Crossword Guidelines - written by Adrian Pollock
Basic Crossword Structure:
Generally, a cryptic clue comprises two parts. One part is the “clue”, and the other part is the “answer”. Remember, however, that no matter how obvious the clue and/or answer may appear to be, this is a cryptic crossword and so the answer will (should) never be simply a synonym as in ‘normal’ crosswords. However, the better crossword compilers will try to make the clue sound reasonably related to the answer.
Cryptic crossword answers can be either:
The clue will tell you how many and what types of words form the answer. For example:
The answers can be located anywhere throughout the puzzle, as indicated by the Clue Number, eg., under the Across clues, 1, 8 means 1 across and 8 across (the answer fitting into those locations in that order).
Other interesting features of cryptic crosswords are:
Types of Clues:
Typical types of clues in cryptic crosswords are (detailed examples are given later):
Anagrams – this is a word/words made up of letters found in the clue, but rearranged in a different order to form the answer. For example, in the clue ‘Areas for mixed races’, the word ‘mixed’ suggests there may be an anagram. An anagram of ‘races’ is ‘acres’, which means ‘areas’. Thus, ‘acres’ is the answer. If you need to solve an anagram, write all the letters in a circle. This mixes them up visually and helps in trying to find a new word or words from the jumble of letters
Hidden Answers – this is where the answer is hidden in part of the clue. For example, the answer to the clue ‘A dangerous weapon is in the rambling undergrowth’ is ‘gun’, which is found in the middle of the clue (bold letters). A gun is a dangerous weapon.
Double Meanings – this is where the two parts to the clue may represent both the clue and the answer. In other words, the answer has to in effect ‘come to you in a moment of inspiration’. For example, the answer to the clue ‘Jam is preserve’ is ‘pickle’, which means both ‘jam’ and ‘preserve’.
Clue & Answer ‘In One’ – this is where the clue and the answer are together as both the clue and the answer together. Here, the answer truly has to ‘come to you in a moment of inspiration’. For example, the answer to the clue ‘Clipper of the line’ is ‘clothes peg’. A clothes peg ‘clips’ garments to the ‘line’, so to speak!
Assembled answers – these are answers that are derived from different pieces of cryptic clues to form the whole answer. For example, the answer to the clue ‘Bush stood up church official’ is ‘rose elder’. This is derived from ‘stood up’ (rose) and ‘church official’ (elder), giving a bush (rose elder is a bush). Often, these types of clues use other techniques as part of the assembled pieces, eg., the answer may be made up by partly anagram clues and ‘sounds like’ clues.
‘Sounds like’ answers (Homophones) – these are answers that sound like the clue. For example, the answer to the clue ‘The rabble, we hear, tried the case’ is ‘heard’ (tried the case). The word ‘heard’ sounds like the word ‘herd’, which means the rabble.
In addition to the different types of clues, there are also many ‘cryptic’ shortcuts, key words, abbreviations etc that translate into answers or parts of answers, or that help to identify the different types of clues themselves.
Key Words, Abbreviations, Clue Identifiers etc
Anagram identifiers
Words that suggest there is an anagram in the clue are words that suggest mixing or jumbling up, rearranging, etc. For example, words like:
mix stir strange upset different poor awkwardly turn is
Hidden answer identifiers
Words that suggest there is a hidden answer in the clue are words that suggest something is hidden, inside, etc. For example, words like:
in within some internally part of hidden
Assembled answer identifiers
Words that suggest the answer is compiled from parts of the clue are words that suggest joining together, etc. These identifiers generally don’t form part of the answer itself, but help to identify the assembled parts. For example
Joining words are like:
to with and has on over beneath by gets
Inside or outside other parts of words are like:
inside contains around outside has
Reverse order words are like:
up return back in reverse
Starting or ending words words are like:
beginning at the front holds up supporter/support
Starting or ending letter words are like:
start beginning end at last
‘Sounds like’ answer identifiers
Words that suggest the answer sounds like another word are words that suggest something is similar or sounds like the same word. For example, words like:
sounds like we hear it seems they say
Abbreviations/Part words
There are many clues that are code for letters, part-words etc. Some of these are shown in the table here.
Typical Examples of Cryptic Crosswords Clues and Answers
Go here to find a list of typical cryptic crossword clues and answers. This is not meant to be exhaustive.