How to do the Cryptic Crossword
The Crier's cryptic crossword has a loyal following, but quite a few readers don't have a clue how to set about them. So here's a brief guide. Unlike ordinary crosswords, the cryptic version gives you two chances to get a clue, first by its definition and then by some other devious means by which the same word might be constructed, the subsidiary part of the clue. For example, from last month's Crier:
Small stream found in Cyril Ladbrokes garden (4)
Well, the "small stream found in Cyril Ladbrokes garden" is a rill, the answer is hidden in the rest of the clue, and this is indicated by the fact you are told it is found in here. Here are some other hidden word clues from January:
Merlot usually shelters flower (5)
Bird captured by memsahib is freed (4)
where to make things clearer (possibly!) we've put the meaning part of the clue in italics and the phrase that indicates it is a hidden-word clue in bold. Notice that the definition part always comes (by unassailable convention) either at the beginning or end of the clue. Another common device is the sounds-like clue:
Choose a flower, we hear, for preserve (10)
Piccalilli is the answer, what we hear is "choose a flower" . Here are some more, with an initial letter in to help:
Aid to the poor limbs we hear (4) A _ _ _
Succulent greeting is heard (4) A _ _ _
A favourite ruse of crossword compilers is the anagram:
Cable power generating one with speedy delivery (4,6)
The answer is pace bowler, and we're told that "cable power" is generating a phrase for "one with speedy delivery" . Many phrases are used to instruct the solver to muddle letters up, and here are some more examples:
Each tortured by pain (4) A _ _ _
Animal surgeon's re-entry via malformation (10) V _ _ ... ..
Adroitly manage laggard (8) D _ _ ... ... .
Lignite bra forged for emancipating (by burning?) (10) L _ _ ... .
Pink plot disturbs or deranges (4,6) R _ _ _ G _ _ _ _ _
The number of letters in the answer is a good guide for spotting anagrams. Another class of clues doesn't muddle letters, but takes a subset, the initial letters for example:
Second Greek initially but easily taken aback (4)
initially "but easily taken aback" - beta is the answer. Here's another
Slander louts utter rudely at first (4)
(clever compilers sometimes run the definition and subsidiary parts of the clue together, as here, with the initial S from "slander" .) Also, look out for words like finally (take the last) oddly (every odd letter), evenly or just regularly (every other letter) . Then there are straightforward meaning clues, the two parts of the clue refer to the same thing, Eg:
Murphy / 's shovel? (4)
where we've used a slash to indicate the separation of the two halves. No keywords here though, the answer is "spud" , a Murphy and a shovel (apparently, most of us will have had to look this up!) Here's more:
Nymph? / Say that again? (4) E _ _ _
Defeat / salt deposit (4) L _ _ _
Enough said! Of the 30 clues in last month's Crier, 19 of them fall completely into one or other of these categories, the rest being some combination of these devices together with a few more. For example, words that are "often" (what some compilers think is often) abbreviated to initials are commonly used to make up missing letters, as here, in an anagram:
(M)edium sandals arranged on large extent of ground (8) L _ _ ...`
(M for "medium" is combined in an anagram of "sandals" ), as might be numbers with Roman numeral equivalents (eg. 100 might mean C) and indeed all sorts of things (eg. Capital of Bosnia - B!) - you can be sure compilers have a some trick for every single letter in the alphabet, and familiarity with these is a first step to getting good at crosswords. In general, anything can be added:
Reportedly grabbed / building / leading to trial here (10) C _ _ ... ..
(sounds-like "grabbed" + meaning "building" ), inserted:
Rock princess in Bosnia quake (8) O _ _ ... ..
(insert "Di" (princess) in anagram of Bosnia), or subtracted:
Religious rite for abstracting Pan from tarpaulin exotically (6) R _ _ ...
(take "Pan" away from "tarpaulin" anagram), as well as going backwards, possibly getting beheaded, detailed or disheartened at the same time- the list is endless. Half of the problem is to guess the correct construction of the clue (the italic, bold and slash bits added here), not easy to do on first reading even when quite familiar with all these devious devices. But don't despair. Expect to be able to do hardly any clues at all (if this is your first attempt, one is a triumph) until you have a letter or so in them, be prepared to guess and work backwards and don't forget that two heads (when available) are so much better than one. Happy solving!