The Hindu Crossword Puzzles-2008
Hi friends!
Time to open a new thread after successfully completing hundred and odd pages of happy crossward solving. 'Men may come and men go; but I go on forever'- like that for the past few years very excellent veteran cruciverbalists made the thread sparkle with their brilliant intelligence & vanished suddenly filling me with longing & nostalgia. Providence has been kind to me & has sent new equally smart stalwarts who are making the thread an examplary one for enjoying a very pleasurable game of mental vigour which is a definite addiction to its fans. May the good times continue forever! Amen!
Today's crossword puzzle can be accessed as follows:
1. go to http://www.thehindu.com/
2. Click on 'Miscellaneous' on the left menu
As a guide for quick reference I post here some old posts by former friends:
Favourite sources of abbreviations include:
Books of the bible: eg IS or ISA (Isaiah), MIC (Micah)
Bridge players: so, 'partners' might be NS or EW and 'opponents' might be NE, SW, etc
Chemical elements: eg AG (silver), AU (gold), CU (copper), W (tungsten)
Chess notation: B, K, N, Q, R, X
Directions: L, R or E, N, S, W (and compounds). Also note that the compass points are sometimes described as quarter points or cardinal points
Military terminology: eg COL, GEN, GI, IC, LT, OC, OR, RA, RE, TA. Often clued as 'soldiers', 'officer' or similar
Musical notes: either as a single letter (D, E, G) or as a phonetic note (DO, RE, MI)
Roman numerals: D, I, L, M, V, X. Often clued as 'lots', 'a number' or the specific numeral
Measurement prefixes: eg K, M.
This table lists some other useful abbreviations and obscure definitions. Abbreviations covered above are not listed again unless there is another meaning of the same word.
Clue Word Possible interpretations
Appeal IT
Bishop B, RR (Right Reverend) Book B, VOL, any book of the BibleBooks NT, OT
Drug ACID, E, H, HORSE, sometimes even a 'real' drug name (eg ASPIRIN)!
Enemy DEATH
Friend ALLY, CHINA (from the rhyming slang), MATE, PAL
Italian IT (from Italian Vermouth in 'Gin and It')
Jack HANGMAN (after a famous executioner, Jack Ketch), J, KETCH (goes particulartly well with 'sailor'), see 'Sailor'
King COLE, ER, GR, K, LEAR, R
Learn CON
Lights LUNGS, WINDOWS, crossword answers (so, may be self-referencing)
Line(s) L, RY (railway), RWY
Love O (from 'love' meaning zero and the shape)
New N, signpost for anagram
Old O
Peter SAFE (a well-known brand name has become a slang word for safe)
Queen ER, Q, R
Sailor AB, JACK, TAR
See Remember that it can mean 'BISHOPRIC' (ELY most commonly used), signpost for extraction
Ship SS
Short time M, MIN, MO, S, SEC, T, TIM (ie 'time' shortened)
Smell HUM
Time H, HR, M, MIN, S, SEC, T
Union MARRIAGE, NUR, NUT
Volunteers TA
Way AVE, RD, ST, any direction
soldier-GI(government issue)
sailor-AB(able bodied)
worker-ant/bee/hand
expert -ace
advertisement-ad(simple!)
article-a/an/the
account-ac
before-ere
silver-ag
sodium-na...
gold-au(can also be or)
when-as
fool-ass
snake-asp...
street-st,ave(avenue)
road-rd
fear-awe
degree-BA
master,scholar-MA
accountant-CA
cot-bed
cold-c
about-Re(regarding)
C(circa)
able-can
old girl-MA(mother)
piano-p
attorney/advocate-DA(district attorney)
with-and
when-as
debt-IOU
editor-ed
doctor-doc,dr,mb,mo(medical officer)
dog-cur(could be any breed)
the French-la,le
of French-de
flap-ear
applaud-clap
rodent-rat
deserter-rat
sailor-ab,tar,jack
ship-ss(steem ship)
i have-ive(i've)
i am-im
author-i/me
breather- nose, lungs
listener- ear
worker- ant, hand
exercise- PE
work, operation- op
princess, lady- Di
queen- ER,Q, R
support(er)- leg, staff, bra
hesitation- er
mistake- err
about- re
again- re
alternate- or
ten-x
fifty- L
hundred- C
large number- L, C,M
gold- au, or
silver- ag
copper- cu
tin- sn
spanish article- el
German- und
Note- do, re, me...
notice- ad, bill
look- lo,see
here- ibid
ditto- do
party- do
sex appeal- it
politician- MP, MLA
gangster- Al(from Al Capone)
that is- ie
artist- ar
Air Force- RAF
navy- rn
professional, expert- pro, ace
drink- ale, lager, beer, port, tea
model- t
love- o
nought- o
direct- go
direction, point- N,E,W,S
pole- N,S
road, way etc- st,rd
labour, group- tu (trade union)
good man, saint- st
sailor- ab, Jack, Tar
ship- ss
short time- M, Min, Mo, s, sec, t ,Tim
union- marriage, nur, nut
volunteers- TA
way- ave, Rd, st
(Forgive repetitions!)
Let us have a great time in this thread!
