Checking the crossers of these answers can assist in verifying if the ending applies. For instance, if both the across and down clue is plural for two answers which cross on the last letter, chances are that letter is ‘S’. Foreign words will be flagged directly, “Friend: Fr.” = AMI or indirectly, “Friend, in France”. Abbreviated answers are indicated directly, “Whistlestop (Abbr.)” = STA or indirectly with an abbreviated word as part of the clue, “RR stop” = STA. These cluing conventions are the accepted norm for American-style puzzles. That’s the way solvers become great solvers. They learn it and commit it to memory. Do trivia quiz puzzles and remember the facts. Memorize the crosswordese. Learn international, national, and state capitals, major rivers, mountains, continents, seas, oceans, and world currencies. All that memorizing and recalling is good for the brain. So do yourself a favor. Start solving some crossword puzzles now.
