Elle Decrypted #1

■ · By Elle · Published 2023-10-12T16:59:31.473Z

Constructor's Note

What is a "Decrypted"? For those just getting started with cryptic crosswords, half the puzzle is figuring out what instructions are in the clue. This cryptic crossword will literally give the simple definition, the device(s) to use, and the fodder, to give practice in the wordplay aspect of cryptics. Ideally, this will be partway between a regular crossword and a cryptic crossword in difficulty, as a stepping stone to ease into sometimes unapproachable cryptics! Once finished, the comments will contain an example of how the clue might show up cryptically. Enjoy!

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Comments

Elle constructor · 2023-10-12T16:59:47.926Z
Examples of how the given clues could be "encrypted":

DINER: Eatery partly paid in error. (5)

ERA: Left career, hide a long time. (3)

SAP: Break suddenly departing north for plant fluid. (3)

ONEND: Season ender hides a way that hairs can stand. (2, 3)

RUM: Uncovered Trump alcoholic liquor. (3)

ROO: Meterless 3D Australian marsupial. (3)

CUT: Appealing or pretty without tail gash. (3)

BMI: Lion King protagonist's insides turned weight loss value. (3)

BILBO: Hobbit broke iBlob. (5)

SFO: California city hidden transformer. (3)

EDM: Messy head of medicine makes popular music. (3)

SIDES: Teams somewhat forewarns ides of March. (5)

DESIRABLE: Reformed blade sire is preferable. (9)

NOPROBLEM: Consider it done, secret noble prom! (2, 7)

ROOM: Robot vacuum cleaner's head space. (4)

EXERCISED: Improved fitness decries ex for a change. (9)

ADDITIONS: Fashioned India dots add-ons. (9)

BOWS: Arm joints end hair adornments. (4)
- Raven 6:32 · 2023-10-13T00:38:50.155Z
  I get them in the decrypted version but your clues above make literally no sensible connection in my brain. Something about how my brain processes has never understood cryptics on this site.
  - Elle constructor · 2023-10-14T14:20:17.417Z
    I think you will need to learn the basics of how cryptic clues are constructed, generally there is the simple definition at the start or the end, an indicator(s) for a wordplay device, and some fodder that you use to transform into the solution. This puzzle sort of shows you what the clue ends up being once you correctly decipher the encryption.
    - Raven 6:32 · 2023-10-14T23:19:30.312Z
      I understand that, it's just reading the clues, I don't see the connection between the words and the answer. It's like literally reading a foreign language. No idea why, but it just doesn't make sense.
      - Elle constructor · 2023-10-15T06:42:38.545Z
        Well the clues themselves when read as a whole (the "surface" reading) don't generally describe the solution, at least in a straight forward way. And may not even really make much sense at all. Taking an example from above,
        
        BOWS: Arm joints end hair adornments.
        
        The first two words in the clue "Arm joints" are ELBOWS. The next word "end" means to take the end of that word (ELBOWS) and the last two words "hair adornments" is a simple definition (what you might find in a normal crossword clue) of the solution.
        
        Therefore taking the "end" of a word for "arm joins" (ELBOWS) gives you BOWS, which is described by "hair adornments".
        
        It's not stated which part of the clue is the definition, which part is the device indicator(s) (like "end") and so on, that's part of the puzzle. The way you would try to work it out is first try to see if you can spot the definition which is 99% of the time either at the start or the end of the clue. So the word you're trying to fill is either "arm (joints)" or "(hair) adornments" most likely. Since it's 4 letters you could probably guess it's BOWS just from that, and then see that "arm joints end" can be ELBOW's end (BOW), so the clue justifies the answer.
riso 🤓5:54 · 2023-10-12T18:20:26.047Z
thank you so much elle! sending this one to friends.
Jake A 🤓3:11 · 2023-10-12T19:27:26.690Z
Wonderfully helpful puzzle! Thank you!
Michael Kelleher 🤓4:18 · 2023-10-12T21:22:22.671Z
Pretty fun. 13A was easy enough, but for locals, it’s the airport, not the city.
kurtalert 🤓1:58 · 2023-10-13T01:20:30.736Z
Great idea. I would have loved to complete this puzzle when I was first learning how to solve cryptics!
E Ang 🤓1:56 · 2023-10-13T01:54:47.962Z
Loved the idea behind this - it's definitely a fantastic stepping stone and a great way to ease people into how cryptics work. I'll be keeping a link to it for people interested but intimidated by cryptics.
lisajay 🤓4:52 · 2023-10-13T02:47:14.932Z
Great idea and super helpful!
Pedagogue 4:43 · 2023-10-13T03:14:28.978Z
I don't like acronyms in cryptics. SFO is not a city; how is EDM "popular music"?
- Elle constructor · 2023-10-15T06:44:25.925Z
  Are you actually not sure how SFO is a city and EDM is popular music or are you just being pedantic that "sfo" and "edm" aren't words?
  - Pedagogue 4:43 · 2023-10-15T13:30:18.243Z
    Please remember that this site is international - I'm in the UK and I don't recognise the acronym SFO; I am also far too old to be party to modern music genres! I don't use acronyms in crosswords that I compile - I don't think that they are fair.
    - Elle constructor · 2023-10-15T19:41:20.529Z
      Fair enough, I’m avoiding acronyms and aiming to be region-agnostic in my future cryptics! :)
Lia 4:17 · 2023-10-13T16:13:34.277Z
Love the 'decrypted!' As someone who very recently began to dip into the world of cryptics, this is indeed a very good stepping stone that doesn't make me feel like a total idiot! Would love more of these <3 thank you
- Elle constructor · 2023-10-13T17:09:48.578Z
  I'm also learning -- thanks!
Strawberry Mango 🤓5:56 · 2023-10-15T11:18:29.470Z
Fun! A couple of suggested edits:

13A: California airport code found in the word transformer

14A: Using a different descriptor for EDM like rave or club music
- Elle constructor · 2023-10-16T08:44:02.992Z
  made edits
elles gf 🤓14:47 · 2023-10-15T11:40:06.942Z
I loved this one :3. way more approachable than actual cryptics :3.
Sendhil Revuluri 🤓2:10 · 2023-10-16T01:56:45.661Z
Awesome learning exercise! Thanks so much. (Maybe some other cryptic setters will allow the creation of "decrypted" versions of their puzzles…)
- Lego 🤓4:59 · 2023-10-16T11:56:34.358Z
  Good idea Sendhil! (BTW, you're name is an anagram of "Hurl Devil's Urine" ) @Elle, feel free to do so with any of my cryptics – if you think they're worthy.
  - Elle constructor · 2023-10-16T14:35:51.854Z

Play today's daily mini crossword

Search the phrase "paid in error" to find a word that means "eatery" (5)

Across

1A
Search the phrase "paid in error" to find a word that means "eatery" (5)
4A
Find a word that means "A long time" in the phrase "career", after reversing it (3)
6A
Take a word meaning "break suddenly" and remove the letter that denotes "North" to create a word that can be described as "plant fluid" (3)
7A
Find a phrase that describes "a way that hairs can stand" in the phrase "season ender" (2, 3)
8A
"Alcoholic liquor" describes this word, found by removing the first and last letters of the word "trump" (3)
9A
Take the symbol of metre and remove it from 3D to make an Australian marsupial (3)
10A
Take a word that means "appealing or pretty" and remove the last letter to make a word that is synonymous with "gash". (3)
11A
Removing the first and last letter from the Lion King's protagonist, once reversed, makes "weight loss value" (3)
12A
"A hobbit" can be found if you unscramble "iBlob" (5)
13A
California airport code found in the word "transformer" (3)
14A
Taking the first part of "medicine" and scrambling it gives word that can be described as "rave music" (3)
15A
A word meaning "teams" can be found in the phrase "forewarns ides of March" (5)

Down

1D
A word meaning "preferable" can be found if you unscramble "blade sire" (9)
2D
"Noble prom" anagrams to a phrase meaning "consider it done!" (2, 7)
3D
Find a word meaning "space" from the start of the name of a robot vacuum cleaner (4)
4D
Find a word that could mean "improved fitness" by mixing up the letters in "decries ex" (9)
5D
"Add-ons" synonym is found in the phrase "India dots", after being unjumbled (9)
11D
Take the end of a word meaning "arm joints" to find a word that can be described as "hair adornments" (4)