Constructing Crosswords: Themes

Why? | Types | Process, Conventions | Guidelines | Examples | Fresh?

Why?

  • "Discovering a crossword's theme is...
  • "Crosswords, like any art,...
  • Themes are often playful, and add another layer of depth to solve: a puzzle within a puzzle
  • With consistent theme entries, figuring out one or two can help the solver solve the other theme entries.

Theme Types

  • Wikipedia: "Many American crossword puzzles contain a 'theme' consisting of a number
    of long entries (generally 3-5 in a standard 15x15-square 'weekday'-size puzzle)
    that share some relationship, type of pun, or other element in common.
  • Examples:
  • Category theme: theme elements are all members of the same set
  • e.g., five themed entries ending in the different parts of a tree: (NYT 4/26/2005)
    SQUARE ROOT, TABLE LEAF, WARDROBE TRUNK, BRAIN STEM, BANK BRANCH
  • Quote themes, featuring a famous quote broken up into parts
    to fit in the grid (and usually clued as 'Quote, part 1',...);
  • Rebus themes, where multiple letters or even symbols
    occupy a single square in the puzzle (e.g., BERMUDA Δ);
  • Addition themes, where theme entries are created by adding
    a letter, letters, or word(s) to an existing word or phrase.
  • e.g., "Crucial pool shot?" = CRITICAL MASSE
    (formed by taking the phrase "critical mass" and adding an "e" on the end.
    All the theme entries in a given puzzle must be formed by the same process
    (so another entry might be "Greco-Roman buddy?" = WRESTLING MATE
    -- "wrestling mat" with an "e" added on). An example of a multiple-letter
    addition (and one that does not occur at the end of the entry) might be
    "Crazy about kitchen storage?" = CABINET FEVER (derived from "cabin fever");
  • Subtraction themes, the reverse of the above,
    where letters are removed to make a new word or phrase;
  • Compound themes, where the starts or ends of the
    theme entries can all precede or follow another word,
    which is given elsewhere in the puzzle.
  • e.g., a puzzle with theme entries that begin with
    PAPER, BALL, and WATER and elsewhere in the puzzle,
    the word BOY clued as "Word that can follow the start of [theme entries]";
  • Anniversary or tribute themes, commemorating a specific person, place, or event.
  • e.g., the NYT 10/7/2011 crossword commemorated the life of
    Apple CEO Steve Jobs who had died on October 5. Theme entries related to Jobs' life included
    MACINTOSH, PIXAR, THINK DIFFERENT, CREATIVE GENIUS, STEVE JOBS, and APPLE.
  • Synonym themes, where the theme entries all contain synonyms
  • e.g., a Los Angeles Times puzzle featuring a set of theme entries that contain
    the words RAVEN, JET, EBONY, and SABLE, all synonyms for "black"
  • Numerous other types have been identified, including spoonerisms, poems,
    shifted letters, rhyming phrases, puns, homophones, and
    combinations of two or more of other types of themes."
  • cruciverb.com: List of theme categories and examples: Additions; Alliterations;
    Anagram / Scramble; Antonyms; Bookends; Category Members; Combined Types;
    Complete The Clue; Compounds; Containers (hidden); Definitions; Deletions;
    Designated Squares; Direction change; Double/Triple Letters; Featured Letter(s);
    Grid design; Holidays and Special Occasions; Homophones; Jokes / Riddles;
    Language / Accent; Mini theme; Pairs / Triplets / nTuplets; Palindromes; Positional;
    Proper Name Play; Punchlines; Puns; Quips and Quotes; Rebus; Redivision; Repetition;
    Reversals; Rhyme; Sequence; Shared Centers; Shared Initials; Shift; Spoonerisms;
    Stacked 15s; String / Chain; Substitutions; Switch; Synonyms; Tribute; 4Verse
  • "Meta" crosswords were around long before FaceBook discovered and co-opted the term.
  • "Crossword metapuzzles are crosswords that, when correctly solved,
    provide the basis for a second puzzle." ~ Wikipedia: Metapuzzle
  • "Meta puzzles (also sometimes called contest puzzles) are crossword puzzles with an extra challenge.
    First, the grid is filled out like any other crossword puzzle.
    Afterwards, there is a prompt asking the solver for the solution to the meta.
    The prompt might ask for a 5-letter word, or for a word in a specific category, or anything else!
    To figure out the solution the solver needs to look for hints in the puzzle's clues, entries, grid layout,
    title, or anywhere else a devious constructor might have hidden them." ~Crosshare
  • See section: CROSSWORDS: Terminology & Types: meta

Process / Conventions

  • “Do you come up with the clues or the answers first?
    When constructing a themed crossword, puzzle makers usually tackle the theme itself first.
    They usually have a handful of “theme entries” with clues in mind, and they place those entries
    in an empty grid. The constructor then strategically places the black squares. Most constructors
    these days use software and curated word lists to help them fill the rest of the grid.

    For a themeless puzzle, like those we publish on Fridays and Saturdays, constructors start
    with an empty canvas. There are many methods for constructing this type of puzzle;
    some people already have a punny clue in mind for an entry and want to feature that
    clue-and-answer pairing. Some puzzle makers begin with an empty grid with a design they
    particularly like and just take what comes. Others might start with a stack of entries that work
    well together because of vowel and consonant patterns and build the grid around an entire stack.

    Generally speaking, clues are the last step of the process except for the occasional clue
    that comes to mind while you’re filling a grid. When I’m constructing a themeless puzzle,
    I put some thought into how easy it will be to write a clue for an entry but typically don’t
    write down any clues until the grid is complete. The grid evolves quite a lot during the
    construction process, so many entries that start out in the grid are replaced in the end."
    ~Christina Iverson, Wordplay newsletter, 11/10/2023
  • Generate prioritized list of possible phrases/words
  • How to find initial theme entry? Reading, noticing, listening, ...
  • How to find other theme possibilities? How are they similar?
    e.g., match a pattern (?*) in online dictionaries, e.g.: XWordInfo.com/Finder, OneLook.com
  • # theme entries: 4-5? total theme letters/squares: 40-50? -- for 15 x 15
  • Why the LA Times Won't Accept Your Three-Entry Theme
    (and Why You Should Make the Puzzle Anyways)     8/11/2021
  • Generally, theme entries are the longest entries, paired by length; minimum 40 letters total
  • If the entries contain a natural sequence, editors might expect them to occur in that order from top to bottom.
  • Draft initial clues to ensure consistency of the theme entries.
  • Option: place additional (unmatched) odd-length theme entry in center?
  • Option: use a 'payoff' or 'reveal' entry (often last, or sometimes center entry)
    -- and/or a title -- to explain/suggest the theme?

Guidelines

  • Some publishers allow a query containing only theme entries and clues for (hopefully) early feedback;
    with encouragement, continue with your efforts for a full puzzle; with rejection, rework or discard theme.
  • Check Crossword Publication Specs for guidance, e.g.
  • NYT: "Themes should be fresh, interesting, narrowly defined and consistently applied throughout the puzzle.
    For example, if the theme includes a particular kind of pun, then all the puns should be of that kind.
    Themes and theme entries should be accessible to everyone.
    We generally prefer puzzles with playful themes rather than straightforward subjects."
  • LAT: "consistent and narrowly defined; We do not have titles on our daily puzzles, so the themes
    must be self-evident or tied together with an in-grid entry that acts as a reveal to sum up the gimmick.
    Puzzles should have at least 40 theme squares; four or more theme entries is ideal,
    but three 15s may be acceptable."
  • WSJ: "entertaining theme, tightly defined and consistently executed"
  • Univ.: "All Universal Crossword themes should have some element of wordplay.
    Every theme should also have a reason for doing what it’s doing.
    This reason should be described by either a title, a revealer, or both.
    For a 15x15, longer theme answers are preferred, but 7 letters is the standard minimum length.
    For a 21x21, it’s preferable for some answers to be 16+-letters long.
    Most of our 15x15s have 4-5 theme answers, and most of our 21x21s have 6-9 theme answers.
    Puzzles with fewer theme answers should have longer ones.
    21x21 puzzles have to entertain solvers for longer,
    so a theme we like as a 15x15 may not be as exciting to us as a 21x21.
    More specifically, if the joke starts feeling stale after a few examples or only a few
    of the examples are really solid, then we’d probably prefer the theme as a daily.
    Themes should be executed consistently, and none of the theme answers should feel like outliers.

    Here are some examples of what we mean:
    Do not mix add-a-letter and change-a-letter theme answers (e.g., BRAIN SHOWER and MIND SWEEPER,
    where the former adds the letter “b” and the latter changes an “e” to a “d”).
    For a theme based on word pronunciations, be mindful of consistency of both sound and spelling.
    For example, if a theme adds the letters PI to each theme answer and hinges around words
    being pronounced like “pie,” there shouldn’t be any examples where the PI is pronounced like “pea.”
    For puzzles whose theme answers hide words or anagrams,
    we prefer when those words are 4+-letters long and span word breaks.
    For bookend themes, we also prefer when the words are 4+-letters long,
    and we also like it when the bookended words can only split in one way.
    Yes: AIRPLANE TICKET hides the long word “planet” across a word break.
    Yes: PHILOSOPHERS STONE has the word “phone” as a bookend.
    No: BRAINWASH hides the word “rain,” but it isn’t across a word break.
    No: START A WAR has the word “star” as a bookend, but “star” is also hidden straight in the answer
    STAND CLEAR has the word “star” as a bookend but “star” can be split in more ways than one.
    This is not always a dealbreaker, but it’s unideal.
    For themes where all theme answers start or end with a synonym for something,
    we want the synonyms to change meaning and be separate words within their theme answers.
    For example, if all the theme answers start with animals, we’d be more excited by the
    theme answer BEAR DOWN ON than we would about BEAR SPRAY.

    Themes types that are accepted sparingly:
    “Words that precede or follow X” puzzles (e.g. a puzzle with the reveal BEFOREHAND
    and theme answers like FIRST IMPRESSION and BACK TO THE FUTURE,
    where “first” and “back” can precede “hand” [firsthand and backhand]), unless there’s an additional twist
    Puzzles where every theme answer hides the same word
    List puzzles (e.g., a puzzle whose theme answers are all songs by a certain artist)
    Quote/quip puzzles where a quote is broken up across a handful of theme answers
    Trivia/tribute puzzles that lack an additional layer of wordplay
    Mashup puzzles (e.g., a puzzle with theme answers like BRAINWASHING MACHINE [brainwashing + washing machine])
    Add-a-single-letter/delete-a-single-letter puzzles, unless there’s an additional twist
    Puzzles whose theme answers are nonsensical (e.g., a puzzle with the reveal SKIP A BEAT
    and theme answers like RIX POTTER [where “beat” was deleted from Beatrix Potter])
    “Reverse clue” puzzles whose theme answers aren’t legitimate phrases
    (e.g., a puzzle with theme answers like INTERSECTION SIGN and ORGAN FEATURE, both clued as [Stop])
    Puzzles whose theme answers/clues are either hard to imagine or grammatically unsound.
    This usually applies to puns (e.g., BLUE OUT THE CANDLES, which doesn’t have a cogent cluing angle).
    Themes that scatter circles throughout theme answers (non-consecutive circled letters
    that aren’t bookends) usually aren’t a good fit for Universal"
  • Cruciverb: Advice on Making 21 x 21 Puzzles
    Get theme approval from an editor before tackling a grid design or fill.
    21 x 21's are way too difficult to do on spec.
    Bare minimum: 80 theme squares (8 10-letter entries).
    If your entries are all very long (16-21), 5 entries may be enough.
    If most of your theme entries are shorter (say 9-12 letters)
    you want at least 8 entries--I often try for 9.
    When I have several pairs of entries that are 15 letters or longer,
    I sometimes settle for 7 entries or even 6.
    Avoid a single central entry of 17 or 19 letters
  • Theme placement coverered in Grid section.

Examples

Example: NYT (Constructing Article)

  • source: NYT: How to Make a Crossword Puzzle, Part 1: Developing the Theme;
    How do puzzle makers get started?
    Keeping an Eye Out for Ideas; Back to the Drawing Board;
    Never Give Up; Now We’re Cooking; Use the Resources, Luke
  • toy phrases? e.g., TRIXIE MATTEL
  • crosswords? puzzles? PUZZLE PIECE
  • types of music? PIECE, RECORD, TRACK, NUMBER, SONG?
  • theme [category]: phrase with person and type of song? entries, with =length & draft clues
  • PUZZLE PIECE=11: Crossword enthusiast’s favorite song?
  • TENURE TRACK=11: Professor’s favorite song?
  • CALL NUMBER=10: Telemarketer’s favorite song?
  • MACBOOK AIR=10: Genius Bar staffer’s favorite song?
  • Note how the theme entries are paired in length,
    and clues are parallel in structure, mirroring sequence of theme entry.

Example: LAT

  • source: LAT, Thu, 10/17/2019; blogs: crosswordfiend.com, crosswordcorner.blogspot.com, laxcrossword.com
  • theme [category]: phrase with topic and type of magazine article
  • PUZZLE PIECE=11: Article about crosswords?
    -- note: same entry as NYT example above, but LAT 'piece' is an article instead of a song
  • GREEK COLUMN=11: Article about a European language?
  • SAFETY FEATURE=13: Article about life jackets?
  • ICE CREAM SCOOP=13: Article about a dessert?
  • Note how the clues are parallel in structure, but not mirrored,
    e.g., clue first word: "Article" refers to theme last word.

Example: WSJ

  • source: WSJ, Thu, 9/23/2021; blogs: crosswordfiend.com
  • title: PUZZLE PIECES
  • a different interpretation of the phrase, i.e., "puzzle" synonyms, in pieces -- entries span across blocks
  • USURP ROB LEMME; YEMENI GMAJOR; POSTUM PERMIT; GRECO NUN DRUMS
  • reveal: TOUGH NUT TO CRACK

Example: Universal

  • source: Univ, Thu, 4/28/2021; blogs: crosswordfiend.com
  • title: PUZZLE PIECES
  • a different interpretation of the phrase, i.e., parts of a crossword
  • OFF THE GRID; HAVE YOUR FILL; HEDWIG’S THEME; BLUES CLUES
  • reveal: CROSSWORD SOLVER

Is the Theme Unique -- or 'Fresh'?

  • If you're planning to submit the crossword to a publisher,
    it's important early in the process to find out if the theme has already appeared elsewhere
    (this is not an issue when creating crosswords just for fun, friends or family).
  • The 3 first examples NYT, LAT and WSJ all used a "PUZZLE PIECE" theme
    and even shared the same "reveal" entry or title,
    but the idea, entries and clues were different, i.e., "pieces" = music, articles, fragments.
  • However, if the other entries are almost exactly the same or share the same theme idea,
    a publisher is likely to reject the submission as not fresh enough.
  • With increasingly more crossword venues and imaginative constructors,
    it can be challenging to come up with new themes or interpretations of a theme.
  • A later section revisits this issue, with other examples,
    and offers tips for identifying existing puzzle themes.

Example: NYT (Solving Article)

reagle1Example: NYT (Reagle)

  • source: NYT, Tue, 5/31/2005 by Merl Reagle; .puz $; blogs: xwordinfo.com
  • listed in Will Shortz Picks His Favorite Puzzles
  • featured in WordPlay documentary:
    Merl enters theme entries on paper: @0:16:12
  • [hidden]: phrases including: "WORD" or "PLAY" (but in different context)
  • reagle2PLAYA DEL REY=11
  • TOP LAYERS=9
  • WORD PLAY (hidden words) =2*4 or =9 (w/ block) [odd]
  • NEW ORDERS=9
  • CROSS SWORDS=11 -- bonus: 'CROSSWORDS' w/ extra S in center!

Example: Vuolo

  • source: How a Crossword Puzzle Gets Made video 3:32; Mike Vuolo; Slate; 11/12/2014
  • NYT, Mon, 8/16/1999 ['oldies'?]: @1:05; .puz $; blogs: xwordinfo.com
  • YESTERDAY'S NEWS=14: It's old
  • A THING OF THE PAST=14: It's very old
  • ANCIENT HISTORY=14: It's very, very old
  • NYT, Thu, 12/18/2008: ['spies'?] @1:36; .puz $; blogs: xwordinfo.com, wordplay.blogs.nytimes.com
  • UNDERCOVER AGENT=15: Keeper of confidential information
  • SWORN TO SECRECY=14: Like a keeper of confidential information
  • IF I TOLD YOU THEN=14: 46A: With 60-Across, what a keeper of confidential information might say
  • I'D HAVE TO KILL YOU=15: 60A: See 46-Across
  • NYT, Tue, 1/13/2004: ['movie credits'?] @1:58; .puz $; blogs: xwordinfo.com
  • MALCOLM MCDOWELL=15: Star of 59-Across
  • STANLEY KUBRICK=14: Director of 59-Across
  • BEETHOVEN'S NINTH=15: Music featured in 59-Across
  • ANTHONY BURGESS=14: Author of 59-Across
  • CLOCKWORK ORANGE=15: 59A: Theme of this puzzle, with "A"

Example: Gaffney

  • source: How Crossword Puzzles Are Really Made Matt Gaffney; MF; 9/10/2014
  • "We Interrupt this Broadcast" [hidden]: two-word phrases bridged by a one-word TV show title
  • MENTAL FLOSS=10; JOEL OSTEEN=11; ALABAMA SHAKES=13; LIVE EPISODE=11; SWING STATE=10

Example: Boisvert

  • source: How to construct a crossword puzzle for the New York Times
    Alex Boisvert, Crossword Nexus; video: 9:44; theme: @1:25; 4/23/2013;
  • [quote] (by Dmitri Martin) ?
  • I REMEMBER WHEN=13; I USED TO REALLY BE=15; INTO NOSTALGIA=13
  • "Angels and Demons" [hidden] -- ANGEL or DEMON
  • initial: BRANGELINA=10; MAYA ANGELOU=11; PANDEMONIUM=11; CODE MONKEY=10
  • TANGELO TREE=11; STRANGELY=9; ANGELS AND DEMONS=15; DESDEMONA=9; CLAUDE MONET=11
  • Berry's CCH example "Possessed" (#20) uses hidden DEMON too:
    CLAUDE MONET=11; MADE MONEY=9; SIMON DE MONTFORT=15; DESDEMONA=9; PANDEMONIUM=11

Examples: Misc.

Examples: Steve (alphabetical)

Is the Theme Fresh?

  • As mentioned earlier, crossword editors prefer new themes.
    Unlike movie producers, they often reject remakes.
  • You could provide different fill words and clues to avoid actual plagiarism, or consider submitting to a different publication,
    but you'll probably have a better chance with a different theme.
  • There is no public puzzle database available to search, nor an index of theme 'ideas'.
    However, there are several places to check where (and usually when) entries have already appeared.
    If you have a reveal entry, is it used as a reveal entry elsewhere?
    Do several of your theme entries occur in the same existing puzzle?
  • cluer database app (app): free; many sources; year only; no longer updated
  • crosserville.com > Theme Search free account
  • crosswordtracker.com > Search: free; many sources; full date
  • cruciverb.com > Answer Search $; many sources; no year/date
  • xd.saul.pw Saul Pwanson's clue database updated regularly vs. cluer (5/2023); xd-clues.zip
  • xwordinfo.com (NYT only; full date):
    Finder ($): answer entry/pattern (?*) -> matching entries & clues;
    Clue Search (free): clue word(s) -> entire clues & corresp. answer entries
  • Some indexes may omit non-standard theme entries, e.g., invented phrases;
    you could of course use a general search engine, though it can be difficult to sift through the results.
  • Try to locate the actual earlier puzzle or solution to understand its theme in context
    -- this is easier for more recent, major puzzles:
    e.g., NYT Archive, xwordinfo.com, crosswordfiend.com, Sources: Web Sites
  • Several puzzle themes that I was considering before I discovered they were not novel:
  • That's a Wrap: end of movie filming, plastic covering, fur coat, lunch rollup, gift paper, serape...
  • LAT, Fri, 6/21/2019: crosswordfiend.com,crosswordcorner.blogspot.com, laxcrossword.com:
    GIFT BOX COVERING; TERRY CLOTH ROBE; ROLLED SANDWICH;
    END OF A FILM SHOOT -- all clued: "That's a wrap"
  • Disappearing Act: theme entries, with 'ACT' removed.
  • NYT, Thu, 8/16/2001: xwordinfo.com:
    GO WHERE THE (ACT)ION IS; PR(ACT)ICING CATHOLIC;
    HIGH IMP(ACT) AEROBICS; DISAPPEARING ACT
  • Spice Girls: actresses with spicy first names (and my draft clues), e.g.,
    GINGER GRANT (Tina Louise in Gilligan's Island),
    CINNAMON CARTER (Barbara Bain in Mission Impossible),
    LAVENDER BROWN (Jessie Cave in several Harry Potter films),
    PEPPER ANDERSON (Angie Dickinson in Police Woman),
    SPICE LADIES (Group of seasoned female roles, e.g., ...)
  • NYT, Fri, 11/19/1993: xwordinfo.com:
    GINGER GRANT; CINNAMON CARTER; PEPPER ANDERSON;
    also: LAT 8/2/2005 (included BASIL FAWLTY)
  • The Fall 2022 Constructing Crosswords class used this as an example,
    to explore different theme selection & placement, grid layout, fill and clues: Seasoned Rolls puzzles.
  • Where's Waldo?: 'WALDO' embedded or scrambled in entries.
  • NYT, Mon, 2/9/2015: xwordinfo.com: SUPERBOWL AD; COLD WATER; MEADOWLANDS;
    SLOW DANCE; WHERES WALDO; and maybe Univ. 4/14/2001
  • Finding Nemo: e.g., 'NEMO' embedded in entries, e.g., SEA ANEMONE; AIRPLANE MODE
  • NYT, Mon, 8/15/2002: xwordinfo.com: UNEMOTIONAL; MNEMONIC DEVICES; OPPORTUNE MOMENT;
    FINDING NEMO (2003 animated film- - with a hint to 17-, 32- and 41-Across)
  • and maybe: Puzzle Society 8/30/2018 ("2003 Pixar film, or a word search challenge for after you find...");
    'Ind' 2013 ("2003 Movie that's going to get a sequel in 2015, or what you'll be doing in each of this puzzle's long entries")
  • Climate Change: 'CLIMATE' scrambled in entries.
  • NYT, Wed, 3/30/2016: xwordinfo.com: CHEMICAL TESTING; MEAL TICKET; DIRECT MAIL; SATELLITE CAMPUS;
    CLIMATE CHANGE ("Environmentalist's concern ... or a hint to the circled letters")
  • Univ. Tue, 3/31/2020 crosswordfiend.com: LOCAL TIME; ZONE, MEAL TICKET; EMBLEMATIC;
    CLIMATE CHANGE ("Presidential debate topic, or a hint to the circled letters")
  • Reagle, Sun, 6/21/2015; title: "Hot Topic";
    WITHOUT MALICE; DELICATE MATTER; LOCAL TIME; HERMETICALLY;
    MEAL TICKETS; PROBLEMATIC; CHEMICAL TEST; INTEL IMAC; FROM HELL IT CAME;
    CLIMATE CHANGE ("What the gray squares in the grid literally illustrate")
  • Great minds think alike and you might still end up with a similar theme set and grid design, e.g.,
  • It Themes Somehow Familiar
    how could two crossword constructors come up with puzzles that are almost exactly alike?
    BRAVE NEW WORLD, INTRAVENOUS DRIP, CONTRAVENE, COBRA VENOM; Slate/ 11/27/2009
  • Once you have a set of satisfactory, consistent, and (mostly) unique theme entries, proceed to creating a Grid.