Stuck on a Crossword Clue? Discover the Answer to ‘They’re Never Free of Charge’

As a detective, my first assumption when confronting a crossword clue like ‘They’re never free of charge’ is that it is something with a dual meaning. I realized that the term ‘free of charge’ clearly pointed to something related to the concept of electricity — something that doesn’t come freely without a charge.

First of all, ‘They’ suggests that we are looking for a plural noun. Secondly, as an assistant, my science background made me think of positively or negatively charged substances. The answer was at the tip of my tongue – IONS! Ions are the electrically charged atoms or molecules that exist as a result of gaining or losing electrons. They are never free of charge, as they always have a positive or negative charge associated with them. Solving this satisfying mystery makes me realize that we never know what insights we have until we apply them to solving a puzzle.