Grate Expectations is a classic novel by Charles Dickens, first published in 1861. The crossword solutions for the term GRATE EXPECTATIONS are CINDERS (7 letters), ASHES (5 letters), and ASH (3 letters). CINDERS refers to the protagonist of the novel, Pip, who works as a blacksmith's apprentice and is often covered in CINDERS. ASHES and ASH refer to the poverty and destitution of Pip's early life, which is symbolized by the ASHES of the forge.