cryptic crosswords

[giveup]

i am new to cryptic crosswords, keep trying with the daily mail one. I find it very hard. Is it just me ?. Does anyone know of an easier one to start with,or am I really thick.

[swannbaker]

Persevere with the Daily Mail but never ever ...... giveup .

[giveup]

thanks for answering some days I get a few but other days i'm rubbish. Dont want to cheat by looking for answers on this site.How sad is that

[trish432]

Haven`t seen the mail, so don`t know how hard it is. I struggle with the Express some days, but find it quite easy other days.
Llke swannbaker says , persevere, look at the answers when they appear, and try to work out the way the way the compiler works.
Many years ago I used the Sun cryptic, and found it very simple. On the odd occasion I come across the Sun now I find it more difficult, as I am used to the Express compiler.
The main thing I would say is you don`t want it too easy, it`s too boring, you need something to make you think.
No harm in asking for a couple of answers if it enables you to get more by yourself.

[abendigo]

another way ...

Mail on Sunday Sir Lancelot xword

Sunday Express Crusader and his Squire xword

Each uses the same grid / for cryptic and non-cryptic clues / both answers to both types of clues are the same ....

So, try to do these xwords using the cryptic clues only ..... when you get stuck then use the non-cryptic clue to work out the an answer, looking afterwards at the cryptic clue and working out the cryptic word-play

Good Luck

[JRB]

Definitely keep going! Look at the answers the following day and work backwards to see how it came about. You'll soon get the idea.

[jonty23]

Hi, the last reply was the way I did it, however a very good reference book is "a crash course in cracking cryptic crosswords" by Arthur MacTier(available on Amazon). Kind regards.
JOHN FIRTH