Chapter 1: Completing the Grid: How to Solve a Crossword 11
Solving analogies
Maybe it has been a while since you took a standardized test, but this type of
clue is something that educators love to include on them. Basically, the puzzle
constructor offers three pieces of information, and you need to fill in the
fourth. The way to do so is to determine the relationship between the first two
pieces of information.
For example, you may see a clue such as “Poodle:Dog as Arabian:__.” The way
to read this clue to yourself is to say “Poodle is to Dog as Arabian is to Blank.”
When you figure out the relationship between “Poodle” and “Dog” (a poodle is
a breed of dog), you can determine that your answer is HORSE.Figuring out abbreviations
Answers can sometimes be abbreviations, and the clues should let you know
that. An obvious way for the puzzle constructor to tip you off is for the clue to
include “Abbr.” For example, the answer to “U.S. central bank: Abbr.” would be
FED (instead of FEDERALRESERVE).
Another way that the puzzle constructor can indicate an abbreviation is
required is by using an abbreviation within the clue itself. For example, in the
sample puzzle shown later in this chapter, the clue for 37 Across is “Hosp.
aides.” The fact that you see “Hosp.” instead of “Hospital” tells you that the
answer will be an abbreviation (RNAS).Speaking a foreign language
Just as the puzzle constructor has to let you know when an answer should be
an abbreviation, he also must let you know if the answer should be in a foreign
language. And as with abbreviations, he has a variety of ways to do so.
If the answer is supposed to be in French, you may see one of the following in
the clue:✓ The tag “(Fr.)”: The answer to “Love (Fr.)” would be AMOUR, for example.
This type of clue is rarely used nowadays.
✓ Where the answer would likely be heard: The answer to the clue “Love in
Paris” would also be AMOUR.
✓ Another word or phrase from the same language: To arrive at AMOUR,
you may see “Love, s’il vous plait,” for example.