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Tutorial: Intro to Cryptic Crosswords

◆ · By The Noah · Published 2024-07-07T21:55:17.592Z

Constructor's Note
The hints give a lot away. Try to think hard about each clue before looking at the hints. Cryptic crossword puzzles seem impossible if you’ve never done one, but read one blog post about them and look at a few. They are really fun! https://crypticshewrote.wordpress.com/explanations/
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  • The Noah constructor · 2024-07-07T21:57:12.813Z
    Note to creators. I think it would be nice to make more cryptic crossword puzzles for beginners
    • Sendhil Revuluri 🤓1:01 · 2024-07-08T00:24:54.273Z
      I would appreciate that!
    • SamuRai 5:57 · 2024-07-08T00:49:43.773Z
      I have a feeling this was for me. (Thank you.). Largely the first hint helped. I realized doing this that my difficulty is correctly parsing the indicator. For 1A I took broken to indicate a charades clue (as in answer broken into parts). In 4A, I wanted revolution to be something read backwards. Meanwhile, 5A I missed return as indicating the reversal of letters. This will take time but this was a great exercise! Many thanks Noah. Just keeping a list of indicator words handy until they are ingrained will make a huge difference.
      • The Noah constructor · 2024-07-08T13:55:08.519Z
        You inspired me to, but I also thought it would be helpful for lots of people to get into Cryptics especially if it inspired copy cats or get featured
      • Ewoly 🤓4:57 · 2024-07-08T08:36:44.709Z
        I love this, really helpful
        • The Noah constructor · 2024-07-08T13:54:16.116Z
          Thanks ! Glad it helped!
        • sus 🤓2:23 · 2024-07-08T23:07:53.928Z
          Isn't overlapping the wordplay and definition (as seen in 2D, where "resin" provides the R) usually illegal? I'm not an expert by any means but I've never seen that in any cryptics I've solved
          • The Noah constructor · 2024-07-09T02:04:58.741Z
            Idk. I've seen it done, but I can't say if it's legal or not.
            • nate 🤓3:56 · 2024-07-10T02:52:04.747Z
              I think typically the wordplay and definition are either completely separate or completely overlapping, as in an &lit – I don't often see them partially overlapping like this
          • Depp Alexander 🤓3:23 · 2024-07-09T18:03:43.937Z
            this is so so cool! i love cryptics but sometimes i miss the little secret hints. thanks so much for this!
            • The Noah constructor · 2024-07-09T22:24:38.691Z
              Hey! It’s Depp! No problem!
            Play today's daily mini crossword
            1A
            He’s hardly able to hide a bit of a broken vase (5) HINT 1: Hide is the indicator. Find the hidden word. HINT 2: The word is hidden in “HESHARDLYABLETO”. HINT 3: The definition is “a bit of a broken vase”
            1
            2
            3
            4
            5
            Across
            1. 1A
              He’s hardly able to hide a bit of a broken vase (5) HINT 1: Hide is the indicator. Find the hidden word. HINT 2: The word is hidden in “HESHARDLYABLETO”. HINT 3: The definition is “a bit of a broken vase”
            2. 4A
              A gum brand revolution! (5) HINT 1: Double definition! Both parts of the clue are definitions. HINT 2: think of possible meanings for “gum brand” and “revolution”
            3. 5A
              Jack’s calcium got the doctor to return second. (5) HINT 1: No indicator means charades: put together the word bit by bit. HINT 2: There are several words that might be abbreviated with one or two letters. These are often, but not always, a piece of the solution . Also “to return” seems to indicate some word near it in reverse in the solution. HINT 3: Calcium = CA, Doctor = DR, second = S. Read the clue again as “jacks CA got the DR (reversed) S. “Jacks” is the definition.
            Down
            1. 1D
              A historic hairless grave? HINT 1: ”less” indicates subtracting letters from another part of the clue. HINT 2: The definition is “grave” HINT 3: remove the letters h-a-i-r from “a historic”
            2. 2D
              Firstly, are my bobbles even resin? HINT 1: The definition is resin. HINT 2: Firstly is sometimes an indicator the the first letter of one word is part of the solution, and sometimes an indicator that there is a longer acronym made of first letters. HINT 3: Are My Bobbles Even Resin
            3. 3D
              Goes out but is strangely sated (5) HINT 1: strangely is an anagram indicator: shuffle the letters in something near strangely HINT 2: The definition is “Goes out” HINT 3: Try to make an anagram of the letters *(SATED)
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