- Love - (See Duck)
- Lower - l, cow
- Man - he, him, chap, gent (sometimes an actual mans name e.g. Adam)
- Manage(d) - run (ran)
- Many - lot(s), L, C, D, M (usually large Roman Numeral)
- Mark - scar, spot
- Master - ma, boss, stud
- Match - pair, tie, test, game
- Medal - om, gong, vc, obe, gc
- Melody, simple tune - air
- Member - mp, arm, leg, om
- Middle English - me, l, gli
- Midnight - m, g (See Heads and Tails convention)
- Minister - tend, care, nurse, rn, fr, preist
- Morning - am, dawn
- Mother - ma, dam, mum, mam
- Motorway - m, mi, ms, mis, mw, my, hw, hy
- National Trust - nt, bond
- Navy - rn
- Neither - nor
- Nil - (See Duck)
- No longer - ex, late
- Non-drinker - tt
- Noon - n
- Notice - see, spot, sign (see advert)
- Notes - a, b, c, d, e, f, g, h, do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, cash, wad, nbs
- Now - ad
- Number(s) - no(s), one (See
Roman Numerals)
- Nurse - tend, care, rn
- Old boy - ob, wet
- Old city - ur, troy
- Old English - oe
- Old lady - (See Mother)
- Old man - gramps, oap (See Father)
- Once - (See No longer)
- One - a, I, ae
- Others - rest
- Out - b, c, ct, s, st, ro, lbw, nin (most often used as an anagram indicator)
- Party - do, lab, con, tory, lib, dem, rep
- Pass (mountain pass) - col
- Penny - d, p, cu
- People - men, group, race
- Perform - act, do, show
- Point - (See Direction)
- Position - site, place, plot, put, leg, mid on, silly, point, slip, cover, scrum, back
- Pound - l, lb, p
- Priest - fr, eli, pr, dd
- Quarter - ne, nw, se, sw, n, e, s, w
- Queen - er, vr
- Quiet, very quiet - p, pp
- Railway - ry, rly, rw, track
- Rascal - scamp, imp
- Record - log, lp, ep, diary, rec
- Redhead - r (See Heads and Tails convention)
- Reporter - (See Journalist)
- Right - r, rt, con, tory, blue
- Ring - call, bell, peal, band (See Duck)
- River - r (can also be a river's name e.g. ure, dee avon etc. - see
list of Rivers, though usually a GB river)
- Round - o (see Ring) (See also the
Anagram convention)
- Rugby - ru, rl
- Run - r
- Russian - r, (See Communist)
- Sailor - ab, tar, rn, salt, jack, rum, cap
- Saint - st
- Salesman - rep
- Scot (~sman) - ian
- Sea - main
- Second - s, b
- Secretary - pa
- Setter - i, me, dog
- Short measure - gill, en
- Sick - ill, ail
- Side - l, r, on, off, leg
- Silver - ag (See Periodic Table for
more chemical symbols)
- Skinhead - s (See Heads and Tails convention)
- Small - s, tiny, atom, ion, bit
- Socialist - s (See Communist)
- Soldier - re, ra, gi, rm, sas
- Solver - you, me, i
- Standard - norm, par, bar
- State - aver, gas, solid (see
US State
abbreviations for more - e.g. Virginia - VA)
- Still - yet
- Student - l, nus
- Study - con, den, gen, ken
- Support - bra, fan, tee
- Tea - cha
- Teacher - sir, nut, miss
- Ten - x, io
- Theologian - dd
- That is - ie
- This month - inst
- Those people - them
- Thousand - k, m (See
Roman Numerals)
- Thus - so
- Time - t, min, s, m, mo, age, eon
- Trendy - (See Fashionable)
- Turn - u, l, r (usually, however, indicates anagram)
- University - u, uni
- Unknown - x, anon, y
- Upper - u, pill
- Upper Class - u, snob
- Us - we (interchangeable)
- Very large - os, xl
- Victory - v, win, beat
- Way - st, rd
- We - us
- Weapon(s) - arm(s), gun(s)
- Woman - her, she, lady, maid (sometimes an actual womans name e.g. Ann, Vic, Beth, Sal)
- Work, Works - op, opus, ops, on, do(es), act(s)
- Worker - ant, bee, doer
- Writer - pen, ed
- Wrong - tort
- Yours truly - me
- Zero - (See Duck)
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