Diversions · The 13th

The Curse Crossword

Once a month, on the 13th, the crossword loses its manners. The answers are unprintable. The clues, very nearly.

By The Editor Unsigned 2026-06-13

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Across

1. Mild damnation
4. Posterior, vulgarly
7. Excrement, informally
9. To urinate, crudely
10. Exclamation at a stubbed toe
11. Nonsense, impolitely
12. Place of eternal punishment
15. Muttered at flat-pack instructions
16. An oath, lightly blasphemous
17. A contemptible sort

Down

1. Said to a slow driver
2. What hits the fan
3. Mild annoyance, profanely
4. To ruin, vulgarly
5. Interjection of disgust
6. Childish but rude word for the rear
8. A fool, with a sneer
12. Uttered after dropping a hammer
13. Not a word for grandmother
14. Expletive, deleted

Standard rules, fewer of them. Every answer is a word you would not use in church, in a job interview, or in front of a magistrate.

As ever, we have omitted the solution — out of decency, and because there isn’t one.