Classification of Terms Found in the daily Crossword Puzzle
in the Bangkok Post
Tanom Tiensawangchai
Language Institute
Thammasat University
[email protected]
Abstract
The objective of this article is to explore the types of terms that can
be found in the daily crossword puzzle in the Bangkok Post from Monday to
Friday of each week. The classification criteria used in this review is based
on the meaning of those terms. The crossword puzzles used in this article
are the ones that contain “easy clues” which require a variety of possible
answers. From this review, the classification of clues and their meanings will
be discussed, which can serve as a useful and practical tool for a variety of
reasons such as helping the teachers of English teach vocabulary building
skills, and enabling the players to enjoy doing the crossword puzzles and
learn more words from them. To sum up, this article will firstly classify the
terms found in the daily crossword puzzle according to their meaning and
then discuss the puzzle’s benefits towards word building skills improvement
among the players.
[Thammasat Review, Special Issue, 2013]
Keyword: Crossword Puzzle, The Classification Criteria, Vocabulary
Thammasat Review  203
Introduction
A crossword puzzle is defined as a type of word game in which a player tries
to work out the answers to “clues”, and then write the answers in the blank squares
or grids of a pattern of small black and white squares that is contained inside a larger
square. To solve a crossword puzzle, the player must think critically about the clues
and begin to narrow the range of possible answers (Childers, 1996). Crossword
puzzles are often used as ways of revising and strengthening vocabulary knowledge.
Books of graded crossword puzzles often appear in teachers’ journals for classroom
use, and they occur in activity books and newspaper sections for learners of English
(Nation and Webb, 2011). The Bangkok Post is one of the most popular daily English
newspapers in Thailand with a wide readership which includes various professionals
such as business people, scholars, students, teachers of English, and so on. There
are two types of daily crossword puzzle published in the Bangkok Post: one that
contains “easy clues” and another which contains “cryptic clues”.
The first type of crossword puzzle containing the easy clues is quite easy to
play. Meanings of the target answers are given as “clues” in both “across” and
“down” rows of squares. All the player needs to do is figure out the answers for
these clues and write down the answers in those squares. The player of this type of
crossword puzzle will have to memorize a lot of meanings which may appear in
various forms such as fixed synonyms, varied synonyms, borrowed words, and so on.
This will be discussed later in this review.
The second type of crossword puzzles contain “cryptic clues” which are
much more difficult to play because all the clues given in both the “across’ and
“down” rows of squares contain descriptions and explanations that are very difficult
to understand. Players for the “cryptic clues” need a lot of long and intensive
experience playing this game. This article reviews only the first type of crossword
puzzles with “easy clues” since it is assumed that it is relatively easy to play and
should be readily understood by most beginners who are trying get started with the
crossword puzzle. The selected crossword puzzles in this paper appeared in the
Bangkok Post between Mondays and Fridays, from June, 2011 to November, 2013.
After spending two and a half years playing these daily crossword puzzles, the author
came up with some interesting findings. Words that can be found in the daily
crossword puzzle can be categorized in to eight groups as follows.
Thammasat Review  204
Group One: Words (Clues) that require fixed synonyms
The majority of the terms found in the daily crossword puzzle in the
Bangkok Post are words with fixed or unchanged synonyms. Whenever these words
appear in the puzzle, the explanations given as “clues” and the target answers will
be the same. If the players can readily remember their synonyms, they will be able
to solve the puzzle with a lot of fun. Examples of words with fixed synonyms are
shown in Table 1 below.
Table 1: Words with fixed synonyms
Clues
-
Answers (fixed synonyms)
Sham
Term of office
Dazed state
In motion
Stiff
Conceals
Tree sap
Lowest point
Luke warm
Label
Spray can
Charm
Mother-of-pearl
Thin candle
-
Bogus
Tenure
Stupor
Astir
Rigid
Hides
Resin
Nadir (Mon. 7 Nov. 2011)
Tepid
Tag
Aerosol
Amulet
Nacre (Mon. 5 Dec. 2011)
Taper (Mon. 5 Dec. 2011)
Figure one shows how the meanings or synonyms of these words appear as
“clues” (see the highlighted parts) and how the answers appear in the squares (see
the highlighted parts).
Thammasat Review  205
CROSSWORD
Use the grid with the cryptic or the easy clues, but beware: The answers are
different.
EASY CLUES
ACROSSDOWN
3 Iraqi currency (5)
1 Shoe fasteners (5)
8 Glossy fabric (5)
2 Disregard orders (7)
10 Iron, say (5)
4 Object of worship (4)
11 Lettuce (3)
5 Charm (6)
12 Sham (5)
6 Tree sap (5)
13 Spray can (7)
7 Lowest point (5)
15 Restrict (5)
9 Hill (3)
18 Snake (3)
12 Pupil living at school (7)
19 Term of office (6)
14 Chronic drunkard (3)
21 American city (7)
16 Viral disease (5)
Thammasat Review  206
22 Quarry (4)
17 Very small (5)
23 Unlock (4)
19 Difficult problem (7)
24 Drinking vessel (7)
20 Stupid (5)
26 Dazed state (6)
21 Object (5)
29 Insulate (3)
23 Fundamental (7)
31 Wading bird (5)
24 Japanese dwarf tree (6)
32 Scolds harshly (7)
25 Wheat spike (3)
34 In motion (5)
27 Native American tent (5)
35 Doze (3)
28 Steal game (5)
36 Place that attracts visitors (5)
30 Lukewarm (5)
37 Stiff (5)
32 Sting (4)
38 Conceals (5)
33 Label (3)
(Mon. 28 Nov. 2011)
Figure 1: Words with fixed meanings or synonyms
Group Two: Words (Clues) that require varied meanings or synonyms
A small number of words appearing in the daily crossword puzzle are words
(clues) that require varied meanings or synonyms. These clues may have two or
three meanings and do not appear frequently in the puzzle. However, when they
do, the player will actually get confused by their unpredictable answers because
the “clues” will be the same every time they appear, but the target answers are not
the same. Some of them have an equal number of letters to fill in the squares, e.g.
scope (clue) = limit/ambit; bull fighter (clue) = matador/picador/toreador. Therefore,
finding the answers for these words is relatively more difficult than finding the
answers for words with fixed meanings. Examples of words with varied meanings or
synonyms are shown in Table 2 below.
Thammasat Review  207
Table 2: Words (Clues) that requirevaried meanings or synonyms
Clues
Meaning 1
Meaning 2
- Canvas shelter
- Tent
- Awning
(Thurs. 21Jun. 2012)
(Thurs. 15 Nov. 2012)
- Smolt
- Parr
(Mon. 25, June, 2012)
(Wed. 11, July, 2012)
- Snail
- Escargot
(Fri. 31, Aug. 2012)
(Tue. 21 June. 2011)
- Matador
- Toreador
(Wed. 26, Sept, 2012)
(Thurs. 3 Jan. 2013)
- Young salmon
- Edible mollusk
- Bull fighter
- Detest
- Pallid
- Scope
- Abhor
- Picador (Tue. 31
Jan. 2012)
- Hate
(Fri. 6, July, 2012)
(Tue. 10 July, 2012)
- Wan
- Ashen
(Wed. 29, Aug. 2012)
(Tue. 17, July, 2012)
- Limit
- Range (Mon. 12 Nov. - Ambit (Fri. 8 June.
2012)
2012)
(Fri. 31, Aug. 2012)
- Sing
Meaning 3
- Croon (Thur. 20 Dec. - Yodel (Fri. 15 Nov.
2013)
2012)
Note: The days and dates on which the clues above appeared in the Bangkok Post
are given as reference in parentheses.
Figures 2.1 and 2.2 show how wordswith varied meanings or synonyms
appear as “clues” (see the highlighted parts) and how the answers appear in the
squares (see the highlighted parts). Since words of this group do not appear
frequently, both figures present only the three meanings of the word “bullfighter”
shown in Table 2 above.
Thammasat Review  208
CROSSWORD
Use the grid with the cryptic or the easy clues, but beware: The answers are
different.
Thammasat Review  209
EASY CLUES
EASY CLUES
ACROSS
DOWN
DOWN
1 Cuban cigar (6)
ACROSS
1 Expose to danger (6)
1 Stupid (5)
2 Wanness (6)
7 Corresponding (8)
2 Shrub or small tree (6) 6 Container for tea
(5) 3 Censures, informally (6)
8 Ticket money (4)
4 Trilby, say (3)
3 Mimics (4)
9 From the side (7)
10 Counting frame (6)
(5)
5 Broom of twigs (5)
4 Bullfighter (7)
10 Fold in clothing
11 Martial art (6)
5 Baa (5)
11 Lariat (5)
6 Unfeeling (7)
14 Be seated (3)
7 Unfortunately (4)
6 Lose blood (5)
16 Unfashionable (5)
8 Not slow (4)
12 Toys for girls (5)
13 Tedium (7)
8 Depressing, gloomy (6)
17 Info (4)
(3)
9 Groove (3)
15 Small piece
12 Wooden peg (5)
19 Warehouse (5)
12 Rodent (3)
17 Cupid (4)
13 Shore of the sea (5)
21 Electricity supply (5) 13 Tantalize (5)
14 Perch (5)
18 Unsuccessful (6)
22 Cloth made of flax (5)
19 Prison rooms (5)
15 Gem (5)
15 Timorous (5)
23 Pare (4)
18 Detest (5)
20 Accidental (6)
Thammasat Review  210
16 Discourage (5)
26 Cowboy show (5) 19 Put on (3)
18 Threshing implement (5)
22 Quote (4)
28 Border of cloth (3) 20 Write with this (3)
19 Wheedles (7)
24 Strike (3)
29 Erring (6)
25 Bullfighter (7)
21 Trailblazer (7)
21 System of self-defense (6)
30 Dull, repetitious (6) 22 Meadow (3)
26 Provincial (5)
22 Doglike (6)
31 Adjoin (4)
23 Love apple (6)
23 Study (6)
27 Ultimate (5)
32 Climbs down (8)
25 Spaghetti, say (5)
24 discharge (4)
28 Cheroot, say (5)
33 Veer (6)
26 Young sheep (4)
25 Envoy (6)
29 Say in passing (7)
26 Prepared (5)
30 Explosive devices (5)
28 Male swan (3)
27 Clothe (5)
31 Under (5)
28 Cooker top (3)
30 Male voice (4)
(Wed. 26 Sept. 2012)
(Tue. 31 Jan. 2012)
Thammasat Review  211
Figure 2.1: Words with varied meanings or synonyms
CROSSWORD
Use the grid with the cryptic or the easy clues, but beware: The answers are
different.
EASY CLUES
ACROSSDOWN
4 Of cats (6)
1 Large sea (5)
7 Throw this at weddings (8)
2 Out of condition (5)
8 High regard (6)
3 This place (4)
10 Tolerate (5)
4 Area of grassland (5)
13 Mountain range (4)
5 Plenty (4)
14 Short letter
6 Female relatives (6)
15 Surrender (4)
9 Drives too fast (6)
Thammasat Review  212
16 Charge (3)
11 Engage in pugilism (3)
17 Type of mammal (4)
12 Player’s first game (5)
19 Epochs (4)
13 Spray can (7)
21 Explosive mixture (9)
15 Head covering (3)
23 Obtains (4)
16 Distant (3)
24 Cummerbund (4)
18 Follows (6)
26 Vase (3)
20 Rehabilitation, in short (5)
27 On top of (4)
21 Information (3)
29 First man (4)
22 Pallid (3)
32 Cure (4)
23 Dealer in foodstuffs (6)
33 Very fat (5)
25 Possesses (3)
34 Entry (6)
28 Adhesive (5)
35 Bullfighter (8)
30 Actions (5)
36 Suitable for crops (6)
31 Jocund (5)
32 Parsley, say (4)
33 Portent (4)
(Thurs. 3 Jan. 2013)
Figure 2.2: Words with varied meanings or synonyms
Group Three: Words (Clues) that require proper names
Thammasat Review  213
Proper names appearing in the daily crossword puzzle can be divided into
three main groups: 3.1 people’s names, 3.2 food names, and 3.3 geographical names.
3.1 People’s Names
People’s names appearing the daily crossword puzzle of the Bangkok Post
included:
- Boy/man’s names
- Girl/woman’s names
- Girl or boy’s names
People’s names are among the most difficult problems to solve in the
crossword puzzle as names can change all the time. The player will have to guess
from the number of the letters given in parentheses next to each clue as shown in
the example below:
Clues
Girl or woman’s name (5) = Annie, Susan, or Karen
From the example above, the answer for this clue may be Annie, Susan, or
Karen because all of them have equal number of letters (5). Thus, the answer
depends on the surrounding squares that serve like a good hint for the player to
decide on the answer, as shown in Figure 3.1.
Examples of people’s names are shown in Table 3.1 below.
Thammasat Review  214
Table 3.1: People’s names
Boy/Man’s names
George
Ian
Dan
Peter
Ernie (Thur.
Jul. 2011)
- Colin (Wed.
Aug. 2011)
- Brad (Thur.
Aug. 2011)
- Billy (Mon.
Aug. 2011)
-
Girl/woman’s names
28
3
18
22
- Annie (Wed. 27
Jul. 2011)
- Susan (Mon. 1
Aug. 2011)
- Ann (Thur. 11
Aug. 2011)
- Pia (Thur. 18 Aug.
2011)
- Karen (Mon. 22
Aug. 2011)
- Aretha (Wed. 21
Sept. 2011)
Girl or boy’s names
- Val (Mon. 10
Sept. 2012)
- Kim
- Mel (Mon. 9 Apr.
2012)
Figure 3shows how girl’s names appear in the squares as suggested by the given
clues (see the highlighted parts)
Thammasat Review  215
CROSSWORD
Use the grid with the cryptic or the easy clues, but beware: The answers are
different.
EASY CLUES
ACROSSDOWN
1 Spanish dish (6)
1 Fluid part of blood
7 Slaughter (8)
2 Class (6)
8 Meat spread (4)
3 Prayer ending (4)
10 Catchword (6)
4 Mineral pitch (7)
11 Free (6)
5 Derision (5)
14 Belonging to us (3)
6 Brawl (5)
16 Girl’s name (5)
8 Not rich (4)
17 Land measure (4)
9 Seaman (3)
19 Hector (5)
12 Whichever (3)
Thammasat Review  216
21 Calm (5)
13 Huge person (5)
22 Military instrument (5)
15 Put up (5)
23 Wash oneself in this (4)
18 Light boat (5)
26 Bulgarian capital (5)
19 Small insect (3)
28 Beseech (3)
20 Sheltered side (3)
29 Paltry (6)
21 Argument (7)
30 Snapper’s device (6)
22 Large (3)
31 Burden (4)
23 Confuse (6)
32 Falls back (8)
24 Relatively long time (4)
33 Dozen (6)
25 Funeral car (6)
26 Knowing smile
27 Adipose (5)
28 Forbid (3)
30 Price (4)
(Wed. 27 Jul. 2011)
Figure 3: People’s names, Food Names, and Geographical Names
3.2 Food Names
Some clues found in the daily crossword puzzle require the player to find
a suitable food name for each clue given. As these names usually refer to exotic
dishes which are not commonly known to Thai players, consulting the thesaurus
doesn’t help, and sometimes the player will have to search for the answers from
the Internet. Using the surrounding completed squares as a hint can help the player
find the correct answers. Once the answers are located, it is necessary for the player
to keep a record of those words for future references. Figure 3.1 also shows how
food names appear in the squares as suggested by the given clues (see the
highlighted parts).
Examples of food names are shown in Table 3.2 below.
Thammasat Review  217
Table 3.2: Food Names
Clues
-
Answers (Food name)
Bologna sausage
French bean
Spanish dish
Spanish snack
Highly-spiced sausage
Scottish dish
Highly-seasoned stew
Polony (Thur. 21 Jul. 2011)
Haricot (Mon. 25 Jul. 2011)
Paella (Wed. 27Jul. 2011)
Tapas (Thur. 18 Aug. 2011)
Salami (Thur. 28 Jul. 2011)
Haggis (Wed. 3 Aug. 2011)
Ragout (Tue. 20 Dec. 2011)
-
3.3 Geographical Names
Geographical names are not commonly found in the daily crossword puzzle;
however, when they are, they usually require the player to use their existing
knowledge to spot the correct answer. Keeping a record of these words can help
the player enjoy the puzzle more the next time they come across such words again.
Figure 3.1 also shows how a geographical name (Bulgarian capital) appears in the
squares (see the highlighted part).
Examples of geographical names are shown in Table 4 below.
Table 4: Geographical names
Clues
-
-
Answers
Scottish river
Island in Indonesia
South American river
Bulgarian capital
Colombian capital
Italian river
Israeli city
American city
African river
Egypt’s capital
-
Tay (Thur. 28 Jul. 2011)
Bali
Amazon (Tue. 26 Jul. 2011)
Sofia (Wed. 27 Jul. 2011)
Bogota (Thur. 28 Jul. 2011)
Tiber (Mon. 1 Aug. 2011)
Tel Aviv (Mon. 1 Aug. 2011)
Memphis (Wed. 3 Aug. 2011)
Nile (Thur. 4 Aug. 2011)
Cairo (Thur. 25 Aug. 2011)
Thammasat Review  218
Group Four: General-to-specificwords
Quite a few words found in the daily crossword puzzle are words whose
clues give general explanations or class words that require one-word target answers
that are more specific.However, the answers for these clues are sometimes fixed or
varied. The player needs to find a more specific term to match the general
description given as clues.
Examples of general-to-specific words are given in Table 5 below.
Table 5: General-to-specific words
Clues
-
Answers
Star sign
Indian dress
Water fowl
Brass instrument
Type of chair
Marsupial
Condiment
Snake
Composer
Sing
Fruit
Board game
Paris underground
Martial art
Long-necked bird
Religious festival
Desert animal
Contagious disease
Cuban dance
Musical performance
Celestial body
Amphibian
-
Leo/Aries
Sari
Swan
Tuba
Sedan
Wombat/koala
Salt
Cobra
Chopin
Yodel/croon
Apricot/banana/lemon/melon
Ludo
Metro (Thur. 4 Aug. 2011)
Karate (Thur. 25 Aug. 2011)
Goose (Fri. 26 Aug. 2011)
Easter (Fri. 26 Aug. 2011)
Camel (Mon. 29 Aug. 2011)
Measles (Mon. 12 Sept. 2011)
Rumba (Tue. 13 Sept. 2011)
Recital (Tue. 13 Sept. 2011)
Comet (Tue. 13 Sept. 2011)
Newt (Wed. 14 Sept. 2011)
Thammasat Review  219
Figure four shows how general-to-specific words appear in the squaresas suggested
by the given clues (see the highlighted parts).
CROSSWORD
Use the grid with the cryptic or the easy clues, but beware: The answers are
different.
EASY CLUES
ACROSSDOWN
1 Whole range (5)
2 Astonished (6)
6 Not stale (5)
3 Ideal society (6)
9 Torments (7)
4 Unit of weight (3)
10 Claw (5)
5 Sedate (5)
Thammasat Review  220
11 Artist’s stand (5)
6 Plant type (7)
12 Five-pound note (5)
7 Bring up (4)
13 Minor deity (7)
8 Simmered (6)
15 Enclosure (3)
12 Concentrate (5)
17 Notion (4)
13 Not clean (5)
18 System of self-defense (6)
14 Deserve (5)
19 Cuban dance (6)
15 Fairy (5)
20 Clans (6)
16 Distinguished (5)
22 Location (4)
18 Concerning (5)
24 Nevertheless (3)
19 Musical performance (7)
25 Achieve an aim (7)
21 Distant (6)
26 Set-to (5)
22 Chides (6)
27 Celestial body (5)
23 House of God (6)
28 Run away to wed (5)
25 Vibrate (5)
29 Drinking vessel (7)
26 Outdoor event (7)
30 Horizontal (5)
28 Epoch (3)
31 Burnt remains (5)
(Tue. 13 Sept. 2011)
Figure 4: General-to-specific words
Group Five: Words (Clues) that Exemplify
Many words found in the daily crossword puzzle are the ones whose clues
appear as examples which require the player to find the target answers which are
more general, e.g. Trilby, say (clues) = hat. For this group of words, the player will
find it difficult but enjoyable to find the correct answers because these examples
sometimes do not appear in the thesaurus, so it may take more time for the player
to get the correct answers. The player will need to apply his/her background
knowledge to solve the puzzle, or they can look up the word in a dictionary to guess
the target answer. For example, for the clues “Cheroot, say (5)”, the word “cheroot”,
Thammasat Review  221
according to American Heritage Dictionary, 1993 will be defined as a cigar with
square-cut ends. By counting the number of squares given in the puzzle and looking
at the key word “cigar”, the player should be able to fill in the squares correctly,
which is “cigar”. However, if the player keeps record of the general terms for these
examples, the next time, it will be a lot easier for them to play the puzzle. Examples
of words (clues) that exemplify are shown in Table 6 that follows.
Table 6: Words (Clues) that exemplify
Clues
-
Answers
Cheroot, say
Trilby, say
Molars, say
Iron, say
Edam, say
Fedora, say
Corgi, say
Radiator, say
Rosemary, say
Nutmeg, say
Panatella, say
Edinburgh, say
Robins, say
Nimbus, say
Incisor, say
Pistachio, say
-
Cigar
Hat
Teeth (Tue. 2 Aug. 2011)
Metal (Mon. 8 Aug. 2011)
Cheese (Thur. 11 Aug. 2011)
Hat (Mon. 15 Aug. 2011)
Dog (Tue. 23 Aug. 2011)
Heater (Thur. 25 Aug. 2011)
Herb (Thur. 1 Sept. 2011)
Spice (Thur. 15 Sept. 2011)
Cigar (Tue. 11 Oct. 2011)
Capital (Mon. 24 Sept. 2012)
Birds (Tue. 25 Sept. 2012)
Cloud (Thur. 27 Sept. 2012)
Tooth (Thur. 27 Sept. 2012)
Nut
Figure five below shows how words (clues) that exemplify appear in the squares as
suggested by the given clues (see the highlighted parts).
Thammasat Review  222
CROSSWORD
Use the grid with the cryptic or the easy clues, but beware: The answers are
different.
EASY CLUES
ACROSSDOWN
4 Fondle (6)
1 Incisor, say (5)
7 Novel (8)
2 Shinbone (5)
8 Musical dramas (6)
3 Bird’ beak (4)
10 Court case (5)
4 Nimbus, say (5)
13 Quiet spell (4)
5 Spool (4)
14 Pile (4)
6 Trail secretly (6)
15 Assistant (4)
9 Promise formally (6)
16 Male swan (3)
11 Color (3)
17 Mail (4)
12 Dismay, terrify (5)
19 Tie (4)
13 Word for word (7)
Thammasat Review  223
21 One on a bus (9)
15 Donkey (3)
23 Body powder (4)
16 Vehicle (3)
24 Regrets (4)
18 Academy awards (6)
26 Sweet roll (3)
20 Put one’s feet up (5)
27 Boy’s name (4)
21 Cooking vessel (3)
29 Therefore (4)
22 Religious sister (3)
32 Spoken or verbal (4)
23 Aquatic reptile (6)
33 So far (2, 3)
25 Owing (3)
34 Greatest degree (6)
28 Turning tool (5)
35 Filbert (8)
30 Wild animal (5)
36 Venerate (6)
31 Condition (5)
32 Flow out slowly (4)
33 Prayer ending (4)
(Thur. 27 Sept. 2012)
Figure 5: Words (Clues) that exemplify
Group Six: Words (Clues) that require borrowed words
A significant number of words found in the daily crossword puzzle are
borrowed words which come from many different languages such as French, Italian,
Dutch, and Turkish. The clues for this group are mostly the English equivalent of the
answers which are mostly borrowed words. For example, the clue may appear as
“again/once more”, which means “encore”. These borrowed words look like those
appearing in Group Three (Proper names), but they are different in that they contain
many kinds of words that may not be classified as those proper names. Finding the
answers for these borrowed words is quite difficult unless the player has some basic
knowledge in these foreign languages. Usually, the “clues” will give English
meanings, and the target answers will be the borrowed words, or vice versa. For
example the clue may appear as “seraglio” (Turkish), which means “harem” in
English. Examples of these borrowed words are shown in Table 7 below.
Thammasat Review  224
Table 7: Borrowed words
Clues
Answers (Borrowed words)
-
Again/once more
Seraglio (Turkish)
Fencing sword
Outdoor event
Private evening party
Arab’s sailing vessel
Dutch cheese
Master of ceremony
-
Musical ending
In the open air
Art of paper folding
Beautiful woman
Throw this at wedding
Fry in a little fat
Man servant
Peaked cap
Japanese garment
Afternoon nap
Shish or doner?
Dutch earthenware
Spanish man
Cul-de-sac
- Brochette
- Encore (French) (Thur. 15 Sept.
2011)
- Harem (Tue. 30 Aug. 2011)
- Epee (French) (Fri. 13 Jan. 2012)
- Fete (French) (22 May, 2013)
- Soiree (French)
- Dhow (Arabian) (17 Jan. 2013)
- Gouda (Dutch) (26 Dec. 2012)
- Compere (French) (Fri. 31 May,
2013)
- Cadence (French) (19 Jul. 2013)
- Al fresco (Italian) (2 Jan. 2013)
- Origami (Japanese) (27 Aug.
2013)
- Belle (French) (Tue. 18 Oct.
2011)
- Confetti (Italian) (3 Jan. 2013)
- Sauté (French) (1 Oct. 2013)
- Valet (French)
- Kepi (Fri. 9 Sept. 2011)
- Kimono (Wed. 14 Sept. 2011)
- Siesta (Thur. 29 Sept. 2011)
- Kebab (Turkish) (Thur. 29 Oct.
2011)
- Delft(Dutch)(Fri. 19 Jul. 2013)
- Senor (Spanish) (Mon. 27 May
2013)
- Dead end (French) (Tue. 13 Aug.
2013)
- Skewer (French) (Wed. 30 Jan.
2013)
Thammasat Review  225
Figure six shows how borrowed words appear in the squares as suggested by the
given clues (see the highlighted parts).
CROSSWORD
Use the grid with the cryptic or the easy clues, but beware: The answers are
different.
EASY CLUES
ACROSSDOWN
1 Tropical bird (5)
2 Seem (6)
6 Currency unit (5)
3 Tallies (6)
9 Arthurian knight (7)
4 Pale (3)
10 Reject (5)
5 Jousting weapon (5)
11 Allude (5)
6 Root vegetables (7)
12 Derision (5)
7 Biblical garden (4)
Thammasat Review  226
13 Musical ending (7)
8 Quake (6)
15 Tier (3)
12 Range (5)
17 Minerals (4)
13 Snake (5)
18 Dress (6)
14 Dutch earthenware (5)
19 Practices boxing (5)
15 Correct (5)
20 Disprove (6)
16 Unwanted plants (5)
22 African country (4)
18 Scent (5)
24 Insect (3)
19 Began (7)
25 Stimulus (7)
21 Hire (6)
26 Play (5)
22 Shade of red (6)
27 Moroccan capital (5)
23 Month (6)
28 Without (5)
25 Force (5)
29 Esteems (7)
26 Challenge (4)
30 Celebrated (5)
28 Encountered (3)
31 Fraction (5)
(Fri. 19 July 2013)
Figure 6: Borrowed words
Group Seven: Words (Clues) that require technical synonyms
Another group of words frequently appearing in the daily crossword puzzle
are words that require technical synonyms which can be those used in many fields
of study such as medicine, science and technology, engineering, and architecture.
Usually the English equivalents for these terms will appear as the “clues”, and the
player needs to find the correct matching technical terms for them. Examples of
these words are shown in Table 8 below.
Thammasat Review  227
Table 8: Words with technical synonyms
Clues
-
Answers
Umbilicus
Rotating rod
Egg white
Leg bone
Backbone
Shinbone
Open sore
Tooth covering
Thighbone
Favoritism to relatives
Eyelid inflammation
Church recess
Speech defect
Incision
Leg part
Sucrose
Intravenous feed
Main artery
Loss of memory
Pelvis
Beekeeper
Of the kidney
Helix
Unit of sound
Of the throat or neck
Type of bone
Pancreatic hormone
Severe abdominal pain
-
Navel (11 Jul. 2012)
Spindle (7 Dec. 2012)
Albumen (Tue. 19 June 2012)
Fibula
Spine
Tibia (Tue. 4 June 2013)
Ulcer (Tue. 4 June 2013)
Enamel (Tue. 4 June 2013)
Femur (Wed. 10 Jul. 2013)
Nepotism (17 Jan. 2013)
Stye (Wed. 12 Oct. 2011)
Apse (Tue. 25 Oct. 2011)
Lisp (Tue. 25 Oct. 2011)
Cut (Thur. 3 Nov. 2011)
Calf (Thur. 3 Nov. 2011)
Sugar (Wed. 9 Nov. 2011)
Drip (Thur. 10 Nov. 2011)
Aorta (Fri. 25 Nov. 2011)
Amnesia (Fri. 2 Dec. 2011)
Hip (Tue. 27 Dec. 2011)
Apiarist (Wed. 28 Dec. 2011)
Renal (Mon. 9 Jan. 2012)
Spiral (Mon. 9 Jan. 2012)
Decibel (Mon. 16 Jan. 2012)
Jugular ( Mon. 30 Jan. 2012)
Humerus (Wed. 1 Feb. 2012)
Insulin (Wed. 18 Apr. 2012)
Colik (Mon. 13 Sept. 2013)
Figure seven illustrates how words with technical synonyms appear in the squares
as suggested by the given clues (see the highlighted parts).
Thammasat Review  228
CROSSWORD
Use the grid with the cryptic or the easy clues, but beware: The answers are
different.
EASY CLUES
ACROSSDOWN
1 Break violently (5)
2 Violent confusion (6)
6 Star sign (5)
3 Mettle (6)
9 Intention, aim (7)
4 Shade of color (3)
10 Eagle’s nest (5)
5 Animal’s trail (5)
11 Heathen (5)
6 Headache tablet (7)
12 Compact, firm (5)
7 Peruse writing (4)
13 Hand over (7)
8 Tooth covering (6)
15 Boy’s name (3)
12 South Korean capital (5)
17 Give out (4)
13 Actions (5)
Thammasat Review  229
18 Concluding part (6)
14 Lawful (5)
19 Herb type (5)
15 Powerful businessman (5)
20 Foolish talk (6)
16 Not ever (5)
22 Traffic marker (4)
18 Young female horse (5)
24 Was seated (3)
19 Sure (7)
25 Mrs Mop (7)
21 Deep narrow gorge (6)
26 Lose one’s way (5)
22 Offhand (6)
27 Shinbone (5)
23 Snuggle (6)
28 Relish (5)
25 Slice meat (5)
29 Blissful state (7)
26 Croon (4)
30 Hold royal office (5)
28 Wild beast (3)
31 Open sore (5)
(Tue. 4 June 2013)
Figure 7: Words with technical synonyms
Group eight: Legendary, biblical and mythical terms
Some words found frequently in the daily crossword puzzle are legendary,
biblical, and mythical terms. According to Longman American Advanced Dictionary
(2000), a myth is defined as a story that people have made up in the past in order
to explain how the world and mankind began or to justify religious beliefs and social
customs where as a legend is a very old and popular story that may or may be true.
Biblical terms are those contained in, or relating to the Bible. These legendary,
biblical, and mythical terms include those used to call humans, creatures, and
important places. Again, the English equivalents for these terms appear as the
“clues”, and the player will need to find the correct matching mythical terms for
them. Finding the correct matching terms for these clues requires the player to have
some background knowledge about the ancient legends, biblical accounts, and
ancient myths. However, every time these clues appear in the puzzle, their matching
terms are fixed, so it is quite easy to solve if the player can remember these terms.
Thammasat Review  230
Examples of mythical terms are shown in Table9 below.
Table 9: Mythical terms
Clues
Answers
(humans)
Answer (creatures)
Answer
(places)
- Gorgon
- Legendary bird
- Medusa (Fri. 21 Oct.
2011)
- Legendary king
- Roc (Wed. 24 Aug.
2011)
- Biblical garden
- Midas (Wed. 24
Aug. 2011)
- Rhen(19 Jul.
2013)
- Handsome youth (1
- Adonis
Oct. 2013)
- Mythical sea creature
(19 Oct. 2013)
- Mermaid
- Mythical monster
- Centaur (Tue. 8
Nov. 2011)/Dragon
(Wed. 31. Aug. 2011)
- Native of ancient Troy
- Mythical horse
- Trojan Thur. 25
Aug. 2011)
- Pegasus (Mon. 19
Sept. 2011)
- Biblical murder victim
- Mythical creature
- Ark
- Abel (Wed. 23
Jan. 2013)
- Noah’s vessel
(Thur. 15 Aug. 2013)
- Fairy (Fr. 18 Jan.
2013)
Thammasat Review  231
Figure eight shows how these terms appear in the squares as suggested by the given
clues (see the highlighted parts).
CROSSWORD
Use the grid with the cryptic or the easy clues, but beware: The answers are
different.
Thammasat Review  232
EASY CLUES
EASY CLUES
ACROSS
DOWN
ACROSS
DOWN
1 Fleet of ships (6)
2 Insult (6)
1 Frightened (6)
1 Potato snack (5)
7 Punish (4, 4)
3 Scatter (6)
2 Shrub or small tree (6)
8 Hospital room (4)
4 Settle a bill (3)
3 Appends (4)
10 Counting frame (6)
5 Mythical creature (5)
4 Booze (7)
6 Coarse (5)
9 Swagger (7)
10 Each (5)
11 Defeated competitor (6) 5 Frogman (5)
11 Furious (5)
6 Book section (7)
14 Penpart (3)
7 Hire (4)
6 Board game (5)
16 Employs for wages (5)
12 Sneaked (5)
8 Desire (4)
13 Obviously (7)
8 Coercion (6)
17 Info (4)
9 Chafe (3)
15 Donkey (3)
12 Obscure (5)
19 Cause the ruin of (2, 3)
12 Knight’s title (3)
17 Peruse (4)
13 Belief (5)
21 Dry cloth (5)
13 Peruses writing (5)
18 Gorgon (6)
15 Cringe (5)
19 Wonderful (5)
14 Relaxed (5)
22 Tendon (5)
15 Inspection (5)
Thammasat Review  233
23 Bygone (4)
18 Pungent (5)
20 Considered (6)
19 Put on (3)
22 Mud (4)
20 Hardly any (3)
24 Aged (3)
16 Satisfied (5)
26 Timorous (5)
18 Deserve (5)
28 Petty lie (3)
19 Snake (7)
29 Handsome youth (6) 21 News (7)
25 Restricted (7)
21 Pass (6)
30 Choose (6)
22 Transgression (3)
26 Food fish (5)
23 Supporting column (6)
27 Malice (5)
22 Optical illusion (6)
31 Inform (4)
23 Go back (6)
32 Stretch (8)
24 Biblical murder victim (4)
28 Keen (5)
25 Endures (5)
33 Looking glass
25 Walk unsteadily (6)
29 Joining (7)
26 Amaze (4)
26 Stories (5)
30 Intended (5)
27 Engine (5)
31 Hollows (5)
28 Charge (3)
30 Plant part (4)
(Wed. 23 Jan. 2013)
28 Conclude (3)
(Fri. 18 Jan. 2013)
Figure 8: Legendary, biblical and mythical terms
According to Figure eight, the clue “handsome youth” means “Adonis”
(Greek Mythology), a beautiful young man loved by Aphrodite. The clue “Biblical
murder victim” means “Abel”, the son of Adam and Eve who was slain by his elder
brother, Cain. The clue “Gorgon” refers to “Medusa” (Greek Mythology), any of three
sisters who had snakes for hair and eyes that turned beholders into stone. The clue
“Mythical creature” refers to “Fairy”, a type of mythical being or legendary creature
in European folklore.
Thammasat Review  234
Benefits of Playing the crossword puzzle
At their own pace, the player may look up the meanings of the given clues
in a dictionary,or a thesaurus to help them find the correct answers. They can note
down both the clues and their answers on a glossary notebook. This will help the
player review the learnt words, so they can memorize the words more readily.
Learning how to play the crossword isn’t difficult, but having fun playing it is a
different matter. The player needs to play it regularly, remember the answers to the
clues, and keep a glossary notebook to be used during the game. With time and
concentration, the player will learn many groups of new words which will enable
him/her to improve their word skills and expand their vocabulary base.
Playing the crossword regularly has various benefits as follows.
1. Mind relaxation and prevention of memory loss
Doing a crossword puzzle after a hard day’s work brings about the peace of mind
and relaxation. While the player is focusing their attention finding the answers for
the clues, their mind will be free from anxiety. According to Devlin (2009), researchers
from Albert Einstein College of Medicine, in New York, doing the crossword is like
having a mental exercise which keeps our brain active, which can delay the onset of
memory loss.
2. Vocabulary retention and spelling improvement
It is also believed that vocabulary can be learned and improved through various
strategies ranging from rote learning, mnemonics, and crossword puzzle.All the
learners of English have to do is adjusttheir strategy to their learning style or play
some fun games with words to memorize vocabulary words quickly and easily.A
crossword puzzle makes the player think of a word, based on its definition, and how
it is spelt. While doing the crossword puzzle, the player has to read and work out
the meaning of the “clues” in order to come up with the target answer, which
requires the player to react with those clues in terms of both meaning and
grammatical form. For example, if the clue appears as “challenges”, which is the
present simple form, the player knows that the answer (dares) will be a verb which
ends with an “s”.Therefore, the player will have to be careful with the spelling;
otherwise, the word won’t fit into the squares or won’t let the connecting words
make sense. In other words, filling in those squares correctly forces the player to be
Thammasat Review  235
very accurate with the spelling. As Childers (1996) stated that crosswords have
proved to be an effective teaching technique in communication skills, greater
retention of facts, improved association of concepts, and increased levels of
confidence.
Given the benefits of the crossword puzzle, teachers of English may use the
ready-made crossword puzzles available in the Bangkok Post as their teaching tool
to help students learn and improve their vocabulary skills. As an alternative, teachers
may tailor their own crossword puzzles to suit their own teaching situation. There
are two options that exist in presenting the crossword puzzle to a class; the class as
a whole may construct a puzzle, or each student may solve a puzzle that already
has been created, (Childers 1996).
Based on the results of this review, the types of terms found in the daily
crossword puzzle published in the Bangkok Post newspaper should serve as a
practical guideline to help teachers of English prepare vocabulary lessons in a more
meaningful way since the use of crossword puzzles has a significant effect on
students’ exam scores (Davis, Shepherd, and Zwiefelhofer, 2009).
Recommendations
Apart from identifying the types of terms used in the crossword puzzle,
further investigation into the learners’ opinions towards the usefulness of the
crossword puzzle should be conducted. Learners should have an opportunity to
evaluate how much they learn from doing the puzzle.
It is hoped that this review will inspire those teachers of English who want
to prepare a lesson that really involves their students in learning and improving their
vocabulary skills. Anyone wanting to start playing the daily crossword puzzle in the
Bangkok Post may find this review an eye opener that enables them to enjoy the
puzzle.
Thammasat Review  236
Conclusion
This article has discussed some benefits of the crossword puzzle towards word
retention and vocabulary learning. Groups of clues found in the crossword puzzle
are classified according to how they appear. However, a collection of answers for
crossword clues should be made to help crossword fans enjoy doing the puzzles
more readily. If used carefully along with the normal lessons, crossword puzzle will
be of great practical value for the learners.
References
Childers, Cheryl D. (1996). Using Crossword Puzzles As An Aid to Studying
Sociological Concepts, Vol. 24 (April: 231-235). Retrieved from
http://www.jstor.org/action/showArticleImage. 21/11/2013.
Davis, Tricia M, Shepherd, Brooke, and Zwiefelhofer, Tara. (2009). Do Crossword
Puzzles Help in the Success of Student Learning? The Journal of
Effective Teaching, Vol.9, No. 3,(4-10).
Devlin, Kate. (2009). Crosswords Can Delay Memory Loss. Retrieved from
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/health/healthnews/5966585/Crosswordscan-delay-memory loss. 21/11/2013.
Longman Advanced American Dictionary. (2000). Perason Education Limited.
Webb, Stuart and Nation, I.S.P. (2011). Researching and Analyzing Vocabulary. (26).
HEINLE CENGAGE Learning.
The American Heritage College Dictionary.(1993). Houghton Mifflin Company.
Thammasat Review  237