Anagrams And Solutions In Cryptic Crosswords,

Cryptic crossword setters have much more tricks up their sleeve than a cartload of monkeys and we that have to function them out really need to test to receive into their minds to think as laterally and as zanily because they do. Difficulty is obviously that not each and every setter thinks the identical way, and equally as you think youre on leading of 1 setters design youll encounter anothers design that nearly sends you back again to scratch.

Solving the 1st clue is very vital

Quite a few a cryptic puzzler has been in the condition when, immediately after searching via each of the clues, practically nothing has immediately arrive to thoughts. Absolutely nothing! But immediately after persistence theyve solved one or two clues, developed on them, after which gone on to unravel the whole puzzle. The morals are remedy that first clue or two & never give in.

Even if you remedy only a few clues, look in tomorrows paper for the solutions and function out how theyve been derived. Thats far and away the best way to lift you skills so keep at it and youll get there.

Its especially true for cryptics not to dwell too long on trying to unravel a clue. If youre not getting anywhere with one clue move on quickly to the next before you get frustrated and want to give up entirely. Here are a couple of hints that may help you in your early days

HINT 1 – Have a go at the 4 or 5 letter answer words first because theyre often (but not always thoughts you!) much more easy than the others.

HINT 2 Look for clues that are framed in a fairly standard manner (Well, as standard as things get in cryptics!) such as clues with only 2 words like Just blonde where the answer has to suit both clue words in this case FAIR.

Heres another example for you to function out:
CLUE: Depressed fight (4) ANSWER: ???? (See below)

Another standard clue is the anagram, and nearly each and every cryptic crossword youll ever do will have at least one anagram, so solving anagram clues is another good way to receive started. So lets now look in detail at how anagrams are used.

Analysing The Anagram

Anagram is defined in the Macquarie Dictionary as a transposition of the letters of a word or sentence to form a new word or sentence

STRAW for example is an anagram of WARTS
DORMITORY is an anagram of DIRTY ROOM

Anagram clues can be identified by what we might call anagram pointer words, words in the clue that indicate that the letters of a word or phrase should be rearranged
Here are some common anagram pointer words that you should be on the lookout for:

ALTER/ED; ARRANGE/D; BROKE/N; COULD BE; CHANGE/D; CRUSH/ED; DOCTOR/ED; MAKE; MADE; OFF; OUT; REVISE/D; SHATTERED; SMASH/ED etc. But there are quite a few much more up the sleeves of our not so friendly setters.

Heres one example of how an anagram clue might be posed:

CLUE: This bird will MAKE us legal (7) ANSWER: Seagull
There are two anagram indicators in this clue:
- the word MAKE
- the fact that the words us legal contain the required number of letter to help us find our bird

Its vital to note that there are two features common to Every single anagram
1. the pointer word/s
2. the appropriate letter count

Anagram sidelines: Always searching to be tricky, setters sometimes use other anagrammatic ploys such as the two illustrated below.

(1) by having the anagram pointer, and the letters to be changed in the one word. While in the example below the letters to be changed are underlined.

CLUE: Breakfast oils (4) ANSWER; Fats

(2) by having the anagram as just PART of the answer eg

CLUE: Police raids broke up the ball game (9)
ANSWER: Billiards (Police = BILL; raids broke becomes IARDS)

So theres the anagram for you in its various forms. Its the cryptic setters standby and often your friend – a great way to find your first answer allowing you to go on to bigger and better things.

Just What Is The Setter Wanting For?

Its one thing not to know an answer to a question, but in cryptic crosswords you first really need to know what the question is before you can go on to the answer. This is far and away the biggest issue for cryptic puzzlers and the setters raison detre is to make it much more difficult for you.

Your success as a puzzler is going to depend largely on your ability to see what the setter is searching for.

Much of the time youll find clues where it appears that no question is being asked. For example:

CLUE 1: Swung hammer wide and led (7)
CLUE 2: Hear the new bit is baked clay (7)

I mean. Who do they think we are? The wording just doesnt make sense, but thats all part of the cryptic game. And where are the questions in these two clues? you might well ask.

Fortunately in most clues there are some indicators (well call them answer words or answer pointers) that can lead you in the right direction so lets start thinking about them.

A Start To Finding The Answer Words

The simplest example is when the clue is like a simple mathematical equation where verbs like is, are, for, produce, create, to be etc are used like an equal (=) sign. Theyre constructed like this:

(Word or phrase) is/are/for (ie =) (Another word or phrase)

CLUE: Finnway queen IS (=) a pedlar(7)

Heres how the answer is developed up to mean a pedlar
Finn = HUCK;Way = ST ie a street; Queen = ER
ANSWER: HUCKSTER

The second sure-fire answer pointer words are words such as This, These, They, He, She, It, where the answer comes from the word/s that arrive immediately immediately after them.

Heres a clue where both of the answer indicators are evident

CLUE: These dogs ARE (=) born raptors ( 7)
These indicates that the answer has to be some sort of dogs.
Born raptors is how you build to that answer, ie
born = B ( a common shorthand for born)
raptors = EAGLES
Put them together and what do you get? BEAGLES, the quite sort of dogs youre searching for

These two hints will get you started on finding answer words.

Happy crypticking!

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