Cryptic crosswords often use abbreviations to clue individual letters or short fragments of the overall solution. These include:Any conventional abbreviations found in a standard dictionary, such as:
"current": AC ; less commonly, DC ; or even I
Roman numerals: for example the word "six" in the clue might be used to indicate the letters VI
The name of a chemical element may be used to signify its symbol; e.g., W for tungsten
The days of the week; e.g., TH for Thursday
Country codes; e.g., "Switzerland" can indicate the letters CH
ICAO spelling alphabet: where Mike signifies M and Romeo R
Conventional abbreviations for US cities and states: for example, "New York" can indicate NY and "California" CA or CAL.