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Doing Cryptic Crosswords

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jrbarnett

jrbarnett

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Jul 20, 2001
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Out of working hours, I often use language puzzles such as wordsearches and general knowledge crosswords to help keep me entertained, and can normally do a good bit of the Times T2 Jumbo crossword without resorting to the encyclopaedia, crossword dictionary or Google to help find an answer.

The one type of language based puzzle I have yet to master is the cryptic crossword. Even if I'm told the correct answers to some of the clues I can't see how they relate to each other.

To any cryptic crossword experts here: Does anybody have any general hints/tips on how to get started on these puzzles and understand the clues they present, or will they be forever beyond my grasp?

John
 
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John,
The key to cryptic crossword is understanding the esoteric connection... I have found with some of them, if you don't get what that is, it just won't come to you. I have also found the best way to do these is to use the letter clues created by other words that you don't know to help guide your thinking on the word it could be, and sometimes I get the word, but still don't get the connection to the cryptic clue...
The more general knowledge you have, the better chance a solving a cryptic you will have.


Best Regards,
Scott

"Everything should be made as simple as possible, and no simpler."[hammer]
 
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Can you be more specific about what you mean by "cryptic crosswords"? I've done a lot of different types of puzzles, and have come across the term in a couple of different situations.

Tracy Dryden

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard. [dragon]
 
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Practice

The more you do cryptics the easier it becomes, mainly because you begin to learn the language and shorthand used by those that set them.

So you learn that 'point' is often shorthand for one of the letter N, E, W, S (i.e. the points of the compass), that 'time' can represent the letter T, or that 'climbing' may mean that letters need to be reversed.
 
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Anything word in the clue like mixed or disturbed is probably a hint to an anagram. Look for punnable words - they often refer to the non-obvious meaning

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Ah, thanks to the additional postings, I understand which "cryptic" is being referred to. I've tried to do "cryptic crosstics" a few times. I'm with jrbarnett - usually I just don't get the clue. It drives me nuts, since I'm usually very good with crosswords and crosstics, but I've learned to accept that I'm just not very good at "cryptic" puzzles.

Tracy Dryden

Meddle not in the affairs of dragons,
For you are crunchy, and good with mustard. [dragon]
 
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A couple of my favourite cryptic clues:

gegs (9, 4)

and

hijklmno (5)
 
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Given that they are both fairly well known and therefore can be googled, I hope you figured those out for yourself rather than looking them up ...
 
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The (London) Times cryptic crossword has a number of clues that frequently turn up , such as 'ten' can mean 'io' or 'x'; 'river' can be 'r' or 'exe'; 'former' is nearly always 'ex'; 'doctor' can be 'mo' or 'dr'. Anything that has an abbreviation can be a clue.
 
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Actually I remembered them from another thread from here or at Tek-Tips.

[Cheers]
 
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>from another thread from

I think that was probably me ... as I said, I quite like them ...
 
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Colin Dexter (the author of the excellent Inspector Morse series) has written a series of "How to solve cryptic crosswords" artices for the Guardian newspaper ( A search on their website will bring them up.

Personally I think cryptic crosswords is a way of thinking... and one that I'm unlikely ever to master. You need a certain kind of lateral thinking that I simply don't seem to possess.

Ed Metcalfe.

Please do not feed the trolls.....
 
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One point to note too, is that different compilers have different thought processes.
The Telegraph used to have a different one each day of the week, so you might be able to do every Monday's totally, but every Friday you would be dead in the water !!!!

It helps if you have someone to explain the answers too, just the answer alone can be meaningless.

But Hey JRB Njoy them .... I do !!

<Do I need A Signature or will an X do?>
 
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Thanks everybody for your contributions, I'll have a look at some of the links mentioned and a google. Its nothing absolutely critical as far as I'm concerned, I just don't (yet) have the way of thinking needed to solve them.

John
 
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I've been doing cryptic crosswords for about 15 years and can nearly always finish or get close to finishing the Independent. I used to do the Guardian but I got annoyed by the number of obscure words and bits of general knowledge they put in. If there are any clues you can't understand, feel free to post them up and I can (probably) interpret them for you.
 
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I agree with RCorrigan - it very much depends on the crossword compiler - they have different thought processes and once you have mastered the differences, the clues become easier to solve, although good compilers will always throw in a red herring or two to keep you on your toes!
 
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JRB You could also keep a look out for "TwinPlex" crosswords ...... basically two sets of clues, cryptic and simple, but same answers ...... as a learning tool they are great, you try the cryptic, are stymied, solve the simple and then reverse logic the cryptic & Eh Voila, Bob's yer mother's brother !!!!!
[btw you might still need someone to explain some of them, but you do get a heads up !!)

<Do I need A Signature or will an X do?>
 
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