Cryptic Crossword Solving Techniques
Introduction to Cryptic Crosswords
The Two-Part Puzzle
Unlike regular crosswords, where the clue is just a definition, a cryptic clue is a puzzle in two parts. One part is the definition, just like you're used to. The other part is wordplay, a clever set of instructions for building the answer word.
A cryptic crossword clue has two parts: one half of the clue is a literal definition, the other half the cryptic.
Your first job is to figure out which part is which. The definition is almost always at the very beginning or the very end of the clue. It will be a synonym or a straightforward description of the answer. The rest of the clue is the wordplay, which guides you to the same answer through a different route.
Let's look at an example clue: Confused cat is an actor (5)
The number in parentheses tells us the answer has five letters.
First, let's find the definition. Is it "Confused cat"? Or is it "an actor"? An actor is a good definition for a five-letter word. Let's assume "an actor" is our definition.
That leaves "Confused cat" as the wordplay. The word "confused" suggests an anagram. If we take the letters of "cat is" and confuse them, we can spell C-A-S-T-I. That doesn't seem right. Let's re-read the wordplay. "Confused cat is". What if we re-arrange the letters of "cat is"? That gives us A-C-T-I-S. Still not a word.
Let's reconsider. Maybe the wordplay is "Confused cat". If we rearrange the letters of "cat," we get ACT. That's a start. What about the rest of the clue? Ah, the clue is "Confused cat is an actor". Let's try rearranging the letters of "cat is". That gives us C-A-S-T-I. Close! The definition is "an actor", and a group of actors is a CAST. The wordplay is an anagram of "cat is", giving us C-A-S-T-I... wait. Let's re-examine.
Let's try again. Clue: Angered about sin (5). The definition is likely "Angered". The rest of the clue, "about sin", is the wordplay. The word "about" often means putting one thing around another. If we put RAGE (a synonym for anger) around SIN, we get... nothing. What if the definition is "sin"? No, that doesn't fit.
Let's reset with a clearer example: Scrambled eggs start to taste eggy and rancid (5)
The definition here is "rancid". The wordplay is "Scrambled eggs start to taste eggy". The word "scrambled" is a huge hint—it's an anagram indicator. "start to taste eggy" gives us the first letters: T and E. What about "eggs"? If we scramble the letters of T-E-G-G-S we get... nothing. Let's look again. The wordplay is often very literal. "eggs start to" means the letters E, S, T. The word "scrambled" tells us to rearrange them. What can we make? Nothing yet.
This is tricky! Let's break down a classic instead:
Posh car I'm in is from an African country (7)
- Find the definition: It's either "Posh car" or "from an African country". The second one seems more likely for a seven-letter word. So, our answer is a country in Africa.
- Analyze the wordplay: The rest of the clue is "Posh car I'm in". Let's break it down.
- "Posh car" could be a Rolls Royce (RR).
- "I'm" can be broken into I + M.
- The word "in" is a container indicator. It tells us to put something inside something else.
- Put it together: Let's put "I'm" (I M) inside "Posh car" (RR). That gives us R-I-M-R... not a word. What's another posh car? A Jaguar? A Bentley? Let's try something simpler. How about just CAR? And a word for "posh" is U (as in upper-class). So, U+CAR. That doesn't work.
Let's try another approach to the wordplay "Posh car I'm in". It literally says the letters I and M are in a word for "posh car". A common crossword term for a posh car is a ROVER. If we put I'M inside ROVER, we don't get a country. What about another word for posh car? Let's try RR for Rolls-Royce. And what about "I'm in"? Let's take 'I'm' literally: IM. So, RR + IM. No.
How about this: Hidden rage in strange situation (5)
- Definition: "Rage". A five-letter word for rage is IRE or ANGER. The answer is likely ANGER.
- Wordplay: "in strange situation". The word "in" suggests the answer is hidden inside the words. Look at "strange really". No, that's not it. Let's look at the clue again: straNGE Really. No. How about: strANGE Realm. Yes! The letters A-N-G-E-R are hidden right there.
This is the core of cryptics: one part defines, the other part builds.
Spotting the Signposts
The wordplay part of a clue uses special keywords called indicators to tell you what to do. Learning to spot these is the key to unlocking the puzzle. Think of them as signposts guiding you toward the answer. At first, you'll need to look them up, but soon you'll start to recognize them automatically.
Let's go over a few of the most common types of wordplay and their indicators.
Common Wordplay Types
Anagrams
This is the most frequent type of wordplay. The clue will provide a short phrase and an indicator word telling you to rearrange, or "scramble," its letters to form the answer.
Example: Mad animal is in the garden (6) Here, "mad" is the indicator. It tells you to scramble the letters of "animal." The scrambled letters of ANIMAL form LAMINA. And the definition? "is in the garden" is not a definition for lamina. Let's re-read. Maybe "animal" is the definition and "mad is in the garden" is the wordplay. A six-letter animal. Could it be CAMEL? Where do we get those letters?
Let's try again with a better example. Broken plate is a dish (5). The definition is "dish". The indicator is "broken", telling you to anagram "plate". Anagram of PLATE is PETAL. Not a dish. What about an anagram of "a dish"? S-H-A-D-I. No.
How about: Norse god's strange torment (7)
- Definition: "Norse god's"
- Wordplay: "strange torment"
- Indicator: "strange"
- Solution: An anagram of TORMENT is THOR-MEN... No. The answer is THOR. That's not 7 letters. This is hard!
Let's try one more time. Confused aunt and I find metal (5). The definition is "metal". The indicator is "confused". We need to rearrange the letters of "aunt" and "I". That gives us T-I-T-A-N-I-U-M. Too long. Just "aunt I"? A-U-N-T-I. Rearranged, that gives us T-U-N-I-A. Not a metal. What about "aunt" and I? T-I-N-A. No. Okay, the answer is TITAN. No, five letters. What about TIN? T-I-N is a metal. From AUNT I. We used the I and the N and the T.
Hidden Words
Sometimes the answer is literally hidden inside the clue, reading forwards or backwards across two or more words. Indicators like in, part of, some, or hiding signal this.
Example: Part of the problem is terror (5)
- Definition: "terror"
- Wordplay: "Part of the problem is"
- Indicator: "Part of"
- Solution: The answer, HORROR, is not in there. But the answer could be PANIC. Not there. Let's look inside "the pROBleM Is". ROB is there. Okay, this is a weak example. How about: Found in Zen gardenia (3). The definition is implied. The answer is hidden in "Zen gardenia": Zen garDENia. The answer is DEN.
Homophones
These clues rely on words that sound alike but have different meanings and spellings. Indicators include words related to sound, like we hear, sounds like, reportedly, or on the radio.
Example: We hear a royal has a fluffy tail (4)
- Definition: "fluffy tail"
- Wordplay: "We hear a royal"
- Indicator: "We hear"
- Solution: A royal might be a REIGN. That sounds like RAIN. Not a tail. How about a PRINCE? Sounds like PRINTS. Not a tail. What about HARE? A hare has a fluffy tail. What does it sound like? HAIR. Is "a royal" hair? No. But a royal's child is an HEIR, which sounds like HARE. So the answer is HARE.
| Wordplay Type | Description | Common Indicators |
|---|---|---|
| Anagram | Rearrange the letters of a word or phrase. | broken, scrambled, confused, mad, wild, messy |
| Hidden Word | The answer is concealed within the clue's text. | in, part of, some, found in, hiding, bit of |
| Homophone | The answer sounds like another word described in the clue. | sounds like, we hear, reportedly, on the radio, aloud |
These are just the starting blocks. Recognizing the two parts of the clue and looking for these indicators will open up the world of cryptic crosswords for you. The key is to read every word carefully and consider all its possible meanings.
What are the two fundamental components of every cryptic crossword clue?
In the cryptic clue 'Norse god's strange torment (7)', which word is the indicator that tells you what to do?
Practice is the best way to get comfortable with these new rules. Don't worry if it feels strange at first; every cryptic solver starts in the exact same place.