Crossword abbreviations


s often use abbreviations to clue individual letters or short fragments of the overall solution. These include:
  • Any conventional abbreviations found in a standard dictionary, such as:
  • * "current": AC ; less commonly, DC ; or even I
  • 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., W for tungsten
  • The days of the week; e.g., TH for Thursday
  • Country codes; e.g., "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
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, or RE.
  • "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
  • "Books" for OT or NT, as in Old Testament or New Testament.
  • "Sailor" for AB, abbreviation of able seaman.
  • "Take" for R, abbreviation of the Latin word recipe, meaning "take".
Most abbreviations can be found in the Chambers Dictionary as this is the dictionary primarily used by crossword setters. However, some abbreviations may be found in other dictionaries, such as the Collins English Dictionary and Oxford English Dictionary.

A

  • Aboard – SS, or a word inside the letters SS
  • About – C or CA or RE
  • Abstainer – TT
  • Academic – DD or PROF
  • Acceleration – G
  • Accepted – A
  • Account – AC
  • Accountant – CA
  • Ace – A or AI
  • Advert – AD
  • African organisation – ANC
  • Afternoon – PM
  • Against – V or VS
  • Agent – REP
  • Agricultural – AG
  • Air conditioning – AC
  • Airman – AC, LAC or PO
  • Airmen – RAF
  • Alien – ET
  • Also known as – AKA
  • Aluminium – AL
  • Alumnus – OB or OG
  • Ambassador – HE
  • America – A, AM, US or USA
  • American – GI
  • American ship – USS
  • Amnesty – AI
  • Anglican – CE
  • Answer – A
  • Arbiter – REF
  • Archdeacon – VEN
  • Area – A
  • Army cop – MP
  • Army corps – REME or RE
  • Arsenic – AS
  • Article - A, AN or THE
  • Artificial intelligence – AI
  • Artillery – RA
  • Artist – RA
  • At – A
  • At home – IN
  • Atmosphere – AT
  • Attorney – DA or PA
  • Australia – A, AUS or OZ
  • Avenue – AVE
  • Award – OM

    B

  • Bachelor of Arts – BA
  • Bachelor of Medicine – BM, MB
  • Base – E or TEN
  • Basque nationalists – ETA
  • Bearing – N, E, S, W, NE, NW, etc.
  • Beginner – L
  • Bend – S or U
  • Bible – AV
  • Bill – AC, IOU, TAB
  • Bishop – B or RR or DD
  • Boat – SS
  • Bob – S
  • Book – B, NT, OT, MS, GEN, AV
  • Bowled – B
  • Boy – B
  • Bridge player – N, E, S, W
  • British – B
  • Broadcaster – BBC
  • By – X
  • Byte – B

    C

  • Calcium – CA
  • California – CA
  • Cape – C
  • Car – T, RR
  • Cardinal – N, E, S, W, RED
  • Care of – CO
  • Caught – C or CT
  • Celsius – C
  • Cent – C
  • Centigrade – C
  • Century – C
  • Certificate – X, U, PG, R, G
  • Champion – CH
  • Charge – Q
  • Charged – ION
  • Charlie – C
  • Chartered accountant – CA
  • Check or Checkmark – V
  • Chief – CH
  • Chlorine – CL
  • Chromosome – X or Y
  • Church – CH or CE or RC
  • Circa – C
  • Circle – O
  • City – NY, LA, or EC
  • Closed - TO
  • Club – Y
  • Coin – P, D or C – D or C would usually have "old" or "American" as well as "coin".
  • College – C
  • Cold – C
  • Colonel – COL
  • Colt – C
  • Commander-In-Chief – CINC, CIC
  • Commercial – AD
  • Committee – COM
  • Communist – RED, CHE
  • Companion – CH
  • Company – CO
  • Compare – CF
  • Compass point – N, E, S, W
  • Computer – PC
  • Concerning – RE
  • Conservationists – NT
  • Conservative – C, CON, TORY, BLUE
  • Constable – PC
  • Constant – E, PI, K, C or G
  • Contralto – C
  • Copper – P, D, CU, PC
  • Corner –.SE, NW, NE, SW
  • Councillor – CL, CLR, CLLR
  • Court – CT
  • Credit – CR
  • Criminal – CON
  • Cross – X
  • Current – AC, DC, I, AD or AMP
  • Current account – CA
  • Cystic fibrosis – CF

    D

  • Date – D
  • Daughter – D
  • Dead or Died – D, DEC, EX, OB
  • Debts – IOUS
  • Deceased – D, DEC, EX
  • Decoration – VC, GC, MM
  • Degree – DEG, C, F, BA, MA.
  • Democrat – D
  • Departs – D
  • Detective – DC, DS, DI or PI
  • Detective inspector – DI
  • Detectives – CID, YARD
  • Deutschmark – DM
  • Dial - O
  • Dictionary - OED
  • Dinner jacket – DJ
  • Direction – N, E, S, W
  • Director – D
  • Disc – O, EP, LP, CD
  • Disease – TB, ME
  • Doctor – DOC, BM, MB, MD, MO, NO, GP, DR, WHO
  • Doctor of Divinity – DD
  • Donut – O
  • Drama – NOH
  • Drama Company – REP
  • Drip – IV
  • Drug – C, E, X or H
  • Drunk/Drunkard - sot
  • Dry – TT or AA
  • Duck – O
  • Ducks – OO
  • Duke – D

    E

  • Each – EA
  • Earl – E
  • East – E
  • East Germany – GDR
  • Echo – E
  • Economists – LSE
  • Ecstasy – E or X
  • Editor – ED
  • Egg – O
  • Elected – IN
  • Electricity – AC, DC
  • Eleven – II, or XI
  • End of war – VE
  • Energy – E, J
  • Engagement - GIG
  • Engineer – CE, RE, REME or ME
  • English – E, EN, ENG
  • Escape – ESC
  • Established – EST
  • Estimated time of arrival – ETA
  • Europe – EU, EC
  • European - E
  • Everyone - U
  • Excellent – AI
  • Exercise – PE, PT, TRAIN
  • Extra – W
  • Extra large – XL
  • Extra terrestrial – ET

    F

  • Fahrenheit – F
  • Father – DA, DAD, FR, PA
  • Fellow – F
  • Female – F
  • Fifty – L
  • Fighter – MIG
  • Fine – F
  • Firm – CO
  • Fish - Ling
  • Five – V
  • Five hundred – D
  • Fleet – RN
  • Fliers – RAF
  • Flying bomb – VI
  • Following – F
  • Football association – FA
  • Football club – FC
  • For example – EG
  • Force – F, G, N
  • Former – EX
  • Four – IV
  • France – F
  • Frenchman – M
  • Friend - PAL

    G

  • Game – RU
  • Gangster/gang leader – AL
  • Gas – H, O, N, CS
  • Genetic code – DNA or RNA
  • Georgia - GA
  • German submarine – U
  • Germany – GER, D
  • Glasses – OO
  • Gold – AU, OR
  • Good – PI
  • Good Man – S or ST
  • Graduate – BA, MA, BED
  • Gram – G
  • Grand – G, M, K
  • Grand prix – GP
  • Group – GP
  • Grunt – GI
  • Gunners/Gunmen – RA
  • Gym – PE or PT

    H

  • Hand – N, E, S, W or L, R
  • Hard – H
  • Hear – T
  • Hectare – HA
  • Helium – HE
  • Henry – H
  • Heroin – H
  • Hesitation – ER
  • Hire purchase – HP
  • Hole – O
  • Holy man – ST
  • Home - IN
  • Home counties – SE
  • Honour – A, J, Q, K
  • Honours – BA or MA
  • Horse – G, GG, H
  • Hospital – H, SAN
  • Hospital Department – AE, ENT
  • Hour – H, HR
  • House – HO
  • Houses of Parliament – HP
  • Hug - O
  • Hundred – C, TON
  • Husband – H
  • Hydrogen – H

    I

  • Iceland – IS
  • Image – PIC
  • Inch – IN
  • Independent – I or IND
  • Information technology – IT
  • Initials – inits.
  • Inspector – DI
  • Intelligence – IQ
  • Internet/internet provider – ISP
  • Iodine – I
  • Ireland – IRE
  • Irish Republican Army – IRA
  • Iron – FE
  • Island – IS or I
  • Israel - IL
  • Isle of Man – IOM

    J

  • Jack – J, TAR, AB
  • Jet – MIG
  • Jolly – RM
  • Journalist – ED
  • Judge – J, REF
  • Junction – T
  • Junior – JR
  • Japan – YEN

    K

  • Kelvin – K
  • Kentucky – KY
  • Key – A, B, C, D, E, F or G, ALT, ESC, DEL
  • Kick off – KO
  • Kilo – K
  • King – K, R, HM, or GR, or CR. Also BB
  • Kiss – X
  • Knave – J
  • Knight – K, KT, KBE or KG or N
  • Knock out – KO
  • Knot – KT

    L

  • Labour – LAB
  • Lake – L or LA
  • Landlord - LETTER
  • Large – L, OS
  • Large number – C, D, M or K
  • Last – Z
  • Last month – ULT
  • Latin – L or LAT
  • Lawrence – DH or TE
  • Lawyer – DA
  • Lead – PB
  • Learner – L
  • Lecturer – L
  • Left – L
  • Leg – ON
  • Liberal – L or LIB
  • Lieutenant – LT
  • Line – L
  • Lines – LL, RY, BR
  • Literary/Literature – LIT
  • Litre – L
  • local – PH or PUB
  • Local area network – LAN
  • London Philharmonic Orchestra – LPO
  • London police – MET
  • Long playing record – LP
  • Long wave – LW
  • Look – LO
  • Lord – LD
  • Los Angeles – LA
  • Loud – F or FF
  • Love – O

    M

  • Madame – MME
  • Maiden – M
  • Male – M, HE or PA
  • Manager – MIC
  • Many – Any Roman numeral of considerable size
  • Map-makers – OS
  • Marines – RM
  • Married – M
  • Master – M
  • Master of Arts – MA
  • Master of ceremonies – MC
  • Master's – MA
  • Medal – VC, GC, OBE, OM
  • Medic – DOC, BM, MB, MD, MO, GP, DR
  • Mediterranean Sea – MED
  • Mega – M
  • Megabyte – MB
  • Member – MP, ARM, LEG, words for male genitals
  • Member of Parliament – MP
  • Men – OR
  • Messerschmitt – ME
  • Metre – M
  • Middle East – ME
  • Midfielder – L
  • Military Police – MP
  • Million – M
  • Miners – NUM
  • Minister - MP, Rev
  • Ministry of Defence – MOD
  • Minute – M
  • Model – T
  • Monarch – CR, ER, GR, Q, K or R
  • Monsieur – M
  • Morning or Half Day – AM
  • Mother – MA
  • Motor racing – FI
  • Motorists – AA, RAC
  • Motorway – M or MI
  • Murderer - CAIN
  • Museum - VA

    N

  • Namely – SC, SS, alternative to IE
  • National Trust – NT
  • Navy – RN, ABS or TARS
  • Nazis – SS
  • Neon – NE
  • Never-never – HP
  • New – N
  • New Testament – NT
  • News – NN
  • Newspaper – RAG, FT
  • Newton – N
  • Nil – O
  • Nitrogen – N
  • No – N or X
  • No ball – NB
  • Noon – M, N
  • North – N
  • Not applicable – NA
  • Note – NB, PS or A, B, C, D, E, F, G or DO, RE, MI, FA, SO/SOH, LA, TE/TI. LA is most commonly referenced.
  • Nothing – O, FA
  • Notice – D
  • Now – AD
  • Number – NO, V, X, C, D, M, L
  • Nurse – EN, SEN or RN