CHRIS'S CRYPTICS

CROSSWORDS

PUZZLES

FUN

THE COMMON SENSE GUIDE TO CRYPTIC CROSSWORDS

If you're like me I'm sure you've thought there was anything but common sense in cryptic crossword clues. More like nonsense. Deep down you suspect there is meant to be some sense but it's not worth the time and effort, especially if one doesn't know where to begin.
Take it from me, cryptic crosswords can be lots of fun for adults and children alike once you have a few keys to unlock the mysterious verbage. In order to help you find the keys I will describe the various devices, which lock up, or represent, the word to be found.

SYNONYMS	ANAGRAMS	ADDWORDS	SUBTRACTWORDS	FRAGMENTS
REVERSAL	SOUNDALIKE	HIDDENWORDS	ACRONYM	LITERAL

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DEVICE A:

THE SYNONYM

The synonym or word(s) of similar meaning.
eg. Slope = GRADIENT, By way of = VIA.

This device is easily understood, used in straight crosswords and almost invariably included somewhere in every cryptic clue. This device, at least, makes sense to everyone.

Expect a synonym hidden somewhere in the clue.

On occasions a cryptic clue will simply provide two (or more) synonyms, for different meanings of the same spelling of the word.

eg. Tear a current = RIP Limits jumps = BOUNDS.

In general, suspect two synonyms when the clue is short.

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DEVICE B:

THE ANAGRAM

The word is represented as an anagram.
eg. Gretta goes out for a goal = TARGET.

In some ways an anagram is one of the more straightforward (although anything but straight) ways of coding a word. All the letters of the word are given, but in the wrong order, just as the letters in "Gretta" when rearranged produce "target". In cryptic crosswords the anagram is often composed of several words.

eg. It isn't an ode arrangement where you end up = destination.

Suspect the use of an anagram when you see words that indicate a reshuffle of letters, i.e. goes out, out, in a way, twisted, mad, arrangement, change, movement, about, agitated, etc.

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DEVICE C:

THE ADDWORDS

Words made up of other words.
eg. High priority to bring in insect = IMPORT+ANT=IMPORTANT
In the above case the answer word can be easily divided into "import" and "ant", the synonyms of which appear in blue italics.

eg. Weight follows vehicle in box = CAR+TON=CARTON
In this case the two words "car" and "ton" are in the wrong order but the word "follows" suggests that the "ton" comes after the "car". If this were a clue for a word running downwards it could read this way:
eg. Weight supports vehicle in box = carton.
The words "supports" indicates that the "ton" is below the "car", as if it were physically holding it up. Write the word "carton" downwards to see what I mean.

Contractions and pronouns are also commonly used as many words include the letters "I", "me, ill" (I will), "id" (I had) and "I've" (I have).

Sometimes the answer required is a phrase which can be made up of several different words simply by shifting the word breaks:
eg. A label pole is seen with a cursory look = AT A GLANCE
The answer can be read as "a tag(label) lance(pole)" without altering the letter sequence.

This device is unlikely to be used for short answer words (4 letters or less) for obvious reasons.

Suspect the use of this device when you see words like:
I, me, follows, supports, comes, after, precedes, above, below, before, contractible verbs, is seen, appears, or when you can see that several words in the clue have short synonyms which could perhaps be added to make a word.

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DEVICE D:

THE SUBTRACTWORDS

A word(s) is to be subtracted from a given word.
eg. Carton loses its skill to study = CARTON-ART=CON
"Skill" is a synonym for "art".
These three letters "art" can be removed (or lost) from "carton" to leave "con" which means "to study".

Or: Carton gives away study for culture = CARTON-CON=ART.
In this case the letters "con" are removed.
It matters not that the letters are not actually placed together in the word. It doesn't even matter if they are out of order.
eg. Carton loses it's bronze shade to reveal a backward whale =CARTON-TAN=CRO=ORC.
Here the letters "tan" have been removed to reveal "cro" which is "orc" backwards.

Device D and E are often coupled so that individual letters (fragments) can be subtracted from a word to reveal the answer as:
Fighter loses queen and cuts off head and tail of goliath, being athletic = FIGHTER-ER-GH=FIT
"queen" = "ER", "goliath" has a "G" and "H" as first and last letter. The letters "FIT" remain.

Suspect subtraction device when you see words like, cut, loses, removes, gives away, leaves and so on.

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DEVICE E:

THE FRAGMENTS

Some letters of the word are coded individually, or in pairs.
eg. From one hundred the Spanish do well = EX+C+EL=EXCEL
The prefix "ex" can mean "from", "c" is the roman numeral for "one hundred", and "el" is "the" in Spanish.
Fragments are often used in conjunction with full (or almost full) words which, when added together, make another word:
Offer compensation concerning the robe=RE+DRESS=REDRESS
"Re" is an abbreviation for "concerning" or "about".
Greek character almost stole gun=PI+STOL(E)=PISTOL

Suspect individually coded letters when you see: numbers, language groups, direction, point, or any words that can be represented by 1,2 or sometimes 3 letters. See list below

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SAMPLE LIST of WORD FRAGMENTS

Common Roman numerals: 1 = "I", 5 = "V", 10 = "X", 50 = "L", 100 = "C", 500 = "D", 1000 = "M", 9 = "IX", 40 = "IV", 90 = "XC", 101 = "CI" and so forth. The numbers are often spelt ( e.g. "one").

Compass points: "N, E, S, W" are often referred to as "direction, point","way" or "north, east", etc respectively.

Individual letters: love = "O" (i.e. a nil score in tennis), also represented by "circle, band, zero, none, nothing", learner = "L", right = "R", left = "L".

Letters by sound: pea = "P", queue = "Q", bee = "B", see = "C", ease = "EE", ivy = "IV".

Scientific symbols: mass = "M", speed of light = "C", velocity = "V", integrated circuit = "IC" (chip), gravity = "G", force = "F", energy = "E", aluminium="AL" and so on for other elements.

Paired abbreviations: credit = "CR", editor = "ED", queen/royal = "ER", manuscript = "MS", that is = "IE" for example (eg.), doctor = "MD","MO" or "DR", company = "CO", ship = "SS" and so on.

States: American States are often used. Georgia="GA", New York = "NY" Being Australian I prefer to use "VIC","SA","WA","TAS" etc. including "NT" (which is actually a territory and not a state).

Larger abbreviations: December = "DEC", Friday = "FRI", incorporated = "INC", professional = "PRO" and so forth.

Foreign words: "the" in several languages.
"IL, LA" - Italian, "LE, LA" = french, "EL" = spanish, "TE" = maori. These are the ones I see most commonly but be aware this is not an exhaustive list as "LOS" is also spanish for "the" (plural) as is the french "LES". Foreign words for "in, on" and other common words are also used. If indicated consult a foreign language dictionary (if you have one) or a multilingual friend.

Names: Edward = "ED" "NED" "TED", Albert/Alfred = "AL", Susan = "SUE" and so forth.

Heads, tails and centres/hearts: The dragon's head is "D" (the first letter) while the tail of the dragon is "N".
The heart or centre usually refers to one or more letters in the centre of a word, as "EE" in "meet" and "P" in "ape" or "paper".

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DEVICE F:

THE REVERSAL

Synonym of word when spelt backwards.
eg. kitchen utensils return to cease = STOP

Here the "kitchen utensils" are "pots" and the word "return" is the clue to the reversal required to turn "pots" into "stop". If this clue were for a words going downwards the word "return" may be replaced by "come up" or simply "up". Write the letters of "STOP" vertically downwards and you will see that they spell "POTS" when read upwards.
You can see how easy it would be to use any combination of devices C D E F together to build up a long word from smaller words, backward words or individual letters.

Suspect a synonym to be read backwards when you see these words: returns, reverses, reflects, retreats, mirrors, back, comes back, up, goes up, rises, etc.

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DEVICE G:

THE SOUNDALIKE

Synonym of homophone or synonym of a word that sounds the same.
eg. Sounds like an affirmative organ = EYE.
Affirmative means "yes" or "aye". Aye is a homophone (sound-alike) for eye, which is of course an organ of the body.

eg. Bend the branch, I hear = BOW.
In the above example "branch" is a synonym of "bough" which is in turn a sound-alike of "bow", meaning to bend at the waist.

Suspect the use of this device when the wording suggests that the sound is important. Key words: sounds, hear, heard, say, said.

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DEVICE H:

THE HIDDENWORD

The word is hidden, with letters in correct sequence, within the sentence.
eg. The darkest things had I established within = SHADIEST
By scanning the individual letters, ignoring capitals and word breaks you can see the letters of the answer word which, of course, means "darkest".

Suspect the use of hidden word when you see words like within, in, reveals, shows, encloses, see, etc.

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DEVICE I:

THE ACRONYM

The word is presented as an acronym, each letter being the first letter of another word.eg.
Initially I saw that Albert's nervous British Uncle lived in Turkey (8) = ISTANBUL

Suspect the use of an acronym when the following key words are used: initially, heads, starts, starters.

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DEVICE J:

THE LITERAL

A common phrase may be represented by a literal rendering, or twisted interpretation (a literal misuderstanding).
eg. Don't touch! The clock has had amputations? (5, 3) = HANDSOFF

Consider a literal or twisted rendering particularly when the answer has several words or when you see:
?, perhaps, I suppose.

Now, being armed with a few clues, why not attack a cryptic crossword and stimulate your brain. And while you're at it Have: a half uninterrupted good time within (3)

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