Why Are The Grid's Answer Slots Called Lights? (2024)

FAQs

What are the blank squares in a crossword called? ›

Series of white squares into which answers are entered are called lights; the black squares are called darks, blacks, or blocks. All mainstream crossword grids have 180° rotational symmetry, also called two-way symmetry or half-turn symmetry.

As most of you would know, the series of white squares in the crossword grid, into which answers are entered, are called "lights".

Unlike standard or “New York Times-style” crosswords, cryptic crossword clues almost never have a literal meaning. Instead of reading such a clue to determine its answer, you must carefully decode it in order to reveal the answer. Every cryptic clue contains a definition, wordplay, and an indicator term.

A crossword (or crossword puzzle) is a word game consisting of a grid of black and white squares, into which solvers enter words or phrases ("entries") crossing each other horizontally ("across") and vertically ("down") according to a set of clues.

Black - Letters entered in the default pen mode. Gray - Letters entered in pencil mode. Blue - Letters that have been confirmed with Check.

Fill-Ins, also known as Fill-It-Ins or Word Fill-Ins, are a variation of the common crossword puzzle in which words, rather than clues, are given, and the solver must work out where to place them. Fill-Ins are common in puzzle magazines along with word searches, cryptograms, and other logic puzzles.

The shaded squares are used to separate the words or phrases.

The words cross each other, or interlock, which gives the puzzle its name. The first crosswords appeared in England during the 19th century.

In the reversal clue type, a word/phrase is spelt out in reverse to give the solution. The letters to be reversed may be indicated by the wordplay, or may be hidden in the letters of the wordplay. 'crazy' gives MAD, 'get-up' indicates that MAD should be spelt backwards.

The Context of the Crossword

Similarly, some people solve crosswords to learn more about a subject or to improve their English. In these cases, looking up answers helps them to achieve their goal, meaning it's not cheating. Where it gets sticky is when you solve a crossword for personal reasons.

What is the hardest day for crossword puzzles? ›

The crosswords are designed to increase in difficulty throughout the week, with the easiest on Monday and the most difficult on Saturday. The larger Sunday crossword, which appears in The New York Times Magazine, is an icon in American culture; it is typically intended to be as difficult as a Thursday puzzle.

A rebus in a crossword is a specific square in which multiple letters should be input to form part of the solution. For example a player may see squares for 5-letters to be input, but the final square could contain a word or multiple letters instead of just one letter.

Circle-in-the-Square

The letters that will appear in the circles when the Answers are written in spell out words related to the puzzle's theme. the letters in squares that contain circles spell out words related to the theme either when read consecutively or when rearranged to form theme-related words.

By convention (no firm rule on this), clues in square brackets indicate a non-verbal action or a utterance.