# Solving Crosswords for Fun and Profit **URL:** \ **Category:** Japanese Language\ **Created:** [May 1, 2018, 9:17am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728 "2018-05-01T09:17:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 35
**Author:** ![mitrac](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/mitrac/32/476810_2.png) [@mitrac](https://community.wanikani.com/u/mitrac)\ **Post date:** [August 9, 2024, 3:58pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/683 "2024-08-09T15:58:42Z")
what do you think about オコメ for 13 across (坊さんの大きな収入源)? 27 across is シダ (both plants mentioned in the clues are ferns) ---
**Author:** ![Belthazar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/belthazar/32/4469_2.png) [@Belthazar](https://community.wanikani.com/u/Belthazar)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 10:56am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/684 "2024-11-10T10:56:22Z")
Oh. I liked this post, but followed up on it. > [@mitrac](#): > > what do you think about オコメ for 13 across (坊さんの大きな収入源)? Could you explain? (I’m starting to wonder if it’s オフセ) > [@mitrac](#): > > 27 across is シダ (both plants mentioned in the clues are ferns) That’s the down clue, and it was one of the first clues I solved in this puzzle. 🙂 Think 14-down is ウチ (as in, 鬼は外、福は…) 24-across ホシン ---
**Author:** ![mitrac](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/mitrac/32/476810_2.png) [@mitrac](https://community.wanikani.com/u/mitrac)\ **Post date:** [November 10, 2024, 1:15pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/685 "2024-11-10T13:15:37Z")
> [@Belthazar](#): > > > [@mitrac](#): > > > > what do you think about オコメ for 13 across (坊さんの大きな収入源)? > > Could you explain? I’m not sure anymore 😇 perhaps I was going too far off piste and thinking of 収入源 for a monk as alms = rice > [@Belthazar](#): > > That’s the down clue Oh man how did I not see that, I just deleted the across one I filled in 😆 ---
**Author:** ![Belthazar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/belthazar/32/4469_2.png) [@Belthazar](https://community.wanikani.com/u/Belthazar)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2024, 11:27am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/686 "2024-11-11T11:27:23Z")
11-across イチイタイスイ (a yojijukugo as expected…) 29-down is probably カデンインスイ Makes 27-across シデ, but I’m not too clear on why. I’m not sure I even understand the clue. The remaining clues feel kinda tricky… ---
**Author:** ![mitrac](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/mitrac/32/476810_2.png) [@mitrac](https://community.wanikani.com/u/mitrac)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2024, 12:31pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/687 "2024-11-11T12:31:41Z")
> [@Belthazar](#): > > The remaining clues feel kinda tricky… I thought that was just me… ---
**Author:** ![Belthazar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/belthazar/32/4469_2.png) [@Belthazar](https://community.wanikani.com/u/Belthazar)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2024, 12:39pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/688 "2024-11-11T12:39:32Z")
19-across is some technical sumo wrestling term, and I finally worked out what it is. [キュウキン](https://jisho.org/word/%E7%B5%A6%E9%87%91%E7%9B%B8%E6%92%B2). 幽霊の正体見たり枯れ尾花 is apparently [an expression](https://dictionary.goo.ne.jp/word/%E5%B9%BD%E9%9C%8A%E3%81%AE%E6%AD%A3%E4%BD%93%E8%A6%8B%E3%81%9F%E3%82%8A%E6%9E%AF%E3%82%8C%E5%B0%BE%E8%8A%B1/), so 25-down is ショウタイ 23-across is thus ？シダン, and I’ve been thinking it’s some kinda staircase for a while, so maybe イシダン. Is こつこつ the sound of walking on stone? ---
**Author:** ![mitrac](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/mitrac/32/476810_2.png) [@mitrac](https://community.wanikani.com/u/mitrac)\ **Post date:** [November 11, 2024, 1:21pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/689 "2024-11-11T13:21:37Z")
> [@Belthazar](#): > > Is こつこつ the sound of walking on stone? Of everything you wrote that’s the only thing I’ve even heard of - yes, that’s definitely one use of コツコツ ---
**Author:** ![Belthazar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/belthazar/32/4469_2.png) [@Belthazar](https://community.wanikani.com/u/Belthazar)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 11:28am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/690 "2025-09-21T11:28:06Z")
Welp, for the annual resurrect the thread before I need to necromance it for real, I’ve finished off the current puzzle. One or two of the missing words I understood the clue but couldn’t come up with the right vocab for the answer, but for many of them I just don’t really get it even knowing the answer. ![crossword 31 sol](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/original/4X/1/3/7/1376be044ca36acad4c4efd7ee5c60d34bf604a9.png) ---
**Author:** ![mitrac](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/mitrac/32/476810_2.png) [@mitrac](https://community.wanikani.com/u/mitrac)\ **Post date:** [September 21, 2025, 12:27pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/691 "2025-09-21T12:27:30Z")
I couldn’t understand any of the rest. Onward to the next one! ---
**Author:** ![Belthazar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/belthazar/32/4469_2.png) [@Belthazar](https://community.wanikani.com/u/Belthazar)\ **Post date:** [September 22, 2025, 10:22pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/692 "2025-09-22T22:22:00Z")
The next one! Number thirty-two! ![IMG_6926](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/original/4X/b/d/c/bdcaec9d75260c2712c1d3121507607e0ab85704.jpeg) ![IMG_6927](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/original/4X/d/a/8/da87eed1644f009146692203768a0fe1840e30ec.jpeg) Where to start, then. The very first clue seems a good a place as any. 1-across, Googling suggests that まな板の上の鯉 is the Japanese equivalent of the English phrase “like lambs to the slaughter”, so I’ma go with マナイタ 1-down, had to Google again, but マシコヤキ. Never heard of that before. 2-across シミ 9-down ナミダ - this one I’ve actually heard of: it’s from a 1961 song called 上を向いて歩こう, which was released in the West with the inexplicable title of “Sukiyaki”. (Are these all gonna be ことわざ or other cultural terms? That could be a bit painful if so…) ---
**Author:** ![NicoleIsEnough](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/nicoleisenough/32/87285_2.png) [@NicoleIsEnough](https://community.wanikani.com/u/NicoleIsEnough)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 6:23am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/693 "2025-09-23T06:23:58Z")
7 across would be たき I guess? Unless I didn’t catch some hidden meaning… ---
**Author:** ![Belthazar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/belthazar/32/4469_2.png) [@Belthazar](https://community.wanikani.com/u/Belthazar)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 12:52pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/694 "2025-09-23T12:52:59Z")
Ooo, in that case, 12-down is レキ - I learnt that from Haibane Renmei. 🙂 After consulting a woodblock printing glossary, 6-across could be バレン So 5-down is, uh… ロバタヤキ 4-across キシ 10-down シマ, I suppose 11-across マイ 15-down イモン, I suspect ---
**Author:** ![NicoleIsEnough](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/nicoleisenough/32/87285_2.png) [@NicoleIsEnough](https://community.wanikani.com/u/NicoleIsEnough)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 1:30pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/695 "2025-09-23T13:30:35Z")
3 across should be コダマ but then I’m stuck… Edit: Oh, 24 across is ゴウ according to jisho. ---
**Author:** ![NicoleIsEnough](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/nicoleisenough/32/87285_2.png) [@NicoleIsEnough](https://community.wanikani.com/u/NicoleIsEnough)\ **Post date:** [September 23, 2025, 1:48pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/696 "2025-09-23T13:48:32Z")
Some wild guesses: 31 down could be シノブ? 30 down could maaaaybe be フユ?? But then the solution word is ユマブレ which doesn’t make too much sense… (smeared with hot water?? 🤔) ---
**Author:** ![NicoleIsEnough](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/nicoleisenough/32/87285_2.png) [@NicoleIsEnough](https://community.wanikani.com/u/NicoleIsEnough)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 2:47pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/697 "2025-09-24T14:47:01Z")
Thought some more… 29 across could be ブンコウ 21 across might be シンコン But then my 31 down from above is wrong… ---
**Author:** ![pembogeyman](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/pembogeyman/32/566519_2.png) [@pembogeyman](https://community.wanikani.com/u/pembogeyman)\ **Post date:** [September 24, 2025, 3:52pm UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/698 "2025-09-24T15:52:06Z")
I’ll stick to my cryptics ---
**Author:** ![Belthazar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/belthazar/32/4469_2.png) [@Belthazar](https://community.wanikani.com/u/Belthazar)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 12:42am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/699 "2025-09-25T00:42:14Z")
> [@NicoleIsEnough](#): > > 3 across should be コダマ but then I’m stuck… It took me an embarrasingly long time to remember what the connection between ひかり and こだま was… > [@NicoleIsEnough](#): > > Edit: Oh, 24 across is ゴウ according to jisho. Could you run your logic past me here, please? > [@NicoleIsEnough](#): > > 30 down could maaaaybe be フユ?? I see how this works for コタツ and スキー, but not so much for カマボコ > [@NicoleIsEnough](#): > > 21 across might be シンコン > But then my 31 down from above is wrong… I’m inclined to go with your 21-across idea over your 31-down idea mostly because the answers are always nouns. And also, as you observed, it makes the super secret magic word all weird. 🙂 > [@pembogeyman](#): > > I’ll stick to my cryptics Just think of this as a cryptic too, except the cryptic part is that it’s in Japanese. 🙂 * * * 13-down マツ is what springs to mind when I think of bonsai 40-down the shrine in Mie Prefecture is Ise Jingu, so イセマイリ 35-across サマ ---
**Author:** ![NicoleIsEnough](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/nicoleisenough/32/87285_2.png) [@NicoleIsEnough](https://community.wanikani.com/u/NicoleIsEnough)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 7:57am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/700 "2025-09-25T07:57:22Z")
> [@Belthazar](#): > > > [@NicoleIsEnough](#): > > > > Edit: Oh, 24 across is ゴウ according to jisho. > > Could you run your logic past me here, please? The says that the origin for “pen-name” stems from a name for a type of things. Asking jisho for “pen-name” then yields ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/original/4X/0/2/6/02640f8e55a951d4f9d80cc42eb2a26461b3afdd.png) which I thought was a good match for the description 😅 > [@Belthazar](#): > > not so much for カマボコ Yes true, I hoped it was maybe a seasonal food or something 🤣 OK let’s scratch it then. > [@Belthazar](#): > > I’m inclined to go with your 21-across idea over your 31-down idea mostly because the answers are always nouns. Ah that’s a very good hint. I also think the 21-across idea is a much better match and so more trustworthy even for me. ---
**Author:** ![NicoleIsEnough](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/nicoleisenough/32/87285_2.png) [@NicoleIsEnough](https://community.wanikani.com/u/NicoleIsEnough)\ **Post date:** [September 25, 2025, 8:11am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/701 "2025-09-25T08:11:36Z")
> [@Belthazar](#): > > 13-down マツ is what springs to mind when I think of bonsai > 40-down the shrine in Mie Prefecture is Ise Jingu, so イセマイリ With these, 31 across could be ヤマイ and finally 31 vertically could be ヤング (meaning “young person”) - my reasoning is that the young people in Japan are more and more inclined to not stick out, judging from what I hear from my Japanese language partners… Which would then turn our magic word into \_マグレ which sounds like a very decent word for a solution so far. Looking at Jisho this might be 気まぐれ which would turn our 30-down into \_キ 🤔 ---
**Author:** ![Belthazar](https://sea1.discourse-cdn.com/wanikanicommunity/user_avatar/community.wanikani.com/belthazar/32/4469_2.png) [@Belthazar](https://community.wanikani.com/u/Belthazar)\ **Post date:** [September 26, 2025, 1:36am UTC](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728/702 "2025-09-26T01:36:27Z")
Think 37-across is キロ (as in 帰路) 41-down ロテンブロ 39-across カブ That might make 29-across ナナイロ rather than ブンコウ So 28-down could be カナ, but I’m not completely sure what’s so 優れた about that… [Previous page](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728.md?page=34) [Next page](https://community.wanikani.com/t/solving-crosswords-for-fun-and-profit/30728.md?page=36)