Crossword puzzle tips

General tips:

• If it ends in a question mark, it's a terrible joke
• If part of the clue is abbreviated, the answer is an abbreviation
• Look for tense and case in the clue; plurals end in 's', past tense ends in 'ed'

Answers to common clues:
First name in jazz: ELLA (FITZGERALD is never an answer)
Dancing Astaire: ADELE, not FRED
Pirate in Peter Pan: SMEE, not Hook
Scotch partner: SODA
La Douce: IRMA
Western treaty grp.: OAS
Full house sign: SRO
Flying Brits: RAF
Anything about a plant or balm: ALOE
Pequod skipper: AHAB

Common crossword puzzle words:

• URDU
• ULNA
• AMEN
• ARC
• APE
• DNA
• ERA
• EEL
• OLEO
• OLIO
• OGRE
• OGLE
• LEER
• GAZE