Table of Contents
How do you solve a cryptic quiz?
How to Solve a Cryptic Crossword
- Identifying the Main Parts of the Clue.
- Creating New Words from Letters Present in the Clue.
- De-Coding the Clue’s Meaning.
- Re-Ordering Words to Find the Answer.
How do you solve the cryptic crossword Telegraph?
How to solve a cryptic crossword: 10 essential tips for beginners
- Don’t panic!
- Get committed to solving one clue.
- Look for ‘anagram’ clues.
- Write down letters to be unscrambled.
- Look for ‘hidden answer’ indicators.
- Look for short clues.
- Don’t take things literally.
- Check out our How To Solve video and other solving tools.
What is a cryptic crossword clue?
A cryptic crossword is a crossword puzzle in which each clue is a word puzzle. Cryptic crosswords are particularly popular in the United Kingdom, where they originated, Ireland, Israel, the Netherlands, and in several Commonwealth nations, including Australia, Canada, India, Kenya, Malta, New Zealand, and South Africa.
What does Sailor mean in cryptic crosswords?
able-bodied
“Books” for OT or NT, as in Old Testament or New Testament. “Sailor” for AB, abbreviation of able-bodied. “Take” for R, abbreviation of the Latin word recipe, meaning “take”.
How do you write a cryptic clue?
“Cryptic crossword clues try to tell you a story — ignore the story and look at the words.” The word “hides” is a possible signpost that this is a container clue, where one word is put inside another to create the answer. “What’s a short word for fog? Mist,” Astle said.
What do names mean in cryptic crosswords?
Names in cryptic clues can refer to: literal meanings, e.g. Rose, Herb, Felicity, Pen, Will. abbreviations, e.g. Alan, Dominic, Patricia, Susan, William. associations, e.g. Sigourney, Marco, Sam, Kelly, Colin. homophones, e.g. Phil, Wayne, Sean, Jeanie, Nell.
How do you solve cryptic crossword?
Beginner’s guide to solving cryptic crosswords
- Read the clue. Then read it backwards.
- Think about the rest of the clue.
- Harden your heart against the setter’s siren charms.
- Repeat step three.
- Look at the number of letters.
- Solve the damn thing . . .
What does for example mean in a cryptic clue?
A word of caution. Putting “…say” at the end of a clue is a deft way of indicating a soundalike without drawing much attention to it, but it can of course also mean, say, “for example”.
What is soldier in cryptic crossword?
A collection of elements commonly used in the wordplay of cryptic crosswords.
| Word in the clue | Word element in the answer |
|---|---|
| ship | SS (steamship) |
| socialite | DEB (debutante) |
| soldier | ANT (soldier ant); GI (American soldier); MAN; PARA (paratrooper); RA (Royal Artillery); RE (Royal Engineers); |
What does Bishop mean in cryptic crossword?
And while a “bishop” might, via chess notation, indicate a B, he or she might also have picked up a Doctor of Divinity (DD) or, as in the case of Audreus’ clue 5d Bishop holds one captivated by “Primate With Sword” (6) [abbrev. for a bishop, surrounding word for “one” inside a primate]
What is a cryptic anagram?
An anagram clue in a cryptic crossword is rather more sophisticated than this, and will normally consist of three parts: a definition; the letters to be rearranged (sometimes referred to by crossword fans as the ‘anagram fodder’); and an indication that the letters are to be rearranged.
How do you write a good clue?
Here are my Top Five Clue-writing Tips for creating excellent treasure hunt clues:
- Use wordplay: I love playing with words when brainstorming scavenger hunt ideas.
- Employ puzzles: There are so many great puzzles to choose from when looking for treasure hunt ideas: crosswords, wordsearches, sudokus, acrostics, jumbles.
What is a cryptic name?
1001 Cryptic names Names in cryptic clues can refer to: literal meanings, e.g. Rose, Herb, Felicity, Pen, Will. abbreviations, e.g. Alan, Dominic, Patricia, Susan, William. associations, e.g. Sigourney, Marco, Sam, Kelly, Colin. homophones, e.g. Phil, Wayne, Sean, Jeanie, Nell.
How do you solve time on a cryptic crossword puzzle?
Within each clue will be a number of different elements. Remember that there will always be a definition and a wordplay; either can come first in the clue sentence (in a Times crossword, the definition is almost always either at the beginning or end of the clue); either could be used first to get to the solution.
How do you do a cryptic?
Basically, a cryptic clue consists of two elements: a definition of the answer (the so-called straight part), and a wordplay element that elliptically suggests the same answer (the cryptic portion).
What does King mean in cryptic crossword?
KING. May be a bits-and-pieces indicator indicating the letter K or R or the letters CR, ER, GR or REX.
What does old mean in cryptic crosswords?
A collection of elements commonly used in the wordplay of cryptic crosswords.
| Word in the clue | Word element in the answer |
|---|---|
| * odds | SP (Starting Price) |
| old | EX |
| old city | UR (an ancient Sumerian city, formerly on the Euphrates in what is now southern Iraq) |
| old hooligan | see hooligan |
How do you make a cryptic clue?
Cryptic crossword clues are normally in three parts. A straight clue, the answer hidden somehow and words that indicate how it is hidden. These are made into a sentence, not necessarily in that order, that sort of makes sense literally but usually the wrong sense.
What is an anagram crossword puzzle?
Anagrams—a mainstay of word games and tough crossword puzzles—involve rearranging letters in existing words to form new words. Learn more by looking at anagram examples and strategies for solving anagrams.