I was working on a crossword puzzle last night and was intrigued by its theme. The puzzle-maker used single letters as clues, with the answers in the form of phrases. For example:

Clue: R
Answer: Bitter end

Clue: L
Answer: Ladies first

Clue: E
Answer: Eye opener

and so on. I thought we might have some fun coming up with our own crossword clues. Here are some I thought of last night:

Clue: C
Answer: Can opener

Clue: N
Answer: Season finale

Clue: A
Answer: First of all


Anyone else?

I'm having trouble figuring this out, Rapunzel. ["So, what's new?", says themilum.]

It looks like a fun game but I get "death" which doesn't start with "R"* for "bitter end", and I get "chivalry" which doesn't start with "L" for "Ladies first". And I can't think of any "Eye Opener" which begins with "E" unless it's "Electra".

So it makes it hard for me to connect "Can Opener" with "C" if it isn't "can", and even harder to connect "N" with "season finale" if it isn't "swan song".

On the other hand, "A" for "first of all" is as easy as "A, B, C".

* Hmmm. Maybe the "R" for "bitter end" stands for "Return" as in tax return. Death and taxes are the only things in life which are certain, and both of them come with a deadline.

Of course, Plutarch, I figured out the mechanics of the crossword at a glance, but I bow to good manners and will let Rapunzel do the explaining.

Clue: T
Answer: East ender

Clue: N
Answer: New beginning

Clue: R
Answer: Closing pitcher

First lay
Forearm ;)
Initially wet
Opening yacht
Leading edge
End of the pier

Now I understand "L" for "Ladies First", maverick. And I think I got "E" right, after all.*

Very clever explanation, I must say, but it's still over my head. ["What did I tell you!", says themilum.]

* http://come.to/carmen_electra

Hey, Rapunzel. I see you manage a Christian Book store. I guess you're letting your hair down after work, huh?
[Meanwhile, I'm tearing my hair out with your puns, Rapunzel.]

re "bow to good manners" from themilum

You "bow to good manners", themilum, like a ship bows to the waves. :)

I'm trying to get some work done here and then you post this. Argh. Have you no shame? Guess not.

E Middlesex
S Last of the Mohicans
N Mid morning
Y Happy Ending
A End of an Era
T Eastend (or Westend)
E Beginning of the End
C First Contact
P Leader of the Pack
S Head of State
C Compass Heading
H Midlothian

Down clues:

M Top of the Morning
L Bottom of the Barrel
P Bottom of the Heap
M Bikini Bottom
S Topsail
D Top dog
W Top of the World
A Bottom of the Sea

Back to across clues:

Y The first of the year
E The end of time
P Penultimate Paragraph (I really like this one!)
B Bikini Top
S Last Tango in Paris
S Tale of Two Cities

Then there are some other, similar clues though not of one letter:

SUM Endless Summer
SH Southside

Down clue

PI Bottomless pit
ARS Topless bars

end of an erA

first Born

opening Day

stronG finish

Second CIty

Headstart

weeKend

close calL
second pLace

opening Night

first Quarter

fourth quaRter

Ya wanna start Something?
close quarterS

But you chopped my liver on East End.

~~~
Edit: Yours are inspired too, wofa! (we had some simultaneous posting going on there...)

The trouble with arriving late in the thread is I have to keep cross-checking what anyone else may have written already. Apologies for any duplication!

end of the world
second in line
first footing
Beethoven's Fifth
Last Post
final balance
end result
last orders
antepenultimate breath
(thanks for making me think of this, TEd, it comes from a song with wonderful lyrics: http://www.creekcats.com/pnprice/Madeira.html
bottom feeder
early bird
leading lady
journey's end
Central Station
Third Reich
The Fifth Element
last supper
cobbler's last
selfstarter

startling (yes, I know, it's awful, but real crossword compilers do that sort of thing! Let me have it, please!!!)
nanosecond
secondary

and last but not least...
(note that all the words end in 't' - ah, serendipity!!)

...'Twelfth Night' just about scrapes in as it has a subtitle, but what would the answer be to 'seventh heaven' or 'cloud nine'?

this is all quite a lark, and not too taxing, but.

given a puzzle replete with this type of clue, and given a blank grid to start with, here is an example clue:

Across
1 R (nine letters)

<thought balloon>
hmmm.. well it could be "bitter end".. or it could be "first rate".. I'll just try one of those and see if it fits with 1 Down..

-joe (clueless on) friday

edit: more of a challenge for the cruciverbalist would be coming up with workable short phrases.