Puzzling

All too often it just seems impossible to find a way into a cryptic crossword. To help you make a start, and maybe even solve it all, here are my ...  Top Ten  Eleven Tips for Solvers Use a pencil and eraser, rather than pen. Read through all the clues before trying to solve any. You don't have to start with 1 Across! Mark in any multiple words or hyphenated words on the grid, with a dividing line drawn onto the grid (see the photo below). These are the clues where the letter number is something like (3-4) or (2,4,3). See if you can spot some anagram clues. Most cryptics will have at least a couple, and possibly many more. Read my blog post on anagrams to learn how to spot them. The longest words in the grid are often clued with anagrams, so check these clues carefully. Look for possible 'hidden word' clues, while some cryptics have none, there's usually 1 or 2 of these in an average grid. Here's my blog post on how to find and solve hidden word clu...

One of the things I like about cryptics is how — although I write them — I still find cryptics by other setters challenging and enjoyable to solve. I don't do 'quick' crosswords any more, solving one is too much like the work I do in writing them ... another bloody definition? No thanks ... But cryptics are still a fascinating challenge to me, and are still fun for me to solve. I don't classify myself as an expert solver , I can't solve The Times cryptic in record time or anything like that. I don't solve enough cryptics often enough to get the necessary daily practice in. But being a setter does give me a certain advantage! So, I thought you might find it interesting to see the mental process I go through when solving clues by other setters. Here are a few clues by a variety of setters, and my thoughts as I solve them ... Wife given a kiss then getting yen for pasty (4) Hmmm, what are possible abbreviations in this clue? Wife = W, kis...

I'm so happy to announce that our latest app, CrypticGuide, has been approved by Apple today, and is now available on the App Store ! CrypticGuide has a cryptic dictionary with over 6,900 entries in it, with cryptic synonyms, indicator words, abbreviations, and homophones. So you can type in a word or short phrase from a cryptic clue, like 'see' - and the app will tell you that see  can lead to the words ELY (a UK diocese, or see , name), LO, or VIDE ( see in Latin); the abbreviations C (sounds like see ), V, or VID ( see in Latin again); it can indicate a container or hidden word wordplay device; and it's a homophone for sea ! So this will hopefully help you a lot with cracking cryptic clues. The app also has a wildcard search for filling in gaps in the grid you really can't get out, and an anagram solver, which brings up exact anagrams and subwords. Very helpful if you feel like getting a little cheaty in Scrabble ®, Words With Friends , Boggle , ...