Crossword Challenge Puzzle 1997 Clues and Answers
Puzzle 1997 of Crossword Challenge gives you 32 clues on a 8×10 board. Each one is listed below with a hint first and the answer second.
Expect plenty of tiny answers, 13 of them only one or two letters. 3 clues are pictures, and 2 of those ask you to fill the gaps in a word printed on the image; 4 clues want only the initials of the clue words; 3 want just the first letter of a single word; 4 clues are fill-ins, and 3 of them need only the missing letters. The longest answer runs 9 letters and belongs to “Needing”.
The edges of this grid check each other. The top-row answers begin with the letters of the answer to “Turning over”, read left to right, and the left-column answers begin with the letters of the answer to “Needing”, read top to bottom.
Hints and answers, clue by clue
Clues look the way they do in the game. Tap Hint for a nudge or Answer to see the letters. The fully solved grid is below the hints.
Top row
These sit along the top edge and every answer runs down.
NEEDING
1Needing
Top row 1/7 · 9 letters · down
Starts with R; pattern R _ _ U _ _ I _ _. “True” crosses it at the sixth square.
REQUIRING
kn-
2Picture clue
Top row 2/7 · 2 letters · down
The image carries “kn-”. Name the picture and keep only the letters hidden behind the dashes, beginning with O.
OT
GRASS AREA
3Grass area
Top row 3/7 · 4 letters · down
Shape: L _ _ _. “A question of place” crosses it at the third square.
LAWN
LILY
4Lily
Top row 4/7 · 1 letter · down
Lily starts with the answer.
L
BEST POSSIBLE
5Best possible
Top row 5/7 · 5 letters · down
Shape: I _ _ A _. Solving “Make a request” first gives you its fourth letter.
IDEAL
CHILD CAREGIVER
6Child caregiver
Top row 6/7 · 9 letters · down
Starts with N; pattern N _ _ S _ _ A _ _. “FOR__L” crosses it at the sixth square.
NURSEMAID
NERDY SORT
7Nerdy sort
Top row 7/7 · 4 letters · down
Fits G _ _ _. The third square is also part of “A question of place”.
GEEK
Left column
These sit down the left edge and every answer runs across.
TURNING OVER
8Turning over
Left column 1/9 · 7 letters · across
Shape: R _ _ L _ _ G. Solving “Best possible” first gives you its fifth letter.
ROLLING
EST. TIME ARRIVAL
9Est. time arrival
Left column 2/9 · 3 letters · across
Shorten the clue to its first letters: 3 squares.
ETA
QUICK
10Quick
Left column 3/9 · 1 letter · across
Write the first letter of Quick, nothing more.
Q
11Picture clue
Left column 4/9 · 3 letters · across
Name the object in the picture. U _ _. The third square is also part of “Grass area”.
URN
INCLUDING YOU
12Including you
Left column 5/9 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “Including you”.
IY
TRUE
13True
Left column 6/9 · 4 letters · across
R _ _ _. Check the third letter against “Air worth”.
REAL
AFTER H
14After h
Left column 7/9 · 1 letter · across
Step one letter forward from H in the alphabet.
I
NEW JERSEY
15New jersey
Left column 8/9 · 2 letters · across
Initials: the first letter of each word in “New jersey”.
NJ
PERSIAN ___
16PERSIAN ___
Left column 9/9 · 4 letters · across
Say “PERSIAN ___” out loud and the blank fills itself: G _ _ _.
GULF
Inside the grid
Split squares hold two clues: the top half runs across, the bottom half runs down.
EXPECTED
17Expected
Row 3, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Fits D _ _. The third square is also part of “Nerdy sort”.
DUE
HANDFUL
18Handful
Row 3, col 5 · 1 letter · down
Only one square: take the initial of Handful.
H
A QUESTION OF PLACE
19A question of place
Row 4, col 3 · 5 letters · across
W _ _ R _. “Child caregiver” crosses it at the fourth square.
WHERE
SEEDY BREAD
20Seedy bread
Row 4, col 3 · 3 letters · down
Shape: R _ _. Check the third letter against “True”.
RYE
MAKE A REQUEST
21Make a request
Row 5, col 5 · 3 letters · across
Begins with A. Its third letter is shared with “Nerdy sort”.
ASK
COLD
22Cold
Row 5, col 5 · 5 letters · down
Shape: A _ _ O _. Its fourth letter is shared with “Bypass”.
ALOOF
C___NDAR
23C___NDAR
Row 6, col 4 · 3 letters · across
“C___NDAR” is a word with a gap. Type just the gap, which begins with A.
ALE
AIR WORTH
24Air worth
Row 6, col 4 · 2 letters · down
Abbreviate “Air worth” to its initials.
AW
OPPOSITE OF PRO
25Opposite of pro
Row 6, col 8 · 4 letters · down
Fits A _ _ _. “Bypass” crosses it at the third square.
ANTI
FOR__L
26FOR__L
Row 7, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Fill the gap in “FOR__L”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with M.
MA
DOUBLE M
27Double m
Row 7, col 6 · 2 letters · down
Begins with M. The second square is also part of “Bypass”.
MM
FEMALE ADULT
28Female adult
Row 8, col 3 · 5 letters · across
Shape: W _ _ A _. Check the fourth letter against “Child caregiver”.
WOMAN
IN__RY
29IN__RY
Row 8, col 3 · 2 letters · down
Fill the gap in “IN__RY”, but leave out the letters already shown. Starts with J.
JU
BYPASS
30Bypass
Row 9, col 4 · 4 letters · across
Begins with O. Check the third letter against “Child caregiver”.
OMIT
ROMAN FIFTY
31Roman fifty
Row 9, col 4 · 1 letter · down
Think of one character, not a word, for “Roman fifty”.
L
ra--ator
32Direct input
Row 10, col 6 · 2 letters · across
Work out the object in the picture, then drop the part already written on it (“ra--ator”). What is left starts with D.
DI
Crossword Challenge Level 1997 Solved Grid
Hide the letters to check your own board against the empty grid.
Next puzzles
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Puzzle 1997 solved
Thanks for working through Puzzle 1997 with us. Puzzle 1998 is next, with 31 clues on a 8×10 board.