What is a cryptic crossword

A. A cryptic crossword puzzle is one in which each clue is a little puzzle in itself, as distinct from the more straightforward question-and-answer crosswords. Crosswords were invented in Britain in the 19th century, but these were of an elementary kind and printed in children's puzzle books and various periodicals. As an adult pastime they first really took off in the USA, and the first modern crossword puzzle was published on 21 December 1913 in the New York World's Sunday supplement, Fun. By 1923 crosswords were being published in most of the leading American newspapers and had recrossed the Atlantic to Britain.

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The early cryptic crosswords show mostly straight definition clues, with the occasional very slightly cryptic one creeping in. Over time the cryptic crossword grew into a form of its own, and newspapers now offer their readers a choice of 'Quick' or 'Cryptic' crosswords.

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Q. And their attraction
A. Simplicity and deception are the cryptic's twin charms: simplicity, because nearly every clue follows one simple rule; deception, because no word in a cryptic clue means what it appears to.

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Q. How do you solve them
A. The secret to solving the cryptic clue is that the word is actually clued twice: once as a standard crossword clue and the again as a punned clue featuring some sort of wordplay. The secret to deciphering a cryptic clue is to determine where one half the clue ends and the other half begins. Each different kind of clue has its own indicators that tip you off to what type is involved. Using a combination of the literal clue, some wordplay, the letter count and whatever letters you already have in the diagram - plus a little practice - you decipher the clue.

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Q. What kinds of wordplay are there
A. There are eight basic types of wordplay. Here are some tips on spotting and solving each one:

• The Anagram - a word or phrase in the cryptic clue must be scrambled to create the answer. Anagrams are always accompanied by a word that indicates that the word or phrase must be rearranged, such as 'round'.
• The Double Definition - the word is actually clued twice with no 'cryptic' element. For example, in the clue 'Drink feathers' both words are synonyms for the word 'down'.
• The Homophone - the answer is clued by a word or phrase that sounds like it. Homophones are always accompanied by a word or phrase that suggests that it is the sound, not the meaning, of the word that is the clue, such as 'I've heard', 'in the ear' or 'to the audience'.
• The Hidden Word - the answer is actually spelled out in the clue itself, inside two or more words. Hidden Words are always accompanied by a word or phrase that suggests insertion or concealment.
• The Reversal - you must reverse the order of the letters in a clue word or phrase to find the answer. Reversals are always accompanied by a word or phrase that suggests reversal, 'rising up' or 'heading left' or 'heading west', for example.
• The Shortened Word - A word must have a letter removed to reveal the answer. The most common example of this is 'Beheading', when the first letter of the clue word must be removed. Shortened Words are always accompanied by a word or phrase that suggests deletion.

And just when you thought you'd mastered all that, not all cryptic clues involve only one type of wordplay. Sometimes a combination of two or more types will be employed.

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Q. Which are the most cryptic of cryptic crosswords
A. All the broadsheets maintain high standards, but The Times and The Sunday Times remain the yardstick by which all others in the UK are measured.

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By Simon Smith