List of abbreviations

This is an incomplete list of the most common abbreviations and shortenings often found in cryptics. Most are from The Chambers Dictionary, though a minority have been added as per vox populi usage. Please note that the criterion for entry into the main list is that it must be an abbreviation, shortening or synonym which is at most three letter and occurs with relative frequency in any of the major British cryptics.

Indicating word to abbreviation

A

• About: re, on, c, ca
• Abstainer: tt
• Account: ac
• Accountant: ca
• Ace: a
• Acre: a
• Adult: a
• Afternoon: pm
• Again : re
• Alien: et
• All: a
• Alpha: a
• Amateur: a
• America(n): Am, US, USA
• Ancient city: Ur [not actually an abbreviation, but a frequently used reference]
• Are: a
• Area: a
• Army: TA
• Article: a, an, the
• Artist(s): ra
• At home: in
• Avenue: Ave

B

• Bachelor: ba, Ba
• Base: e

• Bearing: any compass point
• Before: ere
• Beginner: L
• Bend: z, u
• Bible: ot, nt, rv
• Big: os
• Bill: ac, ad
• Billion(s): b, bn
• Bishop: b, rr
• Black: b
• Book: b, ot, nt
• Books: ot, nt
• Bomb: vi (V1)
• Born: b
• Boy: b
• Bravo: b
• British: b
• Business: co

C

• Car: r

• Castle: r

• Cryptic: c, rc
• Caught: c
• Celsius: C
• Century: c
• Chapter: c, ch
• Charlie: c
• Christ: X
• Church: ce, ch, rc, ec
• Circa: c, ca
• Circle: o
• City: NY, LA, EC
• Classy: U
• Club(s): c
• Cocaine: c
• Cold: c
• Communications: pr
• Communist: red
• Companion: ch
• Company: co
• Composer: arne [Not actually an abbreviation]
• Computing: IT
• Concerning: re
• Conservative: c
• Coordinate: x, y
• Copper: p, d, pc, cu
• Court: ct
• Credit: cr
• Cricket side: XI, on, off, leg
• Current: ac, dc, i, in

D

• Daughter: d
• Day: d
• Dead: d
• Decoration: om, cbe, etc.
• Delta: d
• Democrat: d
• Density: d
• Departs: d
• Diamond(s): d
• Dictionary: oed
• Died: d
• Direction: any compass point [N, S, E, W or SE, NW, SSE, etc.]
• Doctor: dr, doc, mo, gp, PhD
• Drug: c, e, h, pot
• Dry: tt
• Duck: o
• Duke: d

E

• Each: ea, per
• Earl: e
• East: e
• Echo: e
• Ecstasy: e
• Editor: ed
• Electronic: e
• Eleven: xi
• Encore: bis
• Energy: e
• Engineer: ce, re
• English: e
• European: e
• Excellent: A1
• Expert: ace, pro
• Exercise: PE, PT
• Extra terrestrial: ET

F

• Fahrenheit: F
• Family: kin
• Farthing: f
• Fashionable: in
• Fast: lent
• Father: pa, pop, dad, fr
• Fellow: f, don
• Feminine: f
• Fifty: L
• Film: any film, though often ET or Kes
• Fine: f
• Firm: co
• First: 1st
• First class: A1
• Five: V
• Fliers: RAF
• Following: f
• Football team: XI
• For example: eg
• Former: ex
• Four: IV
• Forte: f
• Foxtrot: f
• Function: sin, cos, other mathematical functions

G

• General: lee
• girl: g
• Gold: au, or
• Golf: g
• Good: g
• Good man: st
• Grand: g, k, m
• Gym: pe, pt

H

• Hand: l, r
• Hard: h
• Heart(s): h
• Heroin: h
• Holy man: st
• Home: in
• Horse: gg
• Hospital: h
• Hot: h
• Hotel: h
• Hour: h, hr
• Hundred: c
• Husband: h

I

• I'm obliged: ta
• India: i
• Information: gen
• Internet: net, www
• Iron: fe
• Island: i, is, man

J

• Jack: ab, os, tar,j
• Jail: can
• Journalist: ed
• Judge: j, ref
• Juliet: j

K

• Key: A, B, C, D, E, F, G, ESC, other computer keys
• Kilo: k
• King: k, r, er, any king
• Kiss: x
• Knight: n [chess abbreviation]

L

• Lake: L, any lake
• Large: L
• Latin: L
• Lawyer: da, bl
• Lead: pb
• Learner: L
• Left: L
• Leftist: com
• Liberal: L
• Lima: L
• Line: L, ry
• Lines: ll
• Look: lo
• Loud: f, ff
• Love: o
• Low: moo
• Lunch: meal

M

• Magistrate: jp
• Maiden: m
• Main: sea
• Male: m
• Mark: m
• Married: m
• Mass: m
• Measure: em, en
• Medal: ch, vc, obe, om, gc, etc.
• Member: arm, leg, toe, etc. , mp
• Men: or, re
• Mercury: hg
• Mike: m
• Mile(s): m, mi
• Million(s): m
• Minister: dd
• Minute(s): m
• Monarch: see king and queen.
• Month: m
• Morning: am
• Mother: ma, mum, dam
• Mum: m, ma, mom, sh

N

• Name: n
• Navy: RN
• Nazis: SS
• Neat: ox
• Neon: ne
• Network: lan
• New: n
• Newspaper: FT [Financial Times], organ, rag
• None: o
• Noon: n, m
• North: n
• North America: na
• Note: nb, A, B, C, D, E, F, G, do, re, mi, fa, so, la, ti, te
• Nothing: o
• November: n, Nov
• Number: n, no, any Roman numeral

O

• Old: ex, o
• Old boy: ob
• Old city: ur
• On: re
• One: I, a, an
• Online: e
• Operation: op
• Opposed: v, vs
• Oscar: o

P

• Page: p
• Pages: pp
• Papa: p
• Papers: id
• Parking: p
• Party: do, lab, lib, con, anc
• Pawn: p
• Pence, penny: p, d
• Piano: p
• Point: any compass point
• Popular: in
• Position: put
• Posh: u
• Pound(s): l, lb
• Power: p
• Pressure: p
• Priest: p
• Prison: can, jug
• Promise: iou
• Provided: so
• Professional: pro
• Pub: ph

Q

• Quarter: n, e, s, w
• Quebec: q
• Queen: q, r, hm, er, any queen
• Question: q, qu
• Quiet: sh, p, pp
• Quietly: p, pp
• Quite loud: mf
• Quite quiet: mp

R

• Railway: ry
• Readhead: r [eadhead]
• Recipe: r
• Record: cd, lp, ep, log, sp
• Regiment: re
• republican : r
• Resistance: r
• Right: r
• River: r
• Road: rd, ai, mi
• Romeo: r
• Rook: r
• Rugby: RU, RL
• Run'(s)': r
• Run out: ro

S

• Sailor: tar, ab, os
• Saint: st
• Scotsman: Ian, Mac
• Say: eg,pm
• Second: s, mo
• Second-rate: B
• See: v
• Setter: i, me, gel
• Shilling: s
• Shirt: t
• Ship: ss
• Side: xi (eleven)
• Sierra: s
• Sign: zodiac signs
• Sign of error: x
• Silver: ag
• six: vi
• Soap: ER
• Socialist: red
• Soft(ly): p, pp
• Soldier: gi, rm, re
• Soldiers: men, or
• Son(s): s
• South: s
• South American: SA
• Space: em, en
• Spade(s): s
• Sport: ru, rl
• Square: s, t
• State: aver, any US state [2 or 3-letter abbreviation, e.g. CA or Cal for California]
• Street: st, rd, way, ave
• Student: L, Ba, Bsc
• Succeeded: s
• Suit: c, d, h, s

T

• Take: r
• Tango: t
• Tar: see sailor.
• Tax: VAT, NI
• Teachers: NUT
• Team: XI
• Tea: cha
• Temperature: t
• Technology: it, ict
• Tense: t
• Thanks: ta
• That is, that's: ie
• Theologian: dd
• Thousand: k, m
• Tin: sn
• Time: t
• Times: tt, by, x
• Ten: X
• Tracks: ry
• Turn: go, u

U

• Uniform: u
• Universal: U
• University: u, ou
• Unknown: x, y, z
• Upper class: u

V

• Variable: see unknown.
• Versus: v, vs
• Very: v
• Victor: v
• Victory: v
• Volunteers: ta

W

• Way: see street.
• Web: net, www
• Week: w
• West: w
• Whiskey: w
• Wide: w
• Wife: w
• Wine: asti, tent, sec
• With: w
• Without: wo
• Woman: she
• Women('s): w
• Won: w
• Work: op
• Worker: ant, bee
• Working: on
• Writer: pen
• Writing: ms

X

• X-ray: x

Y

• Yankee: y
• Year: y, yr

Z

• Zero: o
• Zulu: z

Abbreviation to indicating word

A

• a: Austria, I, accepted, ace, acre, ampere, an, ane, angstrom, answer, ante, are, articles, associate, atomic, ay, aye, before, blood group, bomb, first character, first class, first letter, good, high class, it, key, level, note, one, paper, string, unit, violin string, vitamin
• ab: Able seaman, hand, rating, sailor, salt, seaman, tar
• abbe: priest (French)
• abe: Lincoln
• abel: first victim, murder victim, second child, third man, can, expert
• ac: account, accountant, aircraftsman, alternating current, bill, current
• aca: accountant
• acas: peacemakers
• acc: account, bill
• ace: card, champion, expert, one, pilot, service, winner
• act: decree, performance
• ad: Christian era, advertisement, after date, before the day, contemporary, in the modern age, in the year of our Lord, modern times, notice, now, nowadays, our time, our era, period, present day, promotion, puff, era, this era, today
• adam: first character, first person, number one
• add: sum, tot
• aden: port
• admin: management, running
• ado: business, difficulty, fuss, row, trouble
• ae: aged, poet, aged
• ag: silver
• aga: Muslim leader
• age: long time, time, mature, period
• agent: spy
• agm: annual meeting, meeting, yearly meeting
• ai: ace, capital, first class, good, high class, main road, sloth
• ail: trouble
• ain: own (Scottish)
• air: appearance, display, song
• aire: river
• ait: island
• al: Alabama, Alan, Albania, Albert, Capone, aluminium, gangster, one pound
• ala: Alabama, after the style of, in the style of, to the (French), wings
• alas: Alaska
• alb: one pound, vestment
• ale: beer
• aleph: Hebrew letter
• ali: the greatest
• all: completely, everybody, everything
• alp: mountain, peak
• alph: river
• alpha: Greek letter, beginning, first character, first letter
• am: America, American, I am, admitting, boasting, half day, hymns, in the morning, morning, self-confessed
• amen: final word, last word
• amer: American
• ammo: missiles
• amos: bookmaker
• amp: one member
• an: I, articles - English, before, if (old word)
• ana: tales
• ane: I, one, one
• ankh: life symbol
• anne: princess
• anon: now
• ans: answer, brief reply, collection, short answer
• ant: if it (old word),: six-footer, social worker, soldier, worker
• ape: copy, primate
• aq: water
• ar: arrive, arrival, year of reign
• ara: academician, artist, painter
• arab: horse
• arc: curve
• argo: old ship
• aria: song
• arm: gun, limb, member
• arr: arrive, arrival
• art: contrivance, craft, cunning, painting, skill
• as: Anglo-Saxon, ayes, ays, like, one's, specifically, when
• ash: remains, tree
• asia: continent
• aside: one fifteen
• asis: existing state
• asp: snake
• ass: donkey, fool
• asti: wine
• ate: goddess, had, mischief
• athena: goddess
• ation: at one on
• atoll: bikini
• au: gold, to the (French)
• auc: old way of dating (Ab Urbe Condita)
• aus: Australia
• aux: to the (French)
• av: bible, lived so long
• ave: average, greeting, hail, road, way
• aver: average
• avon: county
• ay: I, agreement, always, ever, yes
• aye: I, I say, agreement, always, ever, yes
• az: Azed, scope

B

• b: Bachelor, Bass, Belgium, Big, Billion(s), Bishop, Black, Bold, Book, Born, Boron, Bowled, Boy, Bravo, British, Key, Note, Second-rate
• ba: Bachelor, Student
• bee: Worker
• bis: Encore
• bn: Billion(s)
• bsc: Student
• by: Times

C

• c: About, Carbon, Caught, Celsius, Century, Chapter, Charge, Charlie, Circa, Club(s), Cocaine, Cold, Conservative, Coulomb, Cryptic, Drug, Hundred, Key, Note, Suit
• ca: About, Accountant, Circa
• can: Jail, Prison
• cbe: Decoration
• cd: Record
• ce: Church, Engineer
• ch: Chapter, Church, Companion, Medal
• cha: Tea
• co: Business, Cobalt, Company, Firm
• com: Leftist
• con: Party
• cos: Function
• cot: Function
• cr: Credit
• ct: Court
• ctrl: Key
• cu: Copper

D

• d: Copper, Date, Daughter, Day, Dead, Delta, Democrat, Density, Departs, Diamond(s), Died, Dimension, Duke, Five hundred, Germany, Key, Note, Pence, Penny, Suit
• da: Lawyer
• dad: Father
• dam: Mother
• dc: Current
• dd: Minister, Theologian
• del: Key
• do: Note, Party
• doc: Doctor
• don: Fellow
• dr: Doctor

E

• e: Base, Bearing, Direction, Drug, Earl, East, Eccentricity, Echo, Ecstasy, Electron, Electronic, Energy, English, European, Key, Note, Point, Quarter, Spain
• ea: Each
• ec: Church, City
• ed: Editor, Journalist
• eg: For example, Say
• em: Measure, Space
• en: Measure, Space
• ene: Bearing, Direction, Point
• ep: Record
• er: King, Monarch, Queen, Soap
• ere: Before
• esc: Key
• ese: Bearing, Direction, Point
• est: Eastern Standard Time, Established, Estimated
• et: Alien, Extra terrestrial, Film
• etc.: Decoration
• ex: Former, Old
• exp: Function

F

• f: Fahrenheit, Farthing, Fellow, Female, Feminine, Fine, Fluorine, Force, Forte, Foxtrot, France, Frequency, Friday, Key, Loud, Note
• fa: Note
• fe: Iron
• ff: Loud
• fr: Father, France
• ft: Feet, Foot, Newspaper

G

• g: Girl, Golf, Good, Government, Gram, Grand, Gravity, Key, Note
• gc: Medal
• gel: Setter
• gen: Information
• gg: Horse
• gi: Soldier
• go: Turn
• gp: Doctor

H

• h: Drug, Hard, Heart(s), Heroin, Hospital, Hot, Hotel, Hour, Hungary, Husband, Suit
• hg: Mercury
• hm: Monarch, Queen
• hr: Hour

I

• i: Current, India, Iodine, Island, Italy, One, Setter
• ian: Scotsman
• ict: Technology
• id: Papers
• ie: That is
• in: At home, Current, Fashionable, Home, Popular
• iou: Promise
• is: Island
• it: Computing, Film, Technology
• iv: Four

J

• j: Japan, Joule, Journal, Judge, Juliet
• jp: Magistrate
• jug: Prison

K

• k: Cambodia, Grand, Kilo, Kilometre, King, Monarch, Thousand
• kes: Film
• kin: Family
• kt: Knight

L

• l: Beginner, Fifty, Hand, Lake, Large, Latin, Learner, Left, Liberal, Lima, Line, Litre, Luxembourg, Pound(s), Student
• la: City, Note
• lab: Party
• lan: Network
• lb: Pound(s)
• lear: King, Monarch
• lee: General
• leg: Cricket side, Member
• lent: Fast
• lib: Party
• ll: Lines
• lo: Look
• log: Function, Record
• lp: Record

M

• m: Grand, Maiden, Male, Mark, Married, Mass, Medium, Member, Metre, Mike, Mile(s), Million(s), Minute(s), Month, Mum, Noon, Thousand
• ma: Mother, Mum
• mac: Scotsman
• man: Island
• me: Setter
• meal: Lunch
• men: Soldiers
• mf: Quite loud
• mi: Mile(s), Note, Road
• mo: Doctor, Month, Second
• mom: Mum
• moo: Low
• mp: Member, Quite quiet
• ms: Writing
• mum: Mother

N

• n: Bearing, Direction, Knight, Name, New, Newton, Nitrogen, Noon, North, Norway, November, Number, Point, Quarter
• na: North America
• nb: Note
• ne: Bearing, Direction, Neon, Point
• net: Internet, Web
• ni: Tax
• nne: Bearing, Direction, Point
• nnw: Bearing, Direction, Point
• no: Number
• nov: November
• nt: Bible, Book, Books
• nut: Teachers
• nw: Bearing, Direction, Point
• ny: City

O

• o: Ball, Circle, Duck, Hoop, Love, None, Nothing, Old, Oscar, Oxygen, Ring, Round, Zero
• ob: Old boy, River
• obe: Medal
• oed: Dictionary
• off: Cricket side
• om: Decoration, Medal
• on: About, Concerning, Cricket side, Working
• op: Operation, Work
• or: Alternatively, Gold, Men, Soldiers
• organ: Newspaper
• os: Big, Jack, Sailor, Tar
• ot: Bible, Book, Books
• ou: University
• ox: Neat

P

• p: Copper, Page, Papa, Parking, Pawn, Pence, Penny, Piano, Portugal, Power, Pressure, Priest, Quiet, Quietly, Soft(ly)
• pa: Father
• pb: Lead
• pc: Copper
• pe: Exercise, Gym
• pen: Writer
• per: Each
• ph: Pub
• pm: Afternoon
• po: River
• pop: Father
• pot: Drug
• pp: Pages, Quiet, Quietly, Soft(ly)
• pr: Communications
• pro: Expert, Professional
• pt: Exercise, Gym
• put: Position

Q

• q: Monarch, Quebec, Queen, Question
• qu: Question

R

• r: Car, Castle, Hand, King, Monarch, Queen, Recipe, Redhead, Resistance, Right, River, Romeo, Rook, Run, Take
• ra: Artist(s)
• raf: Fliers
• rag: Newspaper
• rc: Church, Cryptic
• rd: Road, Street, Way
• re: About, Concerning, Engineer, Men, Note, On, Regiment, Soldier

• red: Communist, Socialist
• ref: Judge
• rl: Rugby, Sport
• rm: Soldier
• rn: Navy
• ro: Run out
• rr: Bishop
• ru: Rugby, Sport
• rv: Bible
• ry: Line, Railway, Tracks

S

• s: Bearing, Direction, Point, Quarter, Second, Shilling, Sierra, Small, Son(s), South, Spade(s), Square, Succeeded, Suit
• sa: South American
• se: Bearing, Direction, Point
• sea: Main
• sec: Wine
• sh: Mum, Quiet
• she: Woman
• shift: Key
• sin: Function
• sn: Tin
• so: Note, Provided
• sp: Record
• ss: Nazis, Ship
• sse: Bearing, Direction, Point
• ssw: Bearing, Direction, Point
• st: Good man, Holy man, Saint, Street, Way
• sw: Bearing, Direction, Point

T

• t: Junction, Shirt, Square, Tango, Temperature, Tense, Time
• ta: Army, I'm obliged, Thanks, Volunteers
• tab: Key
• tan: Function
• tar: Jack, Sailor, Tar
• te: Note
• tent: Wine
• the: Article
• ti: Note
• toe: Member
• tt: Abstainer, Dry, Times

U

• u: Bend, Classy, Posh, Turn, Uniform, Universal, University, Upper class
• ur: Ancient city, Old city
• us: American

V

• v: Five, Opposed, See, Vegetarian, Versus, Very, Victor, Victory
• vat: Tax
• vc: Medal
• vs: Opposed, Versus

W

• w: Bearing, Direction, Point, Quarter, Week, West, Whiskey, Wide, Wife, With, Women, Win
• way: Street, Way
• wnw: Bearing, Direction, Point
• wo: Without
• wsw: Bearing, Direction, Point
• www: Internet, Web

X

• x: Christ, Coordinate, Kiss, Sign of error, Ten, Times, Unknown, Variable, X-ray
• xi: Cricket side, Eleven, Football team, Side, Team

Y

• y: Coordinate, Unknown, Variable, Yankee, Year
• yr: Year

Z

• z: Bend, Unknown, Variable, Zulu

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