How cryptic crosswords work

Two ways into one answer

A normal crossword clue just describes the answer. A cryptic clue describes it too, but it adds a second way in: a little puzzle built from the rest of the words.

That sounds harder, and at first it is. But it means you can check almost every answer twice. When both routes land on the same word, you know you’ve got it.

The number in brackets is the length of the answer. (5) means one word of five letters. (3,4) means two words, three letters and then four.

Every clue has two halves

Nearly every cryptic clue is a definition plus some wordplay. The definition is a plain meaning of the answer. It can be one word or a short phrase, and it sits at the very start or the very end of the clue. Two special clue types you’ll meet later bend that rule, but it holds for nearly everything else.

The wordplay is everything else. It tells you how to build the answer out of letters: shuffle them, hide them, reverse them, or join bits together.

Sometimes a little word like “for”, “is” or “gives” sits between the two halves to help the sentence read well. That’s a link word, and you can skip over it.

Don’t trust the sentence

Read a cryptic clue as a normal sentence and it usually makes some sort of sense. Solvers call that the surface reading, and it’s there to lead you astray.

So read each word on its own and ask what else it could mean.

Punctuation is part of the disguise too, so you can ignore commas and full stops. A question mark at the end often warns you that something playful is going on.

The twelve tricks

Almost every clue uses one of twelve tricks, sometimes two together. Anagrams, hidden words and double definitions are the friendliest place to start. Next, you’ll learn the words that tell you which trick is in play.

• Anagram
• Reversal
• Hidden word
• Container
• Deletion
• Charade
• Initial letters
• Alternate letters
• Double definition
• Homophone
• Replacement
• Cryptic definition

Signpost words

The wordplay comes with instructions. A word like “broken” or “confused” tells you to shuffle some letters. “Returned” tells you to write something backwards. These are called indicators.

Once you know the common ones they start to jump out at you, and each one tells you what kind of trick you’re looking at.

Shorthand you’ll keep seeing

Some words stand for just a letter or two. “Sailor” is often AB, “five” is V and “quiet” is P. It feels like a secret code at first, but the same few come up again and again, and you’ll soon know them by heart.

Your first full solve

Here’s how it all fits together in one clue: Motor with favourite floor covering (6). Step through it at your own pace.

Where to go next

Try a few practice clues most days, then have a go at a real puzzle with the hints on hand for when you’re stuck.

Don’t worry about finishing. Getting two or three clues on your own is a good day.