Solving Cryptic Crosswords - Summary (by roy)

At first glance, clues in a cryptic crossword seem to read as normal, though unusual, English sentences and phrases. This
surface meaning is sometimes played for comic effect, but it is actually irrelevant for the purposes of solving. Instead,
each clue is a puzzle in its own right which consists of two parts, split somewhere in the middle, to be determined by the
solver. In most clues, one part of the clue is the straight part, or the definition of the answer, while the other part is the
cryptic part, which explains how to derive the answer. The two exceptions to this rule are Double Definition and lit clues
!see below".
#ryptic clues can be considered more complete than standard American$style crossword puzzle clues because they are,
in essence, self$confirming % once the solver gets the answer, they can be reasonably confident that they are correct.
They are only ambiguous up until the point they are crac&ed. 'o, although cryptic crosswords present a greater challenge,
many solvers also consider them more satisfying to solve. The self$confirming nature of the clues also means that cryptic
crosswords become too easy when too many letters are &nown. (or this reason, unli&e American$style crosswords, cryptic
crosswords almost always have unchec&ed letters !that is, letters which only appear in one entry". To be fair to solvers,
entries in cryptic crosswords almost always have )dictionary nature,* which eliminates phrases and partials. (inally, many,
if not most, advanced and )variety* cryptics have additional tric&s added to ma&e them even harder to solve.
Every part of a cryptic clue is a potential for wordplay, including everything used in American$style crosswords and then
some. The word )mad,* for example, could mean anagramming is re+uired, the letters )mad* are part of the answer word,
or some, but not all, of those letters are in the answer word, depending on how it is modified !)initially mad* means ,,
while )mad heart* means A", or that )mad* is the definition or part of the definition of the answer word.
-ere are the eight most common types of wordplay, along with hints on how to spot them.
.. Anagrams scramble the letters of the word into another word.
/. Charades, as in the flat type !or the game" of this name, have an answer that is bro&en down into two or more
words that appear in succession0 for example, consummate is made up of con, sum, and mate.
1. Containers place one word within the letters of another word0 in courthouse, for instance, thou is contained within
course.
2. Reversals reverse the letters of a word into another word.
3. Homophones sound the same but are spelled differently, li&e through and threw or bizarre and bazaar.
4. Deletions are formed by deleting a letter or group of letters from another word.
5. Double Definitions provide a second definition of the answer, preferably in an unrelated sense.
6. Hidden Words have the answer given explicitly in the clue, but camouflaged within another word or other words.
7ne of the best ways to solve cryptic crosswords is to loo& for something that might be an indicator word that gives you a
clue about the wordplay type. 'ome common examples !and nowhere near all of them" would include8
Wordplay Some Possible Indicators
Anagrams doctor, mad, crazy, mixed up
#harades at, by, near, before, after0
or !in Down clues" on, over, or beneath
#ontainers inside, holding, swallowing, within and !its deceptive opposite" without, and around
9eversals bac&wards, returning, heading west, from right to left
or !in Down clues" upward or rising
-omophones heard, spo&en, aloud, or they say
Deletions beheaded, endlessly,
or !in a Down clue" topless0
or it may specify a particular letter or letters to be omitted.
Double Definitions :y convention, when the second definition is a pun or whimsical one the clue is flagged with a
+uestion mar&.
-idden ;ords seen in, running through, or in part
Solving Cryptic Crosswords - In Depth (from an article by Trazom)
Cryptic crosswords can seem dauntingly nonsensical at first glance. But the fundamental principles of
cryptic clueing are actually quite simple.
Every cryptic clue can be read as a (somewhat) sensible phrase or sentence. In reality, however, it has
two separate parts. ne is a definition, li!e those in a standard crossword pu""le. #he other part uses
some form of wordplay to steer you to the intended answer. It is called the wordplay, the subsidiary
indication, or simply the subsidiary. #hese two parts provide independent indications of the same
answer. Either part may come first in the clue. $ometimes a word or two, suggesting how the two parts
wor! together, may come in between% more often, the definition and wordplay will simply occur side by
side. In any case, they will never overlap or intermingle.
#his means that, with a few e&ceptions, every clue either begins or ends with a definition of the answer.
#he catch is that you have to find the brea! between definition and wordplay. #he constructor tries to
challenge you with clues whose surface meaning puts you off the scent '' for e&ample, with a clue whose
parts split in the middle of a common two'word phrase, or by seeming to use a word as a verb that is
really meant as a noun. Cryptic clues may also use punctuation in whatever manner seems most li!ely to
deceive% solvers are warned to ignore punctuation (e&cept in two special cases mentioned below).
Cryptic clues generally direct you (albeit deceptively) to the type of wordplay involved. (ere is a tour of
the eight most common types of wordplay, along with hints on how to spot them. #he number in
parentheses following a clue tells you how many letters are in the clue answer.
! "nagrams
(!nown as transposals in the )*+, where ,anagram- has a more limited meaning)
*robably the most common cryptic clueing technique is to form the answer by rearranging the letters in a
word or group of words as they appear in the clue'ma!ing, for instance, paternal from prenatal, honestly
from on the sly, or Episcopal from *epsi'Cola. . wide variety of words can signal an anagram/ among
them are anything suggesting disorderly, misshapen, drun!, cra"y, or simply bad or wrong '' also
repaired, fi&ed, shuffled, in motion, and so on. (ere is an elementary e&ample/
Inebriated pirates travel about (0)
#he wordplay, inebriated pirates, tells you to find an anagram of pirates that means ,travel about.- #he
answer is traipse.
.nagrams may involve more than one word in the clue. 1or e&ample/
2octor is venal '' get a preacher (34)
#his time, the wordplay is an instruction. It tells you to ,doctor,- or alter deceptively, the letters in is venal
get to form a word meaning ,preacher,- i.e., evangelist. In the e&ample, the dash provides part of the
clue5s surface sense and is ignored in the wordplay itself.
#! Charades
.s in the flat type (or the game) of this name, an answer can be bro!en down into two or more words that
appear in succession% for e&ample, consummate is made up of con, sum, and mate. #he subsidiary
indication may simply list these words, or their synonyms, in order% components of a charade may also be
6oined by words li!e at, by, near, before, after% or (in 2own clues) on, over, or beneath. . simple
e&ample/
7rowth on the face must be sore (8)
#he answer, mustache, 6oins must and ache (,be sore-). Charades may be composed of more than two
words. 1or e&ample/
9instrel shows dance, gaining a buc! (:)
#he answer, balladeer (defined by ,minstrel-), shows ball (,dance-) gaining a deer (,a buc!-).
$! Containers
ne word is placed within the letters of another word% in courthouse, for instance, thou is contained within
course. #his technique is signaled by such words as inside, holding, swallowing, within (and its deceptive
opposite, without), and around. 1or e&ample/
2iscovered calf in grass (8)
(ere the word veal (clued by ,calf-) is in reed (,grass-) to ma!e revealed, defined by ,discovered.-
%! &eversals
.n answer is identified as another word read in reverse '' as, for instance, timer and remit, or stressed
and desserts. #his !ind of clue is signaled by such hints as bac!wards, returning, heading west, from right
to left, or (in 2own clues) upward or rising. 1or e&ample/
$pies bring silverware bac! (;)
#he clue tells you to bring spoons (,silverware-) bac! to get the answer snoops (,spies-).
'! (omophones
<ords that sound the same but are spelled differently, li!e through and threw or bi"arre and ba"aar, can
be the basis of a clue. +oo! for indicators li!e spo!en, aloud, or they say. 1or e&ample/
$ha!espeare, I hear, is e&cluded (;)
<hen you hear bard (,$ha!espeare-), you get the answer, barred (,e&cluded-).
)! Deletions
$ome answers are formed by deleting a letter or group of letters from another word '' removing the
beginning of islander, for instance, leaves slander, while deadliness without its concluding letter produces
deadlines. #he subsidiary may indicate the position of the letter to be deleted with words li!e beheaded,
endlessly, or (in a 2own clue) topless% or it may specify a particular letter or letters to be omitted. (ere is
an e&ample of each type/
*ins/ superfluous without an end (0)
*ower plant lac!s a spiritual leader (;)
#he answer to the first clue, needles, is needless (,superfluous-) without its final letter. In the second clue,
reactor (,power plant-) lac!s a% this gives the answer, rector (,spiritual leader-).
*! Double Definitions
*erhaps the simplest type of wordplay provides a second definition of the answer, preferably in an
unrelated sense. 1or instance/
(oller ,.uthor=- (;)
#he answer, bellow or Bellow, is clued in two different meanings. ften the second definition can be a
punning or whimsical one% by convention, such clues are flagged with a question mar!. (ere is an
e&ample/
in!ing tendency> (8)
#he answer, penchant, is clued normally by ,tendency,- and punningly, as pen chant, by ,oin!ing.-
+! (idden ,ords
In this type, the answer is printed e&plicitly in the clue, but camouflaged within another word or other
words% loo! for indicators li!e seen in, running through, or in part. (ere is an e&ample/
Cheese stored in Baroque fortress (:)
#he answer, ?oquefort, is literally stored in the words Baroque fortress.
-! .iscellaneous Techni/ues
#hese e&amples present cryptic clueing techniques in their pure form. In practice, these types of clues are
often combined. 1or e&ample, a clue may as! you to contain an anagrammed word within another word,
or to read a hidden word in reverse.
.nother complication/ clues often involve individual letters or strings of letters that are not words. $o be
on the loo!out for ?oman numerals, compass points, common abbreviations '' left and right indicating +
and ?, for instance '' or less common ones, which should be hinted at with indicators li!e briefly or in
short. Enigma cryptics stic! to 9< abbreviations, generally ma!ing note of those ()I@ or )IA) not in 33C.
#here are also more cryptic ways to indicate parts of words. 1or e&ample, #he 1ourth of Buly can mean the
letter C (the fourth letter in the word Buly)% similarly, Brahms5 $econd is ?, )orwegian leader is ), and the
(eart of 2i&ie is D (or possibly IDI).
0! 1 lit!
In any case, there will always be a ,straight- definition as well as a tric!y subsidiary to guide you to the
clue answer '' with one special e&ception/ sometimes the entire clue is both the definition and the
wordplay. .n e&ample/
#erribly evil= (E)
#he answer, vile, is defined by the entire clue. But the clue serves simultaneously as the wordplay,
indicating that the answer is evil anagrammed (or ,terribly-). #his is !nown as an & lit. clue (,and literally
so- '' the term goes bac! to cryptic crosswords5 British roots). Conventionally, it is mar!ed with an
e&clamation point% some editors and composers choose not to mar! it.