Crossword Clue: Guitarist Clapton
Here's the answer to the Guitarist Clapton crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: ERIC
ERIC solves the clue "Guitarist Clapton". Spanning 4 letters (2 vowels, 2 consonants), it begins at E and ends at C. Like most crossword fill, it lives at the intersection of two words, so a single confirmed crossing letter frequently reveals the whole entry.
Origin & meaning
Eric Clapton is a British guitarist nicknamed 'Slowhand.' He found fame with Cream and as a solo artist with 'Layla' and 'Tears in Heaven.'
Common usage
Eric turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like ERIC interlock cleanly with longer entries, so constructors reach for them to make a grid fit together without awkward clashes. Given a 4-square slot and a crossing letter or two, it's usually quick to confirm.
Crossword trivia
At 4 letters, ERIC shows up in daily mini and themed puzzles far more than longer, obscure words. It's the kind of entry worth memorizing — the more common short words you know cold, the faster you solve.
Stuck on this clue?
If this clue won't come, leave it and fill the answers that cross it. Once a couple of ERIC's letters are locked by neighboring words, the entry tends to reveal itself. Crossings beat staring at a clue every time.
This clue in different puzzles
Setters vary how they clue ERIC — sometimes with a straight dictionary definition, sometimes with wordplay, a pun, or a fill-in-the-blank — but the answer itself stays the same. Learning to spot the answer behind the disguise is a core crossword skill.
Example sentences
- "Seeing 'Guitarist Clapton' in the clue list, an experienced solver pencils in ERIC almost immediately."
- "Once the E was confirmed by the crossing word, ERIC was the only entry that fit."
- "A 4-letter slot and a clue like 'Guitarist Clapton'? That's ERIC nine times out of ten."