Lascivious crossword

The word "lascivious" strikes many solvers as odd when it appears in a crossword - yet English has relied on it for hundreds of years to label conduct or longings that are lewd, lustful or plainly sexual. It began as the Latin adjective "lascivus," which meant "wanton." When a crossword setter slips the word into a clue, the aim is to stretch the solver. The person at the kitchen table must search far back in memory for a label that is formal and comparatively rare. The extra effort gives the grid a sharper intellectual edge. Some readers treat the presence of "lascivious" as slightly daring. The term carries unmistakable sexual weight and conservative solvers sometimes argue that a family newspaper should avoid it. However, have always tested the borders of vocabulary plus an occasional risqué entry simply mirrors the full range of English. In short the setter who uses "lascivious" wants the audience to think harder. The word may unsettle a few - yet it also opens a path toward a fuller sense of how wide and varied the language is.