Crossword Clue: Table shaker's spicy contents
Here's the answer to the Table shaker's spicy contents crossword clue, with an explanation and where it has appeared.
Definition & answer: PEPPER
PEPPER solves the clue "Table shaker's spicy contents". Spanning 6 letters (2 vowels, 4 consonants), it begins at P and ends at R. 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
Black pepper was once so valuable it was used as currency and drove much of the early spice trade. The word also names the unrelated chili and bell peppers, which Columbus misnamed thinking he'd found the spice.
Common usage
Pepper turns up often in crosswords because of that letter mix. Words like PEPPER interlock cleanly with longer entries, so constructors reach for them to make a grid fit together without awkward clashes. Given a 6-square slot and a crossing letter or two, it's usually quick to confirm.
Crossword trivia
At 6 letters, PEPPER 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 PEPPER'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 PEPPER — 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
- "I second-guessed it, but the crossing answers confirmed PEPPER was right."
- "I had the crossing letters, so writing PEPPER into the grid took no time at all."
- "Pepper is the kind of answer that clicks the moment you spot one letter."