# Words I've only ever used in crossword puzzles **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [July 11, 2007, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435 "2007-07-11T23:32:07Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [July 11, 2007, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/1 "2007-07-11T23:32:07Z")
. . . Well, at least up until now. [ul] [li]Adit[/li][li]Anil[/li][li]Esne[/li][li]Etui[/li][li]Olio[/li][li]Raree[/li][li]Seraglio[/li][/ul] ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/2 "2007-07-12T00:47:48Z")
Sere. (Though I actually heard it used in an NPR report the other day. (When I saw your question on the list, my first thought was, “Mine Entrance!” (Adit) ---
**Author:** ![hermann](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b487fb/32.png) [@hermann](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hermann)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 1:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/3 "2007-07-12T01:11:21Z")
Olla Rue Irk Ria Eton ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 1:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/4 "2007-07-12T01:13:16Z")
Nene! Also Oona, although that’s a name. ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 1:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/5 "2007-07-12T01:30:48Z")
Isn’t it _oleo_? ---
**Author:** ![postcards](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/8e8cbc/32.png) [@postcards](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/postcards)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 1:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/6 "2007-07-12T01:54:02Z")
[QUOTE=LunaV] Isn’t it _oleo_? [/QUOTE] that’s margarine. Olio is a mixture, an assortment, a jumble of many things. Not too common, considering the board’s spellcheck has it underlined in red… ---
**Author:** ![Askance](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/askance/32/8281_2.png) [@Askance](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Askance)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 4:23am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/7 "2007-07-12T04:23:24Z")
I know there are more but this is all I can think of right now: Lisle - a kind of fabric Erne - a sea eagle Sere - austere Rurideconal - Of or pertaining to a rural dean - only ever used once in the history of English, in **James Joyce** ’s _Ulysses_ I believe, until this damned crossword. Luckily it was an anagram clue so possible to work out. ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/8 "2007-07-12T04:39:14Z")
Then again, I read somewhere long ago that a TRULY good crossword constructor avoids those kinds of words if at all possible, because (s)he KNOWS that only crossword fanatics would know them. But I guess that if it’s a choice between using one of those words, and messing up an otherwise elegant puzzle, the choice seems clear. ---
**Author:** ![Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/df705f/32.png) [@Full\_Metal\_Lotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Full_Metal_Lotus)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/9 "2007-07-12T04:51:09Z")
Some of these I have used in scrabble, but never in conversation (unless it was about a scrabble word during a game) Twee: Artificail cultural or artistic value, often applied to antiquities Alee: Leaning against Aper: Archaic, “regarding an amount” Aa: Molten rock, lava Smit: A small, airbourne piece of soot Clidal: A special type of horse shoe nail regards FML ---
**Author:** ![Beware\_of\_Doug](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/278dde/32.png) [@Beware\_of\_Doug](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beware_of_Doug)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 5:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/10 "2007-07-12T05:07:47Z")
Asea (at sea). I don’t think I’ve ever even heard it in a sailor’s chantey. ---
**Author:** ![treis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/bc79bd/32.png) [@treis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/treis)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 5:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/11 "2007-07-12T05:24:51Z")
Epee ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 5:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/12 "2007-07-12T05:48:08Z")
Sten (an old British gun) seems exceptionally attractive to crossword puzzle designers. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/13 "2007-07-12T11:54:11Z")
[QUOTE=Leaper] Then again, I read somewhere long ago that a TRULY good crossword constructor avoids those kinds of words if at all possible, because (s)he KNOWS that only crossword fanatics would know them. But I guess that if it’s a choice between using one of those words, and messing up an otherwise elegant puzzle, the choice seems clear. [/QUOTE] The first half of your post is correct; the second is incorrect. A good constructor will rip out and redo as much as possible to get rid of this crap. Crosswordese is just lazy construction. My contribution:\*\* anoa\*\* twicks, former xw editor ---
**Author:** ![Lionne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/8e8cbc/32.png) [@Lionne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lionne)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/14 "2007-07-12T13:35:07Z")
[QUOTE=twickster] A good constructor will rip out and redo as much as possible to get rid of this crap. [/QUOTE] Why do I find this so appealing? ---
**Author:** ![rucciface](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ba9def/32.png) [@rucciface](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rucciface)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 1:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/15 "2007-07-12T13:45:58Z")
Tet: a Vietnamese holiday ---
**Author:** ![Great\_Dave](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/46a35a/32.png) [@Great\_Dave](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Great_Dave)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 3:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/16 "2007-07-12T15:57:33Z")
Cwm: glacial valley Erg: unit of energy ---
**Author:** ![Spoons](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spoons/32/3141_2.png) [@Spoons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spoons)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/17 "2007-07-12T16:16:34Z")
Fast flier: SST With “out,” just get by: EKE Ano start: ENERO (sorry, I cannot get the tilde above the “n” in “Ano.”) Paris summer: ETE (an even sneakier clue is “Nice summer.”) I know that ENERO and ETE are likely often used in the daily life of Spanish and French speakers, respectively. But in the spirit of the OP, I must admit that I have no cause to use these words in my everyday English-speaking life. ---
**Author:** ![August\_West](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/august_west/32/18069_2.png) [@August\_West](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/August_West)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/18 "2007-07-12T18:23:09Z")
“Lea” - for meadow or pasture or the like And 2 church related ones “nave” and “apse” ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 6:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/19 "2007-07-12T18:27:45Z")
**twickster** , I’m curious what someone in the business would think of [Wordplay](http://imdb.com/title/tt0492506/). I was surprised that a movie about crossword puzzles and crossword aficianados could be so fascinating. ---
**Author:** ![Trunk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/87869e/32.png) [@Trunk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Trunk)\ **Post date:** [July 12, 2007, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435/20 "2007-07-12T18:33:18Z")
[QUOTE=Full Metal Lotus] Some of these I have used in scrabble, but never in conversation (unless it was about a scrabble word during a game) Twee: Artificail cultural or artistic value, often applied to antiquities Alee: Leaning against Aper: Archaic, “regarding an amount” Aa: Molten rock, lava Smit: A small, airbourne piece of soot Clidal: A special type of horse shoe nail regards FML [/QUOTE] alee doesn’t mean leaning against. It means towards the leeward side of whatever. and, it’s an odd puzzle that features ‘aa’ > [@Askance](#): > > Sere - austere Sere means arid. My contributions: ogee – a type of molding oast – a kiln used in beer making. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/words-ive-only-ever-used-in-crossword-puzzles/411435.md?page=2)