What is a Cryptic Clue?

Let’s start with the basic question, what is a cryptic clue? A cryptic crossword clue follows these two rules: a. It is made up of two parts - a Definition and the Wordplay b. These two parts may overlap (to the extent of the whole clue) but one should never split the other. The Definition is what you would expect in a normal crossword - a word or phrase which is a synonym of the answer. However it may be in slang, and may also be a pun. The Wordplay is the method of working out, or building, the answer. There are many different types which I will get to later. The majority of clues have no overlap at all. So you can normally draw a line and know the Definition is on one side and the Wordplay on the other. If you are still getting nowhere consider a possible overlap. Most compilers would say the first rule of defending against solvers is deception, and some are extremely good at it. Their first line of defence is to try and make it as hard as possible to pick out the Definition. Applying rule b. can help you work it out. I still find it invaluable with some tricky clues. Example (taken from The London Times): ‘Breaking of rule - trade union cheat (9)’. From rule b. the Definition can be ‘breaking (of)’, ‘breaking of rule’, ‘trade union cheat’, ‘union cheat’, ‘cheat’. Any other combinations (including the whole clue) are unlikely here. Then you look at what is left in each case (assuming no overlap), and see if it is a possible Wordplay. Possible Definition Possible Wordplay breaking (of) (of) rule - trade union cheat breaking of rule trade union cheat trade union cheat breaking of rule union cheat breaking of rule - trade cheat breaking of rule - trade union Because I haven’t gone through all the types of clue yet, the following may not be totally clear. Read it just to get an idea of the process and return after you have seen the full explanation of the clue types. Just keep in mind all the possibilities we saw for the word ‘curate’. First Possibility The answer would most likely be an Addition of words/abbreviations for ‘(of) rule’ + ‘trade’ + ‘union’ + ‘cheat’; or for ‘(of) rule’ + ‘trade union’ + ‘cheat’; or for ‘(of) rule’ + ‘trade union cheat’. Second Similar construction to first possibility Third i. Addition as above ii. You need to find a word which could alternately be defined as ‘trade union cheat’ or ‘breaking of rule’. Fourth i. ‘Breaking’ is a good indication of an Anagram, and ‘rule trade’ has 9 letters. This makes it a strong possibility. ii. We may have an Addition of an anagram of ‘(of) rule’ + ‘trade’. iii. ‘Breaking’ could also indicate an Inclusion - where a word for ‘trade’ is included in (breaks into) a word for ‘(of) rule’. iv. Less likely, the sign we are treating as a hyphen may in fact be a minus sign, indicating a Deletion. In that case we would be looking for a word over 9 letters meaning ‘ breaking of rule’ from which we could delete a word for trade. Fifth Similar to fourth possibility ii ,iii , and iv. That makes at least 14 possibilities (there are even less likely ones). So what do we do? Look for the strong contenders!. As I indicated above, any time you have an indicator for an Anagram, and the right number of letters, try that. (A good compiler will fool you every now and then, but you will be ahead more often than not.) If we go with the Definition as ‘union cheat’, we can indeed form the anagram ‘adulterer’. I did say the Definition can be a pun! In this case, the use of this technique has helped us separate ‘union’ from the evocative ‘trade union’ - which has been made even more emotionally evocative by the word ‘cheat’. This method is commonly referred to as ‘Divide and Separate’ from an old bra ad. OK it looks complicated. As in many things the explanation takes a lot longer than the doing. You wouldn’t actually look at all these alternatives. By starting with the strongest contenders you reduce most clues to one or two lines of investigation. A full analysis would only be required only if the compiler is especially devious. And now you have a method which can help you break out of your own unconscious thought patterns to see new alternatives.