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A Crypt is an underground cell or
chapel - a secret or hidden place - and the adjective CRYPTIC
is defines as "hidden, secret, unseen, mysteriously obscure..."
So when crosswords were compiled with hidden
clues they became known as:
Cryptic Crosswords
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The first piece of advice is not to be put off
because clues appear to be phrased in a strange language.
A cryptic clue always contains at least two
clues, one of which should be fairly obvious and the other hidden - -hence the
name cryptic.
The easy clue is often a synonym. The other
clue may be simply another synonym or one or two devices which assist in
divining the correct answer.
Take, for example, the clue "Press club". The
answer is "iron" (to press is to iron and an iron is also a golf club). In this
example there were two synonyms.
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In the clue "Take the chair before the team"
the answer is "preside" - to preside is to take the chair but in the second part
of the clue - "before the team", "pre" represents "before" and "side" represents
"team". |
| The good thing is that once you have the
answer you can be pretty sure that it's correct because you have a double check
on it! |
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The key to solving cryptic puzzles is the use
of reasoning processes and the recognition of several devices commonly used.
What the solver has to do is to discover what each clue really means, removing
the veil of deception or diversion which the compiler has placed around it.
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Use is often made of foreign language
references such as "the French" or "the German", which can indicate the letters
LE, LA, LES which are French for "the" or DER, which is the German equivalent.
You will also find IL for "the Italian" and DE
"of French" appearing regularly.
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Roman numerals are used frequently,
where L, V, X, C, D and M represent their respective numbers or in the case of D
or M can represent a large number. M can also represent the word "grand" where
its colloquial connection to the word "thousand" is applied. Representations of
similar nature are common. |
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Individual letters can be represented by
commonly used connections, the following being widely applied;
A Note (musical); one; first; middle of May
B Note; line; second
C Note; 100; cold
D Note; first of December; 500
E Note; Point (of compass)
F Note; loud (musical)
G Note; string
H Hot; capital of Hungary, Holland etc
L Left; 50
M 1,000; first of May
N point (of compass)
O Love; nothing; circle
P Soft (musical)
R Right
S Bend; trap; point (of compass)
T Model (as in Ford); intersection; square
U University
V 5; victory
W Point (of compass)
X 10; cross; unknown amount; kiss
Y Unknown amount; the end of day
Z Last; the end
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Be on the lookout for bridge players;
N, S, E and W. Bridge partners are N and S; E and W - they often appear.
Similarly compass points or "bearings" - E, SE, SW etc. |
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The Queen is a regular inhabitant
also. Whenever she is mentioned either as QUEEN, RULER, LEADER, SOVEREIGN etc.
you can almost rest assured that the letters ER will feature in the answer.
Her
Majesty is joined in these pages by many others including Demi Moore, Lois Lane,
Fats Waller, Ed Sullivan, and many more - current and old-time. Just remember,
part of a name probably means that the remainder lies in the answer.
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Other required letters can be indicated as
follows:
CHER - indicated by "actress"
ET - indicated by "stranger" or "alien"
LA or NY - "big city"
MEN - "troops"
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However, don't imagine that these examples are
the setter's only ploys! |
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Individual letters can be indicated
by their position in a clue word - "Feeling movement after third treatment"
gives EMOTION (third letter of "treatment" is E plus MOTION for "movement"
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Anagrams are featured in most cryptic puzzles
but are rarely observable as such. The compiler will go to considerable trouble
to disguise the fact that the answer being sought is an anagram of one or more
words in the clue. There are some key words such as "confused; damaged; untidy;
altered" in fact many synonyms of "change; out of order or rearrange" which
alert the puzzler to the fact that an anagram is being sought. In the clue
"Damaged peach doesn't cost much" the word "damaged" indicates that an anagram
is to be sought. An anagram of "peach" is "cheap" which means "doesn't cost
much" and is the answer.
Anagrams can be further disguised; in the clue
"Burn off curved structure" a four-letter answer is required. Having failed to
make an anagram of "burn" one's attention turns to "curved structure" and the
word "arch" comes to mind. Now we can make "char" which is the correct answer.
Perhaps we should call that an anagram "once removed".
Practice will increase the ease of recognition.
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Words using part of, or the entire,
answer may often be used reading from right to left or inverted. Again some key
words may signal the compilers trick. If the words "going back; going up;
around; reverse" or other synonyms appear in a clue it highly likely that the
answer will include a word reading backwards. |
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It is recommended that the newcomer
to cryptic puzzles should take the trouble to look up puzzles and their answers
and attempt to relate answers to clues. By doing so a degree of understanding
will inevitably follow and what may have appeared beyond your capabilities will
be there for your pleasure. |
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Happy solving!
Donald Harrison
- compiler of CRYTPIC CROSSWORDS
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