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Elle Decrypted #3 (Anagram)

■ · By Elle · Published 2023-10-17T23:23:31.948Z

Constructor's Note
Cryptic with ONLY anagrams. Definition and indicators are marked.
Welcome to my third in the Decrypted series! These are for beginner cryptic crossword solvers to get used to the tricks and deceptions that come with cryptic clues.
In this installment, we take a look at the Anagram device. This device prompts you to unscramble letters to form the solution.
Formatting and punctuation (for the most part) should be ignored in a cryptic clue. They're often there to mislead. Here, however I've used formatting to show which word or words are the definition and which word or words are the anagram indicator. As before, the definition comes at the start or the end of the clue except in some notable cases. Have fun!

Example 1

Clue

  • Harvests of mashed pears

Solution

  • REAPS

Explanation

  • Harvests is the simple clue, which hints at "reaps".
  • mashed is the anagram indicator, meaning you have to "mash" the letters of pears to get the answer.
  • n.b. The letters to anagram can come before or after the indicator, and may span multiple words in the clue, or even across sentences.

Example 2

Clue

  • Serpents in ruins are gifts.

Solution

  • PRESENTS

Explanation

  • Gifts is the simple clue, which hints at "presents".
  • in ruins is the anagram indicator, meaning that "serpents" is broken down (and rearranged.)

Indicator examples

Anything that suggests that something has been mixed up, made messy, broken, rearranged, transmuted, shuffled, gone crazy, remade, confused, made up... etc., can be an anagram indicator. There are so many of them, you may need to be on the lookout for phrases in the clue that have the same number of letters as the solution to see that it's possibly an anagram.

Final note

The text you anagram (called the fodder) is meant to be literal (i.e. those are the letters you have to use.) There should not be a synonym used for the fodder, or anything else that isn't literal, because this is known as an "indirect anagram" and is not considered fair. For example as above if I wrote "snakes" instead of "serpents" that wouldn't be considered fair. You might also come across definitions that mean one thing when you read the clue, but mean something else when read in isolation, as a decoy. Words with multiple meanings (and even different parts of speech) and homonyms are great for this. Good luck!
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Comments

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  • Kent D 🤓2:33 · 2023-10-18T01:38:20.159Z
    Hey, I'm getting better at these! I timed the print copy and it took me about 6 min 30 seconds, and I didn't cheat once! 😁 Number 4 I'll do without printing it out and see what happens. These are GREAT! Thank you.
    • Elle constructor · 2023-10-18T03:50:41.418Z
      Hehe, nice. Thanks!
    • kurtalert 🤓3:02 · 2023-10-18T03:52:39.953Z
      Great idea here!
      • Pedagogue 🤓7:24 · 2023-10-18T14:50:33.617Z
        A very entertaining cryptic. Many thanks!
        • Elle constructor · 2023-10-18T17:23:45.046Z
          Thank you :)
        • Sendhil Revuluri 🤓1:47 · 2023-10-18T23:46:38.080Z
          FYI, in the clue to 3D, “Ludicrous” is misspelled (not that it really matters for the solve… and assuming that this is a misspelling and not another layer to the clue that I haven't figured out yet).
          • Elle constructor · 2023-10-19T06:24:31.254Z
            Oops, right, a typo haha
          • Sendhil Revuluri 🤓1:47 · 2023-10-18T23:41:50.440Z
            Thanks so much for continuing to put these out!
            • Derek M 🤓4:11 · 2023-10-19T15:30:28.190Z
              I appreciate the instructions and breaking this down. This helps to learn how to do these types of puzzles.
              • Elle constructor · 2023-10-19T16:58:18.818Z
                Thanks!
              • Annie 18:10 · 2023-10-22T22:46:12.755Z
                very cool as always elle, thnx
                • elles gf 🤓13:35 · 2023-10-25T07:15:05.253Z
                  you have no shame! I’m looking at 4A.
                  Play today's daily mini crossword
                  1A
                  I tend, perhaps, to break up (3, 2)
                  1
                  2
                  3
                  4
                  5
                  6
                  7
                  8
                  9
                  10
                  11
                  12
                  13
                  14
                  15
                  16
                  17
                  Across
                  1. 1A
                    I tend, perhaps, to break up (3, 2)
                  2. 4A
                    Swallows kinky plugs (5)
                  3. 6A
                    Mixed ay's were put forth (3)
                  4. 7A
                    Cleave veers wildly (4)
                  5. 9A
                    A cherry kind of sport (7)
                  6. 10A
                    "von Treacherous" month (3)
                  7. 11A
                    Avo scrambled eggs (3)
                  8. 12A
                    Err... plow reformed thief (7)
                  9. 14A
                    Show pleasure for free miles (5)
                  10. 15A
                    Pitch a funny rat (3)
                  11. 16A
                    Mysterious stone colors (5)
                  12. 17A
                    Chinese surname given by reborn GC hen (5)
                  Down
                  1. 1D
                    Odd toad cures teachers! (9)
                  2. 2D
                    Create/do sin? Terrible blasphemy. (11)
                  3. 3D
                    Me? Try? Ludicrous. I dare you! (3, 2)
                  4. 4D
                    Gutsy is carelessly breezy (5)
                  5. 5D
                    New village ring? Wallowing in luxury (6, 5)
                  6. 8D
                    Unrestrained reserving is going backwards (9)
                  7. 12D
                    Sneaks a look in renovated keeps (5)
                  8. 13D
                    Eye-related topic in other words (5)
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