Crosswords meet Jenga in the latest instalment in our guide for the cryptic-curious
In the example clues below, I explain the two parts of each: the definition of the answer and the wordplay – the recipe for assembling its letters. In a genuine puzzle environment, of course, you also have the crossing letters, which greatly alleviate your solving load. The explanations contain links to previous entries in this series on such matters as spelling one word backwards to reveal another. And setters’ names tend to link to interviews, in case you feel like getting to know these people better.
Half of crosswords’ clues are the ones that go down. Like their horizontal cousins, they sometimes span most or all of the grid, opening up frontiers to those who’ve solved them.
23d 1 under 100 could be 99 (4)
[ wordplay: the word ‘one’ (‘1’) after (‘under’) Roman numeral for ‘100’ ]
[ ONE after C ]
[ definition: could be 99 ]
20d The woman’s supporting the Guardian guides (6)
[ wordplay: synonym for ‘the woman’s’ after (‘supporting’) synonym for ‘the Guardian’ ]
[ HERS after US ]
[ defintion: guides ]
14d What the driver needs above all is to be sober (8)
[ wordplay: golfing implement (‘what the driver needs’) on top of (‘above’) synonym for ‘all’ ]
[ TEE on top of TOTAL ]
[ definition: sober ]
7d Immoral act supported by the church from that time on (5)
[ wordplay: synonym for ‘immoral act’ on top of abbrev. for Church of England (‘the church’) ]
[ SIN on top of CE ]
[ definition: from that time on ]
0 Comments