Here are some basic abbreviations that are very useful to have by

your side when cracking cryptic clues! The list is concise and only
focuses on the harder abbreviations. Straightforward abbreviations
and simple foreign words have been omitted from this list.
10 = X

100 = C

1,000 = M

5=V

50 = L

a follower = B

about = C, CE, RE

against = V
(versus)

alien = ET

American soldier =
GI

ancient city = UR

ancient times =
BC

Anglo-Saxon = AS

Arabic = AR

artist = RA (Royal
Academy)

Asian = E
(Eastern)

at home = IN

bishop = B (chess)

Bonds boss = M

book = B

bridge player = N, S, E, W

British = B, BR

Capone = AL

carbon copy = CC

castle = R (rook)

chapter = C or CH

chief = CH

Church of
England = CE

civil engineer = CE

cross = X

club/s = C (cards)

Common Era =
CE

Cyprus = CY

daughter = D

degree = D, BA, MA

diamond/s = D
(cards)

Diana = DI

direction = N, S, E,W

doctor = DR, MB,

MD, MO

dram = DR

duck = O (cricketing)

Elizabeth = E

English = E

exercise = PT or
PE

exist = BE

fine = F (pencil), OK

first = IST (1st)

first class = AI
(A1)

fish = LING, EEL, COD etc.

force = F

former partner = EX

France = F

gas = H (hydrogen), CO
(carbon monoxide), etc.

George = G

Georgia = GA
(state), GE (country)

German = G

gold = AU or OR (heraldry)

good = G

good man = ST
(saint)

graduate = BA,
MB

Greek character or letter = PI,

NU, MU, XI, etc.

Guevara = CHE

hard = H (pencil)

heart/s = H (cards)

hexadecimal = HEX

honour = OBE

hour = HR

hug = O

husband = H

hush = SH

I am = IM (Im)

in charge = IC

instant message = IM

integrated circuit = IC

judge = J

king = K or ER

kiss = X

last character = Z

lawyer = BL
(Bachelor of Law)

letter = EF, EM,

EL

Liberal = L

line = L (l looks like a

line)

loud = F (forte)

midday = N
(noon)

model = T (Model T Ford)

moment = MO

monsieur = M

months = MOS

new = N

newton = N (unit)

no good = NG

noon = N

note = A G, DO, RE, MI,

FA, SO, LA, TI, TE, DOH,
etc.

nothing = O

ocean = O

old = O

old boy = OB

old city = UR

old record = EP

one = A, AN, I (1)

operation = OP

oriental = E (from the

East)

penny = P

playing = ON
(stage)

point = N, S, E or W

power = P

present day = AD

princess = DI

printers measure = EN, EM

private investigator =
PI

physical education =
PE

Public Record
Office = PRO

quarter = N, NE, NW, E etc

queen = R, Q, or ER

queens honour =
OBE

quiet = P (piano)

ring = O

resistance = R (unit)

river = R, EXE,
DEE, PO, etc.

roughly = CA
(circa)

round = O

sailor, salt = AB
(able- bodied seaman)

second = S

second-class = B

Shakespearean king = LEAR

ship/s = SS

short time = T

single = I (1)

society = S

soft = P (music), B
(pencil)

son = S

spade/s = S
(cards)

square = S

teetotal/le = TT

temperature = T

thanks = TA

the thing = IT

times = X

top class = AI (A1)

translator = TR

unknown = X or Y

versus = V, VS

very black = BB
(pencil)

vitamin = A, B,
BI (B1), C, etc.

vote = X

wife = W

will = LL
(contraction)

womens
supporter = BRA

worker = ANT, BEE

year = Y

yours truly = I, ME