fléchés

Fléchés are a specific notation used chiefly in French crossword puzzles to indicate that a particular answer will be supplied in a non‑standard way. The term derives directly from the French word « flèche », meaning “arrow”. In crossword grids, a flèche is represented by a small arrow or a directional symbol placed in the first square of a cell that begins a word. Unlike the typical numbered entry, a flèche does not carry a conventional clue; instead it signals to the solver that the answer will be given elsewhere in the puzzle, often later when the word is “re‑synthesized” by the intersecting letters.

The mechanism of a flèche allows puzzle constructors to incorporate many answers in a compact grid. The arrow points in the direction the word runs, and the length of the answer is indicated by the number of squares marked with the arrow. The clue for the flèche usually includes the word “flèche” along with the definition of the answer, but it may omit one or more letters. The missing letters are typically supplied by the crossing words or a later, associated clue that completes the answer. In this way, fléchés serve both as a crossword ingenue and as a means to sequence thematic elements.

Fléchés appeared in the mid‑twentieth century in French newspapers and have become a standard feature of many contemporary French crosswords. The concept is analogous to “cut‑off” entries in Anglo‑Saxon crosswords, although the visual notation differs. While primarily used in French media, occasional adaptations exist in other languages, reflecting a shared puzzle‑design principle: to conceal information until later solving stages.