Crosswords

I've always enjoyed playing around with language and love word games like Scrabble but I was always been put off cryptic crosswords by the secret rules and in jokes. Rather than bother to learn the language I just bristled at being exluded and wrote them off as aloof and exclusive. Which was, in retrospect, very silly as it occurs to me now that the mix of word play, useless trivia and meditative time wasting couldn't be more up my street.

So, inspired by an excellent little documentary "How to solve a crypitc crossword" I saw on the iplayer this week I have resolved to ease myself in. I've just warmed up with the Grauniad quick crossword (didn't do too badly) but i'm after tips for manageable cryptic crossword to get stuck into. Maybe one with cryptic and easy clues? Any general tips or contributions?

Cheers,

Al.

That documentary was great.

The Sun cryptic and quick have the same answers and it's not too taxing (but it is a bit shit).
My dad kind of taught me the Telegraph, and I love it. The prize one on a saturday is usually a bit easier.

Buy a (insert newspaper here) cryptic crossword book, start on one and do as much as you can, then reference the answers and work backwards to see how the clues work. It sometimes helps to know that the setters can be priests or ex-cricketers etc and you'll then see a theme in some of the clues.

The Times Crossword - the proper one not the simple one, is the best of the newspaper crosswords. Most consistent in standard and approach. Most honest clues.

The best ever clue:

H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O (5)

The Times Crossword - the proper one not the simple one, is the best of the newspaper crosswords. Most consistent in standard and approach. Most honest clues.

The best ever clue:

EDIT to remove spoiler. Sorry, I got over excited at getting it.

Cheers Cliveo. I shall get me a Times book on my merry way home tonight.

Indeed, but don't tell everyone ;o)

That clue is, I think, quite refreshing, no?

oui oui!

I don't know whether it will take the joy out of learning for you, or provide a useful insight but there is:

How to Master The "Times" Crossword: The "Times" Cryptic Crossword Demystified by Tim Moorey

For what it's worth, my voacbulary's very average but I can often do fairly well at the Guardian's, and Telegraph's, crossword but get very few clues from The Times (unless it's Christmas and I'm at home, completeing one with my Dad)!

The Times' crossie is the one to complete!

Hm, I've never made an attempt to master anything cryptic. My style of wordplay is distinctly stupid and unsubtle. I enjoy non-cryptic crosswords mainly because I often learn new words when I do them.

I did enjoy this clue once in a crossword:

(1,7,1,4)

Hm, I've never made an attempt to master anything cryptic. My style of wordplay is distinctly stupid and unsubtle. I enjoy non-cryptic crosswords mainly because I often learn new words when I do them.

I did enjoy this clue once in a crossword:

(1,7,1,4)

I haven't a clue...

The Times Crossword - the proper one not the simple one, is the best of the newspaper crosswords. Most consistent in standard and approach. Most honest clues.

The best ever clue:

I disagree. Araucaria in The Guardian is the wittiest. Bunthorne in the same newspaper used to be fiendish but died this year.

My personal favorites are The Observer's Azed, and Beelzebub in The Independent On Sunday...

I haven't a clue...

Ah-ha. Time for Meno's paradox, then:

"How will you look for it, Socrates, when you do not know at all what it is? How will you aim to search for something you do not know at all? If you should meet with it, how will you know that this is the thing that you did not know?

 "I know what you want to say, Meno.  Do you realize what a debater's argument you are bringing up, that a man cannot search either for what he knows or for what he does not know? He cannot search for what he knows - since he knows it, there is no need to search - nor for what he does not know, for he does not know what to look for."

Plato, Meno 80d-e.

:)

Howdy. I tried last Saturday's Guardian. I tore it out and have been carrying it round in my back pocket for a week now. I have about 10 solitions and am now totally stuck. As it's a prize one there's no way of cheating so i've just been staring at it all week. Anyone want to help before the answers are published tomorrow? It's #24,881 set by Shed.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/crossword/print/0,,-25437,00.html

I'm particularly irritated by not being able to get 12 and 25 across for some reason. Probably because i think i know what all the clues are but still can't see the solution.

Same with 26 across and 18 down.

à santé

Eh? What? Sorry? Pardon?

Is 18 down parasite? "one taking advantage of below average location".

I'm thinking PAR(average) A (one) and SITE (location) literally below PAR = PARASITE? Fits with 17 across and 22 across which i already have.

BTW don't accidentally image search "parasite" in google.

It's what you say when drinking pastis.

It's what you say when drinking pastis.

True but it's one word not two and ends in t (3d is Lancet). I think the second letter is r as well (if 1d is Backdrop).

tb and I have been doing the Guardian quicks for a while, but in search of some novelty we spent all weekend trying to get to grips with cryptic crosswords - going through the guardian archives comparing answers to clues until we could see method in the madness. I am now seeing anagrams and wordplay everywhere. And capable of solving easy cryptic clues. I have a long way to go though.

A simple fun one I got today: frequently expressed as decimal (5)

often?

point?

edit: just checked and often is right. i fucking hate cryptic crosswords

often. of ten. hooray.

having read up on things, the guardian rufus ones are easier than many so I'm plodding through one now. I hate all hidden code bollocks, city = ec etc + roman numerals. A correct guess has given me 'at the helm' for 'In control of a race taking two men over fifty miles (2,3,4)' - I get the first part is the definition, but only really had it confirmed by the over fifty miles = ending in L (roman numeral) M (miles) bit. Don't understand the rest. Ah well.

Guardian cryptics are pretty challenging.

Araucaria (or John Graham) lives in a small cottage backing on to the field behind my parents house. He was also the village vicar until 15 years ago.

[ame]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Galbraith_Graham[/ame]

^ clever man and a very nice chap to boot.

race = a tt (time trial)
two men = hehe
you got the end bit.

Flower= river. ie something that flows.