Cryptic Étude: Palindromes

Another exercise for solver and setter. We turn our eye toward the palindrome. Yay! Palindrome clues call for answers that read the same forwards and backwards. These clues often include indicators hinting at palindromes, such as “reversible” or “the same both ways.” Some palindromic indicators work only or better for Across clues and others for Down clues. There are number of factors that can make palindrome clues easier than other more complex clues. 1. Palindrome clues usually have only two parts: the definition and the palindrome word play indicator. 2. Since palindromes have symmetrical structures, the letter count can be a helpful clue. For example, a five-letter answer must have the same middle letter when read from both directions. And if you are confident about the letters provided by the crosses you’ve already solved, you can plug those into their corollary spaces. 3. English language palindromic phrases are generally well known (“A man, a plan, a canal: Panama!”) and there are relatively few palindromic words. So, let’s take a look at a palindrome indicator clue: Swedish group returns unchanged (4) Your crossword sensors are going off the charts! You know the answer as soon as you see the clue. But let’s parse it just for fun: Definition: Swedish group. Indicator: returns unchanged. Answer: ABBA. Please note that this puzzle is not entirely palindrome clues. Rather, only the Down clues are palindrome, while the Across clues may be any type previously covered in this series.