Cryptic

[Skye-Fluff]

ok this may sound really dumb, but what does cryptic actually mean? i have no idea...

[gen2]

This is the Chambes Dictionary definition.

cryptic adj 1 puzzling, mysterious, obscure or enigmatic. 2 secret or hidden. 3 said of a crossword puzzle: with clues in the form of riddles, puns, anagrams, etc, rather than synonyms.

A cryptic crossword glue almost always has two parts to it. 1) A definition part which relates directly to the answer.
2) A wordplay part that contains all the hidden clues to generate the same answer.

When your answers to both parts match, you know you have solved the clue.

[MatydaLover]

I think it is something that leaves you with a nervous twitching after a fit of weeping ... and soft inside.