stepquote

Noun

1. A message in the grid of a crossword, split between multiple lights and arranged in a zigzag or steplike pattern.
   • No Stepquote seems to make sense. The open diagonal, 63 to 11, gives 'KLEURTIWIAAOUOA,' which doesn't have the feel of a message at first glance, even reading in the other direction. - 1986, Herbert Resnicow, The...
   • There were a couple of areas he had trouble with, and they formed important parts of the stepquote, and in the end he couldn't work it out. - 1992, The Year's 25 Finest Crime and Mystery Stories:
2. A crossword puzzle including such a message.
   • Later Joseph Cotten and I became pen pals because he liked my Stepquotes, and Frank Sinatra's secretary proudly informed me that her boss does the Times puzzles in ink. - 1984, Eugene T. Maleska, Across and Down: The...
   • A typical Maleskan stepquote's theme answer might read: THEFA/ASHIO/ONWEAR/RSOUTMOREAPPA/ARELTH/HANTH/HEMAN: " The fashion wears out more apparel than the man." - 2020 March 17, Adrienne Raphel, Thinking Inside the Box:...