Cracking the code – Strategies for solving cryptic crosswords
Cryptic crosswords seem daunting to crack at first glance. The clues involve wordplay, and obscure references, and seem deliberately designed to confuse. With the right strategies, these puzzles become an entertaining brain exercise that sharpens your mind. Begin with the straight clues. Most cryptics include a few clues that are straightforward definitions or synonyms of the answer word. Tackle these first to build momentum and confidence before diving into the trickier cryptics. Look for giveaway signal words in a clue like “is,” “means,” “represents,” etc.
Break the clue down into parts. The clues usually contain wordplay that hints at the answer when you analyze the different parts or phrases. Split the clue into the major sections or phrases that are joined by connecting words like “and,” “in,” “to,” etc. It helps reveal the wordplay gimmick employed. Take into account the clue structure. Many cryptic clues follow standard templates that repeat across puzzles.
- Word before/after the literal meaning of a word
- Rhyming clue words
- Homophones
- Containers (words that can precede/follow a word literally, like DEAL/ER)
- Reversals (spoonerisms)
- Double definitions (clue works two different ways)
Look for common cryptic abbreviations. Similar abbreviations repeatedly pop up in cryptics and hint at the play on words.
- (reverse or backwards)
- (abbreviation)
- (anagram)
- (literal meaning)
- sounds like (homophone)
Run through the mental checklist. Keep a running list of typical cryptic devices in your head while solving. Check for puns, homophones, containers, initialisms, synonyms, double definitions, and more. Verbally pronounce the clue to catch wordplay more easily. The number of spaces in the crossword grid gives the length of the answer word. Use this to eliminate unlikely words that are too long or short. Check intersecting words that share a letter with the mystery word. By crossing letters often confirms if you’re on the right track or eliminate improbable guesses.
Many puzzles have themes like food, literature, and pop culture, check if answer words relate to a central topic or occurrence of certain phrases. It provides oblique hints to the wordplay obfuscated in the clue. Some clues are just obtuse and challenging. Avoid getting bogged down too long and frustrated – make your best attempt and revisit it later. Check definitions of unfamiliar words. Cryptic creators relish sending solvers to the dictionary. And you can get more info about מורדו here
Keep one handy or look up any unfamiliar terms to grasp their meaning. Maintain a notebook of clues, partial answers, and solved words. Consider them later if stuck to spur further connections. See if the clue works backwards. Verbal clues sometimes directly hint at the answer if you reverse the order of the words. State the answer normally, then flip it backward. Feel the joy when the initially incomprehensible clue clicks and you uncover the correct solution. Each solved מורדו puzzle makes you a better codebreaker for the next one.
