# 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:** 4
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 1:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/61 "2015-08-20T01:37:24Z")
> [@brujaja](#): > > The clue was “4, for Be” and the answer was “atno.” I have no idea what either one means. Ran into this in yesterday’s Washington Post puzzle. Is that the one you did? ---
**Author:** ![Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e47c2d/32.png) [@Biffy\_the\_Elephant\_Shrew](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffy_the_Elephant_Shrew)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 5:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/62 "2015-08-20T05:14:02Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > But do you keep your Oreos in an etui? Personally, I prefer an olla, as you can fit more in it. And once the Oreos are gone, you can cook an olio in it. And feed it to an erne or a nene. ---
**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 20, 2015, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/63 "2015-08-20T14:55:10Z")
> [@USCDiver](#): > > My favorite clue was: > > A little lower? > > calf I’ve been staring at this and can’t figure it out. Help? Is there another meaning of the word “lower” I’m missing? ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/64 "2015-08-20T14:57:01Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > I’ve been staring at this and can’t figure it out. Help? Is there another meaning of the word “lower” I’m missing? The sound a cow makes, like “Moo”, is called a ‘low’. ---
**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 20, 2015, 3:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/65 "2015-08-20T15:00:43Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > The sound a cow makes, like “Moo”, is called a ‘low’. Huh. Learn something new every day. I figured it must be something like that, but I’d never heard the word before. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/66 "2015-08-20T15:01:55Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Huh. Learn something new every day. I figured it must be something like that, but I’d never heard the word before. A cow will low in a lea. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/67 "2015-08-20T15:24:22Z")
How familiar are you with Christmas carols? _The cattle are lowing, the poor babe awakes but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes…_ ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 3:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/68 "2015-08-20T15:28:59Z")
> [@pulykamell](#): > > Huh. Learn something new every day. I figured it must be something like that, but I’d never heard the word before. I’ve come across the word in only two situations: a) in crossword puzzles and b) in the lyrics to “Away in the manger”: The cattle are lowing, The Baby awakes. But the little Lord Jesus No crying He makes. ---
**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 20, 2015, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/69 "2015-08-20T15:59:41Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > How familiar are you with Christmas carols? > > _The cattle are lowing, the poor babe awakes > but little Lord Jesus, no crying he makes…_ Apparently not well enough that I actually knew the lyrics past the first verse. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_T](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Gary\_T](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_T)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 4:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/70 "2015-08-20T16:32:04Z")
> [@gnoitall](#): > > Of course it’s not a number. It’s a synonym for the verb “number”. Or a synonym for the noun number. As in something or someone that makes you numb. ---
**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 20, 2015, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/71 "2015-08-20T16:38:02Z")
> [@Gary\_T](#): > > Or a synonym for the noun number. > > As in something or someone that makes you numb. And a flower can either be a plant or a river - something that flows. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/72 "2015-08-20T18:02:08Z")
And while we’re at it, a sewer might convey waste, or might be a tailor or seamstress. ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/73 "2015-08-20T19:38:29Z")
> [@Chronos](#): > > And while we’re at it, a sewer might convey waste, or might be a tailor or seamstress. Or someone who spreads seeds around. Are other languages as weird as English? ---
**Author:** ![biqu](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7feea3/32.png) [@biqu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/biqu)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 7:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/74 "2015-08-20T19:44:07Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > Or someone who spreads seeds around. Wouldn’t that be “sower”? Or is “sewer” an archaic spelling the same way “show” once had “shew” as an alternative spelling? ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 7:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/75 "2015-08-20T19:52:28Z")
> [@biqu](#): > > Wouldn’t that be “sower”? Or is “sewer” an archaic spelling the same way “show” once had “shew” as an alternative spelling? You know, suddenly I’m not sure. Probably should go research it… ---
**Author:** ![Beau\_Nydall](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/ce7236/32.png) [@Beau\_Nydall](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beau_Nydall)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/76 "2015-08-20T20:42:39Z")
These words that are spelled the same but have different meanings, or “homographs”, are a staple of cryptic crossword clues because they lend themselves to misdirection, which is the name of the game in cryptic puzzles, literally. The aforementioned “flower”, in particular, is a red alert that the clue may be about rivers rather than plants. Another couple of examples: Might have debt in Puerto Rico (5) Provide weapon beside church entrance (5) The homographs here are “might” and “entrance”, respectively. ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 9:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/77 "2015-08-20T21:08:33Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > Note that the clue gives Be, the chemical abbreviation for beryllium, rather than spelling it out. That is an indicator that the answer will also be an abbreviation… Another hint is that upper case B and lower case e. Chemical element symbols are always written with the first (or only) letter capitalized, with any other letters, if applicable, in lower case. Historically, there could be at most only one other letter, but recently three-letter symbols have been been assigned to a few of the heaviest known transactinide atoms, e.g. Uup for [Element 116](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ununpentium). ---
**Author:** ![Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spectre_of_pithecanthropus/32/12343_2.png) [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spectre_of_Pithecanthropus)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/78 "2015-08-20T21:17:38Z")
> [@TriPolar](#): > > The one that drove me crazy when I first ran across it was ‘layer’. > > \_\_N > > So simple in the end. This one makes sense to me, in that I know what is meant by “a good layer” despite being utterly without any personal experience in barnyards or in the gathering of eggs. But the one mentioned above about “flowers”? Really? ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/79 "2015-08-20T21:21:21Z")
> [@Spectre\_of\_Pithecanthropus](#): > > But the one mentioned above about “flowers”? Really? Cruciverbalists do take quite a bit of literary license in the clues. The enjoyable part is when you get enough letters going the other direction to figure out the answer, then you’re in on the joke. ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [August 20, 2015, 10:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195/80 "2015-08-20T22:16:51Z")
> [@](#): > > Quoth **Beau Nydall** : > > These words that are spelled the same but have different meanings, or “homographs”, are a staple of cryptic crossword clues because they lend themselves to misdirection, > … > > Provide weapon beside church entrance (5) This one is especially interesting, because you have to use both meanings of “entrance” to construct the answer. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195.md?page=3) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/please-explain-this-crossword-puzzle-answer-to-me/728195.md?page=5)