Meanings
plural crib notes
- A brief reminder or item of information written on a slip of paper or in a concealable place such as on one's arm, as an aid for a public speaker or for use by a student or other person cheating during an examination.
A "mole" working for Ronald Reagan's presidential campaign purloined Jimmy Carter's crib notes shortly before the 1980 campaign debates.
1983 August 6, “The Real Scandal”, in Gay Community News, page 41 more example
The brains in Spain stay mainly on the plain of honorable cheating in the universities. . . . Some crib notes were submitted attached to all manner of haberdashery and footwear (usually pasted on insteps).
1956 May 28, “Spanish Cutlets”, in TimeSynonyms: cheat sheet
Synonyms & antonyms
nounA brief reminder or item of information written on a slip of paper or in a concealable place such as on one's arm, as an aid for a public speaker or for use by a student or other person cheating during an examination.
Origin
Cite this entry
crib note. (n.d.). In WatkinsX Dictionary. Retrieved November 3, 2026, from https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crib%20note
“crib note.” WatkinsX Dictionary, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crib%20note. Accessed November 3, 2026.
WatkinsX Dictionary, s.v. “crib note,” accessed November 3, 2026, https://dictionary.watkinsx.com/word/crib%20note.
Source: crib note on Wiktionary, CC BY-SA 4.0.