ELI5: Explain Like I'm 5

Crosswordese

Crosswordese is a fancy way of saying words or phrases that crossword puzzle-makers use a lot because they fit well into a crossword grid. These words are often not used very often in everyday conversations and may sound weird or old-fashioned to some people.

For example, "etui" is a small bag or case that is often used in crossword puzzles because it has only four letters and can fit into a small space in a grid. However, you may never have heard of this word before, which is okay because it's not commonly used in everyday life.

Other examples of crosswordese include words like "agog" (meaning excited or eager), "oot" (a Scottish word for out), and "enuf" (a shortened version of enough).

So, in summary, crosswordese is a special language or set of words that are often used in crossword puzzles because they fit well into the limited space available.