| A.....HIGH GRADE, ARTICLE, ACROSS, ACE, ANSWER AB.....ALBERTA ACE.....PILOT, PRO, CARD, FACE CARD ACT.....PORTRAY, DEED, ROUTINE, TAKE PART IN PLAY, BE DRAMATIC, PRETENSE AD.....ADVERTISEMENT, ANNO DOMINI ADD.....TOTAL, ATTENTION DEFICIT DISORDER ADO.....FUSS AG.....SILVER AGE.....MATURE, DEVELOP, TIME, ERA, PERIOD AIL.....HURT, SUFFER AK.....ALASKA AL.....ALABAMA, ALUMINUM AM.....MORNING AN.....ARTICLE ANT.....WORKER, INSECT APE.....IMITATE, COPY AR.....ARKANSAS AS.....ARSENIC, LIKE ASS.....FOOL AU.....GOLD AVE.....AVENUE, STREET, ROAD, ROADWAY AZ.....ARIZONA BA.....DEGREE, BACHELOR, BACHELOR OF ARTS BB.....PELLET, SHOT, BALL BEARING BC.....BEFORE CHRIST, BRITISH COLUMBIA C.....HUNDRED, AVERAGE GRADE, CARBON, COLD, CENTURY CA.....CIRCA, AROUND, CALIFORNIA, ACCOUNTANT, CHARTERED ACCOUNTANT, CANADA CAN.....TIN, CONTAINER, IS ABLE TO CD.....COMPACT DISC, ALBUM, CADMIUM CHI.....GREEK LETTER CIA.....US AGENCY CO.....COLORADO, COMPANY, COMMANDING OFFICER, COBALT CON.....AGAINST, ANTI, FOOL, PRISONER, CRIMINAL, INMATE CR.....CHROMIUM CT.....CONNECTICUT, CENTRAL TIME, COMPUTERIZED TOMOGRAPHY, TYPE OF SCAN CU.....COPPER D.....DIED, LOW GRADE, DOWN, FIVE HUNDRED DAD.....FATHER DE.....FROM FRENCH, DELAWARE DEM.....DEMOCRAT DEN.....ROOM, LAIR DES.....FROM FRENCH DO.....CREATE, PERFORM, PARTY, HAIRSTYLE DOE.....DEER, FEMALE DEER DR.....DOCTOR, PHYSICIAN DU.....FROM FRENCH E.....ENERGY, ECSTASY (DRUG), EAST, EASTERN ED.....EDITOR EG.....EXAMPLE, FOR EXAMPLE EL.....THE SPANISH, ELEVATED TRAIN ELL.....WING, BUILDING EXTENSION ENG.....ENGLISH, ELECTRONIC NEWS GATHERING EON.....LONG TIME, AGES, PERIOD EP.....EXTENDED PLAY, RECORD, DISC ER.....THE QUEEN, EMERGENCY ROOM ERA.....TIME, AGE, PERIOD, EQUAL RIGHTS AMENDMENT |
| ERR.....MAKE A MISTAKE ESP.....PSYCHIC ABILITY ET.....ALIEN, EXTRATERRESTRIAL, EASTERN TIME ETA.....ESTIMATED TIME OF ARRIVAL, GREEK LETTER EX.....FORMER SPOUSE, FORMER F.....FAILING GRADE, FALSE, FEMALE FE.....IRON FL.....FLORIDA FR.....FRENCH FRI.....FRIDAY FT.....FULL TIME , FORT, FOOT, FEET G.....THOUSAND, GRAND, GRAVITY GA.....GEORGIA GE.....ELECTRIC COMPANY H.....HYDROGEN, HOT HA.....LAUGH HAB.....CANADIEN, MONTREAL HOCKEY PLAYER HE.....MAN, HIM, MALE, HELIUM HER.....WOMAN, SHE, FEMALE HG.....MERCURY HI.....HELLO, GREETING, HAWAII HIM.....MAN, HE, MALE HO.....LAUGH HP.....STEAK SAUCE, HORSEPOWER HR.....HOUR, HUMAN RESOURCES I.....NARRATOR, ME, MYSELF, IODINE, ONE IA.....IOWA ID.....IDENTIFY, IDENTIFICATION, IDAHO, I HAD, I WOULD IE.....THAT IS, THAT IS TO SAY IL.....ILLINOIS, THE ITALIAN, MAN IN FRANCE, FRENCH MAN ILL.....SICK, I WILL IMP.....DEVIL, PIXIE, ELF, MISCHIEF-MAKER IN.....FASHIONABLE, INDIANA, INSIDE INK.....WRITING MATERIAL ION.....CHARGED ITEM, PARTICLE, NEGATIVE ITEM, ATOM, GROUP OF ATOMS IOU.....DEBT IRA.....IRISH REPUBLICAN ARMY IRE.....ANGER, RAGE IRK.....BOTHER, ANNOY IV.....NEEDLE, SYRINGE, INTRAVENOUS J.....JACK K.....THOUSAND, GRAND, POTASSIUM, KING KS.....KANSAS KY.....KENTUCKY L.....LEFT, FIFTY, LARGE LA.....THE FRENCH, THE SPANISH, LOS ANGELES, LOUISIANA LB.....POUND LE.....THE FRENCH LES.....THE FRENCH LP.....RECORD, DISC, VINYL M.....THOUSAND, GRAND, MEDIUM, MALE MA.....MASTER, DEGREE, MASSACHUSSETTS, MOTHER MAN.....MALE, GUY, OPERATE, HUMANKIND MB.....MANITOBA MC.....MASTER OF CEREMONIES, HOST MD.....DOCTOR, PHYSICIAN, MARYLAND |
| *****LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS***** |
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| Many solvers have written to me, asking if I have a list of abbreviations commonly used in cryptics. Until now, the only list I kept was in my head! I thought it would be fun to organize these short words and acronyms, as well as the solutions (or parts thereof) they can indicate. This is by no means a complete list of all cryptic abbreviations, just the ones I use most often. I will add new abbreviations as I remember them, but I hope this list helps for now! |
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