The Times How to Crack Cryptic Crosswords

“They say children in kindergarten must play in order to learn. What do they mean, children? Crossword puzzles learned grown folks more words than school teachers.”

Will Rogers

Now let’s consider some points for tackling the whole of a puzzle.

1. Write in pencil or ink?

I’m not sure it matters much as long as you avoid inking in firmly before you have worked out both the definition and wordplay. There is nothing worse than being held up for a long time by an incorrect entry made in haste. A thoughtful Christmas present bought for me some years ago was the delightful compromise of a pen with ink that could be erased.

2. Empty grid: how to start?

You have a puzzle in front of you which looks totally impossible – maybe you start to feel inadequate but remember that most puzzles, by accident or design, give you at least one clue to get you going and all you have to do is find it! It may be a hidden clue; after all, the letters of the solution are there facing you as part of the clue. So scan the clues for a hidden indicator. But supposing the mean setter this time gives you no hidden clues. What should you do when there appears to be no way in? There are various points:

It is rare for there to be no anagram clue, so why not scan for an anagram indicator? Do inspect the longest words as they are more likely to be clued by anagrams than shorter ones. Once found, the letters are there as with hidden clues, waiting to be unscrambled.
Try to spot an obvious definition. One experienced solver told me he can see a definition nearly always instantly – but that was after 40 years of solving!
At this stage it’s a good idea to find a clue that seems to be within your areas of interests or expertise. For example, in my case it is always comforting for me to spot clues which seem to have a musical, political, food or sporting component. Of course I have to be aware that I may be being led up the garden path.

Look for short solutions of three letters because there are fewer words that can fit the space indicated. While it’s rewarding to get the 15-letter word at 1 across immediately, that is rare.

Try the compound phrases that are present in most puzzles. As covered earlier, the likes of 3,2,4 and 4,4,1,4 are a gift in the sense that the shorter lengths can often be guessed.

Keep in mind that the tense of the clue and the solution must be the same. So look for plurals, -ing and -ed in potential definitions. Try to formulate an answer from this but beware inking in such endings in error.

Try to find proper names and ask yourself why they may have been included. Getting into the setter’s mind in this respect and in other aspects of cryptic clues can be rewarding.

TOP TIP – WHERE TO START?

More than one solver I know considers that you should look at the bottom right hand corner first as the setter, having written the clues in order from 1 across, is tired by the time the bottom of the grid is reached. Hence the clues are easier than elsewhere. Based on my own setting process, I’m sceptical about this but, nonetheless, if that approach helps you to gain the confidence essential to solving, I’d say stick with it, though it’s harder to complete a puzzle after starting at the bottom!

3. How to continue?

After one clue is solved, where next? Try building on the most promising (i.e. less common) of the intersecting letters you have available. Don’t attempt clues for which you have no letters until you become convinced you can make no progress with the letters you have. Crossword solving is a process of gains being built up cumulatively and, at this early stage, there may or may not be gains to make.

Try a little harder to crack clues that yield the best follow-on letters, e.g. those running across the top and down the sides. As one of my correspondents put it, first letters are usually worth a lot. Also when more letters are available, you may find that you can anticipate solutions from letter patterns such as -ation, -ive, -ally and the like.

ARE SOME GRIDS EASIER THAN OTHERS?

Those in which the highest number of initial letters of answers are potentially available to help with other answers are likely to prove best for new solvers. This is shown in these two below, the bottom one in principle being an easier solve.