Subjects Of Clues

[DeliaK]

I don't need help with a clue but does anyone else feel irritated at the regularity of cricket terms and (sometimes) weaponry in the clues? It feels a bit masculine sometimes!

[factor-fiction]

Any particular crossword, Delia?

[AB Editor]

Maybe it's a setter who is very fond of both? Or do you think it's more general than that?

[EcclesCake]

Not as much as I have a bee in my bonnet about implied sexism...........

[Baldric]

6d, ON (anag)!

[jim360]

I know that one, Baldric, I know that one!


Cricket, and bridge, and the Bible, and weaponry, are often useful themes for crossword clues because they provide so much extra material as indicators for various elements. It doesn't necessarily represent a male bias in the crossword, so much as one in history. Although that said a large number of crossword setters are men, so maybe it does. But it's not really worth taking offence at -- just enjoy the clue constructions! And, if nothing else, at least you know what the themes are so you know where to look for breaking into the clues.

[bookbinder]

Can't say I've noticed.

[nannybooby]

Delia I love cricket so did my mum ,my dad wasn't the least interested in it so no its not masculine ,sorry x

[factor-fiction]

Some of the terms in cricket are feminine- dolly, slips, maiden...

[EcclesCake]

I know considerably more about cricket and militaria than I do about crochet and motherhood!

[DeliaK]

Thanks for the comments folks. It was the Observer Everyman crossword I was referring to but that's the only serious one I do anyway. Not necessarily a purely sexist bias perhaps - as is said, some women are huge cricket fans, though not many I suspect are much into weaponry. But there are a lot of cricketing terms I find and, unlike say plant names, it's not so easy to find out what terms there are, at least in any reference books I have. And food/cooking clues do tend to be pretty basic on the whole!

[frugalfred]

I know that one setter of a popular Sunday xword is a cricket umpire. Hence cricket clues often turn up.

[jim360]

There was a listener crossword the other day attempting to address all your concerns by turning all (or at least most) male references in clues into female ones. Hence MASCara became FEMara, RoMANesque became roWOMANesque, and so on. Was pretty fun!

[bibblebub]

obscure Scottish words are a fash in the airsie

[pixie373]

I have noticed that on several quiz shows too. There are often a lot of questions about male sports/players/ teams, but rarely women's (not that i would know either). See far more questions on football than traditionally female subjects.

[frugalfred]

D'accord, bibblebub!

[EcclesCake]

I find that one of my favoured crosswords has a lot of heraldry clues. I don't know if that is really the case but I do know that heraldry is a weak hand for me.

[grasscarp]

Maybe there are more male crossword clue setters than female. There are a host of helpful men on here (and women too) so it is not a problem if you cant fathom it out for yourself Delia.