# Please explain this crossword puzzle answer to me **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [August 18, 2015, 6:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195 "2015-08-18T18:12:21Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 9:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/21 "2015-08-18T21:38:26Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > **TriPolar** is right, it is quite common. It probably shows up once a week in the Times puzzle. The way the clue is written makes me think it was a Thursday, Friday or Saturday puzzle. > If you do enough of them, you’ll see that the answers are often the same across days, it is the clues that get trickier. There’s no way “atno” comes up once a week. I’ve done several hundred NYTimes puzzles, and if I’ve come across it (and I wouldn’t doubt that I have, just the perpendicular clues had the answer filled in for me) it’s not often enough that it’s ever registered. (ETA: I mean, for “atomic number.” I’m sure I’ve seen it where it’s parsed as the words “AT NO.” But I see now that’s what you meant by the clues. Of course, the fun of a crossword is not the answers, but the creativity in the clues. This is why the New York Times crossword shines.) ---
**Author:** ![Rick\_Kitchen](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rick_kitchen/32/522_2.png) [@Rick\_Kitchen](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rick_Kitchen)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/22 "2015-08-18T21:52:06Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > Well I didn’t catch it. I was looking for some combination of words in there and didn’t try it simply backwards. > > I wonder if this started in a theme puzzle with reverse spellings, or is it some kind of contract joke? “adjusted” ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 10:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/23 "2015-08-18T22:45:19Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > There’s no way “atno” comes up once a week. I’ve done several hundred NYTimes puzzles, and if I’ve come across it (and I wouldn’t doubt that I have, just the perpendicular clues had the answer filled in for me) it’s not often enough that it’s ever registered. (ETA: I mean, for “atomic number.” I’m sure I’ve seen it where it’s parsed as the words “AT NO.” But I see now that’s what you meant by the clues. Of course, the fun of a crossword is not the answers, but the creativity in the clues. This is why the New York Times crossword shines.) I do them every day, and atno as atomic number seemed obvious to me. Maybe once a week is an exaggeration though there are streaks when the same word shows up day after day. I’ve seem atwt also but not nearly as frequently because there is only one vowel. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 10:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/24 "2015-08-18T22:46:57Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > In my experience ATNO is an example of “crosswordese”; words, phrases and abbreviations that are often used in crossword puzzles. For example, crossword puzzle writers are just about the only people who refer to margarine as “oleo.” For us crossworders, Oreos are our favorite cookie. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 10:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/25 "2015-08-18T22:53:49Z")
> [@Voyager](#): > > For us crossworders, Oreos are our favorite cookie. And Asta our favorite dog. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/26 "2015-08-18T23:04:45Z")
And “bunny” is “playboy’s favorite”. I came across that one a great many years ago, when I was rather too young to have ever figured that one out, or even to have understood it when I saw the answer. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 11:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/27 "2015-08-18T23:17:46Z")
I aver that is true. ---
**Author:** ![Andy\_L](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/c67d28/32.png) [@Andy\_L](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Andy_L)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 11:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/28 "2015-08-18T23:20:32Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > And Asta our favorite dog. How do you feel abou epees or Omoo? ---
**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Post date:** [August 18, 2015, 11:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/29 "2015-08-18T23:41:19Z")
I consider myself to be relatively smart, but christ, I am awful at cryptic crosswords. I just don’t have the knack. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/30 "2015-08-19T00:22:17Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > And Asta our favorite dog. Let me fill Asta’s bowl using my ewer. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 12:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/31 "2015-08-19T00:42:45Z")
> [@Malden\_Capell](#): > > I consider myself to be relatively smart, but christ, I am awful at cryptic crosswords. I just don’t have the knack. I never got the knack for them, either. I’ve been through the tutorials of the different types of clues and the words to look out for to clue you in on the type of clue it is, but no luck. I’m lucky if I can get one or two answers in a cryptic. I love my New York Times puzzle, and that’s all I need. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 3:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/32 "2015-08-19T03:55:11Z")
How to make Aunty jaunty. popinjay ---
**Author:** ![Turek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/turek/32/18782_2.png) [@Turek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Turek)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 11:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/33 "2015-08-19T11:38:29Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > FWIW, if I’m not stating the obvious, that’s “Escalator clause” spelled backwards. Bah, no, I totally missed that. I’ve deleted the puzzle, but I don’t remember any other answers being backwards. Thanks everyone. ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 12:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/34 "2015-08-19T12:06:52Z")
Our favorite architect is Eero Saarinen. ---
**Author:** ![Hari\_Seldon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hari_seldon/32/5173_2.png) [@Hari\_Seldon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hari_Seldon)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 12:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/35 "2015-08-19T12:22:24Z")
One of the cleverest clues I have seen was “Arctic birds descending, anarctic bird ascending”. auks. It was a down clue ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 12:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/36 "2015-08-19T12:51:52Z")
OK, that’s clever. Anyone remember the crossword puzzle in the New York Times on election day in 1996? One clue was “Lead story in tomorrow’s paper”. I solved it as “Clinton elected.” But the trick was that it could also have been solved as “Bob Dole elected.” The crossing clues could go either way. One was “black Halloween animal”, and could be either cat or bat. ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/37 "2015-08-19T13:16:03Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > One of the cleverest clues I have seen was “Arctic birds descending, anarctic bird ascending”. > > auks. It was a down clue That’s a great one. My favorite clue was “HIJKLMNO” water - “H to O” ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/38 "2015-08-19T13:51:43Z")
> [@Turek](#): > > Bah, no, I totally missed that. I’ve deleted the puzzle, but I don’t remember any other answers being backwards. Thanks everyone. Ok, then that must just be a quirk of mine. Whenever I see an unusual collection of letters like that, or something that looks like a word but isn’t quite, I read it backwards to see if it makes sense that way. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/39 "2015-08-19T13:53:26Z")
> [@Dewey\_Finn](#): > > OK, that’s clever. Anyone remember the crossword puzzle in the New York Times on election day in 1996? One clue was “Lead story in tomorrow’s paper”. I solved it as “Clinton elected.” But the trick was that it could also have been solved as “Bob Dole elected.” The crossing clues could go either way. One was “black Halloween animal”, and could be either cat or bat. Yeah, that’s a famous one, and the cleverest one I’ve ever seen. [Here’s the grid and the relevant clues](http://www.dailydot.com/lol/clinton-1996-election-nyt-crossword-gif/). Very cool. ---
**Author:** ![Malden\_Capell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/malden_capell/32/5274_2.png) [@Malden\_Capell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malden_Capell)\ **Post date:** [August 19, 2015, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/40 "2015-08-19T13:53:51Z")
> [@Hari\_Seldon](#): > > One of the cleverest clues I have seen was “Arctic birds descending, anarctic bird ascending”. > > auks. It was a down clue You’ll have to explain that one to me 😕 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195.md?page=3)