# british crosswords

**URL:** <https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-crosswords/111831>\
**Category:** Cafe Society\
**Created:** [June 1, 2002, 2:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-crosswords/111831 "2002-06-01T02:40:11Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 9\
**Page:** 2

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\
**Post date:** [June 2, 2002, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-crosswords/111831/21 "2002-06-02T23:13:23Z")

</div>

Scrambled eggs. Easy.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![tetsusaru](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/f14d63/32.png) [@tetsusaru](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tetsusaru)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 1:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-crosswords/111831/22 "2002-06-03T01:01:54Z")

</div>

Diva?  
A  
U  
K  
S

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Biotop](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biotop/32/321_2.png) [@Biotop](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biotop)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 3:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-crosswords/111831/23 "2002-06-03T03:30:39Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by tetsusaru \*  
> \*\*Diva?  
> A  
> U  
> K  
> S \*\*

Never mind. You don’t want to know.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![nineiron](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/e56c9b/32.png) [@nineiron](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/nineiron)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 10:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-crosswords/111831/24 "2002-06-03T10:41:25Z")

</div>

> [@](#):
>
> \*Originally posted by tetsusaru \*  
> \*\*
> 
> A  
> U  
> K  
> S \*\*

I must admit I don’t get this. Maybe the cryptic crosswords would be too much for my simple mind, and I should stick to the American kind.

🙂

Hmm. “Auks” I get, but I’m surely missing the other part.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 10:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-crosswords/111831/25 "2002-06-03T10:50:35Z")

</div>

The clue was **birds up, birds down**. Auk and skua are both types of bird.

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-crosswords/111831/26 "2002-06-03T13:53:57Z")

</div>

Circular route to bed ? (6, 9)

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![Crusoe](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/49beb7/32.png) [@Crusoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crusoe)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-crosswords/111831/27 "2002-06-03T13:58:29Z")

</div>

Hmm. Something roundabout?

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![London\_Calling](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/49beb7/32.png) [@London\_Calling](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/London_Calling)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-crosswords/111831/28 "2002-06-03T14:01:19Z")

</div>

Keep thinking…😃

I’m off now. See if you get it by tomorrow…

---

<div class="post-metadata">

**Author:** ![N9IWP](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/n9iwp/32/3154_2.png) [@N9IWP](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/N9IWP)\
**Post date:** [June 3, 2002, 4:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-crosswords/111831/29 "2002-06-03T16:48:08Z")

</div>

I understood the bird one (not that I would think of it), But I do not understand the electioneering one at all.

Maybe If knew the “rules” I would do better, but I think crypic crosswords are not for me. (I will read the link, it looks helpful)

Speaking of rules, here is one crossword that STILL irks me (years later)

```auto

HILL
200#
ONO#

```

(the #s are black squares)

Now, I will grant the “2”, since it is used in both directions, (even tho typically you don’t see numbers (or hypens) in crossword puzzles). But the zero/oh thing bothers me. If a symbol is used one way for across, it should be the same symbol for down, darn it! \<insert rant suitable for the pit\>

Brian

[Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/british-crosswords/111831.md?page=1)